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Jude’s question was one I was sure I had the answer to. “There’s nobody else who’d do this. She’s serious about getting Lenny back. And she doesn’t care what she has to do to get him.”
I’d struggled every month making ends meet, and it seemed it was all for nothing. Not if she wanted Lenny back.
My brother’s chatter echoed from his bedroom. But I had nothing to hide. Well, except the guns under the floorboards throughout the apartment, the grenades in the back of my closet, and the dismantled rifle I’d concealed in the wall. I’d also stashed emergency cash and fake IDs in a safe under my bed.
The apartment was messy, but there was no dirt. At least I’d done the dishes this morning.
Ms. Cortez came back out of Lenny’s room, scribbling on her clipboard.
She looked up, then gestured to the couch. “Why don’t we sit down and have a chat?”
Grinding my teeth, I plastered a smile on my face. “Sure.”
Glancing at Lenny’s room, I wondered if I should let him play a game to keep him distracted.
Noticing where my attention had gone, the social worker smiled for the first time since showing up. “He’s reading his comic books.”
Nodding, I decided to dive straight in. “Excuse my directness, but I’m really not sure why you’re here.”
She pushed her glasses up her nose. “We have to take anonymous phone calls seriously. Especially if they’re specific.” She looked at Jude. “Are you living together?”
Jude was sitting next to me, Ms. Cortez in an armchair opposite us. He straightened at the question. “I live next door. We’re neighbors.”
“I see. Do you ever watch Lennon?”
Jude glanced at me, blinking at the question. “I don’t see how that’s relevant.”
“I have to establish the living situation so I can accurately judge its appropriateness.”
I leaned forward. “You’ve seen his room. You’ve seen the apartment. You no doubt spoke to Lenny when you were in his room with him. I’m his guardian. Something you would be aware of. Why don’t you tell me what I’ve allegedly done so I can clear this up?”
“The complaint stated that you have frequent male visitors, and that Lennon doesn’t have his own room.”
“You now know he has his own room. And I never have anyone at my apartment.” Her eyes fell on Jude, and I lifted my chin. “Except for Jude.”
“I’d know if there was anyone coming to the apartment,” he stated. “I live right next door. And I’m over here all the time. And I can say that I’ve never noticed anyone other than Ariel and Lenny.”
“I see.” She went back to her clipboard and wrote a few notes. Once she was satisfied with what she’d written, she glanced up again. “We’ll have to do a follow-up visit.”
Biting my finger so hard it was a miracle I didn’t draw blood, I ground out, “Of course.”
She finally left after leaving me her card.
I took a deep breath, then another. When the tears still threatened to fall, I went to the bathroom, locking the door.
Splashing water on my face didn’t help. Neither did pinching myself. Or biting my finger hard enough to leave a mark.
A knock on the door startled me enough that I bumped into the vanity. Rubbing the spot on my hip I’d hit, I opened the door to Jude, who was holding the doorframe with one hand, his eyebrows drawn together.
He studied me, then stepped forward without a word, drawing me into a tight hug. “We’ll figure it out.”
He rubbed light circles on my back, the contact soothing. I buried my head in his chest, my arms winding tight around him.
He offered comfort when I needed it most. And I was beginning to think that maybe he was the real deal. That maybe even people like me could get lucky every once in a while.
12
JUDE
