"No!"  In a panic now, Jin tried to wrench away.  Somehow, he found his arm cranked up behind his back, hurting.  His shirt tail came loose, and the envelope dropped to the pavement with a loud slap.  "No, wait!"  He tried to dive for it.  Without releasing his arm, the woman scooped it up first, staring at it with a deepening frown.

She murmured to her own wristcom, "Code Six, Dan.  Level One."

In moments, another policeman loomed.  "What ho, Michiko?  Catch us a little shoplifter?"

"I'm not sure.  Truant, maybe.  This young fellow needs to come to the booth and call his mother.  And get ID'd, I think."

"Right."

Jin's other arm was taken in an even stronger fist.  Helplessly, he let himself be marched along.  He was wild for a chance to break away, but neither grip slackened.

The security booth had big glass windows overlooking the rotunda.  It was cool inside, and when the door shut a wonderful silence fell, which usually would be a relief to Jin, but not now.  A lot of screens were running, and Jin realized that some of them were from vidcams that looked right into people's faces as they went up or down on the escalators.  He hadn't noticed them among the noise and confusion and hurry of the place.  The woman plunked him down in a swivel chair.  His feet didn't quite reach the floor.

The wide man, Dan, held up a light pen.  "Let me see your eyes, child."

Retina scan?  A red flash.  Jin squeezed his eyes shut as tightly as he could, and clapped his palms over his face for good measure.  But it was already too late.  He heard the man moving away to his comconsole.

"He's scared, Dan," said the woman.  Jin peeked through his fingers to see her holding up the envelope, squeezing and rattling it like a birthday present.  "Think the reason might be in here?"

A ping from the console.  "Aha.  I believe we have a match.  That was quick."  Officer Dan looked up and asked, "Is your name Jin Sato?"

"No!"

"It says here he's been missing for over a year."

Without letting go of Jin's arm, the woman edged around to look at the holoscreen.  "Good heavens!  I'll bet his family will be relieved to get him back!"

"No, they won't!  Let me go!"

"Where have you been hiding for a whole year, son?" Officer Dan asked, not unkindly.

"And what is this?" Michiko asked, hefting the envelope and frowning.

"You can't have that!  Give it back!"

"So what's in it?"

"It's just a letter.  A, a very personal letter.  I'm supposed to deliver it.  For, for some men."

Both officers went rigid.  "What sort of men?" asked Michiko.

"Just . . . men."

"Friends?  Relatives?"

Relatives were not a good thing, in Jin's world.  "No.  I just met them today."

"Where did you meet them?"

Jin's mouth clamped shut.