Page 49 of Little Child Gone

“Not that I noticed, but he’s a quiet kid. Great with customers, polite to co-workers, but not a big talker.”

“Is there any co-worker he was friendly with?” Nikki asked.

Livingston shook his head. “I texted all of my employees that work with Taylor after I came in this morning. No one knows anything, and no one had noticed anything.”

“Did he ever receive any visitors?” Nikki asked.

“I really couldn’t tell you that,” he said. “They come and go like customers. We don’t really keep track as long as people do their jobs the right way.”

“How long do you keep security videos?” Nikki hoped they hadn’t already erased last week’s. It was a long shot, but if Taylor kept secrets from his parents, especially a girlfriend or some other friend they wouldn’t approve of, visiting at work was the best way to avoid getting caught by his parents.

“Thirty days,” Livingston answered. “I thought you guys had everything you needed?”

“We likely do,” Nikki admitted. “But I’d like to have my partner go through last week’s videos and see if we can pick up anything unusual. He’s really good at spotting little details like that.”

Livingston rubbed his bald head, nodding. “It will be a few hours. Can I email it?”

“Yes, of course.” Nikki gave him Liam’s email address at the Bureau as well as her business card with all of her numbers. “Please call if you or anyone else remembers anything else.”

She stood to leave. “One more thing. Do you know if Taylor changed his parents’ contact information since he started?”

“That I can answer,” Livingston said. “He gave me this number a couple of weeks ago, said his mom had a new one.”

Once she was back in her warm Jeep, Nikki called the number Taylor had given his manager. An automated voice said the number didn’t accept unknown callers. Nikki swore and called Liam.

“Wilson, buried under paperwork.”

“Listen, I need you to run a number for me and see if it’s a VoIP number.” In other words, an internet phone number. VoIP was the acronym for the official name. “I don’t have my laptop.” She gave him the number. The FBI had software to trace internet numbers, but a savvy user also knew how to use encryption to protect themselves.

“It is, routed through the UK, which means nothing. Why?”

Nikki told him about Taylor changing his mother’s contact information at work.

“That sounds like something was planned,” Liam said. “I’ll call public transport in Indianapolis back and ask them to keep checking, but Taylor hasn’t shown up at the airport, train station or bus.”

“A woman answered the phone yesterday and told Livingston that Taylor was out sick,” Nikki reminded him. “Either Christy is lying, or the situation isn’t at all what we think.”

“You should ask for all of Menards’ security videos from last week,” Liam said. “If he is with this mysterious woman—assuming she exists—maybe she came in and talked to him, especially if they were planning to run.”

“I’m glad you said that, because Livingston will be emailing you those very videos this afternoon.” She maneuvered her way through Menards’ parking lot. “I’m heading back to the Halls’ house. Update Garcia for me, please.”

Thanks to the mid-day lunch rush, it took Nikki nearly twenty minutes to get to the Halls’ house. She pulled into the driveway, surprised to see one of the garage doors open and a stall empty. A steel-colored Chevy Suburban remained in the other stall. According to the background check Liam had run, Jared drove a black Tahoe. Perhaps he’d decided to drive around and look for Taylor. Hopefully Christy hadn’t gone with him.

Christy answered the door, eyes glassier than when Nikki and Miller had left earlier. She’d clearly been crying—her eyes were rimmed red, and her face bright pink. “Did you find him?”

“No, not yet,” Nikki said. “I did have some follow-up questions, and I’d like to look at Taylor’s room, like we discussed.”

“Why?” Christy asked.

“It really helps me understand the missing person better, especially teenagers. Kind of helps me step in their shoes a little bit.”

Christy opened the door and motioned for Nikki to come in.

“Did Jared decide to look for Taylor?”

“He was called into an emergency surgery,” Christy said. “He’s the attending on call, and the other surgeon is on vacation.”

“I’m sure that’s rough,” Nikki said. “Hopefully he will be home before long.”

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