Aggie knew. “Did Elise talk to you about what she planned to do when she got out?”
“No. Not really. Well—she talked about seeing her dad again. I asked why he didn’t visit, and she said he was out of state. But they had plans to start a business together. That’s what I took from the conversations, I don’t remember the details.”
Aggie didn’t tell Marie that Elise’s father was in prison.
“We know she didn’t have any visitors during her two years in detention. Did she ever ask you to deliver a message to anyone? Mail a letter?”
“No.”
“I know I asked you this, but did she talk about any of the agents involved in her arrest? In her sister’s death?”
“She didn’t really talk about anything personal, other than her dad. And she missed her brother. She said he was murdered. Oh. And she talked about a psychic a lot.”
“A psychic? Like someone who knows the future?”
“Yeah. She talked about this psychic named Lucy. I thought, maybe, she kind of had a crush on her, like this Lucy knew everything and Elise was amazed. But then I got the feeling she didn’t like her at all. I don’t know, that doesn’t make sense. I’m trying to be helpful, really. I want to do the right thing.”
It was helpful, though odd, and Aggie didn’t know what to make of it. “You are doing the right thing, Marie.” She looked at her notes, what Lucy had told her to ask.
“Did Elise talk to you at all about your family?”
Marie frowned, looked back at her hands. “Do I have to talk about my family?”
“No,” Rose said and gave Aggie a look that would have made her feel guilty if it came from her mom.
Aggie cleared her throat, asked again. “I mean, we know your brother was part of the Saints gang. We have reason to believe that Elise might have reached out to someone in the Saints, and because of your association, I thought maybe you hooked her up with someone.”
Marie shook her head. “I have nothing to do with that gang, with any gang. Ever. I didn’t want to do what I did, I didn’t have a choice!”
“I’m not here to get you in trouble.”
“I don’t think you understand what they do, how they hurt people, hurt me, made me do things … the police don’t even understand, as if I had a choice! No one has a choice, not when you have nothing and no one to help.”
“I don’t blame you for anything you did, and I’m so glad you have a place like this to help you find your path. But honestly, Elise isn’t like you. She’s not like the girls here. I think she used you, and if it wasn’t for your help, it was for information. Do you know Mitts Vasquez?”
By her expression, she did. “Why?”
“Because he’s wanted for questioning, and it’s possible Elise hired him to commit a crime.”
“Elise? Mitts wouldn’t work for a girl. He’s … well, he thinks we’re all stupid and only good for sex.”
“You know him.”
She nodded. “I haven’t seen him in years. He ran with my oldest brother—my brother is dead because of people like Mitts. Not that my brother was a good person, but … well … he protected me, too, when I was little.”
Suddenly, Marie straightened. “Oh my God. It … I didn’t really think about it, but … Elise once said she’d met my brother. He’d gone to prison the year before I was put in detention. I guess I reacted weird. I love my brother … but I hate him, too. That sounds bad.”
“It doesn’t,” Aggie said. “He’s your brother. You love him. He does bad things, which you hate. I get it.”
“Yeah. Yeah, that’s it. And Elise backtracked, and we started talking … she asked questions, and I guess I needed to talk to someone. I told her everything, about how I got into detention, all about my brothers, and she kept asking questions. Like she was interested in everything I had to say, like she was interested in me. And I was talking because I never talked about this before, and … well, I think I told her about Mitts. That he was the last of the old-time Saints. So many of my brother’s friends were killed. Drugs—God, I hate drugs. They ruined my family, my parents—my mom’s a total addict. It’s why she’s in prison, but I don’t think she’ll ever stop. Well,