Page 41 of Little Child Gone

“What about his mom, Christy?”

“I’ve only met her once, after the fall concert. She was nice but didn’t talk a lot.”

“She let Jared do all the talking?”

“I wouldn’t say that,” Cohen said. “Her pupils were dilated, and I couldn’t understand her.”

“She was under the influence?” Nikki clarified. “At his band concert?”

Cohen held up both hands in defense. “I can’t say for sure. I don’t want to make accusations. Everyone has their issues.”

“But you thought so at the time?” Nikki pressed. “That was your gut reaction?”

“Yes,” Cohen said.

Nikki handed him one of her cards with her work cell and personal cell numbers. “If you remember anything else, however minute, please call. You’d be surprised how many times a little bit of innocuous information blows a case wide open.”

Cohen nodded and stood. He adjusted the belt holding up his baggy khakis and smoothed his hair. “Please let me know if there’s anything else I can do.”

“One last question,” Nikki asked as Cohen reached for the doorknob. “Where were you after school yesterday?”

He turned around slowly, his blue eyes hard. “Excuse me?”

“I have to know in order to cross you off the suspect list,” Nikki said. “We’re asking everyone who had contact with Taylor.”

Cohen sighed. “I left here around six thirty, after quartet practice. Stopped at the grocery and then went home.”

“Do you have a receipt from the grocery?” Nikki asked. “We can ask for their CCTV, but if you can show me now, it would save time.”

Cohen retrieved his wallet from his back pocket and rifled through the billfold. “Here. I don’t need it.” He handed her the crumpled paper.

Nikki looked the receipt over, confirming the time and took down his address. “Hopefully CCTV footage nearby picks up your car arriving and that’ll be it.” She studied the band director, trying to figure out if he was just the anxious sort or really had something to hide. “The other option would be looking at the geo-tracking on your phone. It would show your exact path.” She smiled.

Cohen tucked his wallet back into his pocket. “I don’t have it on me. If you can’t figure it out with the CCTV, let me know.” He turned around and walked out, leaving the door open and Nikki still confused about where Taylor Hall had gone.

Holly Black walked Nikki from the music department to Adrian Lynch’s calculus class on the other side of the building. The high school had been big when she attended, but it had grown so much Nikki wondered how often kids were late to class just because of the distance they had to cover.

Holly pointed to the closed door ahead of them. “Adrian Lynch’s class. Let me speak to the teacher and bring Adrian out.”

“Thank you,” Nikki said. “The principal should have let the teacher know we were stopping by.”

She waited in the hall while Holly spoke to the calculus teacher. She emerged a couple of minutes later with a tall woman with dark glasses and an even darker look on her face. A tall, blond boy followed her, hands in his pockets and eyes on the floor.

Holly introduced the math teacher and Adrian. “As the principal already told you, Taylor Hall is missing. Agent Hunt is leading the search for him.” She looked directly at Adrian, who immediately looked away. “Ms. Farber, you and I are here to ensure Adrian’s rights aren’t violated. That sounds terrible, doesn’t it? He’s a minor and Agent Hunt wants to make sure he’s protected.”

Adrian’s shoulders relaxed a bit, and he finally snuck a glance at Nikki. He was a nice-looking kid, blond hair and striking blue eyes. The smirk playing on his lips showed his true character. “I’m not friends with Taylor.”

“Oh, I know.” Nikki returned the condescending smile. “You and Taylor have had some issues, right?”

“So?” Ms. Farber cut in. “Plenty of kids have issues with each other. That doesn’t mean he did something.”

Nikki looked at the teacher in silence for a few seconds. “I just need Adrian to answer.”

“I thought we were supposed to protect him?” Farber crossed her arms over her chest.

“From my putting words in his mouth, eliciting a false confession, pressuring him. That’s what can’t happen,” Nikki said. “Honestly, it’s as much for my protection as his. Adrian, can you tell me what happened between you and Taylor?”

“We don’t like each other.” Adrian shrugged.

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