besides here. He did odd jobs for JT, for the neighbors. They could have paid him. That might be where he got the extra cash.”
“I told him not to go showing it around,” Madeleine said. “I said to him that very morning showing off that money would invite nothing but trouble.” Her voice shook. “What are you going to do about this, Hollis?”
“Put out a BOLO,” Sheriff Audi answered, and when Madeleine frowned, he interpreted for her. “It means ‘be on the lookout.’”
“Ah,” Madeleine said. “Sounds very Hollywood. But this isn’t the movies, is it? It’s real life.”
“Yes, ma’am, that it is.” The sheriff was respectful. But everyone treated Madeleine with courtesy. You didn’t dare do otherwise. Sometimes Annie thought she might be the only one in town who was aware of the softness that formed the center of Madeleine’s heart.
She said she’d made Sheriff Audi his usual lunch, ham and Swiss on rye toast.
“Can you sack it up for me?” he asked.
Madeleine said she would.
“You want to sit there?” The sheriff addressed Annie. He indicated an empty booth. “I can work up a description.”
Annie hesitated. To accompany this man, to help him with his report, would make it real; it would confirm there was good reason to be afraid, and she didn’t want to believe it. Even though she knew better.
She had called JT on her way to work this morning and told him if she didn’t hear from Bo by the end of her shift, she was going to the police. In a way, she’d meant it as a test. She couldn’t shake her sense that JT knew something about where Bo was, and after she warned JT of her intention, she thought for sure he’d tell her not to bother, that involving law enforcement wasn’t necessary. But he didn’t say anything, didn’t respond at all, and fear came, jolting up Annie’s spine, ringing in her ears so loudly, she had to pull off the road.
“You really don’t know where he is?” she demanded.
“No. My God! Don’t you think I would have told you?”
Doubt hardened the silence. The very air had felt consumed by it and by their mutual foreboding. Annie didn’t remember now if they said good-bye.
“Go on.”
Annie glanced at Madeleine.
“Carol and I can finish up,” she said. “Cooper, stay with her, okay?”
Annie wanted to say she didn’t need Cooper, but it wasn’t true. She was glad for his presence when he slid into the booth next to her.
The sheriff got out a notebook, and when he asked, Annie told him everything she remembered about the last time she saw Bo. She described what he was wearing, a blue-plaid cotton shirt and gray chinos, and said she had no reason to believe he would have changed his clothes. “He’ll only shower at my house or at JT’s.” She didn’t add that Bo often complained the water in other places was infested with alien microbes. It would only add to the sheriff’s suspicion of drug use. She did tell Sheriff Audi about Bo’s earmuffs, that he’d been wearing them when he came to the café on Wednesday, but he wasn’t wearing them now.
“So he must have gone to his dad’s house at some point after you saw him on Wednesday and taken them off, is that right?” The sheriff looked at Annie. “He could have changed clothes then, too, couldn’t he? Did you look? Would you know?”
“I’m not sure, but I can check,” Annie said.
“Also, if you have a recent photograph, that would help, too.” Sheriff Audi glanced up from his notepad, in anticipation of her answer.
As if he thought she should whip out a photo on the spot. “I can probably find one. I just don’t know how recent it will be. I’m sorry.” Annie wondered why she was apologizing. Because they weren’t the all-American family? Or any sort of family? Because they didn’t take pictures? They had been better at those family sorts of things before her mother died. Her mom had been the tie that bound them.
Sheriff Audi said they would use whatever she
“I told him not to go showing it around,” Madeleine said. “I said to him that very morning showing off that money would invite nothing but trouble.” Her voice shook. “What are you going to do about this, Hollis?”
“Put out a BOLO,” Sheriff Audi answered, and when Madeleine frowned, he interpreted for her. “It means ‘be on the lookout.’”
“Ah,” Madeleine said. “Sounds very Hollywood. But this isn’t the movies, is it? It’s real life.”
“Yes, ma’am, that it is.” The sheriff was respectful. But everyone treated Madeleine with courtesy. You didn’t dare do otherwise. Sometimes Annie thought she might be the only one in town who was aware of the softness that formed the center of Madeleine’s heart.
She said she’d made Sheriff Audi his usual lunch, ham and Swiss on rye toast.
“Can you sack it up for me?” he asked.
Madeleine said she would.
“You want to sit there?” The sheriff addressed Annie. He indicated an empty booth. “I can work up a description.”
Annie hesitated. To accompany this man, to help him with his report, would make it real; it would confirm there was good reason to be afraid, and she didn’t want to believe it. Even though she knew better.
She had called JT on her way to work this morning and told him if she didn’t hear from Bo by the end of her shift, she was going to the police. In a way, she’d meant it as a test. She couldn’t shake her sense that JT knew something about where Bo was, and after she warned JT of her intention, she thought for sure he’d tell her not to bother, that involving law enforcement wasn’t necessary. But he didn’t say anything, didn’t respond at all, and fear came, jolting up Annie’s spine, ringing in her ears so loudly, she had to pull off the road.
“You really don’t know where he is?” she demanded.
“No. My God! Don’t you think I would have told you?”
Doubt hardened the silence. The very air had felt consumed by it and by their mutual foreboding. Annie didn’t remember now if they said good-bye.
“Go on.”
Annie glanced at Madeleine.
“Carol and I can finish up,” she said. “Cooper, stay with her, okay?”
Annie wanted to say she didn’t need Cooper, but it wasn’t true. She was glad for his presence when he slid into the booth next to her.
The sheriff got out a notebook, and when he asked, Annie told him everything she remembered about the last time she saw Bo. She described what he was wearing, a blue-plaid cotton shirt and gray chinos, and said she had no reason to believe he would have changed his clothes. “He’ll only shower at my house or at JT’s.” She didn’t add that Bo often complained the water in other places was infested with alien microbes. It would only add to the sheriff’s suspicion of drug use. She did tell Sheriff Audi about Bo’s earmuffs, that he’d been wearing them when he came to the café on Wednesday, but he wasn’t wearing them now.
“So he must have gone to his dad’s house at some point after you saw him on Wednesday and taken them off, is that right?” The sheriff looked at Annie. “He could have changed clothes then, too, couldn’t he? Did you look? Would you know?”
“I’m not sure, but I can check,” Annie said.
“Also, if you have a recent photograph, that would help, too.” Sheriff Audi glanced up from his notepad, in anticipation of her answer.
As if he thought she should whip out a photo on the spot. “I can probably find one. I just don’t know how recent it will be. I’m sorry.” Annie wondered why she was apologizing. Because they weren’t the all-American family? Or any sort of family? Because they didn’t take pictures? They had been better at those family sorts of things before her mother died. Her mom had been the tie that bound them.
Sheriff Audi said they would use whatever she
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