She frowned. “That doesn't explain why she thinks he's going to run away."
"The kid's unhappy at home. Hates his dad, who's an alcoholic and hardly ever home, and argues constantly with his mom."
"Sounds like your average teenager to me."
Jake laughed softly. “Yeah, I guess it does. But lately, the kid's apparently been saying that he doesn't need them any more, that he's found someone who understands him." Nikki raised her eyebrows. “The Internet friend?"
"Maybe."
"Has Mrs. Kincaid asked Matthew about the friend?"
"Yeah,” Jake said, voice dry. “And the reply is one I'm not about to use over the two-way." She grinned. “Has she tried going into his computer when he's at school?"
"You need a password to get into his E-mail and chat logs."
"Clever kid."
"Too clever, apparently. That's why he's something of an outcast at school." She snorted. “I think the ears and the height might have something to do with that."
"On the Internet, looks don't matter."
"They do if you intend to meet the person."
"Yeah, but there's no indication Matthew's lied about his looks." There was no indication that he hadn't either, and she had a bad feeling the teenager had lied through his teeth while on-line. Given his height, his coloring, and those ears, he would surely have been the butt of many harsh jokes at school. The Internet would have given him not only anonymity but also the ability to reinvent himself.
So why would he risk all that to meet his friend and reveal the truth? And why did she have a feeling that it could all go horribly wrong?
She glanced at her watch. “It's close to eleven-thirty now. Does his mother have any idea when the meet was going to happen?"