Love for Sale

him. I don’t have a telephone, so I’m calling from my neighbor’s house. I’m on my way home right this minute.”
    She hung up on a sob.
    Walker immediately rousted Ralph and told him to call Mr. Prinney as well, as he dashed for the police car.
    When he arrived at Mary Towerton’s house with the siren going, she was sitting on the front porch holding her son in one arm. Baby Emily was on her shoulder. Both Mary and the little boy were crying.
    “I’m sorry, Chief Walker. He was sitting here when I came home. This note was pinned to his jacket.”
    Walker took the note by the corner. It was on coarse, reused brown wrapping paper that had stains and creases as if it had been found in someone’s trash. It said, in badly printed pencil lettering, The next time you tatle on me to the lawer he won’t be brot back.
    “ What does this mean to you?“ Walker asked.
    Mary blew her nose and sent Joey inside to get his hands washed for dinner. “I have no idea. He says a lady took him for a car ride.“
    “Can he describe her?”
    Ralph pulled up on a motorcycle with his cousin Jack Summer in the sidecar as Walker was asking this question.
    “He’s not even four years old yet,“ Mary replied. “He just said she was a lady in a big car who took him for a ride. Of course, any automobile would seem big to him. I don’t think he’s ever been in one before.“
    “How do you want us to start the search?“ Ralph asked, running to the front porch. “It’s almost dark. I brought all the flashlights I could find and a couple of kerosene lamps.”
    Walker was amazed that Ralph had even thought of these practicalities. He’d never done so before.
    “The boy is back,“ Chief Walker said. “No need for a search.“
    “Is Joey all right?“ Jack asked Mary.
    “He seems to be. When he saw me coming, he ran to me as if nothing very interesting had happened. He’d been playing on the swing before he disappeared. I went in the house, just for a few seconds to make sure the stew wasn’t burning, and when I came back out to call him in, there was no sign of him.”
    She put her hand to her heart and hiccuped. “I’ll never let him out of my sight again, even for that long. I’m sorry I dragged all of you out here for nothing.“
    “It isn’t nothing,“ Walker said. “You and your child have been threatened. Even though your son was brought home, he was kidnapped for a short time. That’s illegal and I intend to find out who did it if I can. Ralph, did you think of bringing an evidence envelope or two along?“
    “Sure did, Chief,“ Ralph said smugly, going back to the motorcycle to fetch one.
    Walker put the note that had been pinned to Joey’s jacket into the envelope. “We’ll get this fingerprinted as soon as we can, Mrs. Towerton. Ralph and Jack, you boys can go back to what you were doing now. Thanks for being so prompt. And efficient,“ he added to Ralph. Walker was almost afraid to compliment his normally incompetent deputy for fear of a relapse.
    Jack said to Mary, “Is there anything I can do for you?”
    Mary, remembering how rude she’d been to him the last time they’d spoken, smiled slightly. “I wish I could think of something you could help with, but I can’t. Thank you anyway.”
    Jack impulsively shook her hand instead of doing what he wanted to do—hug her—and ran to catch up with Ralph, who was impatiently gunning the motorcycle.
    As they departed, they crossed paths with Mr. Prinney in his old Ford, chugging up the incline with headlights blazing.
    “What’s happened?“ he said as he struggled hurriedly out of the car. “Jack Summer called my office to say that Mrs. Towerton needed help immediately. What’s wrong?“
    “Nothing,“ Mary said. “I’m sorry you were alarmed. Jack didn’t need to get in touch with you.“
    “He said searchers were needed. I brought flashlights,“ Mr. Prinney said kindly. “Let’s go inside where it’s warm. Mrs. Towerton, you’re only wearing a shawl. You must be freezing.”
    Mary went indoors and Walker held Mr. Prinney back on the porch and explained what had happened. “The note appears to involve you,“ he said, pulling it out gingerly and not allowing Prinney to touch it.
    It had become dark enough by now that Mr. Prinney had to turn on his flashlight to read it. “What an ignorant person,“ he said. He gestured at the chairs on the porch for Walker to sit down.
    Mr. Prinney didn’t speak for a few minutes. Then he