“Then he shouldn’t have been working if it was after seven.”
“Did I say fifteen? I meant sixteen.” Her comeback was fast.
“What’s his name?”
“Travis Darnell. He’s worked here for six months. Good kid. Shows up on time and works hard. Most of the time.”
Todd made a note in his phone app. “When did he leave tonight?”
“Said he wasn’t feeling well, so left by nine.”
“That normal?”
“No, like I said, he’s a good worker.” She glanced at her watch and then crossed her arms.
Todd took the hint and picked up the pace of his eating. “Do you have a to-go box? I don’t want to keep you.”
“It’s all good.”
“The busboy. He about this tall?” Todd held the hand holding a chip up at about 5'9 height. “Skinny like he’s all about growing tall right now?”
She nodded. “But so are half of the kids that age.”
It was true, and he couldn’t pick the kid out in a line-up as dark as it had been. He only had an impression of what the young man had looked like.
He shoved another big bite of sandwich into his mouth and then took a handful of chips. “Appreciate the dinner.”
“Anytime.” Though she didn’t seem as welcoming as she had been when she unlocked the door for him. She started walking toward the door, and he followed her.
“Is the busboy a relative?”
She froze and then slowly turned toward him. “Why?”
“You’re protective of him.”
“I am of all my employees.”
“Doris, we both know that’s not true.” He loosened his stance, tried not to look as big as he sometimes did. “Look, the kid could be a hero as far as I can tell. He called me to the alley. Without that, the girl could be in even worse shape. I want to speak with him to understand what he saw. That’s it.” He kept his hands in his pockets even though he wanted to spread them wide as if that would assure her of his sincerity. “Honest.”
She considered him for a minute. “I know how to find you. I need to talk to him first. See if he’s who you think.”
“Fair.”
She unlocked the door and then opened it for him. “Be careful out there.”
“You, too. Thanks again for the sandwich.” Then he stepped into the night, wondering why she’d felt the need to warn him. He turned toward the alley, but after a few minutes of searching knew he’d need to come back at first light the next morning, before anyone else could tamper with the scene.
Dr. Miller returnedbut didn’t have any updates. She checked the machines and watched the girl for a minute. “She appears stable, but I want to keep her here until we have a better sense about what’s going on. I’ll have someone come to transfer her to a room.”
Bridget didn’t think the girl could be released, not when she was still unresponsive. And she didn’t have a better idea than keeping her here while they looked for her family. There was no way the girl could fend for herself in foster care or a group home. “I’ll stay with her through the transfer.”
“This might be a good time for you to take a break. It can take a little while to get her transferred and settled.” Dr. Miller made a notation on her tablet computer, then moved toward the door. “We’ll take good care of her. Promise.”
A yawn overpowered Bridget, and she rubbed her eyes. It wouldn’t hurt to stretch for a moment. She stood and moved into the hallway. It was empty except for a cluster of nurses and techs down at the station with all the monitoring equipment. Bridget stopped there to let them know she’d be back in a minute.
Her phone dinged as she neared the restroom, so she pulled it out to read the message.
Just got home. You can quit worrying.
