But a cop and a desperate Little wouldn’t necessarily think the same way.
Casting another glance behind him, he said, “Iris, honey, what does your gut tell you?”
She smiled. “Hollywood Boulevard. I’m telling you, that’s what I would do if I were in her shoes.” A slightly embarrassed smile tugged at her lips. “It’s what I did. Not too long ago.”
Matteo’s heart warmed as he watched Jack lean over and give Iris a kiss on the side of her head.
“You’ll never have to worry about any of that again, sweetheart. You’re safe with Daddy now,” Jack told her.
“I know, Daddy. I just hate thinking of this poor girl. Whoever she is and wherever she is,” Iris replied.
Matteo faced forward again. He hated to think about her out there alone and hungry, too—if indeed that was her condition.
But she wouldn’t have to worry about that for long.
Daddy was coming.
Chapter Six
The aroma of a nearby street vendor grilling hot dogs and onions reached Annika’s nose, and her stomach grumbled again.
She looked and next to the cart was another one selling cups of fresh fruit.
Her mouth practically watered.
She didn’t have money for either one of those treats. But she knew one of the touristy restaurants near the Dolby Theater often put out leftovers toward the end of the night. The employees all seemed cool and she’d overheard them talking about how throwing unused food out just didn’t seem right. So, they sat it on the loading dock in the back for any takers who need something to eat.
And Annika certainly needed something to eat.
Even though the sun had long ago fallen asleep and the air was getting chillier with each passing minute, Hollywood Boulevard was still bustling. It wasn’t nearly as crazy as it would be if this was a summer night, but it didn’t really matter what time of year it was. People came from all over the world to experience the glitz and glamour of Tinsel Town.
She couldn’t help but chuckle to herself. From her vantage point, she didn’t see much glitz. There sure wasn’t any glamour. Not in her life, at least.
Tourists and locals milled about. A man sat with his back against a building, his dirty, toothless face looking up helplessly as people passed by.
Annika’s heart broke. She searched the pockets of her tattered jeans and found one lonely dollar bill she’d come across on the street yesterday. Bending down, she dropped it in the chipped-up Styrofoam cup the man held.
“God bless you,” he said.
At least, that’s what she thought he said. His words were difficult to understand. But the brief glimmer of light in his eyes conveyed the message.
She walked on.
It floored her that not even a mile away were homes that sold for more than a million dollars. But here on the Boulevard, mixed in with all the tourist traps and historic sights to see, were people simply trying to scrounge out a living. Survive one more day. Just get to tomorrow.
People like her.
The crowd started to thin a little more and she was able to reach her destination without any trouble. That was both good and bad, she realized. On one hand, without as many people on the street it was a lot easier to get around. On the other hand, there seemed to be safety in numbers. Even though she didn’t know any of those folks, she felt a little more protected when it was busy. Plus, she liked blending in. There was something comfortable about just being another face in the crowd.
The restaurant was one of those touristy chains that had locations in a few big cities across the United States. People came more for its entertainment memorabilia than its actualfood. But Annika would never complain. The food was perfect in her eyes.
The restaurant faced Hollywood Boulevard, but to reach the back, she had to wind her way behind the long chain of buildings that included Ovation Mall, the historic Grauman’s Chinese Theater, Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum, and a few souvenir shops.
She smiled as she finally arrived at large, circular driveway that was cut out between the back of two buildings, designed for delivery trucks. There, on the tall, concrete loading dock, were several to-go cartons full of food.
“Sweet!” she said aloud. “Let’s see what we got, Ollie!”
Opening one, she saw a burger and fries.
