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photograph on the screen now. It was of the victim’s face, probably taken on the autopsy table. Her dark hair was pulled back away from her round face. But she didn’t look black, Louis thought with a slight flash of annoyance. The woman looked Hawaiian...Polynesian, maybe.
    “It’s ten after,” Susan said.
    Louis looked at her. Her mouth was drawn tight and her eyes teary.
    “You want me to go look for him?” Louis asked.
    She took a second, then nodded.
    Louis turned off the television and stood up. “ Where’s the McDonald’s and the ice cream place?”
    “I can show you.”
    “No, you stay here. You need to be here when they get home.”
    Susan nodded again and gave him directions to the McDonald’s and ice cream place. Louis started to the door, catching a glimpse of a small framed photograph of Benjamin on the mantel. He picked it up.
    “Can I take this?” he asked.
    “What for?”
    “To show it around.”
    Susan’s face sagged, and it suddenly occurred to him what she must be feeling, what it must feel like to have someone ask if they can take a picture of your missing kid. He had done it before in the child custody cases he had worked. But he had never realized how much hope could be pinned to a small photograph.
    “Susan, I’m sure they’re fine,” he said. “They probably just lost track of time.”
    “Call me every time you stop.”
    Louis nodded and walked out, Benjamin ’s photo in his hand.
     

CHAPTER 5
     
    As Louis swung into the McDonald’s, his heart dropped at the sight of three Lee County school buses parked in the lot. The place was packed. He drove around the back of the building, looking for Austin’s BMW, but saw nothing. Finally he parked, grabbed the photo of Benjamin off the passenger seat and went inside.
    The place was noisy, filled with the laughter of the teenagers. Louis elbowed his way to the front of the line and pushed Benjamin’s picture forward. The teenage cashier glanced up at him.
    “You need to wait your turn, Mister.”
    “No,” Louis said sharply. “I’m a cop and this kid is missing. I need to know if you saw him in the last few hours.”
    “I’ve only been here since six. You need to ask Jason.”
    “Which one is he?”
    She tilted her head toward the back and let out a yell. A skinny young man came forward. Louis leaned over the counter and held out the photo. “I need to know if you saw this kid earlier this afternoon. He’s missing.”
    The young man looked confused. “Man, we’re busy in here. I don’t know.”
    “Think," Louis said. The noise died suddenly, and Louis saw the other employees staring at him. He swung the picture in front of them.
    “ Anyone seen this kid today?” Louis asked loudly. “Anyone?”
    “He was here just before four,” a young girl behind the counter said as she moved forward. “He had a Happy Meal and a Sprite. He wanted a shake but his father told him he’d have ice cream later, so he could wait.”
    Louis left, pushing open the glass doors and stopping on the sidewalk. He could see the sign for the ice cream place just across the convenience store parking lot and he headed toward it.
    Q ueenie’s Ice Cream was empty, except for a brunette woman behind the freezers. She was rinsing scoopers in a sink and looked up as he came in. “Got a special on sundaes. Only a dollar-ninety-nine.”
    Louis held up the photo. “I’m looking for this kid. Was he in earlier?”
    Her eyes widened. “What’s happened to him?”
    “Have you seen him?”
    The woman’s eyes stayed on the photograph of Benjamin. “Yes, he was here earlier with his father.” She looked up at Louis. “At least I thought it was his father. He seemed like a father.”
    “What time did you see him?”
    “Four or a little after. They both had fudge ripple in a cup.”
    “Do you know where they w ent?” Louis asked.
    “I think they were headed to Lakes Park,” the woman said. “I heard the father —- sorry —- the man say