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“We spoke to the four women attached to the lawsuit,” Freddie said. “Their stories were shockingly similar. They accused him of ejaculating on them while they were under light sedation.”
Her gasp of disgust made him feel sick. He hated having to inform people who’d lost family members to violence of things they hadn’t known about their loved ones.
“How could they know that if they were sedated?” she asked.
“They were in a twilight sedation,” Freddie said, “where they maintain some consciousness. At first, each of them thought it had to be a weird dream or something, but when they connected with the other women, they learned that it wasn’t. They reported it to the MPD’s Special Victims Unit, and an investigation was conducted. The SVU detective determined there was insufficient evidence to go forward with a criminal complaint, so the four women banded together on a civil claim that was due to go to court this month.”
“He said nothing about that to me,” she said tearfully. “I had no idea.”
“Our current theory is that he murdered his family to spare them the humiliation.”
“It’s just not possible,” she whispered. “He loved them more than anything. All he talked about were his kids and his pride in them, how they made him laugh and think.” She gave them a pleading look. “You’ll never convince me that he could’ve done this to them. All the humiliation in the world wouldn’t have caused him to harm them.” She placed her hand on Freddie’s arm. “Iknewhim. I knew him as well as I know myself. We talked two or three times a day, almost always about the kids and what they were up to. They were the center of his world.”
Freddie was torn. He believed her. And he believed the evidence that indicated Marcel had good reason to commit an unspeakable crime. “We appreciate the added insight.”
“What does that mean? Are you going to say that he did this?”
“We haven’t decided anything for certain yet. We’re still collecting evidence.”
“Please… Don’t compound this tragedy for me by blaming my son for it. He’d been under so much stress lately with wanting to be there more for his kids… He wasn’t himself.”
Freddie tuned in to the telling statement. “How so?”
“It just wasn’t like him to ditch work to hang out with his kids. He knew how much his patients counted on him, but lately, it seemed like more of a burden to him than a calling.”
Freddie wondered if that played into his hunch about a possible medical condition.
“He would’ve killed himself, not the kids. Never the kids.”
“We’re doing everything we can to get at the truth,” Freddie said. “That’s all we can do.”
When they rose to leave, Graciela followed them to the door. “If you determine he did it, will you tell me before you make that news public?”
“I will,” Freddie said. “I promise.”
“Thank you.”
“We’re sorry if our investigation makes this tragedy worse for you. That’s not our intention.”
“I understand. I want the answers as much as you do. I just hope you’re looking beyond the obvious.”
“We are.”
“Then that’s all I can ask.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
“It’s unbearable,” Freddie said when they were in the SUV on the way back to the District.
“Yes, it is,” Sam said, “but you handled her just right. You told her we’re looking at every angle, including the possibility that her son wasn’t who she thought he was.”
“How will she live with that if it turns out he did this?”
“I don’t know.” She tried to imagine one day having to accept such a thing about her husband or sons and couldn’t. “People hide their true selves from even those closest to them.”
“I don’t do that, and neither do you.”
“Everyone keeps some things completely private.”
