Yvonne grasped her soda can with both hands. “I fussed at her, told her she needed to save up and get her a good reliable car, and she just told me, ‘Mama, don’t worry about me. I got plans, and pretty soon me and Aliyah are gonna have a new car and a house of our own.’”

“What do you think she meant by that?” Drue asked, scribbling notes.

“Don’t know. That girl was always dreaming big dreams.”

“She didn’t have a boyfriend? Maybe someone to help her out financially?” Drue asked.

“She was going out with somebody, but she wouldn’t tell me his name or anything else. Said it was too early. But she’d get herself all fixed up on her night off, when they were going to meet. And she didn’t come home ’til way late those nights.”

“No idea who he was?” Drue asked, intrigued.

“No.”

“Okay, let’s go back to that night, September fifteenth. You said before that Jazmin complained about some man at work bothering her. What did she mean by that?”

“She said this man came around when she was by herself. Like, if she was cleaning a room, he’d come in there and close the door, and say things to her.”

“What kind of things?”

Yvonne took a swig of soda and looked away. “At first she said he just told her how nice she looked that day. She said it made her feel funny. And then he started saying, well, sex stuff to her. Things he wanted to do to her. Or have her do to him.”

“Did she ever report that to management?”

“She said she told one of the bosses,” Yvonne said.

“Which boss? In housekeeping, or personnel, somebody like that?”

Yvonne scrunched up her face as she thought. “Maybe personnel? Doesn’t matter, because whoever it was told her she should quit dressing so sexy at work. Sexy! She wore jeans and a top the hotel gave all the housekeepers. You tell me what’s sexy about that.”

“Any idea when she complained?”

“I can’t remember. It’s all a jumble in my mind now.”

“What about her friends at work? Did Jazmin tell them about this man bothering her?”

“The only friend I met was Neesa,” Yvonne said. “I don’t know what Jazmin told her.”

“That’s Neesa Vincent?”

“Mmm-hmm. She come to Jazmin’s funeral and brought me real nice flowers.”

“I’ve read our investigator’s notes about the case. He was never able to contact Neesa. Did you know that the hotel fired her? Shortly after Jazmin’s murder?”

“No. I didn’t know that happened to her.”

“Any chance you know how to reach her?” Drue asked hopefully.

“No.” Yvonne shook her head sadly. “That’s been two years.”

“When was the last time you talked to the police about Jazmin’s case?”