I realized I was overanalyzing Graham, probably because it was titillating to keep thinking about him. The long and the short of it was that I didn’t trust his motives, and it wasn’t the time to be getting involved with someone, anyway. I needed to draw a firmer line the next time I saw him. Hopefully I could do it without having to say something directly, since that would make things uncomfortable.

The phone rang. I thought about letting the machine pick up — I didn’t much feel like getting off the couch, which was now nicely warm. It rang again. With a sigh, I unfolded myself and climbed the stairs to answer it.

“Beth?”

It was Ben. He sounded distracted and annoyed.

“Ben. What’s wrong?”

“It’s Tiffany — she’s run off. We’re at the mall. I know she’s in here somewhere, but I can’t find her. The mall people are looking for her, and they’ve called the cops, too. Can you come and pick the rest of the kids up and take them home?”

I was relieved. It didn’t sound like a serious situation, just the kind of minor rebellion an upset kid would stage. Tiff was probably hiding in a dressing room somewhere, starting to feel silly.

“Yeah, of course. Tell me where to meet you.”

“We’re at security. It’s by the Younkers.”

“Okay, I’ll get there as soon as I can.”

“Yeah, okay. Thanks, Beth.”

The mall was south of Eau Claire, more than an hour’s drive. I grabbed my wallet and coat and headed back to Mrs. Gunderson’s. I explained that I needed her car again for a family emergency. She didn’t mind, though she did ask me to go to the grocery store for her on the way home. Along with the keys, she handed me the same list she’d given me earlier that afternoon. She didn’t seem to have noticed that all the items on it were crossed out. I didn’t bother mentioning it, just pocketed the list and started driving.

I made it to the mall. I didn’t make it inside. Just as I was getting out of the car, the van I’d parked beside opened up, and someone pulled me in. I bet you can guess who it was. I struggled, but it didn’t help. I ended up bound and gagged on the floor.

Williams shifted to the driver’s seat, and we pulled out. Kara leaned over me worriedly. I tried to put my outrage into my stare, but she didn’t seem interested in what I was feeling. Something else was worrying her. Maybe it was Graham. I had a moment of satisfaction, but then I remembered Graham didn’t know where I’d gone. Shit.