Amara cleared her throat. “I knew kids at school who were in foster care, and they told these stories about things that’d happened to them… I was terrified of ending up somewhere worse. And I know that sounds ridiculous in light of what’d gone on in our home, but they were the devil I knew. I heard that expression in a movie. The devil you know… That’s why I kept my mouth shut and stayed away from them while I worked my ass off in school to get the best-possible grades. I put all my energy into that.”
“Has anything else happened, that you know of, that might be considered criminal?” Sam asked.
“They fight. A lot. Yelling, screaming, accusations of every kind… But I haven’t seen anything that could be called criminal, as far as I know. I might be wrong, though. Who knows what they’re doing when no one is looking?”
“It was very brave of you to come here today and share your story with us,” Sam said.
“I couldn’t wait to be old enough to escape from them and not have to go back. I don’t know what I’ll do now, but I’m never going back to that house.”
“We’ll set you up with a safe place to stay while we work toward getting justice for your brother.”
Hearing that, Amara visibly brightened. “Really?”
“Of course. We need you to make a case against your mother and stepfather. Keeping you safe is in all our best interests. And besides, you deserve to be somewhere safe to plan your future.”
“I’d… I’d like to graduate with my class in early June, if that’s possible. I’ll understand if it’s not.”
“We’ll certainly see what we can do to make that happen.”
Tears spilled down the young woman’s face. “I want you to know… I’ve followed your career for years. I’ve read everything I could find about you and your cases and your team. I knew about Detective Cruz and how he’s your partner… I’ve been waiting all this time to come see you. And only you.”
Moved by Amara’s faith in her, Sam reached across the table to take her hand. “I’ll do everything I can for you and King. He’d be so very proud of you.”
“Even if he knew I waited six years to report what happened to him?”
“No matter. He’d be proud. I’m sure of it.”
“What will happen now?”
“We’ll arrest them and charge them with the first-degree murder of King Robinson.”
Chapter Five
Sam and Freddie emerged from the interrogation room to find Hope, Captain Malone and Dr. Trulo waiting for them in the hallway.
“Holy shit,” Malone said for all of them. “That poor kid—and her poor brother.”
“Imagine having to live with the monsters who murdered your precious brother for six years,” Hope said.
Sam shuddered at the thought of it. “They never officially reported him missing.”
“Because they knew exactly where he was,” Freddie said. “It’s unbelievable.”
Sam glanced at Dr. Trulo. “Are you able to spend some time with her?”
“I’ll give her all the time she needs.”
“Thank you.”
Dr. Trulo knocked on the door to the interrogation room. “Hi, Amara. I was thinking I’d sit with you for a while, if that’s okay.”
“Sure,” she said.
Trulo closed the door behind him.
“I’ll work on setting up a safe house for her,” Freddie said.
“And I’ll get the arrest warrants for the parents,” Malone said. “Can you give me their full names and the address?”
