Sounds of Silence by Elizabeth White Read Free Book Online

“Here she comes.” He paused and listened. “No, I’m through with school for today. I’m playing with—” He gulped as Isabel held out a hand for the phone. “Uh-oh, here’s Mom. ’Bye, Eli.”
    “Eli!” Isabel’s breath came quickly, both from her precipitate trip down the ladder and from the sound of the low chuckle rumbling in her ear. “What are you doing?”
    “I might ask you the same thing. Bowling in the attic?”
    “I wasn’t bowling. I just needed to get some stuff ready for a yard sale.”
    Truthfully, she had no intention of selling Rico’s bowling ball, not now. She’d opened the leather bag and rotated the ball until she could stick her fingers in the holes. The sensation of holding hands with her husband had nearly undone her.
    Isabel sniffed and swallowed a fresh wad of tears.
    Eli must have heard the tremor in her voice. He was quiet for a moment, then said gently, “I’ll come over this afternoon and help you with the heavy stuff. I have to talk to you about something anyway.”
    Anxiety clutched her stomach. “What’s the matter?”
    He answered her question with one of his own. “Where’s your houseguest?”
    “She and Danilo are playing dolls.” Isabel caught her son’s outraged look and grinned. “Well, she’s playing dolls. He’s actually saving the planet.”
    “Good. Keep them both indoors until I get there.”
    “Eli, what’s going—”
    The dial tone buzzed in her ear. She pushed the “cancel” button and gave Danilo a distracted frown. What on earth had happened now?
    Isabel barely had time to brush the cobwebs out of her hair and wash her hands before Eli arrived. In uniform and as usual neat as a pin, he removed his hat as he stepped into the foyer. The sober line of his mouth sent the butterflies in Isabel’s stomach chasing one another.
    “Let’s go in the kitchen so we can talk,” she suggested, looking around to make sure Danilo was out of earshot.
    Eli followed her into the kitchen. “What have you been doing today?”
    Isabel pulled out a chair for Eli, then seated herself across from him. “I’ve been sewing all morning, then once Danilo got home…Eli, what’s the matter?”
    He laid his hat carefully on the table, avoiding her eyes as if he didn’t know how to start. “We’re going to have to be a lot more careful with Mercedes.”
    Isabel took a sharp breath. “If you don’t tell me right now what’s going on, I’m going to have to hurt you.”
    A smile cracked Eli’s grim expression, then instantly disappeared. “Benny Malone called me in the middle of the night to tell me somebody broke into the orphanage and smothered Dulce Garcia with a pillow.”
    Isabel clapped her hand over her mouth to muffle a shriek.
    Eli leaned across the table to grab her other hand. “Hold on. Yeah, it’s bad. And I’m afraid it means somebody knows Mercedes saw something dangerous.”
    Isabel fought to get her breath back. “Why do you say that?”
    “Benny said the Mexican police were back asking more questions about her. Word has gotten out that she was there.” Eli’s big shoulders shifted uncomfortably. “And we can’t overlook the fact that Dulce was the same age and size as Mercedes.”
    “I just—I can’t believe it.” Isabel crushed Eli’s hand. She wanted to get up and grab the little girl into her arms. She wanted to take her son away from this violent place.
    Eli gazed at Isabel with bloodshot blue eyes underscored by dark shadows. “I spent the wee hours of the morning with the Acuña police. The officer who questioned Benny wasn’t on the force. The guy’s disappeared.” His jaw shifted. “I’m sure glad Mercedes is with you.”
    Isabel closed her eyes to shut out his obvious meaning. “So am I, but—”
    Old fears clamored for space in her brain. The night Rico died replayed in glaring detail: Border Patrol personnel banging on the door, waking her from a profound sleep. Danilo crying out at the noise, clinging to