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In Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech, do you think Sergeant Bickle believes Phoebe and Sal ?

Sergeant Bickle listens patiently to Phoebe’s story of her mother being kidnapped. While he does not believe her, he does see that she has been through a hard time after her mother has left. He calls Mr. Winterbottom and has him come to pick up the girls. Presumably, he has explained to Mr. Winterbottom why Phoebe has come to the police station, but Mr. Winterbottom has heard this story before. Phoebe more than once demanded that her father call the police. In his own sadness, Mr. Winterbottom can see Phoebe’s sadness but is not able to relieve it. Sergeant Bickle sees that the two of them need to talk this out. It is a matter for family, not for the police. Sal has agreed to take action, not because she thinks Mrs. Winterbottom has been kidnapped, but because she knows that Phoebe must explore every avenue, much as Sal did when her own mother left.

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