The Perfect Alibi by Blake Pierce

Author:Blake Pierce [Pierce, Blake]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Unknown
Published: 2020-08-24T18:30:00+00:00

*

The Social Services investigator was waiting in the living room with Hannah when Jessie arrived.

Hannah got up quickly to greet her, giving her a hug. As she leaned in, she whispered.

“She’s got it in for you,” she muttered. “Don’t take the bait.”

Behind her, the woman stood up and smoothed out the creases in her long, gray dress with a muted floral pattern. The woman looked to be in her mid- to late forties with graying hair tied up in a bun. She wore no makeup and had thin, wire-framed glasses.

“Hello, Ms. Hunt,” she said, nodding but not extending her hand as she spoke in a clipped, overly polite manner. “I’m Delia Armbruster. I work with Los Angeles County’s Department of Public Social Services. The reason I’m here is because DPSS received an anonymous call in regard to you and your half-sister. I’ve already spoken to Hannah about the allegation but I wanted to get your input.”

“You spoke to a minor outside the presence of her guardian?” Jessie asked, already on guard.

“Under certain circumstances, that is permitted,” Armbruster said, offering a thin, unconvincing smile. “These circumstances fit the exception. Would you like to chat privately?”

Jessie could sense that despite the woman’s prim bearing, there was something predatory lurking just beneath the surface.

“No, that’s not necessary,” she said carefully. “Anything you want to ask me, you can do in Hannah’s presence. I don’t have anything to hide.”

“Very well,” Armbruster said. “Shall we sit down?”

She did so without waiting for a reply, taking one half of the love seat. Jessie sat in the easy chair. Hannah, in an apparent show of solidarity, took a chair from the breakfast table and sat down beside Jessie.

“As I mentioned,” Armbruster continued as she pulled a thin file out of her bag, “we received an anonymous call. It came in last night. According to the transcript, the caller claimed that on multiple occasions, they’ve heard abusive language directed at Hannah, coming from you in this apartment. They also heard what sounded like physical abuse and crying.”

Even as the woman spoke, Jessie started putting the pieces together. This had to be another attempt by the person trying to ruin her life to undermine her reputation. Reminding herself that, as Hannah had warned, Armbruster wanted to bait her into getting upset and making the allegation seem more credible, she stayed cool.

“Let me be clear. I firmly deny that charge or anything like it. I’ve never been abusive to Hannah, unless you consider asking her to pick up her clothes or turn down the TV to be abusive.”

Armbruster didn’t smile. After a moment, she glanced down at her report and then back up again.

“There is another claim that a student overheard Hannah sobbing in the bathroom at school and murmuring softly about the indignities she suffered at your hands.”

“I told her that’s not true,” Hannah interrupted.

“But Hannah,” Armbruster replied mildly, “you admitted that Ms. Hunt had you dragged out of a classroom in humiliating fashion just last month.”

“No,” Hannah corrected, clearly not for the first time.

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