BIG SIS

12.3 Pound of Flesh to Go

Derek was easy to shop for, and impossible to shop with. He mostly stood around and stared while Collin sifted through the racks. If Collin glared hard enough, he'd shift a few hangers around and feign interest in whatever happened to be hanging off them.

"How's this one?" Collin asked, holding up a shirt for Derek's inspection.

"It's fine," Derek said.

"And this?"

"Fine."

Collin narrowed his eyes. "How about this one?" he asked.

"Looks good," Derek said.

Collin stared at Derek. Derek blinked back. A white dress shirt hung between them, the bedazzled collar sparkling.

Collin put the shirt back. "Go – sit somewhere," he said.

Derek ambled off. Collin tracked him to the small sitting area near the cashiers, then decisively turned his back. Derek wasn't actually five. He could be left unsupervised for as long as it took to find a couple of decent shirts.

Probably.

Collin looked over his shoulder as he made for the jeans section. He saw Derek, on his phone and still where Collin'd left him.

He didn't see the girl he almost bowled over.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Collin began. His mind caught up with his mouth and he frowned. "Hey, aren't you-"

"Shut up!" the girl - Miriam Castello, panda make-up and old metal band T-shirt and all – hissed. She glanced behind Collin, then grabbed his wrist and tugged him in direction of the dressing room.

Collin dug in his heels, after the initial moment of surprise wore off. He tugged his hand back. Miriam dug her nails in. "Let me go," he snapped.

"You heard about it, didn't you? What I told the papers," Miriam said.

"I don't care," Collin said.

Miriam smiled at him. It wasn't a good smile. "I bet you think I made it up," she said. "It's all true. Iris Weaver is not right in the head, and you fucking know it."

Collin stared at her. Miriam glared back, so flushed with anger that she was shaking.

"You want to tell me something?" he asked quietly.

Miriam shook her head. "Not here."

She tugged again, and this time Collin went with her. "Can it not be in the women's dressing rooms?" he tried.

Miriam pulled harder. Collin followed her into the dressing room farthest from the door, eyes firmly on the wall. Most of the stalls appeared empty, but there were a few with clothing over the doors. Someone's phone rang, and Collin almost jumped out of his skin.

"In here," Miriam said.

She pushed Collin in first, then slammed the door shut and locked it. The stall was pretty large. Collin set the things he'd picked out for Derek on a short bench sticking out of one of the walls, pressed himself into a corner, and crossed his arms.

Miriam looked at him. Her eyes darted away. She clenched her jaw, expression shifting between anger and indecision.

"If you're that sure Iris is guilty, why didn't you go to the police?" Collin asked.

That did the trick. Miriam surged forward, eyes blazing. "I did! They don't believe me!"

"So why would I believe you?" Collin snapped.