Page 38 of Hot Shot

“No!” Carrie shakes her head vehemently. “Don’t do that!”

I hesitate, Carrie’s look of distress tugging at me. “I have to. She’s been vandalizing this whole neighborhood, costing the businesses money.”

“You don’t know it was her that did all of it!” Carrie’s eyebrows fly up. “You just know it was this one. And maybe I’m wrong.” She rubs her forehead. “Maybe it’s not her.”

“It’s her,” I grind out. “And she needs to face the consequences of her actions.”

“She can’t go to jail!”

Hayden reaches out and squeezes Carrie’s arm. “She won’t go to jail, Care. She’s only fourteen.”

“But . . . not the police. Oh my God, my sister will die.” Carrie closes her eyes. “Then she’ll kill Julia.”

I try to harden my heart but thinking about fourteen-year-old Julia with long blond hair like Carrie’s makes my resolve to punish the little criminal weaken. “Get her down here,” I say roughly.

Carrie’s eyes pop open. “Who? My sister?”

“Julia.”

“Wh-why?”

“So we can talk to her.”

“What are you going to do to her? What are you going to say?”

“Christ, we’re not going to water board her.” I shove a hand into my hair and tip my head back.

“What are you thinking?” Beck asks me.

“Maybe there’s a way she can learn her lesson,” I say. “I don’t know. She should have to pay to have the wall repainted.”

“She’s fourteen,” Carrie whispers. “How can she pay?”

“Does she babysit? Maybe she should do dishes here for a while.”

Carrie’s eyes widen again. She turns to Hayden, who shrugs.

Carrie sucks briefly on her plump bottom lip, which further erodes my determination. And yet . . . I know I’m not wrong about this. “Kids can’t go around doing shit like that and getting away with it.”

Carrie nods. “You’re right.” She inhales a long breath. “If I bring her down here to talk to you, you won’t call the police?”

I keep my expression firm. “Not if she agrees to make restitution.”

Carrie blinks rapidly. “And you won’t call my sister?”

I lift my chin.

“Okay. I’ll do it.” She winces, as if imagining her sister finding out about this. Curiosity rises inside me about this family. “But I have to be present when you interrogate her.”

My lips twitch. “Interrogate?”

“Whatever.” She waves a hand. “She needs someone to represent her.”

“Jesus. It’s not a court-martial.” My heart feels oddly warm and full. She obviously loves her niece, and cares about her family.

“I’ll go get her right now.” Carrie leaps to her feet.

“No.” I almost want to smile. “Tomorrow’s fine.”

---