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One minute. Maybe less.

You can't even say you turned your back. You only glanced at something there, admired something here, and in that breath of time when your eyes were elsewhere, your child disappeared.

You couldn't think but your mind raced. You couldn't speak, but you screamed his name. When your child is missing -- even for fifteen seconds -- it's not anywhere near your worst nightmare.

It goes way beyond it.

In the new book "After Etan," by Lisa R. Cohen, you'll read the true account of a child's disappearance 30 years ago, how it affects us even now, and why you should still be concerned.

It was May 25, 1979, the school year was almost over, and for months Etan Patz had begged his mother for more independence. Finally relenting, figuring that she could keep a long eye on him in the two-block distance between their apartment and the school bus stop, Julie Patz allowed Etan to walk himself to the corner.

She watched him for a few minutes then returned inside, confident that he'd be fine. But 6-year-old Etan never made it to school.

This being a time before AMBER Alerts, missing child databases, or even little faces on milk cartons, the Patz's friends and neighbors quickly mobilized and began a search. The police were contacted, and door-to-door canvassing was done. "Missing" posters were hung on every corner in Manhattan. Everyone even remotely connected to the Patz family was interviewed, but Etan had seemingly vanished without a trace.

But the trace was there.

Three years after Etan Patz went missing, prosecutor Stuart GraBois moved into the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Southern District of New York. GraBois was tenacious and relentless, and with the backing of then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani, he sunk his teeth into the Patz case.

Starting from scratch, GraBois re-interviewed everyone and pored over stacks of boxes of documents. He chased every clue, even ones out-of-country. His persistence made enemies, including the parents of Etan Patz.

But GraBois had a reason for the digging: he knew that 6-year-old boys don't just disappear on their own.

He also knew that monsters really do exist.

Officially, the disappearance of Etan Patz hasn't been solved, but Cohen leads readers to a possible conclusion shared by many, including Etan's father.

Along the way, she spins a tale that's horrifying in the brutality of the crime, fascinating in the way it changed our national and local treatment of missing child cases, and thrilling in the jailhouse and legal maneuvers meant to catch the man GraBois says made a "90 percent confession".

As a coup de grace to her tale, Cohen reminds us that this suspect, now behind bars, may be released from prison in the not-too-distant future.

Legal thriller and true crime fans will race through this real story. If you're looking for a keep-you-up-all-night book, this is one to grab because -- although it's going to make parents cringe, cringe again and hug their children tight -- missing "After Etan" would be a crime.

"After Etan" by Lisa R. Cohen, Grand Central Publishing, $25.99, 379 pages.

Mammovan

The Mammovan will be in Pahrump June 16 and 17, parked in front of the Bob Ruud Community Center.

The visit is sponsored by the Pahrump Valley Republican Women.

Appointments are required, they can be made by calling 1-877-581-6266.

Vacation Bible School

Central Valley Baptist Church

June 29--July 3: Monday-Friday, 1-3 p.m.

Signups are starting now for ages 3 to kindergarten and grades one through three and grades four through six.

There will be a family barbecue at 5 p.m., July 3 for all students and parents.

Call 751-1804 for more information.

Family to Family Calendar

The Center has moved to a new location at 621 S. Blagg Road, behind No to Abuse.

Summer hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. beginning June 1.

The schedule for Family to Family Connection for June:

June 12 -- NEIS Explore and Learn playgroup, 11 a.m.

June 15 -- infant massage, 11 a.m.

June 16 -- teen parenting class, WIC office, 2-4 p.m.

June 17 -- family vehicle safety class, 10 a.m., registration and fee required.

June 19 -- CPR class, 11 a.m., registration required.

June 22 -- Ages to Stages developmental screening, call for appointment.

June 25 -- Nurturing parenting class, Amargosa Apostolic Church, 10 a.m.

June 25 -- food pantry, Amargosa Valley Senior Center.

June 26 -- NEIS Explore and Learn playgroup, 11 a.m.

Mondays -- Prenatal parenting class, 1-3 p.m.

Tuesdays -- Nurturing Parent class, 1-3 p.m., Spanish.

Wednesdays -- Nurturing Parent class, 1-3 p.m., English.

Thursdays -- Mommy and me play group, 1 p.m.

The resource lending library is open 8-4 p.m., Monday-Friday.

Call 751-5898 for more information and to set appointments or register for classes.

Chamber for June

The following events are being sponsored by the Pahrump Chamber of Commerce for June:

* June 11 -- Members business meeting, 8:30 a.m., Pahrump Cafe. Rhonda Van Winkle is the guest speaker on the "Value of Advertising."

The cost is $10 for members and $15 for non-members.

* June 24 -- After Hours Networking Mixer, 5:30 p.m., Pahrump Valley Times. Co-hosts are Dragon Cloud Dojo and Smith's Food and Drug.

The cost is $5 for members and $15 for non-members.

* July 3 -- Community Family Picnic, 4 p.m., Petrack Park.

This is the pre-celebration for the annual fireworks show. Games, food and beverages will be available.

Bring chairs or a blanket and a picnic for the fireworks show at 9 p.m.

Volunteers for the games are needed. Call the chamber.

* July 4 -- "We the People" Jubilee, 10 a.m. until the fireworks at the Pahrump Nugget.

Games and vendors, live entertainment and a musical play "We the People," presented by the Shadow Mountain Community Players. The play will be staged at 2:30 and 6:30 p.m. The cost is $6 for adults and $4 for children.

* July 9 -- July business meeting, 11:45 a.m., Great Basin College-Basin Campus.

Bill Verbeck of GBC and Diane Lake of JobConnect will present their partnership and the benefit to Pahrump and Nye County.

The cost is $10 for members and $15 for non-members.

For more information on any of the above events or to make reservations, call the chamber, 727-5800.

Debut concert

Freedom of Praise Ministries will present the Pahrump Valley Gospel Choir in a debut concert at 6 p.m. June, 26 in the Bob Ruud Community Center. The choir is under the direction of minister, George Ferguson.