“You’re going to want to. It’s a text from a patrol officer at the sheriff’s office. Lyle’s mom called them and said Lyle never made it to school this morning.”

“What?”

“She says she saw him off, but then the school phoned to ask why he was absent.”

“Go tell the judge I need to call it a day. Jia, you’re with me.”

We rushed down to Nikyee’s house. She answered the door in a panic, her hands trembling, her eyes red and wet with tears.

“He never got to school,” she said, her voice quivering. “He never got there. It’s never happened before.”

“It’s okay. We’re going to find him. Now, could he have gone to a friend’s house?”

“He only ever goes to two friends’ houses. I called their mothers. They haven’t seen him. Their kids are both at school.”

“Who else walks the same route as him?”

“Our neighbor . . . our neighbor does. Her name’s Jill.”

“Which neighbor?”

“Right over there.”

I hurried to the house next door and knocked. After a few seconds, a woman with frizzy blonde hair answered.

“Hi, Tatum Graham. I’m with the County Attorney’s Office. We’re trying to find Lyle next door. He never got to school. I was hoping you could let me talk to Jill?”

“Oh my gosh, yeah, of course. She’s at school, though.”

“Mind giving the school a call and getting her on the phone?”

Jill was pulled out of class, and a few minutes later I was able to speak to her.

“Jill, hi, I’m a friend of Lyle’s, your next-door neighbor. He never came to school today, and I was wondering if you’ve seen him.”

“Yeah. He gave me some gummy bears today. I asked if I could have some and he said yes.”

“That’s nice of him. Where did you see him last?”

“Near Nimbley Park.”

I looked to her mom and said, “Nimbley Park?”

“It’s about halfway between the school and here.”

“What did you see at Nimbley Park, sweetheart? Did Lyle leave the park and head home?”

“No, he got into the car.”

“What car?”

“I dunno.”

“What color was the car?”

“Blue.”

“Was it a big car or a small car?”

“Small.”

“Do you remember anything else about the car?”

“Umm . . . it had a bull on the back.”

“A bull? What kind of bull?”

“A red bull on the window.”

“A red bull. Okay, and did you see who was in the car?”

“No.”

“Was there more than one person?”

“I dunno. I just said bye and went to school.”

“Okay, thanks for talking with me, sweetie.”

Nikyee was standing a little behind me on the lawn. I turned to her and said, “Blue car with a bull on the rear window. Ring a bell?”

“Oh no. That stupid bastard.”

“Who?”