CHAPTER SIX

At the police station, Mikey sat down to talk with Detectives Parsons and Moorland.

As Angus looked at Mikey sitting there, he realized that it was just a few hours earlier that his little step-sister sat in the same chair…

Angus was about to ask Mikey the same questions he had asked Angelica, only this time he hoped to have better results.

"Mikey," Angus began, "Do you know where your step-mother is?"

"Yes," Mikey answered quietly.

"Do you know why she’s there?" Angus asked.

"No," he whispered, hanging his head low…He couldn’t bear to look these detectives in the eye and lie.

"So you don’t have any idea how she got beat within an inch of her life?" Angus asked, raising his voice a little…His question caused Mikey to wince and shift uncomfortably in his chair…

Parson’s could see right away that he wasn’t going to get anywhere with this child either.

Henry Morgan had this family so completely and utterly terrified, they were afraid of their own shadows.

"Mikey, did your father beat Tina tonight?" Angus asked.

Mikey just sat there silently as tears rolled down his cheeks.

"Son, I know how difficult this must be for you…" Angus softened, "And I’m sorry that I have to ask you these questions…"

"Do you? Do you really know how difficult this must be for me?" Mikey asked, defensively.

"I know…" Dylan said, from the corner of the room "…And believe me Mikey, if you just talk to us, you’ll feel the weight of the world lifted from your shoulders…"

Mikey looked over at Dylan with interest.

"How do you know?" he asked.

"Because my father used to beat my mother and me on a regular basis…I know, I understand how terrified you are – I’ve been there, It’s one of the reasons why I became a cop, to stop people like him from hurting people like you, Tina and Angelica," Dylan replied

At the mention of Angelica’s name, Mikey quickly looked back at Angus.

"Oh God, Angelica! – Where is she?" He asked with panic in his voice.

"She’s with Social Services now.." Angus replied, leaving it at that, hoping that might spur some information from the boy.