A Sprig of Blossomed Thorn by Patrice Greenwood

her?”
    Rosa was silent. I saw a frown tighten her brow.
    â€œMostly,” she said finally.
    â€œMostly?”
    Tony stared at her, the flat cop stare that I so dislike. It annoyed me to see him using it on Rosa, but I held my tongue. He glanced at me, then spoke in a gentler tone.
    â€œWho would you say got along with her the least?”
    â€œM-my Aunt Estella. They haven’t spoken for years.”
    â€œWhy?”
    Rosa looked down at her hands, and I noticed they were clenched in her lap. “Aunt Estella got a divorce. Nana never forgave her.”
    â€œAh.” Tony wrote for a minute, then looked up. “Anyone else?”
    â€œI t-think she was OK with everyone else.”
    â€œYou think? But you’re not sure?”
    I frowned at Tony. He was starting to bully. He didn’t look at me, but I knew he knew I disapproved.
    â€œWell, Uncle Matt has an Anglo girlfriend, and Nana didn’t like that.” Rosa turned her head to look at me. “Sorry.”
    I smiled, letting her know I understood. Mrs. Garcia had been conservative about her family, I gathered. Not that unusual.
    In New Mexico, Hispanics and Anglos share a lot of things—political power, economic power, cultural influence—but there are sometimes invisible lines that one crosses at one’s own risk. A powerful woman like Mrs. Garcia would be able to draw such lines for those under her influence.
    Tony bent to his notepad. “What’s the girlfriend’s name?”
    â€œSherry, uh—Anderson, I think.”
    â€œWhat’s she like?”
    Rosa shrugged. “I’ve only met her a couple of times. Uncle Matt doesn’t bring her to a lot of family parties. She’s nice, I guess.”
    â€œHow long have they been dating?”
    â€œUm, maybe five, six years?”
    Tony gazed at her thoughtfully. “Are they living together?”
    A faint blush came into Rosa’s cheeks. She nodded. “For about a year. Nana didn’t approve.”
    Tony made another note. I kept a concerned eye on Rosa. She was bearing up all right, but she didn’t look comfortable. I glanced at my watch, debating whether to put a stop to it by saying we had to get back to work.
    â€œWhat about you?” Tony asked. “How did you get along with your grandmother?”
    Rosa broke into a beaming smile. “She was the best! She was my champion.”
    â€œYour champion?”
    Rosa nodded. “When I wanted to come work here, and Papa didn’t want me to, she said to let me make my own choices.” Rosa looked at me. “She said if I could succeed in the Anglo world, all the better for me.”
    Tony caught my eye and looked smug. I chose to ignore it. He leaned back in my chair and looked down at his notes.
    â€œYou know of anyone who might’ve been mad at your grandmother?”
    Rosa gazed at him, looking bewildered, then shook her head. “No. She’s strict, but everyone loves her. Even Aunt Estella.”
    â€œWhat about someone outside the family?”
    Rosa shrugged. “The other restaurant managers, maybe. I don’t know. I haven’t heard anything.”
    â€œOK. Thanks.”
    Tony sat frowning at his notes for a long moment. Rosa shifted in her chair.
    â€œIs that it? Can I go?”
    Tony glanced up at her. “Yeah, you can go.”
    Rosa stood up at once, looking relieved. I followed her to the door, but paused there and waited until she had gone downstairs, then looked back at Tony.
    â€œI hope you got what you needed.”
    Tony glanced at me. “Oh, yeah. Big help. Hadn’t heard about the Anglo girlfriend. Course I haven’t talked to Matt yet, but it’s interesting that Ricardo didn’t mention it.”
    â€œFamilies protect their secrets.”
    â€œAnd matriarchs rule with a rod of iron.” Tony stood up and came to the door, stuffing his notebook in a pocket. “Maybe Uncle Matt and his