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Dexter showed me his palm. “If he does, stay calm. I’ll step in if things start going sideways.”
“Appreciate that.” I was grateful Dexter would be by my side, even if the added pressure of my promotion and Chief watching on the video feed had my neck stiffening.
“Always, Colt. I always have your back.”
That made me pause. Were these guys my friends? Dexter and I had worked together for years, and I’d never thought of him as more than my coworker. That was unfair. He was far more important than that.
I made a note to make my gratitude known. Maybe I’d take him out for a drink, get to know him better.
Following Dexter to the front counter, I knew getting Corey’s confession would be a nice, neat package to hand off to the state’s attorney. We would have done our job. I’d testify at the hearing and could wash my hands of it.
Remi’s pleas last night for me to see things another way seeped into my consciousness as I studied the way the boy fidgeted next to his father. He should be in school, not answering questions in a police station.
Was he redeemable? Could he learn from this and be a better person? What if I was the guy to show him another way? Could I take him under my wing and guide him to something better? The idea sent a pleasing tingle through my body. It was far more satisfying than imagining him in a juvenile detention center, where he’d learn things he didn’t need to know from kids committing worse crimes than his. Maybe Remi had a point.
I followed Dexter’s lead, introducing myself to Corey and Avery. I’d seen her in the station before, but she’d never been involved in any of my cases.
Shaking Ryan’s hand, Dexter said we’d be in the second conference room. We didn’t call them interrogation rooms, especially when we were dealing with a minor.
We had to be extra careful with a kid. The court could throw out his confession if we didn’t handle him delicately. Any manipulation or pressure wouldn’t be appreciated by the judge.
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.
