“Start at the beginning.”

“Okay.” Another deep breath. “So, Kelly’s on the drill team. They danced at halftime tonight.”

He nodded.

“Her friends went out for burgers after. Most of them don’t drive because they’re freshmen, but one of them has a license. Kelly didn’t want to go—she has cramps tonight—so they dropped her home right after the game.” She paused. “After they drove off, this man approached her—”

“Here on your street?”

“Yeah. Right in front of the house.” She ran her hand over her hair. It was in a ponytail again, and she tucked a strand behind her ear. “He approached her and said, ‘Kelly, hi.’ And she said at first she thought he was a neighbor, because he knew her name. She thought he was out walking his dog. And then he said, ‘I like your boots.’ She was in her dance uniform, and she wears these white ankle boots with fringe. He said, ‘I bet you do good high kicks.’ Kelly thought that was creepy, and that’s when she realized he didn’t have a dog with him. And then he said, ‘I’m Mason, a friend of your aunt’s. Have you seen her around?’ ”

“He referenced Vanessa?”

“Yes. Kelly shook her head, and he said, ‘Do you happen to have her phone number? I need to get in touch with her.’ ”

Antonio studied her face, understanding now why Kate was so upset.

“What did she say?” he asked.

“She told him she didn’t have it. Even though that’s not true. She does have it, but by then she was suspicious.”

“She’s got good instincts.”

“But he kept pressing. Then he walked closer and said, ‘Oh, come on. I bet you have it on your phone.’ She was holding her phone in her hand. She told him she had to go and stepped away, but he said, ‘Wait. Give me your aunt’s number. I’m a friend.’ And that’s when she got really creeped out and ran into the house and locked the door.”

“What time was this?”

“A little after ten. I called 911 to report an attempted kidnapping, and they sent a car right over. They had someone in the area.”

“A kidnapping?”

“I didn’t know what to say. Some pervert comes up to my fifteen-year-old and starts talking about high kicks?”

“No, I get it,” he said. “I just want to make sure I understand what happened. Did he touch her?”

“No. She said no.”

“Did he ask her to get in his car? Or ask her to go with him anywhere?”

“No.”

“Did he have a car nearby?”

She nodded. “She said there was a silver SUV on the street, but she didn’t know whether or not it was his.”