Free Snatched by Pete Hautman

cars.”
    “Did you see the driver?”
    “Just the man’s arm resting on the window. It was quite hairy. But that’s about all I remember. I don’t even know what color the car was. SUV, I mean. I mean, I know it wasn’t some odd color like pink or purple or chartreuse, because I would have noticed that. It happened very fast. The girl was waiting over there by the curb, the car pulled up, and she got in. I thought nothing of it at the time. Does that help?”
    “I think so,” said Brian. “Thanks.”
    “Any time.” The nurse picked up her book and continued to read.
     
     
    “It was one of those Ford Explorers,” said the construction worker with the mustache.
    “You’re either blind or crazy,” said the younger, redheaded worker. “It was a GMC Yukon. Either that or a Chevy Tahoe, they look pretty much the same.” He pointed his cigarette at Roni. “Don’t listen to Brad. He don’t know crap.”
    “Did either of you see the man who was driving?” Roni asked.
    Brad said, “I know it was a Ford Explorer on account of my brother drives one just like it.”
    The redhead dropped his cigarette butt and ground it out with the heel of his steel-toed boot. “You are so full of it, Brad, I don’t know how I stand it.”
    “You can’t stand it, you oughta quit bugging me.”
    “Like I got a choice.”
    “So neither of you saw the driver?” Roni asked.
    Brad said, “No. I saw a green Ford Explorer, and that was it, no matter what this lunkhead tells you.”
    “It was a white Chevy, you moron. Or a GMC. That’s what I told the cops.”
    The two men glared at each other.
    Roni backed away.
     
    Brian was much more comfortable approaching the kid in the wheelchair than he had been talking to the nurse. But he feared Roni was right about this kid. He looked pretty out of it. His head hung off to the side and his eyes were unfocused. One thin hand rested on a small joystick, the other quivered and jerked in midair. He was wearing a Minnesota Twins baseball cap.
    Brian said, “Hey.”
    The kid’s head bobbed on his thin neck, then turned toward Brian. His eyes rolled in his head, then seemed to catch on Brian’s face.
    “Annyong haseyo,” the kid said in a creaky voice.
    At first Brian thought the kid was talking gibberish. Then he reconfigured the voice and recognized the words from last summer’s language camp. A little embarrassed, he had to confess, “Sorry, I don’t really speak Korean.”

27
    chess
    Different people see things differently, Roni reminded herself as she left the two hard hats shouting at each other. But this was ridiculous. You would think they could at least agree on the color of the vehicle. She looked around for other potential witnesses and spotted Brian talking to the kid in the wheelchair. Might as well check in with him, she thought.
    Brian saw her coming and pointed her out to the wheelchair kid.
    “That’s my friend Roni, the reporter.”
    “Pleased to meet you,” said the kid in a slow, wavering voice. Roni had to concentrate to make out what he was saying. “My name is Chess.”
    “As in Chester,” Brian explained. “But he plays chess, too.”
    “Hi, Chess,” said Roni. She was surprised the kid could talk.
    “I like your coat,” said Chess.
    “Thanks!” Roni performed a little spin. “Got it at the Goodwill.”
    “Chess was here yesterday,” said Brian.
    “I have cerebral palsy,” Chess said, head bobbing, left hand hovering and quivering. “Don’t worry, it’s not contagious.”
    “He saw the whole thing,” Brian said.
    “I’ve been here every day for the past two weeks. My therapy is from eleven to twelve-thirty, so I wait here for my ride.”
    “You saw Alicia get into the SUV?”
    Chess nodded. Or at least she thought it was a nod.
    “What kind was it?”
    “It was a Jeep Cherokee.”
    “Oh.” Roni frowned. Great. Now she had three witnesses, and every one of them saw something completely different.
    “It was dark green,” said