Chapter One
Hartford, Connecticut
July 2003
Callie stood next to the grease-smudged door, sucking her thumb as she clutched Emily Dolly close in the crook of her arm.
Tinny music played through cheap speakers while she stared at the big man sitting in a booth across the room, snoring with his chin touching his chest, as the food on his plate went cold.
Glancing around at empty tables and chairs, Callie recognized that she was in a restaurant.
Mommy took her out to eat sometimes, but she’d never been to this place before.
She flinched and her gaze flew to a set of metallic doors when a woman with bold red hair pushed them open and walked from the kitchen.
The woman stopped abruptly and rolled her eyes as she looked toward the man who sounded like a pig. “Good grief, I need to get off this midnight shift.”
The woman shook her head as she grabbed a washcloth from a bucket, then wiped down the long countertop. Her dangling hoop earrings caught in the light as she hummed along with the radio and wiggled her hips in the pink skirt she wore.
Tossing the cloth back into the bucket, she picked up a stack of menus and turned, gasping as she made eye contact with Callie. “Dear God in heaven,” she said as her free hand flew to her chest. “You scared me half to death.”
Callie gripped Emily Dolly tighter and stepped back, bumping into the cool glass.
The woman frowned as her gaze tracked around the room before she set the menus on a table and walked over, crouching down in front of Callie. “Sweetie, are you alone?”
Callie tried to move farther away, but there was nowhere left to go.
“You don’t have to be afraid of me.” She smiled as she stroked her fingers down a lock of Callie’s long blonde hair. “I work here.”
Callie stared into the woman’s green eyes while her stomach twisted and turned and felt yucky.
“Let’s see if I can find your mommy.” The woman stood and walked down a short hallway, opening a door. “Hello?” She moved a few steps and turned another doorknob, doing the same thing. “Hello?”
The woman came back and pushed through the door that Callie stood by, letting in the sounds of the cars driving by as she walked off into the dark. Moments later, she came back inside, hurrying over to the man in the corner, shoving on his arm. “Hey.” She did it again. “Hey, you.”
The man snorted as his eyes flew open. “Jeez, lady. What the hell?”
“Is that your little girl?” The waitress pointed in Callie’s direction.
The man turned his head, looking at Callie. “No, that’s not my little girl.”
The woman’s hand ended up on her hip. “Did you see her come in with anyone?”
He stared at Callie a second longer, then shook his head. “I’m seeing her for the first time right now.”
“Well, where did she come from?”
He shrugged. “Beats me.”
The waitress walked back to Callie, crouching down again as she sent her another warm smile. “Can you talk?”
Callie nodded.
“What’s your name, pretty girl?”
She took her thumb out of her mouth. “Callie.”
“Do you know how old you are?”
She nodded again.
“How old?”
“Four.”
“Where’s your mommy, sweetie?”
Callie’s breath shuddered in and out when her tummy felt yucky all over again. “I don’t know.”
“How did you get here?”
She blinked rapidly, and tears trailed down her cheeks. “I don’t know.”
“Oh, good heavens.” The woman picked her up and hugged her close. “Everything’s going to be all right.” She walked toward the metallic doors and pushed her way into the big kitchen. “Earl, call the police. I think we have an abandoned child on our hands.”
Continue reading Secrets Hidden In The Glass…