The sun peeked out of the parting clouds as she rode in the back of the patrol car.

Why can’t I see uncle? It’s not fair!

A pang of hunger overcame Aiko as she noticed a row of fast-food restaurants.

“Can I have something to eat?” Aiko said.

“We’re almost at the station,” the officer driving said.

“We probably have some stale donuts in the squad room,” the other officer riding shotgun chided.

Moments later, as she was being led into the precinct, Auntie Paige greeted her. The woman was sitting on a bench behind the door. Aiko would have missed her if she hadn’t said anything.

“Who is Harold?” Aiko asked.

Paige looked surprised by the question. The officers escorting Aiko paused for a moment, as if they were waiting to hear Paige’s response.

“He—was a friend.”

“We should talk somewhere more private, the lead officer said.”

Aiko and Paige were placed in separate rooms.

“I demand to stay with my niece,” Paige said.

“You’re not family,” Aiko said.

“We need to speak with both of you alone first.”

Aiko could hear the nasty woman’s shrill voice behind the closed door. She rubbed her stomach to hope to quell her hunger pangs.

----------------------------------------

It was a long time before the door opened again. A female officer brought Aiko a donut and some milk. She rarely ate such sweets, but after the events of the last night, she wolfed down the sweet and gulped the milk greedily. She couldn’t remember how long it had been since she ate. Especially since Paige had punished her with another lackluster meal the night before.

Auntie Paige should get into trouble after what she did to me!

The officer’s name was Jensen, as Aiko discovered from the little badge pinned to her uniform. She seemed more sympathetic than the rest, her warm eyes belying a genuine desire to help.

“Sweetie, do you know why you’re here?” Officer Jensen asked. She sat across the small table, gaze filled with a gentle concern.

Aiko gulped down the last of the milk, wiped her mouth with her hand, and shook her head. Her eyes were wide and glossy, mirroring a sea of unshed tears.

Officer Jensen sighed heavily. “We are trying to figure out what happened at your house last night,” she said softly.

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Aiko looked at the table surface, filled with confusion and fear. Suddenly, the scene flooded back into her memory - the shattered glass on the floor, Harold’s lifeless body laying sprawled across the cold pavement, and Aunt Paige’s chilling scream that echoed throughout the street.

“What happened to your wrists?” Jensen asked.

Aiko pulled away and tried hiding her hands under the table.

If I tell her the truth, will they will let me live with my uncle?

A knock on the door interrupted Officer Jensen before she could ask further questions. One of the male officers stood at the doorway with a grim expression on his face. They exchanged a few words in hushed voices, too low for Aiko to hear clearly. The man left abruptly and Officer Jensen turned back towards Aiko with a serious look.

“Would you like to tell me what happened last night?” Jensen asked, her voice stern yet inviting. Aiko felt her heart racing, the same feeling she’d experienced when she found Paige’s dirty secret.

I don’t know if I should tell them about the formula, something seems wrong about that.

She nodded slowly, glancing towards the closed door before resting her gaze back on Jensen. The female officer seemed trustworthy, almost motherly. It took a few attempts before Aiko found her voice. The words came out in a shaky whisper at first, gradually growing louder as she repeated the events of the horrific night with unfiltered honesty. Sharing her story with someone who might help her felt like a relief. Through tears and choked sobs, Aiko told Officer Jensen about Aunt Paige’s harsh punishments and the assault from Harold.

Officer Jensen’s eyes softened as she listened to Aiko’s account, her knuckles turning white where she clenched her pencil.

“It wasn’t your fault, Aiko,” she said.

Aiko felt the strings of her emotions break away, betraying her usual reserved demeanor. She wiped tears with a trembling hand.

“But Auntie Paige said...”

“Your Auntie Paige was wrong.” Officer Jensen’s voice was firm but not unkind. “You are a brave young girl who did something very difficult today. We’re going to help you now.”

The office door creaked open again and a tall man entered. He wore plain clothes, no uniform like the others, and his jacket bore a shiny badge clipped to his pocket.

“This is Detective Hughes,” Officer Jensen introduced him. “He needs to ask you some questions too, okay?”

Aiko nodded, still clutching onto the reassurance that Officer Jensen had given her. Detective Hughes moved a chair across from her and sat down with a warm smile.

“I know this must be scary for you,” he began. “But I promise you’re safe here.”

As Detective Hughes delved into his questions, Aiko felt herself growing tired. Talking about what happened had drained her of energy more than she’d realized, but she answered every question as best as she could.

At last,

Detective Hughes seemed satisfied with the information Aiko provided. He closed his little notebook, then almost as an afterthought, he asked, “Aiko, do you have anywhere else to stay? Any other family members?”

“My uncle...” she hesitated, her voice faltering. She remembered the officers discussing something about her uncle earlier. Was it safe to tell them now?

“Your Uncle...?” he prompted.

“Uncle Hiroto. He lives in the city,” she said.

Detective Hughes nodded, scribbled something in his notebook, and then rose to leave. “Thank you for being so brave and sharing your story with us, Aiko,” he told her, offering a reassuring smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

Left alone once again, Aiko stared at the closed door. Aiko felt like a small boat tossed around in a stormy sea where every moment was chaotic and unpredictable. She missed training at the dojo with Uncle Hiroto. Aiko wanted to rid herself of Auntie Paige and her punishments and secrets.

Time passed like a turtle caught in a trap and the room seemed smaller than when she first entered. Officer Jensen entered and, despite the exhaustion etched on her face, her eyes radiated warmth. “Aiko,” she began, “you’re going to be staying with your uncle tonight.”

A rush of relief washed over Aiko. She nodded, feeling the knot in her stomach unwind. There was caution in her heart too, but it was subdued by the joy of not having to go back to Aunt Paige or the loneliness of an institutional shelter.

“Officer Jensen,” she stuttered, fighting back fresh tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks, “Thank you.”

The officer gave a soft smile, one that carried both warmth and understanding. “Let’s get you ready to go.”