Page 11 of Vanishing Legacy

The woman’s soft smile widened. “Hi, you must be Dr. Thomas. I’m Alana Flores.” Her voice held a faint Hispanic accent.

The sound of his pulse thrumming in his ears drowned out every thought other than Penny. He willed his brain to function. Say something. Anything.

“Are you?” she waited. “Dr. Thomas?”

He nodded, finally. “Cash, yes.”

“I believe you’re here to see your daughter.” Alana opened the door wider. “She’s right in here.”

Cash crossed the living room. Penny. His beautiful, special little girl was on the couch with a book in her lap. He almost laughed. Reading! As if she didn’t have a care in the world.

The young boy beside Penny smiled when he saw Cash and closed the book.

Penny looked up. “Daddy!” She raised her arms and squirmed her little body.

He scooped her up and enveloped her in a hug. “Oh. My lucky Penny. It’s so good to see you.”

Penny held him tight and nestled her face into the crook of his neck. Her tiny fingers traced the collar of his scrubs. He alternated kisses on her head with whispers of comfort and prayers of gratitude.

His focus was drawn to the oversized window behind the couch, where a buzz of police activity consumed the backyard. Detective Williams stood with his hands on his hips, nodding to the officer talking and pointing. A woman holding a boxy camera squatted near the fence. A white flash strobed with each photograph. Behind the photographer, an officer walked a wide perimeter around the shed, a fat roll of yellow crime scene tape unfurling from his hands.

“That’s where Rocco found her.” Alana had moved beside him and nodded at the shed.

The boy scooted off the couch and thrust out his hand. “Hello, Dr. Thomas. I’m Rocco Flores. It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir.”

Wow. Polite kid. Didn’t see too many of those these days. He shook the boy’s hand. “Please, call me Cash. And the pleasure is all mine.”

“Can I get you anything? Water, soda, coffee?” Alana gestured to the kitchen.

He lowered Penny to the couch. “Coffee would be great, thanks.” Exhaustion tugged at his muscles. A combination of the long hours and the adrenaline crash. Caffeine might not be the right answer, but in his experience, it usually was.

Penny patted the cushion beside her leg. “Here, friend. Sit.”

Rocco plopped down beside her. “Have you ever seen a fidget spinner?” He showed her a small toy, then held it between his thumb and index finger and gave it a quick flick. It set the small toy in motion. Tiny LED lights lit up in a blur of color and light as it spun between his fingers. Penny was mesmerized.

“They’ll be fine there. Let’s talk in the kitchen.” Alana’s eyes widened and she tipped her head.

He slid his eyes over to Penny. An invisible string tugged his heart to her, and he wasn’t sure it would stretch more than a few steps away.

“It’s okay, Dad. She’ll be right where you can see her.” Alana gestured to the chairs at her kitchen counter, where he’d have a clear view of the living room.

He sat at the kitchen island and ran a hand over his hair. “I’m sorry. I’m still in shock, I guess.” The aroma of rich coffee wafted through the air. At first, he wasn’t sure his stomach could handle coffee, but yeah. He’d take a cup or ten.

He watched Alana as she moved around her kitchen. She found two coffee mugs in the cabinet and set them next to the pot. “Coffee will be a few minutes. Can I make Penny a snack? I didn’t before because I didn’t know if she had food allergies.”

“No, don’t go to any trouble. I’ll get out of your hair in a few minutes. I’m just so grateful you found her.”

“Penny is a brave girl, Dr. Thomas. She’s in good spirits despite all she’s been through today.”

“Please, call me Cash.”

“Cash and Penny.” Alana smiled. “Cute.”

Cash lifted a shoulder in a shrug. “My wife’s idea.”

“Oh, please tell your wife she’s welcome to come?—”

“I misspoke. Ex-wife. And she passed away when Penny was a baby. It’s just the two of us.” His eyes drifted to Penny, who was trying to balance the fidget spinner between her tiny fingers without much luck.

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