“Mrs. Janes? There’s more. Jim Russell’s wife saw two people out in a boat, late that night, just as Howard Gill described. Full moon and all, and she had a clear view. She maintains she heard an altercation. Voices carried over the water. A man was hollering, and she saw two people standing up. Later she claims to have seen the man tying up a boat on his own. A dog was with him, but no one else. Appeared he rowed back by himself.”

Susan’s mouth was a straight white line.

“Well, why wouldn’t someone call that in?”

“Not everyone has phone service around the lake. Maybe she didn’t want to get involved. Or maybe she explained it away. Didn’t believe her own eyes. People see all kinds of things, ma’am, but just don’t think it’s worth reporting. And most often they’re right.” He coughed. “Her husband stopped over in the morning, but no one was there.”

The porch was creaking and creaking as she walked.

“This is not the news we wanted to bring you. It truly isn’t. Our team of officers has worked very hard. They’re distraught over what’s happened. They send their condolences, Mrs. Janes. We’re very sorry.”

“Very, very sorry,” Susan said. She held her hands tight. The toes on her shiny shoes were touching each other.

“That man’s demented. You can’t trust what he says. Things’ll be okay. Telly’s coming. Everything’ll be okay.”

“Ma’am, I know this is so hard to accept. He’s confessed. Signed a statement. Our officers found a T-shirt at the bottom of a rowboat. There was an image of a donkey on it, consistent with Maisy’s description, and it appeared to be bloodied. We’re confident the T-shirt is Rowan’s. And there was blood and hair on the oar, Mrs. Janes.” He rubbed his face again. “We’re searching now. Got the best divers out there, I guarantee it.”

“So they had a fight. Rowan would’ve taken off.”

“Ma’am.”

“Have you checked the bus stations? Is his photo up by the trains? He’s run away. I know it. He might’ve been with that man, but he didn’t stay. He’s run away. He could be who knows where by now. Far away from Little Sliding. We need to make the search bigger, not turn it into nothing. He didn’t drown. That’s not what happened. If you don’t keep looking, you’re not going to find him. You need to search. Telly will say the same thing. You’re not taking this seriously and he’s just getting further and fur—”