The investigation

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The bedside clock beeped for the third time now.

I was already awake.

I hadn't slept a wink last night. I had tossed and turned, because Anne had been on my mind. What was she hiding?

Unable to sleep, I sat up and reached for my laptop on the chest of drawers beside my bed, switched it on, clicked on Google app and the search box.

Now this was stupid.

What to type?

I typed Anne Matthew and clicked on search.

There were results, but none of her.

What did I expect?

I drummed my fingers on my thigh and thought of what next.

Eleventh grade students of Dellany High, 2016/2017

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Go.

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The list appeared, but it's not like they'd give personal information about students.

I shook my head and pushed the laptop aside in frustration.

I walked downstairs to the kitchen for a glass of water.

I lived alone, apart from Festus. I needed a break from the servants underfoot lifestyle, which was the kind of life I lived back in Italy.

Although I suspected that the reason papà agreed for me to come and live here was because of safekeeping. Papà had a lot of enemy's, and Lord knows that they we're more aggressive now.

I left the glass upside down on the drainer and grabbed the kitchen phone to make an order of pastries for breakfast from the bakery, then headed back upstairs to take a shower, a cool one.

A grey sweatshirt over a navy blue jean trousers for school…. or for a mission.

I smiled as an idea formed in my head.

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Festus paid the delivery guy using my credit card while I made coffee.

"Festus, pack a half of it into a lunch wrap—"

.

"Sì, sì. For the girl I know," he said, nodding his head.

I paused in stirring my coffee.

"Scusi ( Excuse me)?" I asked, turning to face him.

"Well, I've noticed that to you've been all too concerned about her. Packing her lunch, buying her lunch, asking after her, talking about her, even sleep talking about her."

"Sleep talking!?" I asked genuinely horrified.

"Sì signore," he said, busying packing the lunch.

"And how do you know this?" I asked again, leaning on the dining table.

"Well signore, I was just figuratively speaking…." he laughed, "Trying to lighten up things, although I was serious about the–" he cut himself off when he noticed my dagger glare, and cleared his throat.



"I shall go and prepare the car now, signore."

"You'd better."

Staff gossip, so annoying.

But really, sleep talking!!??

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#At_School

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Anne's POV

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Strange.

Emilio wasn't in class.

Quite odd, because he always was. Whenever I came in late, he was the first person I set my eyes on.

Hey, he's my seatmate, nothing romantic about that.

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Maybe he's running late… or maybe he's angry at me for yesterday?

Nope, he's definitely running late.

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An hour later.

No Emilio.

I'm too concerned, but that's just because I'm guilty.

I got out of class and went to the garage, where I saw his car, and the driver. So, where was he?

.

I walked to him.

.

"Hi, good morning."

He broke into a smile when he recognized me, or was it something more?

"Ciao miss (hello miss)."

"Umm…I haven't seen Emilio in class today, where's he?"

"Oh, he's in school. But very busy."

"Busy?" Doing what?

"Sì, busy. But he asked me to give you this," he reached into the car and brought out a brown paper bag.

I peered inside and smiled. Doughnuts. So he wasn't angry with me anymore.

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"Thanks. And please tell him I apologized for yesterday."

.

"Okay."

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I waved and walked back to class.

.

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Emilio's POV

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Damn this old man who is the principal.

And I've been here for over an hour pleading with him to hand me over Anne's portfolio, and he's giving me bull about 'students confidentiality'. That's what being a good boy got you.

I felt like punching his face, or taking off his spectacles and dumping it on the ground, then stomping on it repeatedly and yelling, 'Andàré per inferno (Go to hell)."

.

But that would be too girlish.

I've got men's style.

"You sure you don't wanna comply?" I asked him, and he seemed to notice the change in my voice.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" he asked.

I stood up and reached into my bag, pulling out a bundle of dollars. I placed it on the table in front of him, and he raised his eyebrows at me.

Then I brought out a gun, and kept it beside the money.

"Your choice. Either way, I get what I want."

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He looked visibly shocked as he hurriedly sorted out the file with shaking hands and handed it to me.

"Herr—ee, t-take it and go!"

"Yes, and one more thing. Nothing leaves this room unless you don't wanna see your darling wife and precious 2 year old son again. I don't make empty threats."

"Y-yes."

I dumped the gun in my bag, and the money too, and walked out like nothing happened.

Ahhh…I love my life.

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___

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Emilio's POV

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"Did she get it?" I asked Festus as I got out of the office to the car.

"Sì, and she said to tell you that she's sorry about yesterday."

"Oh," I said.

It's not like I was even angry at her. But it's still good that she felt guilty enough to apologize.

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"Alright let's go," I said and climbed into the backseat.

"Wait, aren't you going to—"

"Festus…."

The man might be older, thirty two actually, but he was sooo nosy.

"Signor, I was going to ask if you're not going to school today."

"Oh….I'm not. Gotta get busy."

With that I climbed into the car, and I think I heard him muttering, "If you like the girl just go for it and stop acting all bossy," before he entered the driver seat and turned on the ignition.

I sighed, ignored him.

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Keeping my bag carefully in the wardrobe, I changed into something more casual and ordered pizza for lunch, which I ate at the dining alone. Festus refused to eat what he called, 'Paccottaglia alimento d'Americano (American junk food)'.

But yet, we still ate pizza in Italy. In fact, pizza originated from Italy. And it's my favorite food. The man was just being old.

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After lunch, I retired to my study, along with my laptop and Anne's portfolio.

I flipped open the file and flipped through some papers in there.

Debits.

Fees.

Conducts.

I'll read them later. Right now, I needed to do a background check.

Maybe I'll grab her number and invite her over for a date

Ugh, I slapped my forehead.

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Stupido (stupid).

Back to work.

Name: Anne Matthew

Age: 16

Sex: F

….

Not important.

I scrolled down to Parents/Sponsor information.

Mrs Jackie Crosby and Iness William of the

New York's Children Social Service.

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What the ****, what would the SS be doing as her sponsors?

There's something off somewhere.

I googled the NYCSS and read all the information I could.

Related:

staff of NYCSS

I clicked on it.

Clicked on the earlier casefiles the women worked on.

Top of the list: ANNE

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Now this seemed a little intriguing.

****

Jackie's Notes:

Summary of The Anne case file as put together by Jackie Crosby of NYCSS on June 6th, 2002.

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Anne had always been special, and personally I've grown more fond of her than I have of any other child I've been assigned to.

She was found as a baby, and kept in the orphanage until she clocked two when she was given into the care of a childless couple, George and Tina Cormack.

Frequent visit showed that they took care of and loved her as their own, until they had their own child, and poor Anne began to feel side casted. Noticing this, we moved her over to another couple, Adrian and Nina Johnson, who had three kids of their own.

After a while, we discovered that Anne grew unhappy each day, but yet she wouldn't talk about it. She'd become secretive.

We decided to move her again, and this was her will.

Roland and Esther Davis were her next foster parents, and they had a daughter about Anne's age, so she was excited that she had a playmate. But frequent visits proved that Anne became even more closed off than ever, and unhappy.

She began to ask of her real parents, and my colleague, Iness William, suspected that the Davies must have told her that she wasn't their child….

I hit a fist on the desk in annoyance. This was the worst case file I've ever read. And to think that Anne had gone through all these….

I sighed and clicked on the second case file.

****

Dealing with many fostered children has taught me one big lesson; they become closed off if they are maltreated, or reminded of their being a 'second' in a household.

Anne had been like that too, but I've never seen her as troubled as when she moved in with Joseph and Linda Matthew.

It's either she was maltreated, or she was maltreated.

And these people were really suspicious.

But Anne won't talk.

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So I told my suspicions to my colleague, Jackie Crosby, and the matron, and she promised that if I could get evidence for my suspicions, then she'll agree for Anne to stay at the base until she turned eighteen.

I'm looking into that currently….

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Anne….

Now this explains a whole lot about her; her quietness, loneliness… and that bruise on her cheek yesterday proved that she WAS being maltreated.

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If I got my hands on those people I'll—

My phone ringing cut my thoughts off.

I checked the caller ID.

Prudence.

What now, I didn't except a call from home this early.

I silenced the phone and returned back to what I was doing.

Maybe I'll pay a visit to Iness William.

Talking to Anne would be pointless.

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But I needed… like really needed to help her.

I'll have to do it without her knowledge.

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Anne's POV

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Linda and Joseph were still not back.

Some free time to my self.

There was nothing to do than to lay down on the couch and think. About the usual things; my parents.

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I'll give anything for them to find me.

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The next day Emilio wasn't in school again, and neither was his car or driver.

This made me realize that I really enjoyed his company, and that I knew nothing about him.

Or him about me, but I wouldn't dwell on that.

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I'm sure he had major concerns with home and stuff.

I just hope he's OK.

And today, I was back to starving for the day.

At least Joseph and Linda didn't lay a hand on me today. They slept in and didn't wake up until I left.

Maybe that was a sign of good things to come.

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I pray so.

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