He was still knee-deep in that internal debate when Niki pulled into the parking lot. Max stepped out of his car. When she got out she still looked angry, glancing at Max and not recognizing him at first. Then she looked again and something shifted behind her eyes. For a split second, Max thought he saw the hidden softness that he remembered in her. But then it left again.

“I hope you didn’t go through all that trouble for me,” she said.

“Thought I’d try and look… well, not like a crazy man.”

“It’ll take more than a haircut to do that.”

Max saw the slight twitch of a smile. “You have any suggestions?”

“A long list. I’ll email it to you—Oh wait, that’s right. You don’t have an email address anymore.”

And just like that, Max was back in the doghouse. “I’m—” He stopped himself before saying sorry, and by the look in Niki’s eyes, that was a good thing.

“Who’s this friend you’re helping out?” she asked.

“Lyle Voight. Former sheriff from up north. His daughter vanished. Took her kid and all their clothes and left.”

Max talked as they walked into the Rook. “Honestly, there’s nothing unusual about the case. It’s just that her father swears she would never run off like that. She cleaned out her bank account before going. The one thing is… her six-year-old son wasn’t with her at the bank.”

“Maybe she didn’t run away alone.”

“That’s my working theory, and if I can prove it, I can give Lyle something to help him sleep at night.”

Niki looked around the bar. “Who’s the manager?”

Max spotted her putting popcorn seeds into the popper at the end of the bar; he pointed.

“She got a name?” Niki asked as they crossed the room.

“Danielle, I think—no, Janet… maybe.”

“Mind like a steel trap,” Niki muttered. She unclipped her badge from her belt and held it up. “Excuse me, ma’am. Are you the manager here?”

The woman closed the lid to the popcorn popper and turned her attention to Niki. “I am.”

“My name is Detective Niki Vang and this is my… trainee, Max Rupert.”

“Janelle Donohue,” the woman said, sweeping a lock of dyed red hair behind her ear.

“Janelle?” Niki looked at Max.

Max shrugged.

Niki returned her attention back to Janelle. “I was wondering if that camera out front works.”

“Sure does.”

“Would it be possible to take a look at footage from November sixth?”

“I knew you’d be coming by,” Janelle said. “I knew something was up.”

“Something was up?” Niki repeated.

Janelle leaned in as if she had a great secret to tell them. “Some homeless dude came by yesterday asking about that same thing.”

“Homeless guy?” Niki slid a glance at Max, and he could see the joy she suppressed behind her pursed lips. “Can you describe him?”

“Long, straggly hair. A beard down to here.” Janelle tapped her finger on her sternum. “Real meth-head-looking character.”

“I think I know who you’re talking about,” Niki said. “Has a face that could scare children?”