The boy swore at Ted.
“I still don’t know his name or where he’s from,” Jean said. “He won’t tell me.”
Ted nodded. “Riding the rails?” he asked the boy.
“What’s it to yah?” the boy asked.
Ted shrugged. “Well, we’ll send out an alarm. His parents are probably frantic.”
“He was on his way to Boston,” Jean offered. “You might concentrate on towns south of here.”
“You gonna call the cops?” the boy asked with terror in his eyes.
Ted nodded. “Something like that. We can’t let your parents worry about you.”
The boy turned his face to the wall. “They won’t worry. Skip it. But jest don’t call the cops.”
Ted patted him gently on the shoulder and went to the door. “I’ll see you in a few minutes. Take it easy.”