“I can’t talk about this anymore. I just can’t.” Gloria pulled open the door. She said, “Come on, Maisy. Let’s go.”

The man was behind her. All I could see was the question marks on his tie. It was not nice to wear it. It told me he didn’t know where Rowan was. He didn’t have no answers at all.

“We’re following up on every lead,” he said. Gloria dragged me down the hall. I hurried but my shoes were rubbing my heels. “We’re not slowing down. And we’ll continue questioning him until we get at the truth, Mrs. Janes. The truth. You have my guarantee.”

MAISY

“Where have you been?” Gloria jumped off the bench outside the police house. She was yelling at Telly’s truck as it got closer. Her arms were flapping. When he stopped, she yanked at the door. “I had to go through that alone, and we’ve been cooking out here for twenty-five minutes.”

“Well I’m here now, aren’t I?” He was wearing greasy overalls unzipped down to his middle. I could see his undershirt. “Better late than never.”

“Sometimes, Telly, never is better.”

Inside my head, I said a prayer. Dear Gloria, please be nice. Please be nice to Telly. I remembered what she told Mrs. Murtry. Telly was going to move back in and then Rowan would come home. She had a funny feeling. Gloria’s feeling was always right. Mostly always.

Gloria climbed up first. I got in next. She reached across me and pulled the door closed.

“You okay, Bids?” Telly said.

“I’m good,” I said.

“Well, let’s get you home.”

She tugged on his overalls. “Surely you can’t be working,” she said. “Stafford’s isn’t after me to come in. Not when my kid’s missing. And I doubt the garage is either.”

“I was at something else.”

“What then?”

He kept his mouth shut, not saying. Just hiding his teeth. All white and fancy.

“Ah,” Gloria said. “Looking after stuff for her, was it? That’s what you were doing instead of meeting me here. Your own son don’t even take priority.”

“He does,” Telly said. He slapped the steering wheel. He slapped it hard. “Do you think I didn’t want to be here? There was an accident out on Wendell’s Road. No one was getting through.”

“Like I believe that.”

“Don’t matter if you believe it, Glow. That’s the truth.” He slapped the wheel again. Even harder. “Just what do you expect from me?”

“Oh, just to be a husband and a father.”

“I’m trying. I really am.” He wiped his face. “I haven’t had a wink of sleep. Can’t barely eat.”

“Oh, Telly,” she whispered. “I didn’t mean it. I’m just exhausted. I know you are, too.”