The Twelfth Card

foster in Brooklyn, living in one room with four gangbanger girls, boxes playing hip-hop and BET on, twenty-four hours a day, dragged to church . . . ” She shivered and shook her head.
    “That’s why the job.” Rhyme glanced at the uniform.
    “That’s why the job. Somebody hooked me up with this guy makes fake driver’s licenses. According to it, I’m eighteen.” A laugh. “I don’t look it, I know. But I applied to a place where the manager’s an old white guy. He didn’t have a clue how old I was from looking at me. Been at the same place ever since. Never missed a single shift. Until today.” A sigh. “My boss’ll find out. He’ll have to fire me. Shit. And I just lost my other job last week.”
    “You had two jobs?”
    The girl nodded. “Scrubbing graffiti. There’s all this renovation going on in Harlem. You see it everywhere now. Some big insurance or real estate companies fix up old buildings and rent ’em for a lot of money. The crews hired some kids to clean the walls. It was great money. But I got fired.”
    “Because you were underage?” Sachs asked.
    “No, because I saw these workers, three big white guys who worked for some real estate company. They were hassling this old couple who’d lived in the building forever. I told ’em to stop or I’d call the police . . . . ” She shrugged. “They fired me. I did call the police but they weren’t interested . . . . So much for doing good deeds.”
    “And that’s why you didn’t want that Mrs. Barton, the counselor, to help,” Bell said.
    “She finds out I’m homeless, and, bang, my ass’s in foster.” She shuddered. “I was so close! I could’ve done it. A year and a half and I’d be gone. I’d be inHarvard or Vassar. Then that guy shows up at the museum yesterday and ruins everything!”
    Geneva rose and walked to the chart that had the details about Charles Singleton on it. She gazed at it. “That’s why I was writing about him. I had to find out he was innocent. I wanted him to be nice and be a good husband and father. The letters were so wonderful. He could write so pretty, all his words. Even his handwriting was beautiful.” She added breathlessly, “And he was a hero in the Civil War and taught children and saved the orphans from the draft rioters. Suddenly I had a relative who was good, after all. Who was smart, who knew famous people. I wanted him to be somebody I could admire, not like my father or mother.”
    Luis Martinez stuck his head in the doorway. “He checks out. Right name and address, no priors, no warrants.” He’d run the name of the phony uncle. Rhyme and Bell weren’t trusting anybody at this point.
    “You must be lonely,” Sachs said.
    A pause. “My daddy took me to church some, ’fore he ran off. I remember this gospel song. It used to be our favorite. It’s called ‘Ain’t Got Time to Die.’ That’s what my life’s like. I ain’t got time to be lonely.”
    But Rhyme knew Geneva well by now. She was fronting. He said, “So you’ve got a secret just like your ancestor. Who knows yours?”
    “Keesh, the super, his wife. That’s all.” She fixed Rhyme with a defiant look. “You’re going to turn me in, aren’t you?”
    “You can’t live alone,” Sachs said.
    “I have for two years,” she snapped. “I have my books, school. I don’t need anything else.”
    “But—”
    “No. If you tell, it’ll ruin everything.” She added, “Please.” The word was muted, as if saying it came very hard to her.
    Silence for a moment. Sachs and Sellitto looked at Rhyme, the one person in the room who didn’t have to answer to city brass and regulations. He said, “No need to make any decisions right away. We’ve got our hands full catching the unsub. But I’m thinking you ought to stay here, not a safe house.” He glanced at Thom. “I think we can find room for you upstairs, can’t we?”
    “You bet we can.”
    “I’d rather—” the girl started.
    Rhyme said with a smile, “I think we’ll insist this time.”
    “But my job. I can’t afford to lose it.”
    “I’ll take care of it.” Rhyme got the number from her and called the girl’s boss at McDonald’s and explained in general terms about the attack and said that Geneva wouldn’t be coming in for a few days. The manager sounded truly concerned and told him that Geneva was their most conscientious employee. She could take as much time off as she needed and could be sure that her job would be