CHAPTER 15
"Oh, no! What happened, Mike?" I felt nervous and a bit queasy. Bad news always had that effect on me.
"It might be easier to tell you in person," he said. "Do you have time to stop by for a few minutes?"
Five minutes later, Katie opened the door for me, looking very serious. The poor kid had been through so much, I hoped she wasn't in for more trouble. She was still dressed in her school uniform, a pair of khaki shorts and a polo shirt with the school insignia on the pocket. She was a lovely child with golden-brown soft curls that perfectly complemented her café au lait skin, but it was her almond-shaped eyes that made her look exotic. By contrast, Mike looked like a construction worker, big and burly, his ruddy complexion interrupted by a graying beard. Only his rimless gla
