Free White Tombs by Christopher Valen Page B

carved up their naked bodies and examined each of their organs. No privacy existed for the victim of a homicide.
    Santana went into the kitchen. Dirty dishes littered the sink and counter. No messages were recorded on Córdova’s answering machine. He looked through the drawers and cupboards and then opened the door leading to the backyard. A Golden Retriever stopped barking and looked at him with sad, curious eyes.
    Santana went back inside and got a can of Alpo dog food from the cupboard. He opened it and used a tablespoon to scoop the food into one of two plastic bowls on the floor next to the refrigerator. He filled the second bowl with fresh water, left the back door open and walked down the hall and checked out the bathroom.
    The tub and sink had a permanent rust ring. Santana scanned the medicine cabinet for drugs and then went into the bedroom where he searched the dresser drawers and walk-in closet, saving Córdova’s desk for last.
    He found no ammunition and no permit for the .22 caliber gun Córdova had supposedly used to murder Julio Pérez. But he did find two 4 x 6 framed photos on the dresser. One was a photo of Rubén Córdova with Angelina Torres. Córdova had an arm around her waist and a youthful, exuberant smile obviously fueled by love. The other photo was of Julio Pérez and his wife, Sandra, their daughter, Gabriela, Rubén Córdova and Angelina Torres. It had apparently been taken outside the Church of the Guardian Angels. Santana put the family photo in the pocket of his overcoat, the frame under a pile of underwear in the dresser.
    He sat on the chair in front of the desk in the corner where he opened the Apple laptop and turned on the computer. In a moment it booted up in a bright blue color and several icons appeared on the screen. Córdova had obviously assumed he would be the only one ever using his computer and, therefore, needed no password.
    Santana moved the arrow using the touch pad and touch pad button in front of the keypad and clicked on a folder entitled El Día . In a moment the folder opened and a list of individual files appeared, organized by names and dates. He quickly realized that the files were stories Córdova had completed or was currently working on. He scanned the list and clicked on one labeled Mendoza.
    When the file opened, he saw that it contained a series of notes Córdova had compiled. He felt a surge of adrenaline as he read them. Córdova was writing a story about Mexicans obtaining illegal worker visas. Córdova had suspected Mendoza was somehow involved and had previously interviewed him. The last line of the final paragraph written in capital letters read: THIS MAY BE ONLY PART OF THE STORY.
    Santana sat back and remembered what Gamboni had told him. Connect the dots. Córdova worked for Pérez at El Día and had scheduled an interview with Mendoza for a story he was writing. Clearly there was a connection. Santana made a note to check Córdova’s phone records. But if Córdova was responsible for two murders, then what was his motive? What did he have to gain by murdering Mendoza and Pérez? According to Angelina Torres, Pérez and his family had reached out to Córdova. Why then would Córdova turn around and murder Pérez?
    Santana closed the Mendoza file and clicked on a few others. All the stories were well written but contained nothing relating to the case. He closed out the folder and opened the Quicken icon containing Córdova’s financial records. As sloppy as Córdova was about his house, he was just the opposite when it came to his finances. He had kept precise records of his transactions including his gas and grocery bills, his monthly payment on a thirty-year mortgage, his car payment and Master Card bill. He had a little over a thousand dollars in a TCF bank saving’s account and fifty-six in his checking account as of the end of December. Córdova, like most Americans, lived paycheck to paycheck. If he made any money in the visa scam, he