Page 21 of Trust No One
I lowered my voice. “Is Gabe here?”
“No, he left for the hospital last night. I thought he was with Maria.”
“He hasn’t been at the hospital since early this morning.”
“I haven’t seen him.”
“You sure?”
“You can search if you want to.”
“No.”
She shook her head. “He doesn’t handle himself well in tough situations. He takes off, drinks.”
He’d done that in high school. If a game went badly, or he had a fight with Maria, he was MIA. “Has there been a lot of that lately?”
She folded her arms. “I haven’t seen much of Maria and Gabe in the last few months. Always too busy to bring Molly by.”
“Maria’s been working at the hospital a lot.”
“I know.”
“Who took care of Molly?”
“School. Gabe sometimes.”
“What about Gabe’s business?”
“I know a contract didn’t come through.”
“Why?”
“Gabe said money is tight for everyone. But I think it was his prison record.”
“Are financial issues causing marriage troubles for Gabe and Maria?”
Her chin tilted. “No more than average. Couples argue, but my son and his wife adore each other. They have a solid marriage.”
“Relationships are tough. You said you haven’t seen them in a while.”
The lines around her mouth deepened. “I’d have sensed if something was off.”
Maria and Gabe had put on a happy front for me. “Tell me about Maria’s health.”
“I saw her early summer. I babysat Molly while she ran in a marathon. She was in peak health. She’s a health food nut. Always after Gabe to eat less junk.”
“No issues with her heart?”
“The family has a history, but I never saw a sign of it with her.”
“You had no clues of trouble?”
Her eyes narrowed. “You keep digging for an issue. I didn’t see any problems.”
“What did you think when Gabe showed up with Molly here last night?”
She drew in a breath. “I was surprised.”
