glared at her. “Another disorderly conduct,” he went on, “against a city bus?”
“One of my mom’s friends was in a wheelchair and always had a hassle from the drivers to let her on, so we all stood in front the bus so he couldn’t drive away until she boarded. We did that one a few times,” she added with a tinge of pride in her voice.
Officer Smith interrupted. “Aja, did your mom take you along to all her causes?”
Aja shrugged. “I believed in her.” She thought again of missing the skate party and the giant Peace button ripping her new expensive shirt.
“Your mom’s a psychic?” Officer Smith asked.
Aja winced. “Yeah, and an artist. She sells her stuff.”
“Well, too bad she couldn’t see she was raising a criminal. Here’s a charge, after you turned eighteen, of breaking into a car?” Powell held up a document.
“Those charges were supposed to be dropped.” Aja said. “Someone left a dog in a hot car, and I tried to break the window out.”
“According to this, you succeeded.”
“Yeah, but the dog owner got in trouble, too, and she was supposed to drop the charges against me for a lesser fine against her.” Aja had tried to use her needle-nose pliers on the window with no luck. She’d found some workers parked in a pickup, and they used a hammer to shatter the glass. They left before the police got there. Aja told them she did it. The owner was more worried about her car than the dog.
“These are charges you were caught doing.” Powell made a show of fanning the documents at her. “Do you want to tell me about the ones you didn’t get caught with?”
“Why don’t you just get a rope, dude. Take me out back and string me up. This is Texas, ya’ll.” Aja gave a flippant wave of her hand. “Guilty until proven innocent.”
Officer Smith held out both arms, like a referee at a boxing match. “Detective, give me a few minutes with Aja.”
“You?”
“Please,” she said.
“I hope you can get her to tell you where the jewelry is.” He looked at Aja as he stood. “If I find out you’ve taken the stolen stuff to a pawn shop, you’ll be serving some time. You’re an adult now. No more hiding as a juvie.”
Aja met his eyes directly. “I didn’t steal her jewelry.” She hoped she sounded fiercer than she felt. Remembering the money she’d taken from Mrs. Dempsey, she looked away. Thankfully, no one had mentioned that.
As soon as he left, Officer Smith turned to her. “Aja, we don’t want to falsely accuse you of anything, but Bea Poston is insisting you did it. Not only did she see you in the halls after work, but other residents saw you.”
Aja sighed. “One of the residents lost his wife a few days ago. I’d helped him with her, and I felt bad and went to check on him.”
“That would be Leigh Jensen?”
Aja nodded.
“If you didn’t like Bea Poston, then why did you help her? You were off work, right?”
“I don’t know,” Aja shrugged. “She didn’t leave me much choice. She ordered me into her apartment, and I thought it would be easier to help than argue with her.” Aja had a strange sensation. She looked at the one-way mirror. “I don’t want that creepy officer Richards anywhere near me.” She continued to stare at the glass. She knew, without a doubt, he was on the other side. Watching her.
Chapter 20
Aja’s first and only paycheck was two hundred and fifty-eight dollars. She had to sign it over to the police station to make her three-hundred dollar bail. Her mom made up the rest. She still needed to pay Mrs. Burnett back, but again she had nothing. Three weeks of hard work poofed away for bail.
On the way home, her mom was silent, making Aja more uncomfortable. “I didn’t do it, Mom. You know I’m not a thief.”
“It’s so out of character for you, but I know you’ve been trying to raise money to move.” She glanced at Aja, then back to the road. “You know I’ll support you in anything.” She paused. “But
“One of my mom’s friends was in a wheelchair and always had a hassle from the drivers to let her on, so we all stood in front the bus so he couldn’t drive away until she boarded. We did that one a few times,” she added with a tinge of pride in her voice.
Officer Smith interrupted. “Aja, did your mom take you along to all her causes?”
Aja shrugged. “I believed in her.” She thought again of missing the skate party and the giant Peace button ripping her new expensive shirt.
“Your mom’s a psychic?” Officer Smith asked.
Aja winced. “Yeah, and an artist. She sells her stuff.”
“Well, too bad she couldn’t see she was raising a criminal. Here’s a charge, after you turned eighteen, of breaking into a car?” Powell held up a document.
“Those charges were supposed to be dropped.” Aja said. “Someone left a dog in a hot car, and I tried to break the window out.”
“According to this, you succeeded.”
“Yeah, but the dog owner got in trouble, too, and she was supposed to drop the charges against me for a lesser fine against her.” Aja had tried to use her needle-nose pliers on the window with no luck. She’d found some workers parked in a pickup, and they used a hammer to shatter the glass. They left before the police got there. Aja told them she did it. The owner was more worried about her car than the dog.
“These are charges you were caught doing.” Powell made a show of fanning the documents at her. “Do you want to tell me about the ones you didn’t get caught with?”
“Why don’t you just get a rope, dude. Take me out back and string me up. This is Texas, ya’ll.” Aja gave a flippant wave of her hand. “Guilty until proven innocent.”
Officer Smith held out both arms, like a referee at a boxing match. “Detective, give me a few minutes with Aja.”
“You?”
“Please,” she said.
“I hope you can get her to tell you where the jewelry is.” He looked at Aja as he stood. “If I find out you’ve taken the stolen stuff to a pawn shop, you’ll be serving some time. You’re an adult now. No more hiding as a juvie.”
Aja met his eyes directly. “I didn’t steal her jewelry.” She hoped she sounded fiercer than she felt. Remembering the money she’d taken from Mrs. Dempsey, she looked away. Thankfully, no one had mentioned that.
As soon as he left, Officer Smith turned to her. “Aja, we don’t want to falsely accuse you of anything, but Bea Poston is insisting you did it. Not only did she see you in the halls after work, but other residents saw you.”
Aja sighed. “One of the residents lost his wife a few days ago. I’d helped him with her, and I felt bad and went to check on him.”
“That would be Leigh Jensen?”
Aja nodded.
“If you didn’t like Bea Poston, then why did you help her? You were off work, right?”
“I don’t know,” Aja shrugged. “She didn’t leave me much choice. She ordered me into her apartment, and I thought it would be easier to help than argue with her.” Aja had a strange sensation. She looked at the one-way mirror. “I don’t want that creepy officer Richards anywhere near me.” She continued to stare at the glass. She knew, without a doubt, he was on the other side. Watching her.
Chapter 20
Aja’s first and only paycheck was two hundred and fifty-eight dollars. She had to sign it over to the police station to make her three-hundred dollar bail. Her mom made up the rest. She still needed to pay Mrs. Burnett back, but again she had nothing. Three weeks of hard work poofed away for bail.
On the way home, her mom was silent, making Aja more uncomfortable. “I didn’t do it, Mom. You know I’m not a thief.”
“It’s so out of character for you, but I know you’ve been trying to raise money to move.” She glanced at Aja, then back to the road. “You know I’ll support you in anything.” She paused. “But
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