“He does seem more deferential with her than I would like, but you can’t know for sure he told her.”
“We will.”
“How?”
“I’m going to ask him.”
“And if Andrews did tell her?”
He shot her a look. “Then you can turn into Muhammad Ali and use your double black belt to kickhisass.”
Chapter33
T?HEY WERE NEARING THEIR HOTELwhen Decker’s phone rang. It was Barry Davidson. He sounded frantic.
“I can’t find my son. Tyler didn’t come home from school today. I’ve tried his phone and left messages. None of his friends know where he is.”
“Okay, just calm down. We’ll be right over.”
They cleared the gate and rode the elevator up. Davidson was waiting for them at his front door.
They could both smell the liquor on his breath as he hurried them inside.
“When was the last time you saw or spoke to him?” asked White.
“This morning, around eight. He was leaving for school.”
“I didn’t think he’d be going back to school so soon,” noted Decker.
“He…he said he wanted to, to get his mind off things.”
“You said you talked to his friends?” said White.
“Yes, one of them told me that Tyler had left school early. And Tyler hasn’t answered his phone or returned my texts. He’s usually very good at doing so.”
“He might not have his phone with him,” said Decker.
“Healwayshas his phone,” countered Davidson.
“The cops won’t do anything yet, unless we have information that he might be in danger, or distress,” said White.
Davidson slumped into a chair and reached out for what looked to be a glass of whiskey.
“And getting drunk won’t help matters,” pointed out Decker. “In case Tyler needs you.”
Davidson withdrew his hand and looked guiltily at them. “I’m…I’m afraid he might…I don’t know. Hurt himself.”
“Did he ever talk about doing something like that?” asked White, a note of urgency in her voice.
“No, but he never lost his mother before,” retorted Davidson.
“Does he have any usual haunts, places he likes to go, to think, or be alone?”
“Nothing particular, no.”
“Any girlfriends?” asked White.
“He did, but they broke up a month ago. I called her, but she hasn’t heard from Tyler.”