When Darcy’s mother came home, she called the police. An officer came to their apartment and took a missing-person report. Foul play was not suspected. It looked as if Jamee was just another runaway teenager. “Often a girl like that will hide out with friends for a few days, then surface,” the officer said.

“We’ve called around everywhere,” Darcy said.

“There’s one other thing,” Mom said. “A week ago, her father showed up after five years. He left this phone number. I’m sure Jamee wouldn’t have gone to him, but I suppose you should check there too. ”

After the officer left, Mom began to cry. “How could she do something like this to us? How could that child hurt this family after it’s already been hurt so much? I’ve done my best for her. I’ve struggled for my children, struggled alone. How could she do such a thing?”

Darcy hugged her mother and whispered, “She’ll be back. She just wasn’t thinking straight, Mom. ”

“She was a happy girl, wasn’t she? She wasn’t doing all that well in school, but I didn’t nag her about it. I didn’t make demands on you girls, did I? I just let you set your own pace. I never criticized her friends or made her stop playing that loud music that gave me a headache. I gave her freedom. What did I do wrong?”

“Nothing, Mom. She’s probably already sorry and on her way home,” Darcy said.

The next day, Saturday, Darcy tracked down Cindy, one of Jamee’s friends who was part of the group of kids that hung out near the school. Cindy and her mother lived in an apartment about six blocks west of the school. Darcy could hear the muffled sound of a TV as she walked up to the worn door and knocked. Cindy was home alone, and she looked a little embarrassed to be caught in her hair rollers and bathrobe. Darcy asked her about Jamee.

“I’m not surprised that she ran. I wanna do it too,” Cindy said. “Jamee is sick of a lotta things. She hated school, she’s got problems at home. I guess all of it just got to her, so she took off to get away. Once Jamee talked about catching a bus and just going as far as it could take her. She’s probably thinking there’s got to be something better than what’s around here. People getting shot or using drugs or parents leaving their kids. It can’t all be like this. ” Darcy could see in her eyes that Cindy was speaking for herself as much as she was speaking for Jamee. Darcy thanked her and left.

In the afternoon, Darcy got together with Tarah, Cooper and Hakeem. She told them what Cindy said.

“Whoa,” Cooper said, “little girl like Jamee could get in big trouble. ”