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"Of course," Morgan said, her voice softening. "It's completely understandable. We're sorry for your loss."
Jennifer dabbed at her eyes with a tissue, trying to regain her composure. “I came as soon as I heard what happened. I needed to see if it was real."
"Derik Greene. I spoke with you on the phone earlier," Derik replied, offering a sympathetic smile. "We're doing everything we can to find out what happened to your mother."
Morgan studied Jennifer's face, taking in the lines of grief etched there. She wondered what thoughts must be racing through Jennifer's mind, what memories were playing out behind those tear-filled eyes. She knew she needed to keep the conversation focused on the case, but part of her ached to offer comfort instead.
Morgan glanced around the cozy living room, the scent of stale air and old memories hanging heavy. Family photos adorned the walls, capturing happier times – and the absence of recent ones didn't go unnoticed. She cleared her throat, focusing on Jennifer.
"Jennifer, can I ask why you haven't visited your mother more often?" Morgan inquired gently, her eyes flicking towards a faded photograph of a young Mary with her children.
"Mom... she was very closed off," Jennifer admitted, her voice cracking. "She pushed people away, even her own family. It hurt, but we respected her wishes. She had a very difficult life, and her way of coping was unfortunately avoidance."
Morgan nodded, understanding the complex dynamics of family relationships all too well. "Did your mother have any enemies? Anyone who might have wanted to hurt her?"
Jennifer shook her head, her confusion evident. "No, my mother was a kind woman, just closed off. She didn't have any enemies, not that I know of."
Morgan bit her lip, mulling over the possibilities. She thought of the letter sent from Mary's former husband, and wondered if Jennifer knew anything about it. "What about her ex-husband? Did she ever mention any issues with him?"
Jennifer's eyes widened, and she sat up straighter. "You think it was my father?"
"It's a possibility," Derik interjected. "We just need to explore all avenues."
Jennifer's lips tightened, and her eyes clouded with anger. "My father was a monster. He used to beat my mother, and me and my siblings too. She finally got the courage to leave him, and we never saw him again, but..." Jennifer took a breath. "The last I heard, he was dying. Cancer. Maybe he even did die, I honestly don't know."
Morgan and Derik exchanged a look. An elderly man on his deathbed was likely not who they were looking for, even with the tumultuous history with the victim. And Jennifer's knowledge of the events lined up with what Morgan had read in the letter. Carefully, she removed it from her pocket and handed it to Jennifer.
"We found this in your mother's room," Morgan said.
Jennifer's eyes scanned the letter quickly, her brow furrowing in confusion.
"I don't understand," she murmured. "My father wrote this? But why would he care to apologize now? I guess he was just a lonely, bitter old man on his deathbed..."
Morgan and Derik watched Jennifer closely, hoping to glean any insight from her reactions. But Jennifer just sat there, staring at the letter as if willing it to reveal more information.
Morgan felt a twinge of sympathy for Jennifer as she tried to console her. "We don't know what his motives were, but we'll look into it. In the meantime, is there anything else you can tell us about your mother? Any details that may seem insignificant, but could help us?"
Jennifer shook her head, her eyes downcast. "I'm sorry, I can't think of anything."
Morgan's mind drifted back to the other crime scene, to the peculiar detail of Mary's teeth. The killer had tampered with them – but why?
"Jennifer, did your mother have any history of dental issues?" she asked, her brow furrowed in thought.
"No, she had her own teeth up until the end," Jennifer replied, confusion etched on her face. "Although, we stopped seeing our family dentist after... what happened."
"What happened?" Morgan leaned forward, her interest piqued.
"Dr. Lorenzo, our dentist, he..." Jennifer hesitated, swallowing hard. "He messed up a few surgeries, and his practice got shut down. He just disappeared after that."
Morgan's gut instinct screamed that this was no coincidence. The connection between Mary's teeth and the mysterious dentist tugged at the edges of her consciousness, urging her to dig deeper.
"Can you tell me more about these botched surgeries?" Morgan asked, her fingers tapping rhythmically on the armrest of the couch as she tried to contain her growing impatience.
Jennifer looked at the floor and sighed, her shoulders slumping. "There was one woman... I remember her because her experience was all over the news. She went to Dr. Lorenzo for a routine procedure, but when she left his office, her jaw was completely deformed."
Morgan leaned forward, her mind racing. "Do you know what happened to the woman? Did she recover?"
Jennifer shook her head. "I'm not sure. I just remember seeing her on the news and my mother being furious. She canceled all of our appointments with Dr. Lorenzo after that."
