Page 19 of Little Child Gone (Nikki Hunt #10)

Caden nudged her. “Go ahead. Lynch should have to talk to the cops anyway.”

“Adrian Lynch is a popular kid. He’s a sophomore.” Amelia worried her lower lip. “Mom and Dad don’t know exactly what he said. Just that he was mean to me about my being half-Black.”

Nikki had noticed the difference in skin tones, but genetics always surprised her.

Amelia was light-skinned enough that she could have been white and taken after the other side of the family and just had a darker complexion.

“I’m sorry that happened. Kids are cruel.

” She waited for Amelia to continue. “Guys, if there’s more to it, we won’t say anything to your parents unless it becomes crucial to bring Taylor home, I promise. ”

Caden nudged his sister again.

“Adrian’s sister is in my grade, and I’d been to her house a few times. He asked me out, but I’m only thirteen and I said I wasn’t allowed to date until I was sixteen. Then he laughed and said it was a joke, I was too fat and Black for him. Then he started calling me a slut.”

Nikki and Miller looked at each other, disgust on both of their faces. “First off, he shouldn’t have said that. It’s not true, and no one should be judged like that. I promise you that kids like him are secretly insecure as hell. And some boys can’t handle rejection. Men, too.”

“Did the fight happen on school property?” Miller asked.

“In the high school parking lot,” Amelia said. “The next morning. I thought Taylor was going to be in big trouble for getting suspended, and Mom yelled, but Dad said he did the right thing by sticking up for his sister, even though he shouldn’t have laid hands on Adrian.”

“Are you close friends with Adrian’s sister?” Miller asked.

Amelia shrugged. “I thought I was until then. I went to her house a couple of times. Adrian has a school permit and picks her up from school sometimes. That’s when it happened.”

“How’s school been for Taylor since?” Nikki asked.

“Some people bully him now because he hit a popular kid,” Caden said. “But Taylor’s a band geek. He spends his free time down there.”

“Tell us about Taylor’s friends,” Miller said. “They’re all in marching band?”

“Taylor played the quad drums at football games on the main drumline,” Caden said. “He’s really good.”

“Do you guys play anything?” Nikki asked.

“Violin.” Amelia didn’t sound very happy about it.

“Not me,” Caden said.

“Me either,” Nikki answered. “I learned piano for a while, but I never practiced, so my parents stopped paying for lessons. Who are his closest friends?” She wanted to see if the siblings mentioned anyone different than their parents had.

“Neena and Logan,” they both answered. “He doesn’t really hang out with anyone but them.”

“Are they both in concert band with Taylor? What time is practice?” Stillwater High School’s impressive music department had several different options for students.

“They all do concert and jazz band.” Amelia glanced at the clock. “Concert band practice starts in half an hour. Maybe he’ll show up at school.”

“We’re headed there next,” Miller said.

“You’re not going to search for him?” Amelia asked.

“I’ve got my deputies out right now, and the police department is searching as well. We’ll find him.” He walked over to the table, intimidating in his uniform. “Is there anything else we should know? Any other secrets?”

Both shook their heads.

“Is he seeing anyone?” Nikki didn’t like to make assumptions about sexuality, especially around younger generations. “Girlfriend? Boyfriend?”

“He’s not dating anyone,” Amelia said.

“Do you guys think he might go back to Indianapolis to stay with a friend?” His parents had disagreed, but Taylor’s siblings likely knew him best.

“No way,” Caden said. “He’d never leave us. Or Penny. He’d never put her through that.”

Amelia nodded in agreement. “He’s never stayed away this long. I’m really scared.”

“I know.” Nikki gave each one of the kids her business card. “You can ask your parents to call me any time for an update, or if you remember something. It may be something little and insignificant to you, but we still need to know.”

“We don’t have secrets,” Amelia said.

Christy returned carrying a large, pink Stanley cup. “I’m sorry for getting up like that.” She sipped from her cup. “I just needed a minute. All of this is just too much.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Nikki assured her. “There’s no playbook on how to handle this. We need everyone’s part of the story to make a complete picture.”

“Did the kids tell you anything to help find Taylor?” Christy asked.

“Nothing you don’t already know,” Nikki answered. “They both agree he wouldn’t leave them and talked about how he’d be headed to band practice right now. Do you usually drive him?”

“Some days,” Christy answered. “Some days Jared takes him because it fits his schedule.”

“He never rides with a friend?” Miller asked. “Does he have his school permit yet?” In Minnesota, kids had to be sixteen to drive on their own, even with a school permit.

“He’s still fourteen,” Christy said. “And I wouldn’t let him ride with a friend who just had a permit. He takes the bus unless Jared is able to take him.”

“What about band practice?” Nikki asked. “I think marching band practices in the morning and evening sometimes, right? Did he ever ride home with a friend?”

“Logan,” Christy said. “His mom gave Taylor a ride home a few times. But I usually picked him up. Why?”

“We need to know anyone he may have trusted enough to get into a vehicle,” Miller said. “They just need to be eliminated as suspects.” He checked his watch. “School starts at 8:35 a.m. What time does band practice start?”

“7:15,” Christy answered.

“Any chance we could come back and look at Taylor’s room?

” Miller asked. “It’s important for us to understand his mindset but given the time constraint, I think band practice is our next stop, especially since his closest friends are in the band.

If anyone will know something, it’s going to be them. ”

“What about us?” Christy said. “Are we just supposed to wait by the phone?”

“I’ll make sure to have a deputy come by and update you in the next couple of hours if we aren’t back.

” Miller reminded Christy that every available resource was being used just as Jared returned with a dressed Penny, her tangled hair wet and combed, the sweet scent of Johnson & Johnson baby shampoo surrounding her.

“What’s going on?” Jared asked.

“As I told your wife, we’ve got deputies searching along with Stillwater PD, and they will be knocking on doors in the area.

I’d like to get to the high school with Agent Hunt before band practice ends so we can catch the kids at once,” Miller said.

“We’ll also start calling people on the list you gave us, and a deputy will be here to check in. ”

“Most cases like this end up with the kid coming home, right?” Jared asked. “He’s probably holed up somewhere, punishing us.”

“Do you think he’d do that to both of you?” Nikki asked. “Since he called you when he did this before?”

Christy drank from her cup before answering. “He might.”

“Did the two of you argue over something I don’t know about?” Jared asked, concern lacing his tone.

Christy stared at her husband. “No. It was his usual smart mouth and not doing what I told him to, that’s all. Words were not exchanged beyond that. Did you take my side before?”

“Excuse me?”

“When he told you and not me, did you tell him that wasn’t right?”

“Of course, and I told him if it happened again and he texted, I was coming to get him.” Jared looked sheepish. “You’re right. He probably wouldn’t text me this time.” He took a deep breath. “That’s all this is. He’s okay.”

Christy closed her eyes and took another drink. “From your lips to God’s ears.”