“People don’t just disappear. There’s always an explanation. That’s what my dad says […].”

Ali Cross’s best friend Gabe Qualls goes missing over the holidays. It makes no sense, and Ali begins to worry. His mind, well-trained from observing his famous detective-father at work, already has begun to sort what little he knows into possible clues. Though upset, he doesn’t panic but begins to focus on reasoning out the mystery. He wants to be a good detective like his father.

“‘I know this is usually a prayer for kids everywhere, but if it’s okay, I’d like to pray for just one kid tonight,’ I said. ‘A lot of you know Gabriel Qualls. He’s in my grade at Washington Latin. He doesn’t really come to church, but the point is, he’s been missing for three days.’”

Ali is honored with a request to deliver a prayer at a Christmas Eve church service, but his concern over Gabe’s disappearance distracts him. He resolves the dilemma at the last minute by changing what he has carefully written out so that it asks for prayers on Gabe’s behalf. His sincerity, along with his ability to make quick alterations on the fly, mark him both as a boy with a good heart and a smart kid who perhaps will one day follow in his famous father’s footsteps.

“I couldn’t stop turning it all over in my mind. That’s just the way my brain works, like a generator in a blackout, never stopping, always running, always going.”

Ali worries about his missing friend, and he thinks about it constantly. His mind won’t rest until Gabe is found. Already, he exhibits the dogged determination that marks his best efforts.