Page 37 of Little Hidden Fears

“To my knowledge, no.”

She leaned to the side, grabbing a tissue, and blotting her eyes.

“I know this is hard to talk about,” I said.

“It is, you’re right, but I am in complete support of what you’re trying to do. If talking to me will lead you in the right direction, it will be well worth it.”

“Do you remember the last time Noelle asked for your advice about one of the women at the center?”

Joanie reached for a cookie. She took a bite, holding the rest of it in her hand as she said, “Let’s see now. There was a recent incident, yes. It’s coming back to me now. A woman came to the center. She had a black eye, multiple bruises and wounds.”

“Does this type of thing happen often?”

“Not often, no. Many women come to the center seeking refuge after leaving their partners, be it boyfriend, or husband, or otherwise. The center acts as a middle ground. It’s the step between shedding their past and healing from their pain as they try to forge a better life for themselves. As for the woman I just mentioned, Noelle convinced her to be looked at by a doctor, but the woman wouldn’t admit who’d beaten her.”

By law, any doctor who suspected a woman was a victim of domestic violence was mandated by the state to report it.

“I’m assuming the doctor knew she’d been assaulted.”

She nodded. “He contacted the proper authorities. Even then, the woman wouldn’t give them a name. The police did what they could to try and figure out who’d harmed her, but the woman was unmarried, and she lived alone. When police questioned her coworkers, they confirmed she lived alone. They’d all presumed she was single.”

“What happened to the woman?”

“She left the center almost as soon as she arrived, which didn’t sit well with my daughter. She admitted to me she’d been to the woman’s house, but the woman wasn’t there. A day or two went by, and the woman still hadn’t been seen, and she hadn’t shown up at work. Noelle came to me for advice. She wanted to hire a private investigator.”

“Did she?”

“I doubt it. I tried my best to talk her out of it.”

“Why?”

“Not knowing the woman’s full story, or who harmed her, or why, I was concerned about Noelle’s involvement. She’d never put herself at risk in such a way before, not to my knowledge.”

So why had she this time?

What was different about this woman than the others?

“Was the woman ever found?” I asked.

“To my knowledge, no.”

If Noelle’s desire to hire a private investigator hadn’t been supported, it was possible she’d hired the investigator and didn’t tell anyone.

“How many employees work at the center?” I asked.

“I’m not certain. I can tell you Barbara Adams runs the place. She’s been there since the beginning.”

Joanie polished off her cookie, washing it down with lemon water, which wasn’t to my taste, but to each his own. Shereached for another cookie, saying, “Do you have any other questions about the center?”

“None I can think of right now.”

“Good, then we should move on. You mentioned Gabe earlier, and I have plenty to say about him.”

CHAPTER 15

“Gabe Romero was raised without a mother for the majority of his life,” Joanie said. “And his father ... well, he wasn’t much of one. He was a drunk, and there were times when he was so intoxicated that he abused Gabe. As to the extent of the abuse, I’m not sure.”

“How do you know about the abuse?” I asked.

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