Page 37 of The Sinner's Son
“It’s good to meet you both,” Talia told them. “I’d honestly given up hope of finding out who killed Monica. We were as close as sisters growing up but had drifted apart as young ladies. She’d gone to college, and I got married and started a family. But I always loved her. I often wonder what her life would’ve been like if she’d lived. But now I have hope for a resolution after decades, so I thank you both for that.”
“Are you familiar with my story?” Alec asked her.
“A little,” Talia replied. “I honestly hadn’t heard about you until Detective Sergeant Key called me last week. I listened to your audiobook over the weekend. My, you’ve really been through it.”
“Not really,” Alec said. “Andrew’s victims and their families are the ones who’ve suffered. I want to make it right.”
“Honey, you’re a victim too,” Talia told him. “There’s no way the discovery didn’t wreak havoc on your brain.”
Alec chuckled uncomfortably. “That is true. I may have done a lot of research about the inner workings of a serial killer to make sure I hadn’t inherited an evil gene from Andrew. I rehashed every decision and move I’ve ever made, looking for any signs that it might get me too.”
“I don’t think that’s how it works,” Talia said gently.
“No,” Alec agreed. “I eventually arrived at that point too. I’m focused on righting the wrongs now.”
“That’s very admirable,” Talia told Alec before turning her attention to Sawyer. “You have an impressive record of closing cold cases.”
“Thank you. I’m incredibly proud of the work my unit does.”
“The two of you make a good team,” Talia said.
Alec bumped his shoulder against Sawyer’s. “I agree.”
“So, how can I help you solve Monica’s murder?”
Sawyer and Alec took turns recapping what little they knew, including the newly discovered similarities to Emma Sanderson’s case.
“The unnamed friend mentioned in the police report would’ve been Becca. Those two were inseparable. You’d never see one without the other. Becca came with Monica to all our family functions. If I’m honest, I suspected they were more than friends, but no one has ever confirmed that. Becca’s maiden name was Hughes, but she’s gotten married a few times. I cantrack her down through Facebook if you give me a day or two. I know we have friends in common.”
“That would be great,” Sawyer said.
“In the meantime, can I ask you about something else?” Alec asked.
Talia straightened in her chair. “Of course. Name it.”
“This part makes me feel really uncomfortable when talking to a victim’s family or a potential victim in this case.”
“The souvenirs?” Talia asked.
“Yes,” Alec replied. “If you listened to my book, you know the solved cases included trinkets that were wrapped in newspaper clippings or printouts of articles. What I didn’t reveal is that there were quite a few unmatched items in the box, and I was hoping you’d know if Monica wore or carried something easily identifiable.”
“I anticipated this question and discussed it with my family over the weekend,” Talia said. “Monica wore the same style of clothes everyone else did during that era. She followed the same trends and shopped at the same stores. Heck, we struggled to recall what we even wore back then. But I remembered something late last night. Our grandmother had died when we were in high school, and our mothers divided important jewelry pieces among her children and grandchildren. They gave Monica a cameo broach. Do you know what that is?” Talia asked.
“Yes, ma’am,” Sawyer said as recognition sparked in his brain.
“That’s like a carving of a woman’s face in profile, correct?” Alec kept his tone cool, but his leg bounced under the table. “It’s usually set against a solid background.”
“That’s right,” Talia said. “Monica had pinned her broach to a piece of velvet and wore hers around her neck like a choker. You guys are too young to remember that trend, but it was wildly popular for a time in the nineties. Her cameo had beencarved from a concha shell and set against a coral background. I remember there being a slight chip in the shell near the bottom of the bust. The velvet choker was almost the same color as the background. They didn’t find the necklace in her bedroom after she disappeared, and I believe Becca said she’d been wearing it at the fairgrounds.”
“If she described Monica’s outfit and accessories, it hadn’t made it into the police file,” Sawyer said.
Talia raised a brow. “I’m willing to bet the information in that file is thin.”
“Unforgivably so,” he agreed. “Would you have a picture of Monica wearing the cameo choker?”
“I’m certain of it,” Talia replied. “She wore it all the time. I called my mother, who our family lovingly refers to as the archivist, and she’s going to look through the photo albums from that time period. It might take her a day or two to find the right boxes and go through the albums, but she will find it.”
“That’s incredible news,” Alec said. “Thank you. I appreciate it so much.”