Free Violent Exposure by Katherine Howell

me.’
    ‘Under what circumstances?’
    She pulled her ankle up hardonto her knee. The defensive triangle wasn’t lost on Ella.
    ‘I saw Suzanne with Emil one day, and Connor saw too, and I kinda said to him, goose and gander, you know, but he said he wasn’t like that.’ She was positively fluorescent.
    ‘Say that again and this time add detail.’
    ‘One day I saw Suzanne with Emil, one of the Streetlights boys, they were in the palms, they were talking, and then theykissed, and I saw them and then I saw that Connor was watching as well. He turned away and I hurried to accidentally on purpose run into him, and it was really awkward but I liked him, and I thought that if she was, you know, with somebody else, then maybe he would, um, hook up with me.’
    ‘You asked him outright?’
    ‘Not really.’ She tugged at her bootlaces. ‘I said what’s good for the goose isgood for the gander, and he looked at me like he didn’t really know what that meant, and I put my hand on his arm and slid it up his sleeve but he said he wasn’t like that.’
    ‘Like what?’
    ‘Well, he didn’t say. He just walked away. I felt so embarrassed I had to go home sick. But he never mentioned it after, never even looked at me funny. He’s a good guy.’
    ‘When was that?’ Deborah thought fora moment. ‘I guess three, four months ago.’
    ‘Is Emil one of the boys out there?’
    ‘No, he left a while ago. Maybe six weeks?’
    ‘Did you ever see Suzanne behaving like that with anyone else?’
    ‘No.’
    ‘You ever talk about it with her?’
    ‘No way,’ Deborah said. ‘She might’ve fired me if she knew I saw.’
    ‘You weren’t afraid to proposition Connor though.’
    ‘It was stupid of me. She was the one whodealt with the staff and I reckon he never told her about what I did or I would’ve been out the door.’
    ‘Thanks for your time,’ Ella said.
    They spoke to four of the six Streetlights kids and got shoulder shrugs, dunnos and minimal eye contact. The fifth one was lanky with blue patches in his hair. His name was Craig Price and he was seventeen. He sat back in the chair, arms and legs crossed,glancing at Ella’s breasts.
    ‘You right?’ she said.
    He met her glare. ‘Yep. You?’
    Dennis kicked the leg of Craig’s chair. ‘How long have you known Suzanne and Connor?’
    ‘Since I came here. A month, maybe.’
    ‘How well do you know them?’
    ‘Well, they haven’t had me round for a barbie yet.’
    Ella stared at him.
    He shifted in his chair. ‘Okay. I don’t know them much at all. I seen her every timewe’re here, like three days a week, and I seen him maybe once a week. She’s nice and talks to us, she’s helpful and that. He doesn’t seem to really see us.’
    ‘Is Suzanne close to any of you boys?’
    ‘Close?’
    ‘Yes,’ Ella said. ‘Close.’ A shrug. He picked at the scuffed knee of his jeans. Ella shot Dennis a glance.
    ‘What did you think of her yourself?’ Dennis asked.
    ‘Nice lady.’
    ‘And?’
    ‘Andwhat?’
    ‘Did you ever kiss her?’
    He smirked.
    ‘Did you?’
    Ella’s phone rang. She looked at the screen. Daniel Farley. ‘Excuse me.’ She stepped outside and answered. ‘What’s up?’
    ‘Connor was dropped by taxi at the Paddo pub where he had drinks with Barnley yesterday,’ he said. ‘We’ve traced the taxi from CCTV outside the pub and spoken to the driver, and it picked him up on Illawarra Road inMarrickville at one thirty. It’s right around the corner from Westwood Street where Aidan Simpson lives.’
    Crap. ‘Head round there,’ she said. ‘Make sure he’s in one piece but don’t scare him. And keep in touch.’
    ‘Will do.’
    Back in the little office, she ignored Craig and gave Dennis an urgent look.
    Dennis nodded but said to Craig, ‘Tell her what you just told me.’
    ‘I never kissed her butI know two other boys who did.’
    ‘Who?’ Ella said.
    ‘Two other Streetlighters. Aaron’s out there now. Emil left.’
    ‘When