Authored by Koslov

Then

Once a year, the diSantiagos held a family picnic. If you were part of the family, you came – well mostly. Raphael was fifteen but had never been before; he was part of the family. His father’s split from his brothers was something that he did not understand. Why would they live so poorly in Miami when they could live like kings here?

He stood out here, Raphael was rough and unkempt. He tried to mingle with some of the others; but everyone seemed to know that he didn’t really belong.

He sat alone, listening to the waves crash against the dock and watching the sunset. He mostly blocked out the sound of the music and the merry-making in the background.

“Hello. My name is Inez.” A girl’s voice said from behind him. Raphael turned to look at her.

She was wreathed in sunlight, the golden ringlets of her hair caught the sunlight giving her the appearance of a halo. She was wearing a young girl’s dress of yellow and white, and reminded him of the pictures of angels he had seen in his mom’s house. The warmth of her voice and of her smile made him feel welcome. He guessed that she was no older than twelve.

“I’m Raphael.” He said. Her smile and her way made him feel less angry about being here and that was reflected in his face.

“Can I sit with you?” She asked. Her voice floated like music in his ears. After he nodded, she placed the plate down on the pier and sat beside him. “I thought that you might like a burger and some cake.” She said, sliding the plate of food closer to him. “Why are you alone? I don’t like it when people are alone.”

Years Later

Raphael wiped his mouth, then tried to spit out the taste of bile. He pushed himself back up off the floor, his hand wet with her blood. He forced himself to look at her; once he had, he could not look away. Her hair was matted with blood, sweat and gore. Her eyes were open and they stared at him: asking one last question.

His mind remembered her beauty even as his eyes beheld this gory nightmare. The entire place stunk of human filth and blood. Inez diSantiago was dead.

Then

Inez and Raphael sat on the pier for several hours, basking in the dying sunlight and conversation. Inez was Uncle Angelo’s youngest daughter. She asked him about everything: Where was his daddy? Why didn’t they live near-by? How had Raphael lived on the street? Where did he sleep when it rained? Didn’t he miss his mommy?

Despite the street-tough attitude that Raphael liked to portray, this little girl stole his heart. He listened to her, answered her questions; she was his friend.

Later

This room was long and poorly lit by aging and under-powered fluorescent lights. It made her blood look black and her skin green. His body shook with equal parts rage and pain. Her body was still: hanging from hooks and chains. It had been rudely used before (and perhaps after) she had passed.

He needed a moment to think, he walked outside the concrete building and into the bright sunny Hudson City August afternoon. Outside, the world seemed normal; not the hell that was inside. He had been too late; he had failed her.

You can’t let Angelo – or anyone else – see her like this. He thought to himself. He could feel the color come back to his face, and he reached for his phone. Just about everyone was looking for her; and Javier and Angelo were at the command center, feeding leads to the cops, to security and to him.

Raphael had found a guy; who knew a guy; who heard about a guy; who might know something. Turns out, he did. Erich Franks had been the one to provide some of the killer’s toys. Raphael took no comfort in the thought that Franks was dead; his body would likely never be found. Raphael was good at his job.

With some hesitation he dialed a friend. **Calderon.** The voice said on the other end.

**Feix, this is Raph. I need you; only you.** Raphael said, his voice was flat and lifeless.

**Jesus. I’m going to need to bring in the crime lab.** The detective said.

**No. Just you. I’m at 534 Hyde, come quietly.** Raphael hung up the phone; then dialed Javier.

**It’s over.** He said before Javier could say anything. **Angelo can’t see her like this; so, keep it quiet until I call.**

Javier closed the phone without saying a word. “We have a lead, nothing to move on yet.” He said to his twin.

“That was Raphael, wasn’t it?” Angelo asked angrily. “Tell me what he said!” He banged his fist on the table. “Where’s my baby?!?!” Spittle flew from his mouth and landed on Javier’s shirt and face.

“As soon as I know, you’ll know.” Javier lied to his brother.

Then

“Happy Birthday to you!” They all sang. Inez beamed at her guests. At age 16, she was blossoming into a beautiful young woman. She had her mom’s good looks and her dad’s charisma. Angelo kissed his daughter on the cheek and took a piece of cake over to Raphael.

“Thanks for coming.” He said, but really didn’t mean. He had never been that happy that Raphael had become such close friends with his baby. Still, he did have his uses. “Which one of those boys is she dating?” He said handing him the plate of Birthday cake.

Raphael retuned his greeting with more warmth than it was offered. “The kid in the Thunderbolts jersey; name is Joey, Joey-D or (sometimes) Jo-Jo; last name is Davadinko. His dad runs Davadinko’s Market down by the river.” Raphael didn’t add that he played guitar in a band that wasn’t that bad or that they weren’t having sex: none of that was Angelo’s business.

Angelo nodded, pleased that Raphael knew so much. “Are they ... is he ... you know?” Angelo asked, without looking his nephew in the eye.

“Even if I knew, I wouldn’t tell you. You know that.” He replied.

The conversation ended when Inez walked over and kissed Angelo on the cheek. “Dad! This party is wonderful! And the car!!!” She squealed and gave her dad another hug and kiss.

“Rapha, did you see my new car?” She asked with joy.

“No!” Raphael lied. He had in fact picked the car out for Angelo. “But I’d love to see it.” He stood and she took his hand and led him outside to the new red Mercedes C coupe.

“It’s red!” She said with a big smile.

Later

“Shit man!” The detective said, “Your hand is red!” He withdrew his handshake before Raphael could take his hand.

Felix Calderon and Raphael had been friends from their street gang days back in Lafayette. They had both gotten off the streets and had (more or less) successfully broken their old gang ties. Felix had found his way to the HCPD and had managed to get promoted to detective. But, he and Raphael were boyz from the old days.

By the time Calderon arrived, Raphael had pulled Inez’ naked and broken body down. He had done what he could to wipe off the blood and gore from her body then covered it with a sheet. He was unfolding a black body bag when the detective walked into the killing room.

“Goddamn slaughter house.” The cop complained, he brought a white handkerchief to his mouth. “You never really get used to that smell.”

He pushed past the thick, plastic strips that hung in the doorway.
“Jesus, Raph! You can’t move evidence. You’re going to get me in trouble; you’ve tainted the crime scene!”

Raphael didn’t look up, he lay Inez’ body in the bag and then zipped it shut. “No one sees her like this.” He said quietly. “No one!!” He yelled at his friend. His eyes were filled with a mix of anger and sorrow.

“I get it brother.” Calderon said, “But, the techs ... my bosses, they are going to go ballistic when they see this; what about the tra-?” He stopped short, there would be no trial and evidence wasn’t foremost in the diSantiago’s mind.

“What do you want from me?” Felix asked.

“Not a lot. Get a tech down here you trust and can be paid off. Get me some usable prints ... something.” Raphael said, “When we’re done, I’m going to burn this place to the ground. Then you can just bury this somewhere no one will ever find it.”

“Yeah, that won’t work.” The cop replied. “Inez diSantiago is famous and beautiful. Her death will be all over the celebrity media as well as the regular media. This case won’t just go away. I’m surprised that Nancy Grace isn’t here already.”

Raphael slammed his hand into the concrete floor it left a small crater. “Damnit.”

“It’s OK.” Felix answered, “I have a plan. I need to disappear a really bad dude. I can just hang this on him. We both get what we need.” He smiled at Raphael.

“Get what I need?!” He shouted at the cop. He caught himself and calmed himself. “I can’t get what I need; all I’m left with is revenge.” He lifted the body bag and they walked out of the room. “Thank you, Felix. Thank you.”

“Don’t mentioned it.” He said, touching Raphael on the shoulder. “I’m with you all the way on this one. All the way.”

He opened his phone and dialed Javier. “I have her body. I’m taking her to the Funeral Parlor to be cleaned up. Bring Angelo there in an hour.”

“I want to see the crime scene.” Javier said, “I need to know what happened.”

“No.” He said, “I know enough for everyone. You don’t need to see it; Angelo can’t see it.”

“We’ll be there in an hour.” Javier said, hanging up the phone.

Then

She sat behind the steering wheel of her new car and smiled at her cousin. “You’re not as mean as everyone says you are.” She proclaimed. Then she held up her arm, showing off the silver bracelet that he had given her. “This is just beautiful.” She beamed.

Raphael nodded and smiled. He probably was just as mean as everyone said he was. He just wasn’t mean to her. “I saw it and thought of you.” He said.

“I have something for you.” She said with a smile, pulling a small box out of her bag.

“It’s not my birthday.” He said, taking it from her.

“Well, that’s good. It’s not a birthday present.” She played back to him. “Open it before I show you how mean I can be!”

He smiled at her teasing and was equally thankful for her friendship. He opened it. Inside was a black and red woven, cloth bracelet. He looked at her with a look of confusion.

She smiled at him and placed it around his wrist. “It’s a friendship bracelet. I made it for you.” She said with exaggerated pride. “It looks good on you. And, I don’t think it’ll hurt you to have people think you have friends.”

“Probably not.” Raphael smiled, “Thank you. I have never had one of these before.”

Inez leaned over and kissed him on the cheek then hugged him.

Later

Raphael held the silver bracelet tightly in his hand. He had found everything but her engagement ring; which he assumed had been taken by the killer. He turned the metal over in his hands and felt the way it pressed into his skin. Watching the mortician work, he knew there was only so much that could be done. “There’s no way to just dress her is there?”

“No.” He said, his voice was always a little sad, but today it was mournful. “Besides, Angelo needs to know all this.”

“No.” Raphael corrected, “Angelo does not need to know everything. Shield him from as much of the truth as you can. This was his baby.”