CHAPTER 6 

TERRI HERNANDEZ MET me in East Harlem near where Estella Abreu, the young woman we’d pulled out of the Hudson, had lived. I caught Terri up on everything I’d learned about our victim. 

“The only address listed for her is this one, with her parents, on 116th Street. A patrol sergeant made notification almost as soon as we knew who she was.” 

We were about to do one of the most challenging things all homicide detectives do: interview the family of a homicide victim. You never know what you’re going to find. A family in denial. A family grieving so deeply they can’t focus. A family so shattered by the loss of the child they don’t know how to cope. There’s a wide array of responses to losing a family member to homicide, and none of them are positive. 

“You know I did some work not too far from here. Did a year in Narcotics that, for a time, had me coordinating with officers at the Two-Three,” Terri said. 

“Is the neighborhood better or worse than back then?” 

“Same. Still tough. Right over there is where a convenience-store robber shot at me.” 

“What happened to the shooter?” 

“He ran and ended up shooting a cabdriver. Then he took the cab and went on a high-speed chase. The New Rochelle cops finally got him with Stop Sticks. He was booked, but since he didn’t hit me and the cabdriver survived, he got time served and two years’ probation.” 

I said, “If the shooter had hit you, the judge would’ve given him another month or two for sure.” 

“I don’t think people realize how close most cops are to just stepping away.” 

“I hear ya. All we can do in the meantime is our best. Maybe if we did a better job, this neighborhood wouldn’t be so rough.” 

Terri pointed down the street. “Over where those guys are selling dope was the site of my biggest fistfight. Place looks about the same. For a girl to get out of here and go to nursing school is really something. Her parents have to be special.” She shook her head and added, “And this is their reward? Makes you wonder why we all try so hard. Shit happens no matter what.” 

All I could do was nod. I’d been thinking about this most of the afternoon. This beautiful young woman, studying to be a nurse at Pace University, and suddenly everything was taken from her. It made me sad, but it also made me angry.