“Unh-hunh.”
Nobody in the room with Ceepak knows why this is so incredibly huge. I do. The Timberland prints.
“Were they tan hiking boots?”
“Yeah. Kind of light brownish.”
The chief slips into the Interrogation Room.
“Don't mind me, Miss Hart,” he says. “You and Ceepak keep going.”
“Is that your name?” she says. “Ceepak?”
“Yes, ma'am. It's my last name but it's what everybody calls me.”
“You can call me Ashley.”
“I know. We found your bracelet.”
“Is it broken?”
“No. It's fine.”
“Will I get it back?”
“Sure you will, honey,” Jane says, patting Ashley's hand.
“My boyfriend gave it to me.”
Ceepak smiles.
“You have a boyfriend?”
“Kind of. Yeah. I mean, sort of. He gave me the bracelet.”
Ah, the ID bracelet. The gift choice of cheap boyfriends for decades. Right up there with the J.C. Penney's heart locket. Major bling-bling when you're twelve, thirteen. I can remember handing out a few such baubles in my day.
“Nice gift,” Ceepak says. “What’s your boyfriend's name?”
“Ben. Ben Sinclair? His father is the mayor.”
So now the mayor's son is dragged into this deal. I see the chief's big jaw popping in and out around his ears, like he's grinding his teeth, sanding them down nice and smooth, wondering how much more bad news he's going to get this morning.
“We were supposed to hook up tonight … Ben and I….”
“A date?”
“No. Dad won't … I mean … he wouldn't let me date, even though I'm almost thirteen. So Ben and me just sort of hang out with everybody else….”
“Let's get back to the sketch,” the chief says, not interested in the whole Tiger Beat Teen Romance report.
“Yes, sir,” Ashley says.
Ceepak sort of sighs in a way that says, “I wish you hadn't cut her off, chief.”
“Remember this morning when you told me about a crazy man with a gun?” Ceepak gently asks the girl.
“Yes, sir.”
“Why'd you say he was crazy?”
“I dunno. The way he looked, I guess.”
“How'd he look?”
“Freaky. Big eyes. Like a bug or something. Like they were going to pop out of his head.”
“Did he have a beard?” The chief lobs in another lead balloon.
“Yes, sir.”
“What kind?”
“I forget.”
Ceepak tries to help.
“Was it a big, bushy beard-like Santa Claus?”
“No.” Ashley closes her eyes, trying to remember.
“A goatee?” the chief asks.
“Yes, sir. Like a goat! It was white.”
“Was his hair white, too?” Ceepak asks.
“Black and white. Like he was older? You know?”
“Sure,” Ceepak says. “Was it short? Like mine?” He playfully scratches the stubble around his ears.
“No. It was way long. And greasy. He looked like a hippie.”
“A hippie?” Ceepak leans back in mock surprise. “What's a hippie?”
“I dressed up like one for Halloween this one time. You know- long hair with a bandanna, beads, flower- power sunglasses.”
“Did the crazy man have on flower-power sunglasses?”
“No.”
“What about beads?” The chief seems to want to turn this into a tag-team interview.
“No … I don't think so … maybe….”
Ashley's getting confused.
“Maybe. He could've had beads….” She now looks about to cry. “I can't remember.”
“That's okay,” Ceepak says.
Jane pats the girl's hand again.
“I want to see my mom….”
“Of course,” Jane says and turns to Ceepak. “We reached her on her cell. She's on the way.”
“She was in the city,” the chief adds and looks at his watch. “Should be here soon.”
“Hey,” Ceepak says to Ashley, “are you hungry?”
“Kind of.”
“Maybe we should take a little break. We've got some Pop-Tarts and stuff in the kitchen here.”
“Okay.” Sounds like Pop-Tarts don't really cut it, though.
“Or,” Ceepak tries again, “we could send a car over to The Pancake Palace. Pick up their chocolate-chip special. With marshmallow sauce if you want. Does that work?”
She nods.
“You want to wait in here while we send someone out? Maybe help Shelly work on the picture some more?”
“Sure.”
Ceepak stands up from the table. “One order of chocolate chip pancakes, coming right up.”
“Thank you, Mr. Ceepak.”
“You're welcome, Ashley.”
Ceepak and the chief head out the door. I meet them in the hall.
“Sorry about barging in like that,” the chief says to Ceepak.
“We survived.”
“Yeah. I'll find someone to run out to the restaurant.” The chief looks at me.
“I could do it,” I volunteer.
“You need Danny in the back room?”
“He's my partner. Second set of ears.”
“10-4. Stick with Ceepak, kid. And John? I want you to, you know, basically head this thing up.”
“I'm sure the State boys-”
“I don't give a damn about the state police. I want you on point. We need to wrap this thing up quick or Mayor Sinclair's going to have another heart attack.”
Ceepak nods. I guess you're not breaking any rules if your boss writes new ones.
“After she eats something,” he says, “I want her to walk us through what she saw. Then, we need to talk to her mother. Find out if Mr. Hart had enemies.”
“It'll be a long list,” the chief says
“We'll try to narrow the field.”
“Check.”
“We should work out a security detail with State,” Ceepak suggests. “24-hour coverage….”
