Free Convenient Disposal by Steven F. Havill Page A

noon and hasn’t returned. He didn’t tell his secretary where he was going. I thought maybe you might know.”
    The line went silent, and Estelle gave Page a few seconds to think before she continued on, keeping her tone conversational. “I thought there was a possibility you might have talked to him this morning.”
    “I did,” Page said. “I called the office and we chatted for a while, yes. It’s my impression that there was quite an important county meeting today.” Page sounded as if he was leaning into the phone, keeping his voice intimate. “But I have no idea where he might be. I’m not clairvoyant. What’s going on, Undersheriff?”
    Estelle hesitated, loath to share any more information than necessary. “Mr. Page, we may need to gain access to Kevin’s house here on Candelaria. There’s been an incident next door.”
    “At the Acostas’, you mean?”
    “Yes. I need to talk with Kevin.”
    “His secretary at the county office always knows where he is,” Page said. “But why do you need to get into the house? Did something happen there?”
    “I don’t know yet. That’s why we need to find him. As I said, Kevin left the county meeting around noon. He didn’t return.”
    “I don’t understand what you’re telling me,” Page said. “I thought this had something to do with county business. That’s what you made it sound like. Now you’re talking about his neighbors. What happened down there?”
    “It’s an incident involving one of the Acosta children, Mr. Page. Because it’s next door to Kevin’s, and because his county truck is parked here in the driveway, it’s logical that we would want to find out if he saw anything that would be of help to us.”
    “Is his car there?”
    “The little blue Datsun? Yes, it is. But the house is locked, and no one answers. I was hoping that you might be able to help us, since you talked to him this morning.”
    “You’ve got me thoroughly confused,” Page said. “Look, you said that he was next door at the Acostas’?”
    “No, sir, I didn’t say that. He
isn’t
home. We responded to an emergency call at the Acostas’ address. There is reason to believe that Kevin might have been home, next door, at some time during a critical period in that incident. We have a warrant to search the premises, but I thought it would be helpful—”
    “A
warrant
? Jesus H. Christ, what for?” Page said.
    “It’s imperative that we talk with Kevin, Mr. Page.”
    “Well, I can see that, but look. If he’s not at home, then he’s not at home, right? He’s off somewhere, running errands. His secretary should know.”
    “His secretary
doesn’t
know, sir. And his vehicles are both here.”
    “The county has more than one truck, for God’s sake.”
    “I realize that, Mr. Page,” Estelle said patiently. “And I realize he has a cell phone, and he has a pager. And the county vehicles all have radios. Mr. Page, it’s this simple. We need to talk with Kevin, and no one knows where he is. I thought there might be an outside chance you could help.”
    “Look, you don’t need a warrant to get inside the house, sheriff. There’s a key under that tin lizard on the front window-sill. Just use that. What happened next door, anyway? You said one of the kids was involved in something?”
    “That’s how it appears,” Estelle said.
    “And that’s all you’re going to tell me? It sounds like I should come down.”
    “Actually, that would be helpful.”
    “Absolutely, then,” he said. “I can be out of here in ten minutes. Just a second.”
    Estelle heard the telephone mouthpiece covered, and then distant voices. Page came back on the line. “If I leave here at four, I can be in Posadas by seven. How would that be?”
    “That would be just fine, Mr. Page. I’d appreciate it if you’d check in at the Sheriff’s Office when you come into town…before you do anything else.”
    “I can do that. Now let me ask you a favor.”
    “What’s