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in
circles around blocks and found the school. She drove around the
playground several times. Angry one minute and worried the next.
Looking for a tricky little ten-year-old on a bicycle. When found,
would she yell at her or hug her?
    She expanded her search into the surrounding
area. Driving slowing through neighborhoods, around blocks. Driving
and looking. Now far from Jamie’s neighborhood. She pulled to the
curb, leaned back against the head restraint, and closed her eyes
thinking. Jamie might have thought that if she wasn’t permitted to
go with Sandy, she’d leave Izzy’s house on her own and meet Sandy
somewhere. After all, hadn’t she told Jamie to trust her? Izzy’s
mother had it right; Sandy was butting in and causing trouble.
    She needed help. Help from Abby or help from
Izzy as to where Jamie might go. Neither would likely talk with
her. But they’d have to talk with the police, wouldn’t they? She
found Detective Triney’s card, phoned, and explained the
situation.
    “So, how long has the child been
missing?”
    She checked her watch. “Over an hour.” As
soon as she said it, she realized how ridiculous she sounded.
    “That long huh? And riding around on her bike
as well? You know what I’m going to say.”
    “You’re right. I just thought you could force
everyone to help me. I thought you could wave your hand and make
everything right again. Thanks anyway.”
    She hung up, hit Dial #1, and explained it
all to Chip.
    “You know I’m a city cop. I can’t mess with
county stuff,” he said. “Look, I’m not off until late afternoon.
I’ll call you then. Meanwhile, you calm down. If she’s still
missing, I’ll go out there and try to stir up things.”
    He was right, she wasn’t thinking clearly.
She was overreacting. The youngster had probably been riding around
and was back home by now. If not, Sandy would tear down her door
and choke that conniving Abby until she cooperated.
    Sandy headed back toward Abby’s house. She
drove slowly. Just past the school, alongside an overgrown vacant
lot, her eye caught on something shiny glinting in the sun,
reflecting red. Something under a ficus hedge. She braked abruptly
and stopped in the middle of the street. She jumped out leaving the
car door swinging.
    Even before she ran up to it, she knew it was
a girl’s bicycle thrown under the bushes. Her own words crashed
back into her mind: Trust me Jamie, I know how to handle these
things .
     
     
     

Chapter Nine
     
    Sandy stepped carefully backwards away from
the bicycle. She stood staring at it from the sidewalk while she
phoned Triney again. “Now don’t give me any of that wait
twenty-four hours crap. I found her abandoned bicycle in the
bushes. I just phoned her mother and she cut me off short. So, then
I phoned Izzy’s mother. She gave me a description of what Jamie was
wearing and described Jamie’s bike perfectly. Blue with a bent
basket and one handle grip missing, red reflectors front and back.
That’s what I found, Triney. Someone has grabbed her. Isn’t that
enough?”
    “We’re a long way from kidnapping here. Kids
under twelve are usually right around the house or out playing. Was
she kidnapped or merely missing? Did someone see her being carried
away?”
    “I don’t have a ransom note in my hand if
that’s what you’re asking. But she’s not out playing somewhere. She
told her girlfriend she was going out to find me.”
    “And you jumped to the kidnapping conclusion.
Look, believe me it’d be different if she left home for school and
never arrived. That’s very scary and we jump right on those cases.
But you’re talking about a kid out playing who hasn’t come
home.”
    “Look, Abby and Toby were obviously involved
in something. I’m willing to believe it wasn’t child porn. But
Jamie’s a bright kid and she knows something wrong is going on in
that house. She might have thought up the porn angle to get back at
her mother. But I’m betting she’s being straight