commons. Veal scallopini is on the menu today.'
`No thanks. I'd rather you gave me the information I need and let me get to work. Why did you call me in to pick up a runaway? You must have a lot of runaways.'
`Not as many as you might think. Most of our boys become quite school-centered in time. We have a rich and varied program for them. But Thomas Hillman had been here less than a week, and he showed very little promise of becoming group-oriented. He's quite a difficult young man.'
`And that's what makes him special?'
`I'll be, frank with you, Mr. Archer,' he said, and hesitated. `This is rather a prickly situation for the school. I accepted Tom Hillman against my better judgment, actually without full knowledge of his history, simply because his father insisted upon it. And now Ralph Hillman blames us for his son's esca - that is, his surreptitious leave- taking. Hillman has threatened to sue if any harm comes to the boy. The suit wouldn't stand up in court-we've had such lawsuits before-but it could do us a great deal of public harm.'
He added, almost to himself `Patch really was at fault.'
`What did Patch do?'
`I'm afraid he was unnecessarily violent. Not that I blame him as man to man. But you'd better talk to Mr. Patch yourself. He can give you all the details of Tom's-ah-departure.'
`Later, I'd like to talk to him. But you can tell me more about the boy's background.'
`Not as much as I'd like. We ask the families, or their doctors, to give us a detailed history of our entering students. Mr. Hillman promised to write one, but he hasn't as yet. And I've had great difficulty in getting any facts out of him. He's a very proud and very angry man.'
`And a wealthy one?'
`I don't know his Dun and Bradstreet rating. Most of our parents are comfortably fixed,' he added with a quick little smug smile.
`I'd like to see Hillman. Does he live in town?'
`Yes, but please don't try to see him, at least not today. He's just been on the phone to me again, and it would only stir him up further.'
Sponti rose from his desk and moved to the window that overlooked the parking lot. I followed him. The fine rain outside hung like a visible depression in the air.
`I still need a detailed description of the boy, and everything I can find out about his habits.'
`Patch can give you that, better than I. He's been in daily contact with him. And you can talk to his housemother, Mrs. Mallow. She's a trained observer.'
`Let's hope somebody is.'
I was getting impatient with Sponti. He seemed to feel that the less he told me about the missing boy, the less real his disappearance was. `How old is he, or is that classified material?'
Sponti's eyes crossed slightly, and his rather pendulous cheeks became faintly mottled. `I object to your tone.'
`That's your privilege. How old is Tom Hillman?'
`Seventeen.'
`Do you have a picture of him?'
`None was provided by the family, though we ask for one as a matter of routine. I can tell you briefly what he looks like. He's quite a decent-looking young chap, if you overlook the sullen expression he wears habitually. He's quite big, around six feet, he looks older than his age.'
`Eyes?'
`Dark blue, I think. His hair is dark blond. He has what might be called aquiline features, like his father.'
`Identifying marks?'
He shrugged his shoulders. `I know of none.'
`Why was he brought here?'
`For treatment, of course. But he didn't stay long enough to benefit.'
`Exactly what's the matter with him? You said he was difficult, but that's a pretty general description.'
`It was meant to be. It's hard to tell what ails these boys in adolescent storm. Often we help them without knowing how or why. I'm not a medical doctor, in any case.'
`I thought you were.'
`No. We have medical doctors associated with our staff, of course, both physicians and psychiatrists. There wouldn't be much point in talking to them. I doubt if Tom was here long enough even to meet his therapist. But there's no doubt he was high.'
`High?'
`Emotionally high, running out of control. He was in a bad way when his father brought him here. We gave him tranquilizers, but they don't always work in the same way on different subjects.'
`Did he cause you a lot of trouble?'
`He did indeed. Frankly, I doubt if we'll readmit him even if he does come back.'
`But you're hiring me to find him.'
