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It sounded almost like a trick question, but she supposed it was fair. “Can the answer be both?”
“Yes, but the answer cannot be a question.” That flirtatious tone was back. It warmed Heidi.
“Then both.”
“Good. I’d like to get to know you better in that context, too. However, I’m busy this weekend.”
“Yes, such a pity.” Heidi grinned. “I guess I’ll have to wait for you to have time.”
“You will. I hate to cut this conversation short, but I do have to go. I’ll call you, okay?”
“Yeah. Talk to you soon, Lila.”
“See you soon.”
Just as Heidi hung up, her phone rang again. The number was one she recognized, and it wasn’t one she necessarily wanted to answer. “This is Heidi Lewis.”
“This is Kayla from the Police Department. We have a girl here who was picked up along with her mother and step-father.”
“All right. Where is she at?”
“She’s currently at the hospital in the emergency room while she’s checked over. She will need temporary housing.”
“Right.” Heidi dragged herself from the couch, preparing to go in to work. She got the rest of the information she needed, pulled her shoes on, and put her plate in the kitchen before locking up the house and getting in her car.
The drive to town took her about thirty minutes, and when she pulled up at the hospital, she bolstered herself for what was to come. This was not going to be an easy case. As soon as she saw the girl on the gurney, her heart broke. The police department had told her she was twelve but she looked like she was ten. Malnourished for sure, but the bump on her stomach told Heidi immediately she was either pregnant or had been recently.
“Hi, my name is Heidi. I’m a social worker.”
The girl stared at her blankly with those big brown eyes. Heidi wished she could scoop her up and protect her from everything, but she couldn’t. She was going to have to make her dig deeper into the trauma before she could. It was the worst part about her job.
“The police told me your name is Makenzie.”
The girl didn’t even respond, her cheeks staying motionless as she stared.
“I’m going to have to ask you a few questions, and I hope you’ll help me in answering them. You won’t be going back with your parents.”
Again, Heidi was greeted with silence. She dragged over a chair so she could sit next to Makenzie’s bed and pulled out her notebook so she could write things down.
“I want you to know that everything you tell me stays between us as much as it can, but I have to share some of the information. I’ll only tell the police and those who need to know, okay? No one else will find out, including your parents.”
Makenzie at least moved her gaze to Heidi. That was a decent sign, although Heidi was concerned about how despondent she was.
“Can you tell me what happened tonight?”
“Cops showed.” Makenzie sounded as young as she looked. Her voice was high-pitched, not having dropped at all.
“Do you know why?”
Makenzie shook her head slowly, her matted brown hair moving off her neck and shoulder, showing fresh bruising and old bruising littering her pale skin. Heidi’s stomach clenched.
“Are you pregnant?”
Once again, Makenzie’s head moved back and forth in a negative response.
“Were you?”
“Baby died.”
