"Wink Martindale," Myron said. "Come on. Let's go downstairs and watch this."

Chapter I2

Linda Coldren opened the door before Myron knocked.

"What is it?" she asked.

Linda's face was drawn, accentuating the already high cheekbones. Her eyes had a lost and hollow look. She hadn't slept. The pressure was growing unbearable. The worrying. The not knowing. She was strong. She was trying to stand up to it. But her son's disappearance was beginning to gnaw away at her core.

Myron held up the videotape. "Do you have a VCR?"

he asked. .

In something of a daze, Linda Coldren led him to the same television he had seen her watching yesterday when they first met. Jack Coldren appeared from a back room, his golf bag on his shoulder. He, too, looked worn. There were sacks under his eyes, Heshy pouches like soft cocoons.

Jack tried to toss up a welcoming smile, but it sputtered up like a lighter low on fluid.

"Hey, Myron."

"Hey, Jack."

"What's going on?"

Myron slid the tape into the opening. "Do you know anybody who lives on Green Acres Road?" he asked.

Jack and Linda looked each other.

"Why do you want to know that?" Linda asked.

"Because last night I watched your house. I saw somebody crawl out a window."

"A window?" It was Jack. He lowered his eyebrows.

"What window?"

"Your son's."

Silence.

Then Linda asked, "What does that have to do with Green Acres Road?" .

"I followed whoever it was. He turned down Green Acres Road and disappeared either into a house or into the woods."

Linda lowered her head. Jack stepped forward and spoke. "The Squires live on Green Acres Road," he said.

"Chad's best friend Matthew."

Myron nodded. He was not surprised. He flicked on the television. "This is a bank security tape from First Philadelphia. ' '

"How did you get it?" Jack asked.

"It's not important." '

The front door opened and Bucky entered. The older man, dressed today in checked pants with a yellow-andgreen top, stepped into the den doing his customary neck craning bit. "What's going on here?" he demanded.

Nobody replied.

"I said "

"Just watch the screen, Dad," Linda interrupted.

"Oh," Bucky said softly, moving in closer.

Myron turned the channel to Three and hit the PLAY

button. All eyes were on the screen. Myron had already seen the tape. He studied their faces instead, watching for reactions.

On the television, a black-and-white image appeared.

The bank's driveway. The view was from up high and a bit distorted, a concave fish-eye effect to capture as much space as possible. There was no sound. Myron had the tape all cued up on the right spot. Almost immediately a car pulled into view. The camera was on the driver's side.

"It's Chad's car," Jack Coldren announced.

They watched in rapt silence as the car window lowered.

The angle was a bit odd above the car and from the machine's point of view but there was no doubt.