“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to do that.” Aaron tilted his head down, but then slowly looked up. “You see, there was something about her that I just can’t put my finger on and I don’t want to speculate because that wouldn’t be right at all. Everyone is entitled to have their space and our understanding. Not our gossip.”

Gavin could tell that Aaron was struggling with loyalty versus honesty. Many close witnesses, those who know the victim well, do this too. He wouldn’t have pegged Aaron as a close witness; it could just be the counselor side of Aaron shining through. Either way, Gavin needed to find out what he could about Gabrielle, and it seemed Aaron knew more than expected. “That’s very commendable, but I am a detective, Aaron, and I see speculation and gossip differently than most. Speculation, many times in my profession, helps to find a killer. Aaron, we need to know about Gabrielle, all about her. Though something may not be flattering, it might help us to find out what happened to her and her son. We’re not judging her. We’re trying to find closure for her family. And justice for her and Adam.”

Aaron nodded. “Don’t get me wrong with what I’m about to say.” He hesitated again, as if trying to get his words right. “Gabrielle was friendly and nice, but there was a very private side to her. You could only get so close. A lot of us would get together after work and she always had an excuse to not come along. It was always Adam. She had no one to watch him and she wouldn’t leave him with a babysitter.”

“Did you find that odd? That she had no one to watch him, I mean. No family or friends that could do it?” Gavin asked.

“That’s just it. We didn’t see that as odd, not in the beginning anyway. She just seemed like an overprotective mother—that she wouldn’t let anyone else look after him. She was young, he was her only child, that’s not uncommon… then she started taking a lot of time off work.” Aaron stopped speaking, as if he just said the wrong thing.

“Was Gabrielle sick?” Gavin thought of Gabrielle’s cancer; maybe she had symptoms. Even if she didn’t know about it, she could have had symptoms. Gavin needed to find out what Gabrielle knew. Felt. What she told people.

“No, Adam was the one sick.”

“Adam?” Gavin’s eyes flew wide open. He couldn’t help it. Adam’s teachers also confirmed he was sick a lot. “How soon before her disappearance was she taking time off to care for him?”

“A few months, I’d say.” Aaron sighed. “We were sorry for her, of course, and wanted to help, but then we grew concerned because she wouldn’t let anyone help her.”