‘Yeah,’ he scoffed, ‘if I want to go to jail.’
‘Juvenile detention.’
‘Whatever.’
‘But you elected to come here instead.’
A one-shouldered shrug. ‘Wasn’t much of a choice.’
Okay, he was talking. Now to zero in. ‘Granted. But here we are. Tell me about yourself.’
‘Like what?’
‘Whatever you’d like to share … maybe about your hobbies, your family, friends.’
Owen turned his head and stared out the window.
‘Let’s start with your brother, Cole. Tell me a little about him. You’re living with him, aren’t you?’ She most certainly did not have an ulterior motive. It was a reasonable icebreaker, considering their introduction.
‘He’s my half-brother. My mum had him when she was a teenager. Before she married my dad.’
Ah, so that accounted for the age gap. And maybe the physical differences too. While Cole was tall and broad-shouldered and dark-haired, Owen was fine-boned, mousey and no more than average height.
‘Do you have any other siblings?’
‘Nope.’
‘And why is it that you’re living with Cole?’ She knew the answer, based on the court-supplied notes, but hearing Owen’s perspective would help establish his feelings about his family.
A shake of the head. ‘My dad had an accident. He has to do a lot of rehab. But that’s not the real reason. It’s just an excuse.’
‘Excuse?’
‘They want Cole to sort me out.’ A sneer. ‘They don’t want to deal with me anymore. And they want to get me away from my friends.’
Interesting. Owen had a very large chip balancing precariously on his shoulder. A boulder, in fact, ready to teeter right over the edge of the cliff.
‘How did you feel about going to live with your brother?’
‘Don’t really care. At least it got me out of home for a while.’
‘And you’re not going to school?’ Owen wasn’t yet sixteen, according to the information she’d been given.
‘Nup. I’m doing work experience with Cole. As a farrier.’
Hence the arm muscles on the brother. And the sun-kissed skin edging out from his collar.
‘That’s strenuous work. Do you like it?’
‘It’s all right. Pretty boring. But I get paid.’
‘Do you like horses?’
‘Never had much to do with them before. They’re okay, I guess.’
If Eve Nicholls had been back at work, this kid could be a good contender for some equine therapy, but in the meantime, the traditional kind would have to suffice.
She glanced down at her notes. ‘So, you’ve been living there for a couple of months now?’