LITMIR.BIZ

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boy couldn’t have gone far. Lucan began searching the area but there was no sign of him. If the boy had gone into one of the houses, there was nothing to tell him which one. A cold wind whipped over his face as he searched the yards. He was certain the boy had ducked in somewhere nearby. Only when a middle-aged woman holding a cell phone stepped out onto her deck demanding to know what he was doing in her yard messing with her Christmas lights did Lucan concede defeat. Flashing his police badge, he apologized for disturbing her and asked about the boy he’d been pursing.

      Lips pursed, she told him she didn’t know anyone matching that description. She hadn’t seen a child like that and she wanted him out of her yard immediately. Lucan returned to the store, where only one other customer remained.

      The man paid for his purchase and left. Even so, Salman looked around and lowered his voice when Lucan approached. “He got away?”

      “Unfortunately,” Lucan admitted ruefully. “He went through the hole in the fence out back.”

      “I told corporate about that fence. They say it is not their responsibility. The builder put up the fence during construction, so it belongs to the townhouses behind us. Yet the neighbors say it is not their responsibility. What am I to do?” He handed Lucan the hundred-dollar bill the boy had used to pay for his food. “It is real?”

      Lucan examined the bill with a frown. “Looks like it to me, but I’m no expert. You said the bank told you the other bills were fine.”

      Salman nodded. “But a boy like that should not be carrying so much money.”

      “You got that right. I’ll run the serial number just to check, but there’s nothing illegal about a boy paying for items with a large bill.”

      The clerk nodded glumly. “This I know, but there is something wrong.”

      “Yeah,” Lucan agreed, remembering the fear. “How often does he come in?”

      “Every day since Sunday. First it was candy and cookies. Then he started buying bread and other items, as you saw. Sunday is my day off, but Ranji tells me that was the day it began.”

      “And he always pays with a hundred-dollar bill like this one?”

      “Yes. That is why I told you about him when you came in today. It is odd. The boy always waits until I am busy, like he did this time. I try to talk to him, but he says nothing. He is very quick.”

      “I saw how fast he made stuff disappear inside that backpack. Be glad he isn’t stealing.”

      Salman eyed the bill in his hand. “But did he steal this money?”

      “Good question. He’s definitely afraid of something. Had you seen him in here before he started paying with big bills?”

      “No. Never that I can remember. Many neighborhood children come in with and without their parents. One or two have taken something without paying, but most do not. He is not one of the children that I know.”

      Lucan thought for a moment. “Were any of those townhouses up for sale recently—or unoccupied?”

      “This I do not know. Do you not live nearby?”

      Lucan rubbed his jaw, feeling tired. “I do, but I’ve been pulling double shifts lately. When I’ve had time to go out running I haven’t been paying attention. Since you don’t recognize him, I’m thinking the kid may be new to the area.”

      Salman shrugged and Lucan tapped the counter absently. How had a boy of that age come by even one bill of that denomination, let alone those he’d already spent, unless he’d stolen them? This was Wednesday. The kid had been flashing that wad of hundred dollar bills for four days.

      He opened his wallet and pulled out a business card. Writing his cell phone number on the back, he handed it to the clerk. “My office number and my cell phone number. Call me if you see him again.”

      Salman scowled. “You will arrest him?”

      “No. He hasn’t done anything illegal that we know about. I just want to talk to him and to his parents. There may be a reason he’s carrying that kind of cash, but it’s dangerous.”

      “You do not think he stole the money?” Salman repeated the question, frowning intently.

      Lucan shrugged. “I don’t know, Salman. I’d be more inclined to think that was the case if he was buying junk food and toys, but he picked up peanut butter and bread and even milk. That sounds like hunger to me. His clothing is dirty, and so is he.”

      And what were the odds the kid had been abandoned?

      “He wore the same pants yesterday,” Salman confirmed. “Perhaps even the day before, I do not recall for certain.”

      Lucan knew his frown matched the clerk’s. “I’m glad you told me about him when I came in. Like you, I think something is wrong at home. I just want to be sure the kid is safe. If something is wrong, we’ll intervene for his sake.”

      Salman shook his head, looking even more worried. “I do not want to cause any trouble.”

      “Neither do I, Salman. Neither do I. Call me if you see him again.”

      “Yes, that I will do,” the clerk promised unhappily as he pocketed Lucan’s card.

      Lucan’s gaze swept the area as he walked back to his car. He didn’t really expect to see the boy again, but he needed to start paying attention to his surroundings. Being tired was no excuse for getting sloppy. The last time he’d been sloppy he’d taken two slugs to the chest and spent months recovering.

      Lucan pinched the bridge of his nose before putting the car in gear. A recent spate of robberies had culminated in the murder of a local socialite. The press and politicians were screaming. The entire department was on overtime, and they didn’t have a single clue to the thieves’ identities. He’d had to cancel his date with Jennifer for the fifth night running. Now she wasn’t taking his calls.

      Probably he should be more upset. Jennifer was a lot of fun. On the other hand, if she didn’t understand what it meant to date a cop, then it was time for him to find a new companion. There was always that nurse who worked with his sister-in-law, Sally. What was her name? Nancy? Nina? Something along those lines. The woman was attractive, and she’d put out plenty of signals that she was interested. The only drawback was that she was a friend of Sally’s.

      Lucan made it a policy to stay away from friends of family members. They tended to expect their relationships to lead to something permanent. He’d been there and done that and had the divorce papers to prove it. Happily-ever-after only happened in fairy tales. He was no longer interested in anyone with commitment in their eyes.

      Abruptly, Lucan realized he was pulling up in front of his house. He hadn’t noticed a single thing on the drive home. He swore softly and blinked. There was no missing the fancy sports car with the vanity plate parked in his driveway. Nor could he miss the heavily pregnant woman shutting his front door and locking it before hurrying back toward the driveway. In the twinkling Christmas lights from the houses on either side of his, he could clearly see her stomach bulging beneath the coat she wore unbuttoned. She looked up and paused when she saw his car.

      Lucan parked at the curb and got out to greet his sister-in-law. “Hey, Whitney, what’s the rush?”

      She shook her head and smiled a greeting. “What are you doing home at this hour?”

      “It’s six forty-four. My shift was over at three.”

      “Since when do you punch a time clock?”

      “I don’t. That’s why it’s six forty-four. Dropping off another care package from Mom, I hope?”

      She nodded. “Lasagna, garlic bread and a tossed salad with brownies for desert.”

      His mouth watered. His Irish mother was an accomplished cook and he knew she was convinced that her only still-single son was going starve to death, since he didn’t have a woman

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