here, too.”
Bonnie knew Mrs. Watson was upset in part because she lived so close.
“I wish I’d stayed home yesterday, instead of going to my book club,” Mrs. Watson said. “I might have seen or heard something. Maybe Pookie barked.”
After Bonnie finished eating, she said, “I’m going to look around outside some more.”
Every inch of the yard had been examined the daybefore, but she was too antsy to sit still. As she crossed the yard, she looked at the polka-dot garage door. I’d give anything, she thought, to hear a tennis ball hitting the door again.
She went out the back gate then walked up the alley to the corner. When she returned, she spied something red deep in the weeds next to the fence.
When she pushed the tall weeds back, she saw Pookie’s collar. She reached for it, then withdrew her hand. The police might find fingerprints on the collar.
Bonnie raced inside. “I found Pookie’s collar!” she said. “It’s in the weeds out in the alley.”
Mrs. Sholter quickly called Officer Calvin. “Don’t pick it up,” he said. “I’ll be right there.”
Bonnie returned to the alley. She wanted to be sure nobody else found the collar and took it. Officer Calvin arrived soon and, wearing gloves, carefully picked up the collar and dropped it in an evidence bag.
“So whoever took Pookie went out the back gate,” Bonnie said. “They must have parked in the alley and thrown his collar away so he couldn’t be identified by our phone number.”
“That’s as good a theory as any,” Officer Calvin said.
“Pookie was probably out in the yard,” Mrs. Sholter said, “which explains why nobody broke intothe house. Pookie used his doggie door, then the man opened the gate and took Pookie.”
Bonnie imagined the scene. Dear old Pookie, plodding outside to do his business, then falling asleep in the sunshine. When the man entered the yard, Pookie probably licked his hand.
“Of course we don’t know it was a man,” Officer Calvin said. “A woman might have taken Pookie.”
Bonnie wondered if a woman might have taken Matt. She knew sometimes women who can’t have a baby freak out and steal someone else’s baby, but she didn’t think they stole six-year-old boys.
Officer Calvin had brought a computer-generated image of the man who had come to the school, pretending to work for UPS. “The secretary gave a detailed description,” he said, “especially of his hair, mustache, and tattoo.”
Bonnie stared at the drawing, examining the man’s eyes and his curly dark hair. She had never felt hatred toward anyone, but as she looked at the drawing she felt such intense dislike for the man that her feelings shocked her.
Mrs. Sholter glanced at the drawing, then covered her face with her hands and turned away, as if she couldn’t bear to look.
“Do either of you recognize him?” Officer Calvin asked.
“No.” Bonnie and her mom spoke at the same time.
“This image went out last night via e-mail and broadcast faxing,” Officer Calvin said. “It’s now in the hands of law-enforcement agencies all across the country. The school secretary says it’s a good likeness, and the rose tattoo is an excellent clue because it’s specific. People notice such things and remember them. Of course we don’t know for certain the UPS impostor took Matt.”
Officer Calvin doubts everything, Bonnie thought, even the obvious facts. She supposed it was good the police considered all possibilities, but only one scenario made sense: a man dressed as a UPS delivery man stole Pookie, drove to the school, and talked Matt into going somewhere with him. Who had done it? Why? Where were Pookie and Matt now?
Bonnie looked at the drawing again, barely resisting the urge to rip it into pieces.
Since the police were now monitoring the Sholters’ phone, Bonnie and her mom left the house together and spent the day distributing more MATT IS MISSING posters. They checked in with Officer Calvin frequently, but there
Bonnie knew Mrs. Watson was upset in part because she lived so close.
“I wish I’d stayed home yesterday, instead of going to my book club,” Mrs. Watson said. “I might have seen or heard something. Maybe Pookie barked.”
After Bonnie finished eating, she said, “I’m going to look around outside some more.”
Every inch of the yard had been examined the daybefore, but she was too antsy to sit still. As she crossed the yard, she looked at the polka-dot garage door. I’d give anything, she thought, to hear a tennis ball hitting the door again.
She went out the back gate then walked up the alley to the corner. When she returned, she spied something red deep in the weeds next to the fence.
When she pushed the tall weeds back, she saw Pookie’s collar. She reached for it, then withdrew her hand. The police might find fingerprints on the collar.
Bonnie raced inside. “I found Pookie’s collar!” she said. “It’s in the weeds out in the alley.”
Mrs. Sholter quickly called Officer Calvin. “Don’t pick it up,” he said. “I’ll be right there.”
Bonnie returned to the alley. She wanted to be sure nobody else found the collar and took it. Officer Calvin arrived soon and, wearing gloves, carefully picked up the collar and dropped it in an evidence bag.
“So whoever took Pookie went out the back gate,” Bonnie said. “They must have parked in the alley and thrown his collar away so he couldn’t be identified by our phone number.”
“That’s as good a theory as any,” Officer Calvin said.
“Pookie was probably out in the yard,” Mrs. Sholter said, “which explains why nobody broke intothe house. Pookie used his doggie door, then the man opened the gate and took Pookie.”
Bonnie imagined the scene. Dear old Pookie, plodding outside to do his business, then falling asleep in the sunshine. When the man entered the yard, Pookie probably licked his hand.
“Of course we don’t know it was a man,” Officer Calvin said. “A woman might have taken Pookie.”
Bonnie wondered if a woman might have taken Matt. She knew sometimes women who can’t have a baby freak out and steal someone else’s baby, but she didn’t think they stole six-year-old boys.
Officer Calvin had brought a computer-generated image of the man who had come to the school, pretending to work for UPS. “The secretary gave a detailed description,” he said, “especially of his hair, mustache, and tattoo.”
Bonnie stared at the drawing, examining the man’s eyes and his curly dark hair. She had never felt hatred toward anyone, but as she looked at the drawing she felt such intense dislike for the man that her feelings shocked her.
Mrs. Sholter glanced at the drawing, then covered her face with her hands and turned away, as if she couldn’t bear to look.
“Do either of you recognize him?” Officer Calvin asked.
“No.” Bonnie and her mom spoke at the same time.
“This image went out last night via e-mail and broadcast faxing,” Officer Calvin said. “It’s now in the hands of law-enforcement agencies all across the country. The school secretary says it’s a good likeness, and the rose tattoo is an excellent clue because it’s specific. People notice such things and remember them. Of course we don’t know for certain the UPS impostor took Matt.”
Officer Calvin doubts everything, Bonnie thought, even the obvious facts. She supposed it was good the police considered all possibilities, but only one scenario made sense: a man dressed as a UPS delivery man stole Pookie, drove to the school, and talked Matt into going somewhere with him. Who had done it? Why? Where were Pookie and Matt now?
Bonnie looked at the drawing again, barely resisting the urge to rip it into pieces.
Since the police were now monitoring the Sholters’ phone, Bonnie and her mom left the house together and spent the day distributing more MATT IS MISSING posters. They checked in with Officer Calvin frequently, but there
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