Nikki’s eyes, already swollen and red, fill with new tears but she doesn’t respond. I see Max reach out and link a finger with Nikki’s.

“Is Nikki free to go?” Lorena asks.

“We’d like to ask each of them a few questions about this morning,” Officer Grady says, “but we need your permission before we do so.”

“No,” Lorena cuts him off. “We’re leaving. Nikki, let’s go.” Nikki looks uncertainly at Officer Grady, who nods his head.

“She can go, but we would appreciate setting up a time to talk.”

“Was she drinking? Doing drugs?” Lorena asks sharply.

“No,” Officer Grady says.

“Were they speeding? Breaking any laws?”

“No, they were not.”

“Then we’re leaving. There’s nothing for us to talk about.” Lorena latches on to her daughter’s arm, lifting her from the chair, and begins to move to the doorway. “Misty,” she says to her other daughter. “Let’s go.” Nikki shrugs off her mother’s grasp and dashes from the room.

“Can you please tell me what’s going on?” I ask once the door closes behind Lorena and the girls, taking most of the air with them. The room suddenly feels claustrophobic, stifling.

“Please sit,” Officer Grady says and we do. “A witness saw a car near the train yard this morning matching the description of the one Max and his friends were in. A sheriff’s deputy saw the car out on the highway and pulled them over. Clint here got smart-mouthed and the deputy ended up bringing the three of them into the station.”

Max speaks for the first time. “Mom, what’s going on? What happened at the depot?” He glances over at Violet, who is watching, taking everything in. “Why is Violet dressed like that?”

“No one told him?” I ask in surprise.

“No,” Officer Grady says. “We’re investigating a crime. We wanted to find out if they knew anything first.”

“Someone attacked Violet and Cora Landry at the train yard last night,” I tell him and his face first registers shock and then anger.

“Who?” he asks, looking over to Violet, who is looking anxiously around the room.

“A witness says it could be you and your friends,” says Officer Grady.

Max opens his mouth to say something but I jump in first. “Don’t say a word,” I order. To Officer Grady I say, “Listen, I said no one was going to question my son and I mean it.”

Officer Grady holds up his hand to silence me. “Violet’s friend is in pretty bad shape. Someone hit her so hard that he fractured her skull.”

“Eff that,” Clint says, standing and squeezing behind my chair toward the door. “You can’t pin that on me. I’m out of here.”