“You fell asleep. Okay.” He kept on writing. I didn’t like that. “Do you know what time you woke up?”

“Uh-uh.” I didn’t know about the waking up part. I didn’t have a picture for that.

“Was the television still on? Was there a white screen? Or some colored bars? A noise that just goes on and on?”

The question was too big and long and I didn’t know what to answer. Gloria was looking at me with strong eyes. I started to feel dizzy. I couldn’t remember how to get air.

“Or did Rowan turn it off?” Gloria asked.

I nodded, and Gloria nodded, and the brightness came back into my eyes. Then I had an idea. “I thought he was gone to pee.”

“Was the door open?”

I chewed more off my lip. A bad taste came in my mouth. Like pennies.

“Just think,” he said.

I shook my head.

“That’s okay, Maisy. You’ve done very, very well.” Then he said to Gloria, “And you were in bed? Is that correct, ma’am?”

“I said that already.”

“Yes, of course. I’m just trying to make sure I have everything right.”

“Rowan is gone,” she said. “Just gone. We can’t find him nowhere.”

“I understand, Mrs. Janes. We’re going to do everything we can to get your boy back.” He made a loop with his hand. His notebook snapped shut. “I’m just going to step outside for a minute. Talk to my officer.”

Gloria came and gave me a giant hug. She hugged me so tight it hurt, and I coughed. My back went crack-crack and my eyes closed up.

“You’re such a good girl,” she whispered. “Such a good, good girl. You told them the whole truth. Perfectly.”

MAISY

“We’d like to take a look around,” said the man with the tie. He had come back inside. The policeman was with him. They were both looking at Gloria. “If that’s okay with you, ma’am. You’d be surprised how many kids just tuck themselves away right inside their own homes.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“To make us worry.” Her eyes were still big and pink.

“Yes, ma’am. Exactly.” The policeman twirled his mustache on his finger. “Where’s his bedroom?”

“He’s not there,” she said. “I told you. We already checked. Telly and me.”

Telly was still outside smoking more. He put his hand in his hair. The smoke came out the top of his head and it looked like a tiny chimney.

“Of course you checked,” the policeman said. “I understand how upsetting this is, and we’re taking it very seriously.”

“A second pair of eyes, ma’am. Certainly won’t hurt. And to be effective, we need to be very systematic in our approach.”