"What's wrong?"
"Teleporting!" Boyd said. "Juvenile delinquents!"
Malone felt a sudden twinge in the area of his conscience. He realized that he had told Boyd nothing at all about what had been going on since the discovery of the notebook two nights ago. He filled his partner in rapidly, while Boyd stood in front of the mirror and rather shakily attempted to trim his beard.
"That's why I had the car search continue," Malone said. "I was fairly sure the fault wasn't in the cars, but the boys. But I had to make absolutely sure."
Boyd said, "Oh," chopped a small section out of the center of his beard and added, "Damn. My hand's shaky."
"Well," Malone said, "that's the story."
"It's a hell of a story," Boyd said. "And I don't want you to think I don't believe it. Because I don't."
"It's true," Malone said.
"That doesn't affect me," Boyd said. "I'll go along with the gag. But enough is enough. Vanishing teenagers. Ridiculous."
"Just so you go along with me," Malone said.