Page 6 of Bears Behaving Badly
“You understand you’re safe here and it’s okay to talk, right? Or we could call someone for you. We’ll assign you an advocate, of course, but if there’s an adult you want us to contact…?”
Zip.
“I’m relieved you weren’t hurt. Especially given how much bigger and stronger Mr. Lund was.”Not a peep, Nadia had said, but Annette hadn’t realized she was being literal. And that was something, wasn’t it? Not a sound. Or a mark. Was she deaf? Mute? In shock? A werewolf ninja sworn to silence? “Would you like some writing materials?”
Caro shook her head. Progress! (Of a sort. They were communicating, at least.) So Caro could hear and understand, or at least read lips. Her gaze was steady, and Annette had the impression that there was a busy brain behind those luminous eyes. She made a mental note to try to get a look at the girl’s school records. Of course, first they had to find her school. And her everything else.
Mental note: If Caro hasn’t spoken, how do they know her name? ID? School? Driver’s license? Nothing in the paperwork. Find out.
“If you change your mind, just let one of the staff know. And if you need to tell me anything, they’ll know how to reach me. I’m about to go see the man you attacked last night.” Unlike the other foster-care system, there was no dancing around with “allegedly attacked” at the IPA. Even if there hadn’t been eyewitnesses, the spindly teenager had been covered in Lund’s blood. “Are you sure there’s nothing you want to tell me before I get his side of the story?”
Nothing. Not even a headshake.
“Last chance, Ms. Daniels.”
Nothing.
“Well, nice talking to you, so to speak. No? Tough room. I’ll be back in a bit.”
Caro didn’t make a sound, just watched Annette until she was on the other side of the door.
Annette let out a breath, considered her options, then stepped into the next interview room. Dev greeted her with a cheerful wave, started to rise, forgot about the lead chain, and slammed back into his seat. “Oof! Uh, hi?”
“Oh now, really?” Annette said to Jericho, the guard in charge for day shift.
The amiable werebear spread his hands, which were essentially bowling balls with knuckles. “Those are the second set of restraints. He stole the other ones. Westillcan’t find them.”
“Dev!”
“Frame job,” the werefox replied with his trademark game grin.
“In a pig’s eye. Not to insult swine.” Annette kept the scowl on her face, though she noticed Jericho faking a cough so he could cover his grin. “I’ve got this, Jericho, thanks very much.”
“You’re welcome.” Then to Dev, in a low rumble: “You be good.”
“C’mon, Jerry!” Dev spread his hands as far as the chain allowed. He was blinking his eyes like a startled fawn, which was as hilarious as it was annoying. “When’ve Ievermisbehaved on your watch?”
“Five goddamned minutes ago,” the guard muttered on his way out.
“He’s way too softhearted for this job,” Dev confided. “What kind of a guard hates guarding?”
“One who’s made your acquaintance.”
“Thanks?”
Annette stifled a sigh. “You want to tell me what happened?”
“Idid. Frame job.” He again spread his small, grimy hands as wide as the cuffs would allow, which wasn’t very. “I’minnocente,incriminado,unschuldig.”
“Let’s keep to one language, you unrepentant polyglot. Just so I understand the scam du jour—”
“Now who’s bein’ a polyglot?”
“—you’re trying to tell me that you didn’t steal two jugs of Tide—”
“With bleach alternative.”
“—detergent?”
