Chapter Five

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cw: implied csa

*

"So," Steve asks in the car, "how'd you know?"

"How'd I know what?"

"I didn't want to say it in there, but those walls are pretty thin, for a rich guy's house," Steve clarifies. "How'd you know what that guy was doing to his daughter?"

Leila sighs. The euphoria is starting to drain from her body now. "Because I'm not an idiot. Next question."

Steve is quiet for a long moment, and she hates how she can almost hear him trying to put puzzle pieces together.

"I'm sorry," Steve says finally.

"For what?" she asks, like she doesn't know.

"For pushing earlier. I shouldn't have. Just...like I said. If you ever decide you do want to talk to someone...I'm here. If you want."

Leila takes a long moment to process this, before looking at him. She can't really summon enough anger to punctuate her words, so she settles on the lighthearted devil-may-care tone she's prone to using with him.

"You think you've got me all figured out, don't you, Rogers?"

"I didn't say that."

"Here's a tip. You don't know as much about me as you think you do. You need to think more creatively."

His lips twitch in a smile. "I'll keep that in mind."


*

Before they leave for Fort Falsworth, Leila insists on a twenty minute detour. "Just one last loose thread to tie up," she tells Steve.

When they arrive at Daniel Fisher's house, Steve starts to get out of the car, but Leila stops him. Ideally, she wouldn't have brought him at all, but it's not like she can drop him off somewhere without explaining why. She's already pushing it as it is.

It's a nice little apartment--not ideally big enough for a family about to adopt two teenagers, but she thinks they'll manage. She knocks and hears a "hang on," and then it's a minute before a heavily pregnant Jennifer Fisher answers the door.

"Hi. Can I help you?"

"Yeah, hi. Are you Jennifer Fisher?" Leila asks, more out of courtesy than anything else.

"Yeah, I am. And you are..."

"My name is Lindsey White, I'm with Child Protective Services." She hands over a fake ID. "I'm just here to inform you--have you spoken with your in-laws lately?"

A flash of recognition goes off in Jennifer's eyes. "Yeah, we talked to them just an hour ago. You're here about the twins, right?"

"I am," she says jovially. "I just wanted to inspect the house, just as a matter of course."

"Yeah, of course," Jennifer says, stepping aside. "Come on in."

*


Daniel Fisher is a quiet, unassuming man, but Leila doesn't think that's because he's hiding any secrets. He looks like his siblings, and he works as an accountant, and he seems happy to take in Camden and Tessa, but not so happy as to be suspicious. More relieved than anything else. Leila's not sure how much he knows, but there's no way he's under the impression that his mother and stepfather are good parents.

He checks out for now, but Leila resolves to keep an eye on things anyway. She's not sure why; she's already gone far out of her way for them. Maybe that's why, actually. Sunk costs fallacy; she's invested a lot into their safety already. Might as well make sure it was worth it.

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