“No, but she wouldn’t want to worry me. I was never afraid someone would hurt her. I thought she’d hurt herself. When she was eleven, she cut herself. She bought penknives and cut her wrists. Sometimes too deep, and I’d find blood in the bathroom sink. When she was fourteen, we were arguing about something at the dinner table. She took a steak knife and jabbed half the blade into her thigh.” Durand’s voice cracked. “It was a long time ago.”

“Do you remember anything else she said in that phone call?” Eden asked.

“No. I should have written it down. Elise had a beautiful voice.” Durand looked at Mahler. “Did she say anything before she died? Did she speak to you?”

The question caught Mahler off guard, so far was it from the reality of the victim’s homicide and discovery by the police. For an instant, he remembered leaning close to the dead woman on the park bench and imagining her voice. “No…no, she didn’t.”

“Do you know where Elise was Monday night?” Mahler asked.

“You mean that night?”

“Yes, that night.”

“No. I hadn’t spoken to her since that last call. On Sunday she sent me an email with a photo of a new dress.” Durand took out her phone and poked its screen. She turned it toward Mahler to reveal the victim in a pale blue dress. Elise Durand smiled at the camera.

Eden pointed to the phone. “Did she send any photos of her friends?”

“I can look. I don’t think so.”

“Did she have a boyfriend?”

Durand sighed. “My daughter never knew how to act with boys. She was…too friendly.”

“Was she seeing anyone lately?”

“She said this one boy liked her. According to Elise, he was rich and could buy her anything. I teased her, you know, and asked if they were serious. She said she didn’t think it would work out. There was something wrong with him.”

Mahler nodded. “Something wrong?”

“She never told me what it was exactly, but I thought, the way she spoke, it was drugs. Don’t ask me why. Something about him being different.”

“What was his name?”

“She didn’t say. She was always very private that way.”

“Did she mention someone named Benjamin Thackrey?” Eden asked.

“Is he the one who did this thing?”

“We don’t know. We think whoever did this had friends. Did Elise ever mention this boy’s friends?”

“As a matter of fact, she said he was always with his friends, and she didn’t appreciate that.”

Mahler watched Durand. “Did she talk about a work project for a company called DivingBell?”

“No, I’m sorry. It’s a funny name. I’d remember if she did.”

Mahler waited a moment to see if Durand would say more. Then he said, “I believe that’s all the questions we have. If you think of anything else, please call us.”