Part 2: My aunt wanted to adopt my little sister after our parents d*ed just to get her hands on the money — she had no idea I had one more card to play.

—

Police kept Denise and Howard for questioning.

Daniel drove Vicky and me home.

Or what passed for home now.

We were living in a small rental apartment above a laundromat because insurance on our house was still tangled in paperwork.

There were two bedrooms, one bathroom, and a kitchen so small that opening the refrigerator blocked the hallway.

But that afternoon, when Vicky dropped her backpack beside the couch, she turned around and hugged me.

“They can’t send me away now, right?”

I hesitated.

“Not right now.”

“Promise?”

I hated promises.

Promises had failed us too many times.

So I crouched beside her.

“I’m going to do everything I can to keep you with me.”

She considered that.

Then nodded.

“That’s better than a promise.”

I smiled.

“Yeah.”

Maybe she was growing up faster than I realized.

Daniel stood near the door.

“I need to speak with you privately.”