beauty." A second voice.
"Looks like the kids came home last night."
There was a way out of the utility room. Another door at the far end. Alicia signaled, and she and Jamie tiptoed over to it. There had to be at least three policemen in the kitchen, separated from them only by a thin, partition wall. The door was locked but the key was there. She reached out and turned it…
…just as a policeman walked into the room behind them. He stood, staring at them, like something straight out of a Hollywood film, with his black, short-sleeved shirt and black shades that completely hid his eyes. He was young and white and he worked out. The ugly tools of his trade dangled from his belt: gun, CS gas canister, handcuffs, and baton. For a moment he didn't say anything. Then his hand dropped down to the gun.
Jamie had been standing behind Alicia. But suddenly he stepped forward so that he stood directly opposite the policeman. She saw him look up and there was something in the boy's face that she couldn't recognize, a sort of intensity that seemed almost unworldly.
"There's nobody here," he said quietly. "The room's empty."
The policeman stared at him, as if puzzled by what he had just been told. Alicia waited for him to say something. But he didn't. His eyes were vacant. He nodded slowly and walked out again.
Jamie and Alicia heard voices in the kitchen as the officer rejoined the other men.
"Anything?"
"No. There's nobody there. It's just an empty room."
"Hey —Josh. Why don't you tell the coroner to get in here? They can start clearing up."
Jamie glanced at Alicia, as if challenging her to ask questions. But this wasn't the time. Alicia opened the back door and the two of them passed through into the garage. It was empty, apart from a rusty lawn mower and a deepfreeze unit. Don had taken his car to the Reno Playhouse and, of course, it had never been driven back. The two doors were closed but there was a window at the back. Jamie opened it and they climbed out. Now the garage was between them and any police officers who might be standing guard at the front. Jamie made sure there was nobody around, then slipped behind the neighboring house, making his way through the yard where the two girls played. Only when he was on the other side of the house did he cut back to the street. Alicia's car was parked right in front of him.
He took one last look at the house where he had lived for the past six months. The entrance was already taped off. There were police officers everywhere, on the porch, on the front lawn, carrying equipment in and out. Three police cars were parked on the street. Distant sirens announced that more were on the way.
Nobody noticed as Jamie and Alicia crossed the pavement and got into the car. And if anyone had turned around, they would assume that the two of them were neighbors. It was only when they were inside the car — and before she had started the engine — that Alicia turned to him.
"What was that?" she demanded. "What did you do to that policeman? How did you make him…?" Her voice trailed away.
"I can't tell you," Jamie replied. "I don't know what I did. And it doesn't matter. Because I'm never going to do it again."
Alicia nodded and turned the ignition. One of the policemen glanced in her direction but did nothing to stop her.
Alicia shoved the car into gear and the two of them drove away.
FIVE
Missing
It was later that afternoon. Alicia had managed to book adjoining rooms at the Bluebird Inn and had opened the connecting doors. Jamie was sitting at the table in his half, staring at a selection of food that she had spread out on paper plates: lunch or dinner or something in between. But he wasn't hungry. He wasn't even sure how much time had passed since he and Alicia had left Sparks. He felt hollowed out.
Somewhere inside him, a voice was telling him that by now he should have been on his way to the theatre, preparing for the first evening performance. But there was going to be no
"Looks like the kids came home last night."
There was a way out of the utility room. Another door at the far end. Alicia signaled, and she and Jamie tiptoed over to it. There had to be at least three policemen in the kitchen, separated from them only by a thin, partition wall. The door was locked but the key was there. She reached out and turned it…
…just as a policeman walked into the room behind them. He stood, staring at them, like something straight out of a Hollywood film, with his black, short-sleeved shirt and black shades that completely hid his eyes. He was young and white and he worked out. The ugly tools of his trade dangled from his belt: gun, CS gas canister, handcuffs, and baton. For a moment he didn't say anything. Then his hand dropped down to the gun.
Jamie had been standing behind Alicia. But suddenly he stepped forward so that he stood directly opposite the policeman. She saw him look up and there was something in the boy's face that she couldn't recognize, a sort of intensity that seemed almost unworldly.
"There's nobody here," he said quietly. "The room's empty."
The policeman stared at him, as if puzzled by what he had just been told. Alicia waited for him to say something. But he didn't. His eyes were vacant. He nodded slowly and walked out again.
Jamie and Alicia heard voices in the kitchen as the officer rejoined the other men.
"Anything?"
"No. There's nobody there. It's just an empty room."
"Hey —Josh. Why don't you tell the coroner to get in here? They can start clearing up."
Jamie glanced at Alicia, as if challenging her to ask questions. But this wasn't the time. Alicia opened the back door and the two of them passed through into the garage. It was empty, apart from a rusty lawn mower and a deepfreeze unit. Don had taken his car to the Reno Playhouse and, of course, it had never been driven back. The two doors were closed but there was a window at the back. Jamie opened it and they climbed out. Now the garage was between them and any police officers who might be standing guard at the front. Jamie made sure there was nobody around, then slipped behind the neighboring house, making his way through the yard where the two girls played. Only when he was on the other side of the house did he cut back to the street. Alicia's car was parked right in front of him.
He took one last look at the house where he had lived for the past six months. The entrance was already taped off. There were police officers everywhere, on the porch, on the front lawn, carrying equipment in and out. Three police cars were parked on the street. Distant sirens announced that more were on the way.
Nobody noticed as Jamie and Alicia crossed the pavement and got into the car. And if anyone had turned around, they would assume that the two of them were neighbors. It was only when they were inside the car — and before she had started the engine — that Alicia turned to him.
"What was that?" she demanded. "What did you do to that policeman? How did you make him…?" Her voice trailed away.
"I can't tell you," Jamie replied. "I don't know what I did. And it doesn't matter. Because I'm never going to do it again."
Alicia nodded and turned the ignition. One of the policemen glanced in her direction but did nothing to stop her.
Alicia shoved the car into gear and the two of them drove away.
FIVE
Missing
It was later that afternoon. Alicia had managed to book adjoining rooms at the Bluebird Inn and had opened the connecting doors. Jamie was sitting at the table in his half, staring at a selection of food that she had spread out on paper plates: lunch or dinner or something in between. But he wasn't hungry. He wasn't even sure how much time had passed since he and Alicia had left Sparks. He felt hollowed out.
Somewhere inside him, a voice was telling him that by now he should have been on his way to the theatre, preparing for the first evening performance. But there was going to be no
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