Hi there, SuesRomeo! Thanks for reaching out to Apple Support Communities.
After reviewing your post, it sounds like you are running into some issues using Siri with your iPhone locked. We definitely understand that can be a concern and we'd love to help. You’ve taken some great troubleshooting steps already. Thanks for trying that.
First, we'd like to clarify that messages are read by Siri when using AirPods or compatible Beats. This article has all the information:
Announce Messages with Siri on AirPods
With that being said, does your iPhone respond to “Hey Siri” at all? This page has examples of what you can ask Siri to do for you:
What can I ask Siri?
If Siri is not responding at all, the steps in this article may help with general Siri performance issues as well:
If "Hey Siri" isn't working on your iPhone or iPad.
Please let us know if you have follow-up questions about this issue.
Have a great day!