Officer Discreetly Follows Lost Boy, Then Breaks Down When He Discovers the Truth

The bus headed east, away from schools, apartment blocks, and the neighborhoods where a child should have been going home. Sean watched each stop carefully, just in case Leo got off. When Leo finally did, it was in an older part of town near pawn shops, closed repair garages, and buildings with peeling paint. Sean parked around the corner and followed on foot. Leo kept checking a folded envelope in his hand, then looking up at street signs, his face tight with concentration. He was trying to act grown-up, but every few seconds he glanced around as if suddenly remembering how vast the city was.