His gaze shifted to the entry.  He could have sworn he heard a soft knock.  Tilting his head, he listened.  Sure enough, it sounded again.  He didn’t have any appointment scheduled for today, so who could this be?

Crossing the room, he grabbed the handle and threw open the door.  He peered down at a small black child about five or six years old.  Her big brown eyes twinkled under a mass of ebony ringlets framing her face.  Clutching a rag doll in her arms, she stared up at him with a big smile exposing several gaps in her front teeth.  “You must be Mr. Hawk Man.  Grandpa said you had a boo boo on your eye.”

He stifled a grin and dropped to his haunches.  “That’s right.  What’s your name and what can I do for you?”

“I’m Amanda.”  Then she turned and pointed down the stairs.  “My Grandpa wants to talk to you, but he can’t get up here.”

“I guess I better go down there then,” Hawkman said, closing the door behind him and following the little girl.

She led him alongside the parking lot toward a large oak tree where a man as black as coal dust sat in a rickety wheelchair protected by the shade. Tufts of curly white hair stuck out from underneath his worn leather cowboy hat.  He glanced up and grinned, holding out his hand as they approached. “Hawkman, you son of a gun, how come you don’t get no older?”

Hawkman grabbed the man’s hand with both of his.  “Jesse, you old buzzard, where’ve you been keeping yourself?  Haven’t seen you in ages.  It’s good to see ya.”  He then turned and patted the little girl’s shoulder.  “How’d you come by such a pretty little granddaughter?” 

The old man shoved his hat back and scratched his head.  Eyeing the little girl, he pushed his fingers into one of the bib pockets of his overalls and pulled out a couple of dollars.  He pointed toward one of the stores next to Hawkman’s office.  “Amanda, see that little shop over there?” 

Her eyes glistening with anticipation, she whirled around and vigorously nodded.  “Yes, sir.”

“You go do a little shopping.  Take your time, but don’t talk to no strangers and come straight back here when you’re through.”

“Okay, Grandpa.  I promise I’ll be real careful.”  Grinning, she plopped her rag doll into his lap and grasped the bills in her fist. 

Jesse watched the child dash across the lot and disappear inside the store.  Then he turned his focus back on Hawkman.  “I’m concerned about my daughter.”

“Is that Destiny’s little girl?” Hawkman asked, rubbing the back of his neck.  “Somehow, I can’t picture her being old enough to have a family.”

The old man moved the doll from his lap and propped it up beside him. “Yep, that’s Destiny’s baby.  I didn’t know what to do with a female child after my Rose died.  ‘Fraid I let the girl run wild.  She got mixed up with the wrong crowd and ended up pregnant.  At least she had enough scruples not to have an abortion, but she flat refused to give the child up for adoption.  Said it was hers and she’d raise it.  Well, I couldn’t argue with that, so she’s been with me ever since.  Fortunately, she shaped up.  She’s a fine mother and got a good job.”

“So what’s the problem?”  Hawkman asked. 

“Everything was going okay until two nights ago.”  He looked away.

“Yeah, go on.”

“She never came home from playing bingo.”