“You are amazing,” she said and stood up. “I’ll be one sec.” She left the kitchen and called out, and then I heard the screen door squeak, and she and the fox-tie man were back. He poked at the photo of Carl. They mumbled to each other and then pointed at other papers. He moved his finger over some words and his lips were moving. Susan smiled at me again. I smiled back. I liked her because she looked like Jenny the Head. I’d probably lose Susan though, if she was mine.

“Mrs. Janes?” the man called. “We need a moment. Could you ask Mr. Janes to come in as well?”

When Gloria and Telly came to the kitchen, he showed them the photo. “His name’s Howard Gill. He’s a lawyer from the city.”

Howard was not Carl?

“A lawyer?” Telly said.

“No longer practicing, obviously. Untreated mental health issues. You can see the physical deterioration between the two snapshots. Once clean cut, and now he’s a transient.”

“They’re both him?” Gloria rubbed at her eyes.

“Yes ma’am.”

“He looks like a lunatic. How can someone like that be allowed to walk around? Let alone live in the woods behind my house! How is that safe? Telly?”

Telly stuck his hands in his pockets. “Glow. I don’t know what to say.”

“I understand your frustration, I do,” the man said, “but we’re really limited. He has rights as long as he doesn’t break the law. As I said, mental struggles.”

“Rights!” She frowned. “What type of country don’t have a law against that type?”

Susan talked then. “We’ve some familiarity with him. He’s been picked up a couple of times for loitering, trespassing, urinating in a public park. Found in someone’s backyard going through trash.”

“So, nothing serious?” Telly said. “He’s not going to hurt Rowan?”

The fox-tie man coughed. “Well, there was one incident. An assault.”

“What?” Telly pulled his hand out of his pocket and put his arm around Gloria.

“Yes, but they refused to press charges. Religious folks, a pair of them, going door to door. Trying to convert people. They went to Howard’s house and his mother opened the door, let them in. Mr. Gill did not react well, and after that he spent some time in an institution. But eventually he was released into his mother’s care.”

Gloria started crying.

“Christ,” Telly said. “So he’s dangerous?”

“When provoked. And he’s delusional, that’s for certain. We know his usual haunts, Mr. and Mrs. Janes. We’re going to locate him as quickly as possible. Bring him in.” He looked down at me and patted my shoulder. “Maisy? We’re going to find Carl. I promise you we’ll find him.”