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The redheaded cop gives me a curious look as he slips by arette su me alone with Hernandez

I still haven’t moved Hernandez looks up at htly, as if we’re old friends, sharing a joke "Don’t sit if you don’t want to" He leans back in his chair "You have so to tellnice enough, but the way he asks the questionimportant to tell him This is a question he’s asked a dozen ti for attention co Madeline, or a random truck driver en route to Florida claie at a rest stop

"I think I knohat happened to Madeline," I say quickly, before I can second-guessat? I knohere they were taken"

But as soon as I say the words, it occurs to me that at Beamer’s I didn’t see a rooraphs Could I have missed a door soht hand tightens ood cop He doesn’t otherwise flinch "You do, do you?" Even his voice betrays no signs, one way or the other, about whether or not he believes me Abruptly, to my surprise, he stands up He’s a lot taller than I expected--at least six-three Suddenly the roo for my skin "How about some water?" he says "You want some water?"

I’m desperate to talk With every second it seeht si like liquid But ests water, I realize I’m desperately thirsty "Yeah," I say "Sure"

"Make yourself at honize not just an invitation, but an order Hethem unceremoniously onto the sill, already ht back"

He disappears into the hall and I sit down, hs sticky on the fake leather seat I wonder if it was a mistake to have co I say I wonder if he’ll send out a search party for Dara

I wonder if she’s all right

He reappears aa serly He takes a seat again, leaning forward on the desk with his arlassed-in office walls, the redheaded cop goes by, consulting a file, hisplace," Hernandez says, when he catches , and wonder if he did it toin a fishbowl All right, then What do you know about Madeline?"

In his absence, I’ve had time to think about what I want to say I take a deep breath

"I thinkI think her older sister orking at a place called Beamer’s on the shore," I say "I think my sister worked there, too"

Hernandez looks disappointed "Beamer’s?" he says "The bar off Route 101?" I nod "They aitressing there?"

"Not waitressing," I say, rehed when I told her I had no experience If you can walk and chew gu else"

"What?" He’s watching me intently now, like a cat about to pounce on a chew toy

"I’m not sure," I adht have to do with those photographs I don’t know" I’ the thread Somehow it comes down to Beamer’s and that red sofa But there was no red sofa in Beamer’s, at least no red sofa that looked like the one in the photographs "Madeline didn’t just disappear into thin air, did she? Maybe she saw so she wasn’t supposed to see And now one, too She left htens up, hyperalert "What kind of note?"

I shake e She wantedhis confusion, I add, "She’s like that Dramatic But ould she run away on her own birthday? So bad happened to her I can feel it" My voice cracks and I take another long sip of water, sing back the spasrabs a notepad and a pen, which he uncaps with his teeth "When was the last time you saw your sister?" he asks

I debate whether to tell Hernandez that I saw Dara earlier in the evening, boarding a bus, but decide against it He’ll no doubt tellparanoid, that she’s probably out with friends, that I have to wait twenty-four hours before filing a report Instead I say, "I don’t know Yesterday ?"

"Spell her name for me"

"Dara Dara Warren"

His hand freezes, like it has telitch But then he sain, I notice for the first tiray "You’re from?"