“How did you know that?” His tone is suspicious again.
“I’m sorry, I can’t honestly say, Charlie. The police have their reasons for making only some details public.”
He scowls at me but doesn’t press. “I woulda helped her,” he says abruptly. “All she had to do was ask. I woulda helped her.”
“Maybe she couldn’t ask. Sometimes, in these situations, the bad guys threaten a person’s loved ones.”
“Or get the girls hooked, so they don’t wanna wander.”
I can’t deny it. “Did she look like an addict?”
“Nah. Moved too quick. Darted right out the door. Addicts don’t have that kind of control.”
I nod. “I think she got tangled up in something. But I don’t know what, and I really don’t even have proof of that. If you see her again, though, I do think she needs help, Charlie. One last thing: Could you make out an emblem or logo on the hat?”
“Not that I saw. But I didn’t get a good look head on. Dark red cap, don’t see so many of those around here.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Kids generally wear hats from their favorite teams. Patriots, Red Sox, Bruins. Those hats are navy blue or black. Just look around. You’ll see ’em everywhere.”
Now that he’s mentioned it, I have been seeing dark blue ball caps everywhere. Belatedly, I remember my slip of paper from the rec center. I pull it out of my back pocket, unfold it, and hold it out.
“Do you recognize any of these names, Charlie? From the rec center, around town, anything?”
Charlie studies the list of fashion camp kids for a while. He grunts twice, then points at the two teenage boys. “Seen them around. One is the younger brother of one of my kids. Good boys. Trying hard to stay out of trouble, as much as they can. Wait a minute. This name here.” He points to one of the females on the list. “Livia Samdi. I’ve heard this name. Recently.” He scratches his beard, appears thoughtful.
He drops his voice abruptly as the connection hits him. “At a meeting. Months ago. Pretty sure now. Her mom was there, had recently relapsed after nearly a year sober. Going through a tough time, she said. Lost her job, had her son arrested, then on top of all that, her daughter ran away.”
“Her daughter ran away? As in Livia Samdi went missing?”
“That’s what the mom thought. And not for the first time either. Apparently, Livia’s one of those kids—wherever she went, trouble soon followed. But no doubt about it. She’s definitely gone. The mom said so herself.”