Chapter thirteen

She raised an eyebrow. "Yes, but you should talk to my partner, Jackie Crosby, she's in charge ..."

"I know, but I want to talk to you."

Then she smiled suddenly.

"Does your parents know you're here?"

Wait, was she insinuating that I was too young or...

"Pardon?"

She waved me off with her hand.

"That wasn't funny, you know?"

"Yes, I just love making dry jokes," she said and laughed at herself.

Yep, dry joke indeed.

But I had no time to waste.

"I'm a friend of Emily," I said, and I wondered why I did. Emily and I were just mates. "And although she refuses to talk about it, I know she's being maltreated. The other day, I found a hand imprint on her cheek, and she was evasive on the subject. She's hungry a lot, hassled most times..." I sighed.

Iness leaned closer. "I've been suspecting that for a time now. But I don't have evidence."

"And that's what I'm here for. I'm proposing we work together. Emily doesn't want to talk, but we could dig up info. The pointers are there, you just aren't