The Price of Candy by Rod Hoisington Page B

stared at the state
attorney, and waited.
    Moran sat back down. “Okay. The kid’s no
doubt lying again. We’ll look into it. I’m still letting her mother
out while we investigate. What’s this Toby’s last name?”
    “You’re asking me his last name? I’ve no
idea. You have the body. Why don’t you turn him over, take out his
wallet, and look at his driver’s license? His name will be printed
on the license just above his address.”
    Moran tried to ignore her, but his face was
getting red. “There’s some confusion about his ID.”
    “Toby is quite likely a nickname. I suppose
that could really confuse you.”
    “Take your wisecracking mouth out of my
office!”
    She left the county courthouse and drove out
to Izzy’s house. Her house was six blocks north of Jamie’s house.
Jamie had said white with blue shutters. As Sandy stopped in the
driveway, a young woman ran off the porch to meet her. “Are you
Sandy? I’m Izzy’s mother. Jamie’s not here. Izzy said she just got
on her bike and went looking for you. Why are you involved in this
anyway? You’re butting in and causing trouble. Why don’t you leave
Jamie alone?”
     
     
     

Chapter Eight
     
    Sandy tried to shake off the sudden chill of
learning that Jamie was missing. She backed out of the driveway at
Izzy’s house and with tires screeching headed down the block to
Abby’s house. Yellow police tape remained stretched around portions
of the back porch area where the shooting had occurred. She ran to
the front door and pounded. She was surprised when Abby opened
it.
    “You’re out on bail already?”
    “Personal recognizance. No big deal shooting
a prowler in this state.”
    “Is Jamie here?” Sandy shouted.
    “No,” Abby said, “and you couldn’t see her if
she was. I just got here. Most likely she’s down at Izzy
Palmer’s.”
    “She isn’t there. She took off on her
bike!”
    “Oh, okay. So she’ll be home.” Abby started
to close the door. “Will you get out of here? I don’t want to talk
to you.”
    “But what about Jamie? We need to look for
her.”
    “She’ll show up when she gets hungry enough
or it gets dark enough.”
    “Are you sure? Has she done this before?”
    “Before? Hell, this is her life. I don’t know
where she goes. She’s in her own little world.”
    “She shouldn’t be.” Sandy stifled the urge to
shake the woman by the shoulders.
    “Butt out, Sandy. You’re absolutely screwing
things up. Especially with all that corny porn shit.”
    “You’d have gotten away clean with killing
Toby if I hadn’t been there.”
    “Looks like I have gotten away with it.” Then
she frowned. “How’d you find out his name?”
    “You yelled it out just as you fired.” She
remembered Jamie had also told her his name, but no sense in
getting her in trouble. “You knew that wasn’t Bruce Banks out
there.”
    “Might have been.” Abby smiled.
    “What do you mean might have been? Did you
contact Banks after I told you where he lived? I think you just
wanted emails from him to support your story of being stalked.”
    “Now, wouldn’t that have been clever of
me?”
    “You were expecting Toby. You were ready with
the gun. Why did you want him dead? Maybe I’m mistaken and it
didn’t have anything to do with porn, but you two are involved in
something”
    “It has nothing to do with nothing. Now get
the hell out of here. My lawyer says State Attorney Moran is
definitely buying the prowler bit. So get lost and stay away from
Jamie.” She slammed the door.
    Sandy walked slowly back to her car. Jamie
had mentioned child porn. Was she mistaken or did she lie to get
her mother in trouble. Full of hostility for her mother, she might
have lied. Sandy must not have connected with Jamie as well as she
thought. Now she was in the middle of Abby’s personal squabble with
Toby. And where was Jamie?
    She remembered Jamie had walked home from
school that day when she first went to Abby’s house. She drove