Texas-Sized Trouble

Celeste angled her body toward him, effectively closing Faith out of the conversation. “My point exactly. He’s a good boy but that don’t mean nothing when it comes to teenage hormones. That’s what I thought three days ago. Now, I don’t know. It ain’t like him not to call. He’s never done that before.”

“What about his actions in the days leading up to his...” He didn’t want to say the word disappearance. “Had he been staying out later than usual?” Ryder hoped to cash in on her conspiratorial feelings.

“Not that I know of,” she said with a tentative glance toward Faith. “I work nights but he’s always there by the time I get home the next morning.”

“What time is that usually?” Ryder asked, nodding his head. Celeste was holding something back. What?

“There’s no set time,” she said.

“Bar closes at two o’clock,” Faith said, scorn in her tone. “Nicholas said she doesn’t come home until the next morning and sometimes until lunch.”

Ryder shot her one of his you’re-not-helping looks and then refocused on Celeste.

“Was he hanging out with any new people or had his behavior at school changed recently?” Ryder pressed. “Any notes or calls from the counselor?”

“None. No new people, either. At least none that I know of, but then boys don’t exactly tell their mothers every little detail,” she said after a thoughtful pause and a long hard look at Faith.

“What about his cell phone?” he asked. “I’m sure you’ve tried calling. Texting? I’m guessing there’s been no response.”

“None. And I haven’t seen or heard it since he left. Figured he took it with him. That thing goes everywhere with him, including the bathroom.”

“Did you search his bedroom for it?” Faith asked, looking determined to get her two cents in. Ryder had never been able to control her, and maybe that was the point. Maybe she was showing him that she was the one who should be in charge. Or maybe it was genuine concern for her little brother, a brother who’d been abandoned by her side of the family and who needed her help. Either way, her talking wasn’t a good thing. If he’d known her presence would cause this much of a stir with Celeste, he would’ve come alone.

He took a sip of his black coffee while Celeste shot Faith a sour look.

Celeste fished out her cell phone, entered a password onto the screen and pulled up her message history. “Look, he makes me text him every night to make sure I got in my car safe. No one’s ever done that for me before. Plus, he hasn’t tried to get a hold of me using anyone else’s phone, either.” She flashed her eyes at Faith. “I know my Nicholas is a good boy but even the nice ones get mixed up in the wrong crowd sometimes. That’s what I figured happened when he didn’t respond to my text three nights ago. It’s not like him to stay away this long, and that has me figuring he’s done something he shouldn’t. Something real ba—”

“He wouldn’t—” Faith started to say, but Ryder shushed her.

“Let her finish,” he said with a look that said this would all be over if she kept pressing her agenda. Nicholas’s mother was talking to them, and Faith needed to cool it.

Celeste pulled a piece of paper out of her purse and flattened it on the table.

“Look there. Doesn’t seem like you know Nicholas as much as you claim to.” She fired the accusation directly at Faith.

It was a note from Nicholas, saying that it was his mother’s turn to wait up for him and wonder where he was for a change.

Faith’s face went blank.

“Can I see that?” Faith asked.

Celeste didn’t immediately move.

“Please. Just for a second,” Faith said, softer this time.

The woman relented.

Faith took the paper and then studied the words as she traced her finger around the shapes.

“Nicholas didn’t write that.” She folded her arms with that indignant look on her face again. Before Ryder could remind her that she wasn’t helping, she scooted back in her seat.