“She’s not seeing anyone right now.”

“She’s seeing us.” Sam engaged in a staring contest, which she won when he turned away, leaving the door open.

Inside, they found several adults of various ages in the living room with the Vasquez children. Toys were scattered on the floor, and the coffee table was laden with a wide variety of food. They spoke in rapid-fire Spanish that Sam was unable to follow, but the suspicious glances directed their way were easy to understand. These people were distrustful of cops.

The man who’d answered the door returned with his arm around Carmen. She looked at them with glazed eyes.

Seeing their mother, the two little boys let out shrieks and ran toward her. Family members scooped them up before they could get to her.

Carmen watched the scene with a detached aura about her, only glancing at her children when one of them began to cry.

“Has she been medicated?” Hill asked.

“The doctor gave her something to help her sleep.”

“How long ago?” Sam asked.

“Around five in the morning.”

Enough time had passed, she decided, that they might be able to have a coherent conversation with her.

“We’d like to speak to her in private,” Sam said.

“I’m not leaving her,” the man said in heavily accented English.

“And you are?”

“Her older brother. Eduardo Peña.”

“Who are all these other people?”

“Our parents, two aunts and a cousin. They came with me last night to be with her and the children.”

Realizing she wasn’t going to be able to get rid of the brother, Sam said, “All right. Just you. Find us a private space.”

“This way.”

He led them to an office behind the kitchen and settled his sister into a chair before going back to close the door.

Carmen stared straight ahead, her face devoid of expression.

Sam sat across from her and dragged her chair closer to the other woman. “Carmen,” Sam said, placing her hand on top of Carmen’s freezing cold hand.

She glanced at Sam with dead-looking eyes. “Do you know who killed my husband?”

“Not yet, but we’re working really hard to find out what happened. I need to ask you a couple more questions that I hope you’ll feel up to answering.”

She gave a small nod.

“You have another brother?” Sam asked.

“Yes,” she said softly. “Marco.”

“What does he have to do with anything?” Eduardo asked sharply.

“Mr. Peña, we’re interested in speaking with your sister,” Hill said. “Not you. Be quiet or leave the room.”

Judging by the hostile stare he directed at Hill, Eduardo wasn’t accustomed to being spoken to that way.

“Willie had some problems with Marco?” Sam asked.