Jioni rolled her eyes. “Thanks, Emmitt. Anyway, I messed up, and I need a plan to make everything right. I just need some time.”
“First, I need to know what you did. You’re acting like you just murdered someone—did you murder Mac?”
“No, no, as far as I know, Mac is still alive,” Jioni replied. “So there are two reasons why I’m on the run.”
“I’m listening,” Emmitt said.
“So, first thing, as you know, today is payment day—I kind of sort of have nothing,” Jioni said. She wiped down the vinyl chair and sat. The dust flew once more into the air. “When my parents left, and yours, it was only supposed to be a one-year mission. I depleted my savings, I depleted theirs. I have nothing. And I’ve just been offering up things around the library for the past four years. Now it has run dry.”
Emmitt nodded; his face was unreadable.
