I remained grinning, tidying up the cooking space, right as the tapping sounded at the entrance.
I unlatched the main door only to discover a pair of police officers waiting on my steps beneath the dim outdoor bulb. My gut froze over in that sudden, uncontrollable manner that happens whenever you spot law enforcement outside your home late at night.
The noticeably taller officer initiated the conversation. “Are you Hayes? Stella’s dad?”
“Correct, Officer. What is going on?”
They traded a quick glance. After that, the policeman remarked: “Sir, we arrived to discuss your teenager. Are you aware of what she has been up to?”
My pulse was pounding so aggressively against my chest that I sensed the thumping all the way up my neck.
“My… my little girl? I… I am completely lost…”
“Sir, take a deep breath,” the cop continued, studying my expression, “she is absolutely not in trouble. I need to make that obvious right away. However, we believed you had to be informed of a certain situation.”
Still, that reassurance failed to calm my racing heartbeat.
I invited them inside.
They broke it down peacefully and step by step. Over the past few months, Stella had been appearing at a building zone on the other side of the city, a commercial and residential building site operating during the evening hours.
She was never officially hired. She simply began showing up: clearing debris, handling minor jobs for the workers, completing anything that required attention, and keeping her distance whenever she was not needed.
The project manager ignored it at the very beginning. Stella was silent, dependable, and never created a single issue. Yet, once she continually dodged inquiries regarding her employment forms and refused to present identification, it began to spark some worry.
He submitted a formal complaint discreetly, merely to protect the team.
“Rules are rules,” the policeman stated. “Once the complaint was filed, we investigated the matter. The moment we spoke with your kid, she explained her reasons for being there.”
I gazed directly at him. “Why exactly was she there, Officer?”
He held my gaze for a second. “She revealed the whole story to us. We simply had to confirm that her details matched up.”
Right before I managed to reply, I caught the sound of steps coming down the staircase. Stella emerged into the corridor, wearing the exact same ceremony outfit, and stopped dead in her tracks the second she spotted the police.
“Hi, Dad,” she murmured softly. “I planned on sharing this with you this evening, regardless.”
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