Officer Berkley was wrong: he didn't lie in telling the woman her daughter was most likely alive. If he'd waited just a little longer, maybe he would have.
Telling a parent their child is missing is hard enough, but knowing in your heart they're already dead makes it that much worse. Though Officer Berkley doesn't know the truth. If he did, he'd pray the girl's death would soon come.
Tom and his little sister are running away, for good this time. But when a man picks them up off of the side of the road, Tom starts to doubt the decision to hitchhike.