Chapter 15 - THE NEIGHBORMrs. Alvarez from next door became our strongest independent witness.
She had knocked around 12:40 because a package for us was delivered to her unit.
Mom opened the door.
Mrs. Alvarez saw Maya in the kitchen.
Pale.
One hand on the counter.
She asked:
“Are you okay?”
Maya said:
“I feel dizzy.”
Mom immediately answered:
“She’s tired.”
Mrs. Alvarez offered:
“Do you want me to stay with the baby?”
Mom said:
“We’re fine.”
Maya looked at her.
Mrs. Alvarez later told investigators:
“I thought Maya wanted to say something, but Linda was standing between us.”
Did she see coercion?
No.
Did she see dinner?
Yes.
Did she hear Mom say:
“She has to start functioning sometime”?
Yes.
That phrase corroborated attitude.
Then, around 1:25, Mrs. Alvarez heard Noah crying continuously through the shared wall.
She considered knocking again.
Didn’t.
She apologized to Maya later.
Maya said:
May you like
“You didn’t know.”
Unlike Mom, Mrs. Alvarez accepted the answer without using it to excuse herself.
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