The social workers showed up in a mini van and proceeded to take twenty minutes to shoehorn the thing into the only available parking spot.

The woman got out and my worst fears were realized. I knew Patricia Wilson far too well. She was the one who would show up and nag us about our grades.

And she walked right over to Mike. “So, what did you arrest them for?”

Mike folded his arms and I remembered that I’d agreed to let him do the talking. “I was giving them a ride.”

“In a squad car.”

“It’s what I had available.” He met her gaze evenly. “Besides, we’re still investigating the fires…both at the school and at the house.”

“Are they suspects, then?”

“Nah. They have a solid alibi for the house fire – they were at school. And the school fire was probably connected to an earlier incident, and they’re alibi’d for that one too. But I still had to ask them some questions.”

I wondered if Wilson was buying it. She still looked skeptical, but she was one of those women with a permanent skeptical look.

“Then are you done with them?”

Mike considered that. “I’m done with them for questions, but if the house fire turns out to be suspicious, we’ll need them.”

Well, if all he could do was make sure she didn’t think we should go straight to juvie, that was one thing. It didn’t solve the overall situation.

He continued, “Where are you stashing them? We’ll need to know.”

She rattled off two addresses, and my heart sank. She was sending Kanesha into the worst part of Southeast and me to PG County. We’d be in different schools starting the new term…

…and there would be no way I could protect her. Mike mouthed “Trust me” in my direction, then turned back to her, “Alright.”

At least it might take a bit to find them. But Mike…I did trust him. And I knew Thruor and Lizbet could find me. And certainly no question but that my father could.

PG county, though? “PG county? Where, you know, the cops are so incompetent they shot the mayor’s labrador?”

Mike shot me a cops stick with cops look that I knew he didn’t really mean.

“Beggars can’t be choosers,” Wilson said, sternly. “Into the car with you. Both of you.”

She dropped Kanesha off in Southeast first. I somehow felt she’d be safer there than some places…unless the people coming after her were really good at faking a black skin.

Then, we drove through the city. I said nothing at all.