Page 92 of The Texas Murders

She puts her phone away and hurries the rest of the way up the walk, where Isabella gives her a hug.

“Thanks for agreeing to talk to me,” Ava says, trying to put thoughts of Carlos—and how bad his injury might be—out of her mind.

“I’m not sure how much help I’ll be,” Isabella says, leading her into a nice living room with hardwood floors, a kiva fireplace, and a worn leather couch with an accompanying love seat. The coffee table is messy with newspaper clippings, printouts from online articles, and copies of police reports. A cardboard box sits on the floor, its lid ajar. Inside, Ava spots similar documents.

“I got out this old box of stuff from my disappearance,” Isabella says. “I thought it might jog my memory.”

“And?” Ava says, sitting on the love seat to give Isabella the couch.

“Nothing.”

Ava glances over the articles, with headlines like:

Tigua Girl Missing After Powwow

Police Seek Information in Missing Girl Case

And finally:

Missing Girl Found Alive

Ava can see why the articles haven’t jogged Isabella’s memory. They’re all about everyone else’s experience. Not her own.

“What do you remember about the powwow where you were last seen?” Ava asks.

“Not much,” she says, shrugging. “It was just like any other powwow. I guess the cool thing was that this one was in our backyard. It felt kind of special because of that.”

Ava asks what the last thing she remembers is, and Isabella says she’s not sure. She has memories of the event—dancing, competing, laughing with friends—but she isn’t sure what order they happened in. Ava presses for more information, but every question she asks is met with a quick dismissal. As much as Isabella says she is willing, she doesn’t seem towantto help.

Ava gets the feeling that it isn’t that Isabella can’t access those memories.

It’s that she doesn’t want to.

Ava feels frustrated that while Rory and Carlos were putting themselves in danger to save Marta Rivera, she is justspinning her wheels with Isabella Luna. But what did she expect? She’s just rehashing the same questions they already asked.

She has to find a new approach if she wants to get the answers she needs.

CHAPTER 84

“ISABELLA,” AVA SAYS, “four other people have gone missing under similar circumstances. Three of them have been gone so long that it’s unlikely they’re still alive. But one might be alive. You can help her.”

Isabella lowers her head. If she remembers, the only way to get her to talk might be making her realize she can help someone else.

“Are yousurethat you don’t remember anything that happened to you?” Ava asks, staring at Isabella’s lowered head.

She’s going to tell me, Ava thinks.

Instead, Isabella raises her head and says defensively, “How do you know the cases are linked?” Isabella doesn’t give Ava time to think. “They all went missing from their homes, didn’t they? They all had an eagle feather left behind. What happened to me is not the same at all.”

“Whatdidhappen to you?” Ava says. “I want to know. I want to help you.”

Isabella makes apfftsound with her lips. “You want to help me? It’s a little late for that. Where were you four years ago?”

Ava feels the opportunity slipping away.

“I’m here now,” Ava says.

Isabella opens her mouth to speak, but then stands abruptly.

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