Stephen White - Critical Conditions

“I met with her just before lunchtime at the Starbucks on the Hill. You know where it is? On Broadway? I bought her a cup of coffee. We talked for fifteen, maybe twenty minutes, mostly about her friend Merritt. Afterwards, she met up with somebody and told me she had to get back to class. I watched them leave, they took off down University toward Boulder High School.”

“Which friend? Was it Merritt? I think she’s a good influence on Madison.” Madison apparently hadn’t told her mother about Merritt being in the hospital.

“No, a boy. I think he said his name was Brad.”

She sighed. “I don’t know anybody named Brad. Did he say his last name?”

“No, he didn’t. I’m sorry.”

“Is he a student?”

“I don’t know him. He looked older than your daughter, if that helps. He may be old enough to be a CU student, not a high school student. But it’s hard to tell with kids, you know?”

“She’s not allowed to go out with college boys. She knows that. And you haven’t heard from her since then? She didn’t call you back or anything?”

“No. But I didn’t expect her to.”

“She didn’t mention anything about going anywhere after school?”

“I wish I could tell you something helpful. You’ve checked her room, of course? Is there anything missing? Any sign she might have packed a few things to take with her?”

“Take with her where? Where was she going?”

“If she was planning on leaving-”

“Leaving, what do you mean, leaving? Where was she planning on going?”

“Running. Kids usually pack some things up when they run away.”

“Why was Madison running away?”

“I don’t know that she was, Ms. Monroe. I’m just trying to puzzle this out with you.”

“Like what would she take?”

What? “You know, underwear, a coat, extra clothes, money. Things like that.”

“I’m not sure I would know what’s gone from her room. She takes care of her own things, clothes and such. And sometimes she gets money I don’t know about, I guess from her father. I never know how much she has. You understand?”

She really wanted me to, I could tell. At once, I did understand, and I didn’t.

I thought about the conversation with Miggy Monroe while I showered, and decided I was going to tell Sam about it. Madison’s absence from her afternoon high school classes was probably meaningless, and I guessed that she would probably show up at her own home any minute. But I knew Sam well enough to know that giving him a dead-end lead was much more salutary behavior than keeping one to myself.

I paged him. My phone rang twenty seconds later.

“What’s up?” he asked.

“Probably nothing, but I thought you should know about something. Merritt’s friend, that kid Madison? Her mom just called me. She skipped her classes this afternoon at Boulder High, hasn’t called and checked in or come home. Her mom says it’s not like her.”

“No history of running?”

“Mom says not.”

“Lucy ran her for me this afternoon after we talked. Two petty offenses. Shoplifting, something else, um, I don’t know, I don’t remember. Notes the last time she was picked up say she hangs with some scummy kids.”

“Sounds a little severe based on what I saw, Sam. She has boys on the brain, acts like a punk. What’s curious is that she apparently skipped right after I met with her.”

“And what? So what are you saying now? Is that important? Why are we having this conversation?”

“I’m wondering if I spooked her by meeting with her this morning. I pressed on her about her role in finding Merritt. Maybe it spooked her.”

“Why would that spook her?”

“I left thinking she may be mixed up in this. I pressed her hard at the end about how she happened to find Merritt, and why she didn’t stick around for the police. I also asked her if she knew anything about a gun. That’s when she was most uncomfortable during the interview. I was thinking that maybe you were right, that she’s involved with Merritt in this thing with Dead Ed. That she knew about the gun I found in Merritt’s bathroom.”

His voice covered the territory from curious to disdainful. “You told her about the gun? I can’t believe you told her about the gun.”

“I didn’t tell her about the gun. I asked her if she knew anything about a gun. That’s all.”

“Now maybe that’s an important distinction for a shrink. It’s not much of one for a cop. Jesus, I think your interviewing techniques need some work. Maybe I could arrange a refresher course.”

“Maybe, Sam. I don’t have the same agenda here that you do. I’m trying to keep Merritt alive.”

“That’s true, I’m just trying to keep her out of prison for the rest of her life. Sorry for my insensitivity. Please forgive me.”

This wasn’t going the way I had hoped. “Sam, look, I apologize if I screwed up. I’m doing my best here. I thought Madison’s disappearance this afternoon might be important, and I wanted you to know about it.”

“You know she’s probably shacked up with a boyfriend, someplace. Or she decided to run. Hard to say.”

“I agree. That’s what’s most likely. The only help I can offer on that front is that I met a guy with her this afternoon. Name is Brad. Older than her, maybe a CU kid, I think he might’ve been wearing a fraternity T-shirt.”

“You have a last name?”

“No.”

“You remember what frat?”

“My Greek’s not too good, but something Delta something. Three letters.”

“We’ll check on Brad, too. Anything else?”

“No. I just don’t like coincidences and this feels like one.”

“I suppose I need to find a way to look into this little disappearance that doesn’t upset my supervisors. You saw Merritt, how is she?”

I had to think for a minute to convince myself I had the freedom to tell him what had happened that afternoon at the hospital. “There was a crisis with Chaney, Sam. Late today. I don’t want to get in the middle of things between you and the Trents, but I don’t want you left out, either. It was pretty serious for a while.”

“What happened?” His voice was hollow. Sam’s optimism had vanished; he was expecting to hear tragedy.

“She had a respiratory crisis of some kind. The doctors thought she might be dying. I was upstairs with Merritt when John called. I broke some rules, allowed Merritt to go down to the ICU to be with her sister. After she was there for a few minutes, the crisis eased. When I left, Chaney was resting comfortably.”

Sam was breathing through his mouth. I could hear the hollow gale gusting in my ear.

He said, “You broke some rules?”

“Yes.”

Inhale, exhale. “She’s okay? Chaney?”

“Same as before, if you call that okay. She’s still in intensive care. They’re going to watch her overnight.”

“What about Merritt? You saw her earlier? How is she doing?”

“Her condition hadn’t changed when I saw her this afternoon. But earlier this evening, she saw Mitchell Crest’s little news conference on TV. It scared her, shook her up.”

“I bet.”

“Not just for the reason you think. I think she’s trying to tell me that she’s protecting someone else, Sam.”

“She started talking?”

“I’m not talking about anything she said. Not with words. With her eyes, with her expressions, with gestures. I think she’s telling me that she’s been clamming up to protect someone else. Maybe it’s Madison. I don’t know who else it could be.”

“And you’re absolutely sure you’re reading these expressions correctly?” I knew Sam’s skeptical voice well, and I knew I was hearing it right then.

“No, I’m not sure, Sam. But I believe what I see. I’d love some more ammunition to use with her. Did you learn anything today that will give me some leverage with Merritt, maybe encourage her to talk to me?”