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I brushedat Ben in an attempt to wake him, walked out in shorts and a T-shirt Five people were seated at the dining rooo’s mom and dad And a tall, stout African-A a manila folder

"Uh, hi," I said

"Quentin," ht?"

I walked into the dining rooer I’d thought of my answer to this question already "Yeah," I said "She showed up at ht and we talked for a ht her and she went back to her house"

"And was that--? Did you see her after that?" Mr Spiegelo’s mom answered, her voice shrill "Well," she said, "it seehed "This would be--what is it, Josh, the fourth time?"

"Oh, I’ve lost count," her dad answered, annoyed

The African-American man spoke up then "Fifth time you’ve filed a report" The man nodded at me and said, "Detective Otis Warren"

"Quentin Jacobsen," I said

Moelman’s shoulders "Debbie," she said, "I’ situation" I knew this trick It was a psychology trick called e so they feel understood Mom does it to elel this afternoon We’re changing the locks She’s eighteen Iwe can do--"

"Well," Detective Warren interrupted, "I didn’t quite say that I said that she’s not a ht to leave ho to e, but we can’t support thisthis silliness Connie, she’s eighteen! And still so self-centered! She needs to see soel consequences," hter, Connie She hasn’t walked all over you like a doorot another child to think about"

"And ourselves," Mr Spiegelman added He looked up atyou into her little ga this is for us You’re such a good boy, and shewell"

I pushed o’s parents a little, but I’d never seen them act so bitchy No wonder she was annoyed with thelanced over at the detective He was flipping through pages in the folder "She’s been known to leave a bit of a bread cruel up now The detective had placed the folder on the table, and Margo’s dad leaned forward to look at it with him "Clues everywhere The day she ran away to Mississippi, she ate alphabet soup and left exactly four letters in her soup bowl: An M, an I, an S, and a P She was disappointed e didn’t piece it together, although as I told her when she finally returned: ‘How can we find you when all we know is Mississippi? It’s a big state, Margo!’"

The detective cleared his throat "And she left Minnie Mouse on her bed when she spent a night inside Disney World"

"Yes," her mom said "The clues The stupid clues But you can never follow them anywhere, trust et the word out, of course, but she can’t be compelled to come home; you shouldn’t necessarily expect her back under your roof in the near future"

"I don’t want her under our roof" Mrs Spiegel in her voice "I know that’s terrible, but it’s true"

"Deb," elman just shook her head--the smallest shake "What can we do? We told the detective We filed a report She’s an adult, Connie"

"She’s your adult," my mom said, still calm

"Oh, co to have her out of the house? Of course it’s sick But she was a sickness in this family! How do you look for someone who announces she won’t be found, who always leaves clues that lead nowhere, who runs away constantly? You can’t!"

My lance, and then the detective spoke toif we can chat privately?" I nodded We ended up inon the corner of their bed

"Kid," he said once he’d settled into the chair, "let overnovernment, you work for the people And when you work for the people, you have to interact with the people, even the Spiegelhed a little

"Let me be frank with you, kid Those people kno to parent like I kno to diet I’ve worked with them before, and I don’t like them I don’t care if you tell her parents where she is, but I’d appreciate it if you told me"

"I don’t know," I said "I really don’t"

"Kid, I’ve been thinking about this girl This stuff she does-- she breaks into Disney World, for instance, right? She goes to Mississippi and leaves alphabet soup clues She organizes a huge can to toilet paper houses"

"How do you know about that?" Two years before, Margo had led the TP-ing of two hundred houses in a single night Needless to say, I wasn’t invited on that adventure