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Filing into the room, Dexter offered to grab coffee and water.
“You play any sports?” I asked in an effort to put him at ease, to pretend we were here for a reason other than criminal activity and that his future wasn’t on the line.
“Just football with my friends,” Corey mumbled.
“You think about joining the rec league? They play year-round.” I kept my voice even.
Corey cleared his throat, glancing at his father before answering, “I haven’t.”
Ryan shifted forward in his chair, his shoulders tight. “That might be something to consider. Right now, he’s just working with us at the garage after school.”
I nodded as Dexter returned with a tray of coffees and water bottles.
Dexter handed them out, joking, “I’m the gopher today, so let me know if you need anything, especially if you need a break or want to use the restroom.”
“That’s right, Corey. If you need a break, just let us know.”
“We have a few questions about what happened at Remi’s Juice Shop, Spice & Tea Shoppe, ReSails, and Max’s Bar & Grill.”
“I don’t know anything about ReSails or Max’s Bar & Grill.”
“Both were broken into. Attempts were made to steal money from the register.”
“I didn’t break into Remi’s, either.”
I refrained from my usual follow-up question, which was, so you had something to do with the graffiti? That would be leading him, and I couldn’t risk the interrogation.
“Two nights ago, you broke into the Spice & Tea Shop. When the owner returned to the store, you ran into her.”
“You already know that, which is why I’m here,” Corey said with far more bravado than I’d seen thus far.
Avery leaned over to whisper something, probably telling him to relax and answer my questions without the attitude.
“We’re just trying to figure out what happened,” I soothed, taking a number from Dexter’s playbook. “Why did you do it?” I never asked an adult why. I liked to ask questions I already knew the answer to but thought it was worth trying with a kid.
He pursed his lips but didn’t look at his dad.
Ryan shifted in his chair.
“I was bored.”
I wasn’t buying that, but it was close to a confession, so I persisted.
“You do it on your own? Or did you have some friends in on this?”
He crossed his arms over his chest, stubbornly refusing to answer.
“It does you no good to protect your friends when you’re sitting in a police station.”
The kid leaned closer to me. “I got no friends here.” He glared at his father, then shifted back in his seat. “I’m here because of him.”
The picture just became clear. “You thought if you caused trouble, he’d send you home.”
Ryan opened his mouth to speak, but Avery rested a hand on his forearm, shaking her head no.
“I don’t want to be here. My friends are in Texas. My life is in Texas. I hate it here.”
“You haven’t given it a chance,” Ryan said.
