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know?"
    "Hey look, I don't go prying into people's private business asking about their money and all."
    "According to your own statement, Max isn't just 'people' - he's your best friend and best friends usually know what each other does for a living. Don't you think he lives rather well for a man who has no apparent source of income?"
    Brody became angry again, emotions flooding through him as they would a small child: mercurial, changeable, fleeting. "Look, Max is a good guy and if he's missing it means something bad must have happened to him. He doesn't go around causing trouble and however he earns his living, I'm sure it's legit. He isn't one of those kinds of guys."
    The officer put his hand up in a gesture of peace. "Hey, hey, I'm sorry! Take it easy! I was just asking. I didn't mean to imply anything. We're on the same side, remember? If Max was kidnapped, we'd want to find him before something really bad happened to him, right? His landlady claimed to hear a violent fight so he could be in serious danger. Or like you said, he could be in one of those countries where they chop off your head..."
    "What do you mean about a violent fight?"
    The officer frowned. "Max's landlady heard a violent-sounding fight coming from his apartment, and then silence. She was concerned so she called us. That's why we're looking for Max, to make sure nothing bad happened to him."
    As quickly as the anger had come it faded away again, replaced with the chill of fear. "Oh man, we need to find him! Was his car in the parking lot?"
    "Mr. Myers, you know we can't discuss active cases except to get information to help us solve it. If you think of anything else that might help us, here's my card. Right now we've got some other leads to follow so if you'll excuse us, we'll get to work trying to find your friend."
    The officers got up to leave knowing that it wasn't the time to intimidate this kid. They'd set the perfect stage for Brody to come clean about everything he knew; now it was time to let him simmer. It was obvious that Brody wasn't going to tell them any more for the moment so there was no sense in badgering him... yet. Better to leave him thinking that the police were his friends. He'd crack pretty soon, that much was evident. They could afford to wait.
    Officer Hartley smiled, "Well, I can't say you've been a big help. You obviously don't know anything that would help Max. I'm sure you've done your best to help us find him so that nothing bad happens to him. We'll check out the articles and maybe they'll give us a clue. In the meantime, I want you to think hard. Often people know important things and just don't realize it. Remember this: All of us want the same thing. All of us want to find Max."
    After they left the officers laughed at how easily they'd been able to play Brody using his fears of what can happen to Americans in foreign countries and the whole fabrication his landlady had cooked up. It was a genius move and they were fully confident that if he knew anything else, he'd volunteer it before long. They'd caught on to the landlady's trick almost immediately. She'd harped so much on his owing rent that it was obvious that rent was her primary focus, and when she admitted she didn't have the key that clinched it. They knew they'd been had to satisfy her curiosity.
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Rochester, New York
    Ellen woke to find herself huddled in a tattered brown easy chair by the window next to the phone. The early morning sunlight reflected off the icicles hanging from the eaves, shooting bright white light straight into her eyes. She squinted and wondered why she hadn't pulled out the sofa bed last night. She grimaced as she sat up. Her muscles were sore and cramped and she nearly fell over when she tried to stand. Her foot was numb.
    She realized that she'd forgotten to turn off the Christmas lights that adorned the tree and framed the apartment's only window. She scowled, mentally ticking off the extra pennies this would