Unseen (Will Trent / Atlanta Series)

before halftime, man. Where were you all that time?’ ” Will paused for effect. “And the caterpillar says, ‘Put-tin’ on my shoes!’ ”
    The boy sucked in a shocked breath, then exploded with laughter. His mouth opened. He doubled over. His tiny fists were clenched from the effort. He looked at Sara, as if to ask,
Can you believe that?
Sara didn’t have to pretend to laugh along with him. The boy’s unrestrained joy was the sweetest thing she’d heard in a long while.
    He fell over onto his side. The sheets were a forgotten memory. For a brief moment, he was just a kid again.
    Then, like a curtain being drawn, the laughter died out and the memories came crushing in. Slowly, the boy pushed himself back up against the headboard. He tucked the sheets tightly around his waist.
    Will pulled a handful of Jolly Ranchers out of his pocket. “You want one?”
    The boy chose a watermelon-flavored candy. With careful dexterity, he peeled away the wrapper. Sara held out her hand for the trash. The boy’s lips puckered as he sucked on the candy. Something was different. She knew that his guard was still up, but there was daylight between the cracks now.
    “You know,” Will began, “the man who did this to my face will be in a lot of trouble when they catch him.” He crossed his ankle over his knee, casual. “He’ll end up in prison for the rest of his life. Maybe Denise or Lila will arrest him. Or maybe somebody else. There are a lot of cops out there who are good people. Theymake sure that the bad guys get locked up so they can’t hurt anybody else.”
    The boy rolled the candy around in his mouth. Sara could hear it click against his teeth.
    Will said, “People who do bad things always get caught. Did you know that?”
    The boy seemed to consider the question. Finally, he shook his head.
    “You don’t know it or you don’t think it’s true?” Will asked.
    The boy shook his head again, then stopped. Instead of talking, he held up two fingers.
    Will said, “You don’t think that’s true?”
    The boy nodded.
    Will told him, “I know you’re a smart little boy, but you’re wrong about that. This is what I do for a job. I chase down bad people and I lock them up.”
    The boy looked down at the sheet. He picked at the stitching again.
    “I arrested some really bad guys a few months ago. They told this little boy that his mommy and daddy would get hurt if he talked to the police.”
    The boy looked up, shocked.
    “The bad guys were lying,” Will said. “They were just trying to scare the little boy. His mommy and daddy were safe all the time. And when he told me what happened, I arrested the bad guys and brought the little boy home.” Will leaned forward again. “Do you understand what I’m saying?”
    The boy seemed to understand, but he didn’t acknowledge it.
    Will said, “The sooner you tell me what happened, the sooner I can get you back to your family. And trust me, they want you back so badly. You are all they can think about. No matter what the bad men did to you, they just want you back so they can take care of you and make sure you’re safe.”
    The boy looked down at the sheet again. Tears slid down his cheeks.
    Will said, “It’s okay to talk to me, buddy. Whatever happened to you, it wasn’t your fault. You’re just a kid. And your mommy and daddy love you so much. They want you back home. That’s all they care about. No matter what the bad men did to you, they will always, always love you.”
    The boy kept his head down. His mouth moved. He had to think about how to turn sounds into words again. “What about Benjamin?”
    Will glanced up at Sara.
    She asked, “Is that your brother?”
    The boy nodded.
    Will said, “I’m sure he wants you back, too. Even if you fought with him or didn’t get along, none of that matters. Benjamin wants you back home with him.”
    The boy finally looked up at Will. “He’s not home,” he whispered. “He was in the basement, too.”
    Sara felt her heart stop. She was too paralyzed to speak. Another boy, a brother, still out there suffering horrible cruelties. Or, worse, not still out there, but lying somewhere in a shallow grave.
    Will was obviously considering the same possibilities. He visibly struggled to keep his calm. “Benjamin was in the basement with you?”
    The boy nodded his head. “The bad man took him away.”
    Will’s cool started to slip. His voice cracked. “Can you tell me your name?”
    The boy didn’t