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SKY CITY MEDICAL CENTER

The nurse left Alia alone with Miss Feor. Emmie seemed to be gaining weight and had a more healthy glow than the last couple of times that Alia had contact with her.

Alia set her bag down on the chair opposite the patient before looking through the chart that the nurse had left her. “You’re making good progress. I didn’t think you could get to a better place.”

Emmie’s eyes flashed to Alia’s. “I heard about you. You’re that non-Super scum the Council set up with the kid they kicked out of the hero program. The people they set on my case are just a bunch of delinquents. Send me in a real officer.”

Alia bit her lip before glaring back at her. “Well I’m all you have. It would be easier for all of us if you cooperated with me.” She took out her case notes and a pencil stub.

Emmie shrugged.

Alia reviewed the progress of the case with her. “Do you remember seeing a speed talent around your apartment last night.”

Emmie paused for a period. “I’m fuzzy. I’m fuzzy about everything that happened that night so I can’t give you a definite answer because I honestly don’t know. But, I don’t think so. I remember Dura liked bunnies so I hung a dreamcatcher in her room.”

Alia reviewed her sketch of Dura’s room and couldn’t see something hanging.

Emmie continued. “The man who gave it to Dura would sometimes come late at night so see her.”

OUTSIDE FEORS APARTMENT COMPLEX

After a couple of days, Stu had recovered from his cold and been engrossed in catching up on what he’d missed. He was surprised to see Chief Obi’s interactions with Alia after he’d been gone. He’d worried what it would be like for her without his prescence, but he found her mingling with the officers. Not everyone welcomed it, but they tolerated it.

Alia and Stu were sent to follow up leads which lead them back to the scene where they’d found the Feors bodies. There was a bench in front of the complex in between the building and the playground where the two set up.

Alia began. “We did come across a dreamcatcher in the storage container.”

Stu wrinkled his nose. “Dura must have spent a lot of time here waiting for her mother to come home.”

“Miss Feor was trying to change.”

“Was your mother an alcoholic?”

Alia shrugged. “There are so many kids who are in Dura’s situation right now--too poor to eat dinner, too poor to go on school trips, too poor for a swimsuit. Emmie Feor was trying to get her kid out of that situation she probably grew up with.”

Stu touched Alia’s hand. “Pride was all that kept me going.”

Alia pulled her hand away. “Don’t you have fond memories of your mom?”

Stu got up and smirked as he sauntered over to the complex. He looked over his shoulder at Alia trailing behind. “Maybe I forgot.”