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THE FOLLOWING DAY, SKYLAR braced before entering Smile & Relax. Despite knowing Bailey hadn’t seen her the night before, every nerve danced like a live wire. Before opening the door, she paused and took a deep breath. When she went in, he glanced over, the phone to his ear. Skylar brought the box to the counter and scanned it. When she held out the scanner, he put up a finger. She smiled and meandered to the end of the counter, casually peering at the door Mia had opened the other day.
Her heart beat faster when she spotted a deadbolt above the knob. Had it been there the day before and she hadn’t noticed? The keyhole was on the outside and from where she stood she couldn’t tell if the lock was engaged. With a door so close to the reception area, there could be many reasons for a deadbolt. Especially in a place like this. For all she knew, every door had one. Nothing here indicates a crime. That thought came in her dad’s reasoned voice. And he’d taught her only criminal matters elicited a police response. She tried to calm down.
“Sorry for the wait.” Bailey’s voice made her startle.
Skylar turned to face him. “No worries. How’s your day going?” She strung the words out, well aware her cadence usually sped up when she was nervous or upset.
“Pretty good.” He stood and stretched. “It’s been hotter than hell this week and the AC’s out. The guy’s fixing it right now. I’m hoping he has it done before noon. We’ve got a lot of clients booked today.”
Ick. “Who was that cute little girl here yesterday?”
Bailey scowled. “What?”
Skylar realized he had no idea she’d seen Mia, much less spoken to her. “One of the ladies introduced us. She told me about a book she was reading.” She tried to sound low-key and resisted the urge to wipe sweat from her forehead.
“Oh.” His eyes flicked away briefly. “Uh ... she’s my niece. My sister’s out of town this week, so she’s staying with me. I promised her we’d do something fun this weekend if she behaved during work.”
“And she’s not in school?”
“Well, today she is, but I didn’t take her yesterday. It was too much to do before work. Mia’s a genius. Always reading and telling me about things I’ve never heard of. Like kale. I never knew it existed. I looked online. It’s really good for you. She eats it with her eggs. For breakfast.” Color crept up his neck.
Over-sharing. A classic tell for lying. Another thing her dad told her that made her eyes roll at the time. Skylar saw a shadow move under the door. “Yeah, kale is really good for you.” She knew her smile was too bright. A big fat lie. If her stomach tossed any worse, she might just get sick. “Well, I gotta run. Any pickups today?”
“No.” He looked as relieved as she felt at the news.
“Alright.” She left at what she hoped was a normal pace, then quickly pulled her truck to the building next door. She’d never had a delivery or a pickup at the place, but Bailey probably wouldn’t know that. She grabbed the book she’d brought for Mia last night and crept to the open window. The sill was shoulder height. Skylar paused to listen for people talking inside. Nothing. “Mia.” She whispered.
Mia appeared, a big smile on her face. “Hi.”
Skylar’s shoulders relaxed when she saw the girl was unharmed. A finger in front of her lips, she whispered, “I brought you something.” She held up the book. “Have you ever read the Narnia books?”
Mia shook her head, eyeing the book like she was hungry and it was a plate of food.
“I think you’ll like this. It’s part of a series.”
Mia shot a worried look behind her. “Someone’s coming.”
“I’ll leave it by the tree.” Skylar streaked away, kicking herself for not asking the critical questions at the outset again. But her instincts and training weren’t focused on mining for facts. She’s been taught to build trust. Kids were her passion. That old dream of becoming a cop and making her dad proud—or perhaps just finally getting his attention—had died a long time ago. She wasn’t cut out for that kind of work.
––––––––
Mia leapt away from the window and plopped down on the sofa, a strange mix of happiness and fear in her belly.
Bailey burst in, slamming the door behind him. “Mia?” He glanced around wildly.
“Bailey, what jail is my dad in? Can we visit him?” If she could distract him, maybe he wouldn’t notice Skylar’s truck leaving the driveway next door.
He pulled up his sagging pants and straightened his shirt. “I don’t know, Mia. I’m working.”
“Can I play outside?”
“You could get in trouble. You’re supposed to be in school.”
“I’ll sweep the sidewalk for you.” Mia sat up and gave her best smile. She’d heard Devlin order him to get it done today. And in the short time she’d known him, she’d learned Bailey was lazy. He pushed his lips out as if he were thinking it over. “I’m a good worker,” Mia added. “I do all the cleaning at home.” Another lie, but not a bad one, since she did most of it. And sweeping the sidewalk wouldn’t be any harder than sweeping the floor.
“You have to be quick.” Bailey winked. “The broom is in the closet near the front door. Don’t talk to anyone.”
Though she wanted to dance around, Mia only let herself smile. “Okay.” She got the broom and went outside. The hot sun felt good on her skin. She began near the steps, working backward so she could keep an eye on the door. When she heard Glenda call Bailey to the back, like she had the day before, Mia raced to the tree. She snatched up the book. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, by C.S. Lewis. The cover had a picture of a lion. She closed her eyes and hugged it, then tucked it inside the back of her waistband, covering it with her shirt. She quickly finished her work, agonizing over what the story was about.
––––––––
While he ate a microwaved meal at his desk, Enrique worked on accounting. The numbers seemed to dance around on the screen and gave him a headache. After the helpful tip about how to save money on shipping, he’d tallied the current balances on the debts Kendra had saddled him with. If he put the money he saved toward the total each month, he’d have it paid off in four months, instead of nine. Before winter set in, he’d be sleeping in a warm comfy bed in a modest apartment. He finished his food, frustrated by how horrid it tasted. Forget the bed, he was more excited about having a kitchen again.
Monty growled and barked outside. Same time as last night. “Now what?” Enrique went to the window and there she was again. A dark colored wig and different clothes, but he knew the way she moved. Smooth and fluid. Burglary in motion. “What are you up to?” Ever obedient, Monty sat quietly after she spoke and signaled with her hand.
She had a different dog with her tonight. This one was light brown and medium-sized. How many did she own? No cars were parked where she’d taken cover last night. She walked along the fence line, her head angled toward Smile & Relax. Before she got to the end of the lot, Enrique had slipped out the side door, his gun tucked in the back of his pants. He locked up and hung his helmet on the handle bar of his motorcycle before moving silently to the sliding gate in a tucked run.
She strode west to the corner. Enrique kept his distance so the dog wouldn’t pick up his scent. After a brief pause and a three-sixty glance, she crossed to the other side and made her way toward Smile & Relax. She stopped when she neared it. The dog sat when she tugged the leash once. After a moment, they got moving again, her speaking quietly to the dog. Enrique trailed her on his side of the street, taking cover behind trees and random parked cars. It was just before sunset. She paused again, directly in front of the building.
––––––––
After crossing the street with a labradoodle named Maggie, Skylar found it difficult to fill her lungs. Apparently, she hadn’t gotten the right strands of her dad’s DNA. The kind that made him run straight into danger without worrying how things would work out. Questions flooded her mind. What if something went wrong? What if her suspicions were correct? What if it were unclear? All she had was a gut feeling. Mia didn’t have any visible bruises or appear to be malnourished or neglected in the legal sense. She just wasn’t in school, though she clearly wanted to go.
Sadly, Bailey was enough of a loser for his lame excuse to be true. Perhaps he didn’t have what it took to get a kid off to school in the morning. And missing one week of school didn’t rise to the level of a social services claim. It just meant a bad attendance record and lots of homework.
Besides, if Skylar made a report, she may have to give her real name. If that were the case, it would probably be ten minutes before her dad learned she was mixed up in something. Even though he was working in the private sector, he still had friends in every department of local government. She sighed, used her shirtsleeve to wipe sweat from beneath the brim of her cap. Then she adjusted her sunglasses and tugged her wig tight. What am I doing? But she kept walking, letting Maggie explore everything her heart desired.
She was thrilled when the dog took a long break in front of Smile & Relax. There must be all kinds of weird smells. That thought turned her stomach. Maggie peed at the base of the sign and Skylar allowed her to do the same at every bush. The retractable leash enabled Skylar to remain where she had a clear line of sight into the reception area. Several women dressed in skimpy clothing meandered in the room. Devlin chatted with them, laughing loudly at his own jokes.
His cell phone rang and he moved out of view, going in the direction of the room where Mia was kept. Skylar circled behind the building next door. “Maggie, sit.” She obeyed. “Stay. No bark.” Skylar peered around the corner and saw the lights had gone on in the room. She jetted across the driveway and crept along the side of the building, stopping below the open window.
“Glenda tells me you had that girl here again.” Devlin paused. “And Sydney says you don’t have a niece. I’m done being lied to.” He ground out each word. “Be here with the girl at ten in the morning. I want the truth. And we’re gonna deal with the problem of the money you owe me.”
Skylar sagged against the wall. What kind of business was this? And why did Bailey owe Devlin money? It was time to set aside her issues and talk to her dad. As she moved away from the window, her foot caught on something. She crashed in the driveway, grunting in pain. Devlin’s profile filled the window. “Hey!” Loud footsteps sounded inside and Skylar surged to her feet.