She shook her head.
Pike sighed.
"Children sometimes say things they don't mean."
"She seems pretty clear to me," Cole said.
The deputy turned toward him.
"Sir, let me handle this."
"Then handle it."
For a moment, neither man moved.
I touched Cole's arm, and he stepped back.
There was no point turning the diner into a battlefield. If Deputy Pike had decided he wasn't going to take us seriously, giving him an excuse to treat the club as the problem would only help Ray.
I had learned long ago that the loudest man in a room wasn't necessarily the one holding the cards.
Sometimes it was the quiet one who knew exactly which rules would be ignored.
"What's your name, officer?" I asked.
"Pike."
"First name?"
He hesitated.
"Nolan."
I nodded as though filing away a simple detail.
"Nolan, have you checked the missing-child reports?"
"I'm in the process of doing that."
"Good."
His eyes narrowed. He didn't like the fact that I had made it difficult for him to dismiss the matter without appearing careless.
He turned to Ray.
"Do you have any paperwork showing custody?"
"Not with me. We were traveling. I can get it from home."
"Where's home?"
"Las Vegas."
"Which part?"
Ray's jaw tightened.
"Why does that matter?"
"Because I'm asking you."
He gave a street name and an apartment number. I memorized both.
Pike nodded as though the answer satisfied him.
"All right. For now, I'm going to need you to wait while I sort this out."
Ray looked annoyed but obedient.
That alone bothered me.
The man who had threatened me moments earlier seemed almost comfortable around the deputy. He didn't question the uniform or complain about being delayed. He moved closer to Pike and began speaking quietly.
I couldn't hear their words, but I noticed Ray touch the deputy's elbow.
Pike didn't react.
Their conversation lasted less than ten seconds.
When the deputy turned back to us, his attitude had changed.
"Mr. Rourke, I'm going to ask you and your associates to step away from the child. She appears distressed by the number of people surrounding her."
"She came to us because she was distressed by him."
"I'm aware of what you claim."
"It isn't a claim. You heard her say it."
Pike's cheeks reddened.
"Step away."
Cole shifted his weight. I could feel his temper gathering, but I shook my head.
We moved several feet back.
The deputy crouched in front of June and asked her to come with him to the patrol car so they could talk privately.
She immediately clung to Cole.
"No."
Pike tried again.
"June, I need you to come with me."
She shook her head, breathing faster.
"Please don't make me."
Pike straightened.
"You're not helping yourself."
That was when Nora stepped forward.
"Officer, she looks terrified."
"Ma'am, return to your work area."
"She's a child."
"And I'm a law enforcement officer."
Nora pressed her lips together. For a moment, I thought she might argue, but she glanced at June and chose silence.
Pike turned toward Ray.
"Sir, I need you to remain here while I contact the appropriate department."
Ray glanced at his watch.
"How long will that take?"
"As long as it takes."
The stranger looked at June, and a message passed between them that no one else seemed to understand.
June began to tremble.
I moved closer but remained careful not to block the deputy.
"June," I said softly, "can you tell us your full name?"
She hesitated.
Then she whispered, "June Calloway."
The name meant nothing to me.
It meant something to Ray.
His face changed so abruptly that even Deputy Pike noticed.
"What was that?" the officer asked.
Ray recovered quickly.
"That's her name. I told you she's my daughter."
"No, you didn't," I said.
Pike raised a hand.
"Enough."
I ignored him only long enough to look at June.
"What's your mother's name?"
She glanced at Ray.
He gave her a barely perceptible shake of his head.
June's lips trembled.
"Elena."
"Elena Calloway?"
She nodded.
"Where is she?"
The girl's eyes filled with tears.
"He took her."
Every conversation in the diner stopped.
Ray's expression changed from calculation to fury.
"That's a lie."
June flinched so hard that Cole instinctively bent toward her.
Pike stepped between Ray and the girl.
"Sir, I need you to calm down."
"I am calm! This is what she does. She's confused, and these people are encouraging her!"
But the mask had slipped.
For the first time, his anger looked less like the frustration of a misunderstood parent and more like the rage of a man whose carefully constructed story was falling apart.
I looked at Deputy Pike.