Conception: Callie Douglas - Book Six

Chapter One

"Will you do it?" asked Gabe as we walked through the swirling snow towards Police Headquarters. As a particularly strong gust of wind wiggled its way under the hem of my coat, I had the brief thought that the groundhog had lied. Even though he didn't see his shadow four weeks ago, spring remained elusive.

"I'll check the schedule. When were you thinking of having me meet little Daisy?" I'm Callie Douglas, Staff Psychiatrist for the Rockville Police Department. I'm responsible for assessing felons to determine whether they are, or were, mentally ill, and for treating and supporting RPD staff. I also periodically provide profiling services. My practice is often varied and always interesting. I have been in the job for less than a year, but I have loved every minute since I started. Well, almost every minute. There have been a handful of minutes I'd rather forget. Like the time I was shot at. Or the time my car exploded. Or the other time my car exploded. Or...well, I guess there were more than a handful of times that I'd rather forget. But generally, I love my job and I'm proud to be a small but important part of the justice system here in Rockville.

I say small because, in the actual scheme of things, I'm small both in the role I play as well as in my stature. In short – no pun intended – I'm little. I'm a 5'2" 32D and I like to consider myself to be a little spitfire. That's code for sassy and smart-mouthed. I guess you could throw sarcastic in there as well. I'm twenty-nine years old and, unlike my mother's prediction, my biological clock isn't ticking. Much to my mother's dismay. I have long wavy dark blonde hair, streaked lighter with help from my hairdresser, and blue eyes with so much green in them that you can hardly tell whether they are blue or green. At least, I can't tell what colour they are. When I was a teenager I sat in front of the mirror for half an hour trying to decide. I eventually just gave up and asked my mother. She didn't know either.

Gabe is my polar opposite. There are some similarities, of course. Like me, he's twenty-nine years old and his biological clock isn't ticking either. And he also can't tell the colour of my eyes. I know. I've asked him. However, that's where the similarities end and the differences begin. He's male; I'm not. Obviously. He's got short dark brown hair cut in a style reminiscent of his days as a SEAL. I do not. He's got beautiful iced cappuccino-coloured skin. I'm more of a vanilla shake. He's built, with muscles everywhere, a physique that lays testament to his love of exercise and his strict discipline to work out regularly and eat properly. I have no such muscles, which lays testament to my lack of discipline and love of all junk food. Despite these differences – or maybe because of them – Gabe feels like my matching puzzle piece. We have been living together for the last five weeks, and they've been the best five weeks of my life.

Gabe also works for the Rockville Police Department. He's the lieutenant in charge of the Crimes Against Children Unit working out of the Major Crimes Division. It's a new unit, only established in the middle of January. It's been a busy time for Gabe as he took on cases, set up the unit, and hired new staff. Now, six weeks after the unit was created, Gabe's in charge of one other detective – soon to be three detectives – and an assortment of police officers. He's really enjoying the work. That is, he was enjoying it until Daisy's case floated across his desk.

"I'd like you to meet Daisy as soon as possible. We need to know who her rapist was. She's only eleven and is already pregnant. Her doctor estimates that she's three months along. What will that do to her body?"

"Are her parents considering abortion?"

"No. Her mother and grandparents are dead-set against it. I don't know the history behind the father, but there isn't one taking an active role in her upbringing."

"Has the mother decided who'll look after the baby when it's born? Will the family hand the baby over for adoption?"

"I don't know. The family is remarkably closemouthed about the whole situation."