Skye's Trail by Jory Strong Page B

her at the child’s withdrawal. This wasn’t the same child she’d found in the woods. “Can I have a few minutes with her?”
     
    Caldwell spoke instantly. “That wouldn’t be advisable.”
     
    The Armstrongs’ faces showed their confusion at the detective’s quick objection. “Can you help her?” Karen’s voice was tentative, painfully hopeful.
     
    “Maybe,” Skye said.
     
    “You’ve had to deal with a lot of traumatized children, haven’t you?” Jon asked.
     
    “Yes.”
     
    He took only a second to think it over before nodding decisively. “Could you suggest a place? We’ve already checked out of our hotel room.”
     
    Rico spoke up, “You can use a room here. Follow me.”
     
    He led them to an interrogation room. At the door he took Skye’s arm. Next to him Detective Caldwell stiffened. Rico said, “I’d like to be present for this.” His eyes touched hers, then moved over to the one-way window at the end of the room. Skye hesitated briefly then said, “Just you.” Rico nodded and she followed the Armstrongs into the room.
     
    Skye pulled three chairs away from the table. She positioned hers so that her back was to the room she knew Rico would be watching from. The Armstrongs sat facing her.
     
    Karen tried to pry Callie away from her body and turn her to face Skye. The little girl whimpered and clutched harder. “Leave her. She’s fine,” Skye said.
     
    Then she waited.
     
    She let the silence fill the room.
     
    She let the silence fill herself.
     
    She waited for some of the silence to fill the child, saw it in the slight loosening of Callie’s arms. When she saw that subtle hint, Skye reached over and began stroking the girl’s baby-fine hair.
     
    Her voice was whisper-soft, gentle like a night breeze. “Do you remember who I am, Callie?”
     
    The girl nodded “yes” against her mother’s shoulder.
     
    “Are you afraid of me?”
     
    The girl shook her head “no”.
     
    Skye laughed. It was soft and inviting, reassuring. “Are you sure you’re not afraid?”
     
    Callie’s head turned slightly so she could see Skye out of the corner of one eye. It was all Skye needed. Without hesitation she let the little girl fall into the endless blue of her eyes.

 
    Chapter Six
     
     
     
    “Did someone come to your hotel room and go with you and Brittany?” Skye asked.
     
    “No.”
     
    “What were you and Brittany doing before you left in the car?”
     
    “I was watching TV. Brittany was talking on the phone.”
     
    “Do you know who she was talking to?”
     
    “No.” The child gave an exaggerated frown. “Brittany always whispered when she was on the phone.”
     
    “What happened after Brittany stopped talking on the phone?”
     
    “She watched TV with me. But then she said we were going to leave the hotel room. She said we’d get ice cream.”
     
    “What was on TV?”
     
    “A movie.”
     
    “What movie?”
     
    “Harry Potter.”
     
    “Did you go get ice cream when you left?”
     
    Callie pouted. “No. We went to a place with lots of cars and Brittany told me to wait while she went inside for a few minutes. She said we’d get ice cream after she came back out. Only she was gone a long time and I got scared waiting in the car all by myself. So I got out and went to look for her. Only I couldn’t because the man at the door said this wasn’t a good place for little girls and I needed to go back to the car and get inside and lock the doors.”
     
    “Do you remember the name of the place you were at?”
     
    “No. But there were naked people inside. Somebody opened the door and I saw naked ladies inside.”
     
    “Were they naked all over? Or were they just naked on the top?”
     
    The little girl frowned. “Some were just naked on top. But the ones dancing were all naked.”
     
    “Was everybody inside naked, or just some people?”
     
    “Just some people.”
     
    “Can you picture it and tell me what it looks