The Abduction Read Free Page A

April says he’ll make a few bucks, then disappear for a week or two with his band.”
    “That poor girl,” Mrs. Boone said.
    “Are you going to tell the police?” Theo asked.
    Both parents took long sips from their coffee cups. They exchanged curious looks as they pondered this. They eventually agreed that they would discuss it later, at the office, while Theo was at school. Mrs. Finnemore was obviously lying to the police, but the Boones were reluctant to get in the middle of that. They doubted if she knew anything about the abduction. She seemed distressed enough. She probably felt guilty for being away when her daughter was taken.
    The food arrived and the waitress refilled the coffee cups. Theo was drinking milk.
    The situation was very complicated, and Theo was relieved to have his parents involved and doing their share of the worrying.
    “Anything else, Theo?” his father asked.
    “Not that I can think of.”
    His mother said, “When you talked to her last night, was she frightened?”
    “Yes. She was really scared and also worried about her mother.”
    “Why didn’t you tell us?” his father asked.
    “Because she made me promise not to tell. April has to deal with a lot, and she’s very private. She’s also embarrassed by her family and tries to protect them. She was hoping her mother would show up at any minute. I guess someone else did.”
    Theo suddenly lost his appetite. He should’ve done more. He should’ve tried to protect April by telling his parents or perhaps a teacher at school. Someone would have listened to him. He could have done something. But, April swore him to silence, and she kept assuring him she was safe. The house was locked; plenty of lights were on, and so forth.
    During the drive home, Theo said from the rear seat, “I’m not sure I can go to school today.”
    “I was waiting for that,” his father replied.
    “What’s your reason this time?” his mother said.
    “Well, to start with, I didn’t get enough sleep last night. We’ve been up since, what four thirty?”
    “So you want to go home and go to sleep?” his father replied.
    “I didn’t say that, but I doubt if I can stay awake at school.”
    “I bet you can. Your mother and I are going to work, and we have no choice but to stay awake.”
    Theo almost blurted something about his father’s daily siesta; a brief power nap at the desk with the door locked, usually around 3:00 p.m. Everyone who worked at the law firm of Boone & Boone knew that Woods was upstairs, shoes off, feet on the desk, phone on Do Not Disturb, snoring away for thirty minutes every afternoon.
    “You can tough it out,” his father added.
    Theo’s problem at this moment was his habit of trying to avoid school. Headaches, coughs, food poisoning, pulled muscles, stomach gas—Theo had tried them all and would try them again. He didn’t hate school; in fact, he usually enjoyed it once he got there. He made good grades and enjoyed his friends. Theo, though, wanted to be at the courthouse, watching trials and hearings, listening to the lawyers and judges, chatting with the policemen and the clerks, even the janitors. Theo knew them all.
    “There’s another reason I can’t go to school,” he said, though he knew this was a battle he would not win.
    “Let’s hear it,” his mother said.
    “Okay, there’s a manhunt underway, and I need to go help. How often do we have a manhunt in Strattenburg? This is a big deal, especially since it’s my close friend they’re looking for. I need to help search for April. She would expect me to. Plus, there’s no way I can concentrate at school. A total waste of time. I’ll think of nothing but April.”
    “Nice try,” his father said.
    “Not bad,” his mother added.
    “Look, I’m serious. I need to be on the streets.”
    “I’m confused,” his father said, though he really wasn’t. He often claimed to be confused when discussing things with Theo. “You’re too tired to go to school, yet