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“But I din’t do nuthin’”

“But they think you did and that h for now”

Tina paused, her eyes filling with tears “I swear, I din’t do it I wouldn’t kill anyone Why they think I’d kill my own moms?”

“I don’t have the file yet I’ll get it first thing to I’ll o into the courtroom”

Our et an incomplete file and tenI could picture hoould go down— to discuss Tina’s case and calm her nerves, while my stomach churned

I’d take a standard approach—eood stuff about Tina, in hopes that the master would allow her house arrest with so Not that I trusted Tina’s father to keep her home, but the only alternative was detention in an overcrowded, understaffed facility

“Let’s talk about last Wednesday,” I said Shanae’s body had been discovered Thursday hbor, and from what William Jackson had told ht “Did you see your mother at all that day?”

“Only in theclear of her, ’cuz she was all up in my business So most o’ the day, I it’ Rochelle”

“Rochelle? The one you defended in that fight at school”

“Right”

And leader of the Pussy Posse, I mentally noted

“When you say your mom was ‘in your business,’ what do you mean exactly?”

“She always bitchin’ at ht” She paused, then said, “She used to, I o hoo to work first”

“I take it she worked hts?”

“Yeah, hts”