The Detective's Secret Daughter by Rachelle McCalla

Author:Rachelle McCalla
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Steeple Hill
Published: 2011-10-07T04:00:00+00:00

The Monday crowd was thin. Victoria would have loved to tell herself it was just a coincidence, possibly a result of last night’s snow, but she knew the boarded-over window had to be a turnoff for potential customers. And in spite of her efforts to disguise the damage from the inside, she’d seen a number of folks staring at the closed curtains and whispering.

By the time she brought Paige home from school, the Sugar Plum was empty.

“What can I do to help you, Mom?” Paige asked, scampering back down the stairs after stashing her coat and backpack upstairs in their apartment above the café.

Victoria had heard that question too many times from her daughter in the past week not to be suspicious. “Why do you think you need to help me, Paige?”

“I can do things, Mom. I’m not a little kid. I can do work, and then you don’t have to pay someone else to do it.”

The innocence and good intentions on her daughter’s face made Victoria feel even worse. “Paige.” She pulled her little girl into a hug. “You are a child. You deserve the freedom to do little-kid things, not work—”

Paige wrestled out of Victoria’s arms. “I’m not a little kid!”

A moment too late, Victoria realized how her words must have sounded to Paige. “That’s not what I meant. I just don’t want you to feel burdened by everything that’s going on.”

“Why not? This is my home, too.” She stomped past her mom toward the kitchen. “I’ll fill the salt and pepper shakers.”

Victoria sighed and headed after her, vacillating between keeping Paige from helping—or just giving in and letting her little girl help out, even though it made her feel terribly guilty. “Let me get the salt and pepper for you, then.” She handed the big containers to her daughter. “I’m proud of you, that you want to help. It’s a very grown-up thing to do. I just don’t want you to feel like you have to do it.”

“You’re just afraid I’ll mess it up, like I messed up catching the bad guy.” Paige took the containers and left the kitchen.

As the last few words floated back behind Paige, Victoria stopped still as though she’d been slapped. Did Paige feel as though she had to make up for letting the bad guy get away? Victoria stared in the direction her daughter had disappeared, weighing what she might say to her, but before she could get her feet moving after her, she heard the bell on the front door jingle.

Finally, a customer.

Victoria hurried to the foyer, eager to wait on whoever had come in.

She looked around the room.

There was no one there.

Victoria stepped into the nearest dining room, but saw only Paige, already getting to work on the salt and pepper shakers.

Odd.

Victoria was sure she’d heard the jangle of the swag of sleigh bells that festooned the main entrance year-round. No

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