There was something unusual about the way Officer Vern Hanley looked at him. Something that Captain James T. Kirk could not quite put a name to. It was not the sympathy and understanding he got from some of the crew nor the non-verbal support he got from others. Those steady brown eyes seemed to be trying to tell him something but he did not know what.

There were twenty-eight of them in a briefing room. Commodore Grant Tins had just finished debriefing all the other officers who had been planet side for any reason. Just one look on the man's face showed he was worried about something and Kirk knew it was more than about what had happened to Spock. Before the unexpected debriefing the Commodore had seemed far more confident, then he had had a private communication, and now he was clearly worried about something.

As he looked from Tins to Hanley he could not miss the total contrast in how they seemed. Officer Vern Hanley was the personification of relaxed. Or so he seemed at first glance but there was an undercurrent Kirk could see about how Hanley was looking at Tins. At first he had thought it the same look many in the crew looked at Tins but as Kirk looked at the man there was something else, something he could not quite name.

Despite all the reports, all the evidence Kirk had no doubt that somehow Tins was involved with Spock's disappearance. There was no proof, no way to prove it, but right from the start he had been sure what had happened had not been a random attack. It had been too well organized, too well choreographed not to have been planned. Three security officers had been killed, another security officer badly injured, Commodore Tins had a few minor injuries, and Spock had been taken. When Kirk had gone down to look at the scene he had seen the obvious signs of struggle, had seen how the attackers had picked a good location for the attack, and knew that this was not a route Spock would have willingly have taken.

"Officer Hanley, I will ask you the same question I have asked all the others. I notice that you were down for an extended period as Doctor McCoy had you get some exercise in a swimming facility. You have been down there more often and for longer periods of time so you most likely saw and possibly heard more than most. Before you answer, think carefully over what you saw and heard while on the planet. Did you hear or see anything unusual that might give us more information?"

Again those steady brown eyes looked at him for a moment, briefly at Doctor McCoy, then looked steadily at Tins, "I have made use, as per Doctor McCoy's orders, of a medically appointed swimming facility, I have done some sightseeing, I have bought a few things, tried a few of the unusual foods, and I have met a few people. I have orders to return to the planet first thing tomorrow for my last use of the swimming facility as arranged by the Captain and Doctor McCoy."

"But you saw nothing unusual? Heard nothing unusual?"

"Nothing that I can report on, Sir."

"Nothing unusual in way of people? No unusual conversations about us or anything?" from his tone Tins was getting annoyed.

"No, nothing I thought of as unusual."

It was only a very slight shift in the way he was sitting but Jim Kirk noticed how McCoy looked at the officer. It was the same look the doctor would give to him whenever he was planning to do or had done something McCoy considered crazy.

"When you go down tomorrow you will take note of anything, and I do mean anything, you hear or see that is in the slightest way unusual or that the local inhabitants say is unusual, and report it directly to me, is that clear?' "

"Yes sir."

"Thank you all for your time and reports. I would like Captain Kirk as well as the Chief Medical Officer and Chief Engineer to remain for a moment."

As Officer Hanley started to leave McCoy simply called out, "I'll see you in Sickbay in fifteen standard minutes, Officer Hanley. A check-up before you go back down for the final swimming treatment."

Once they were alone Tins looked at Kirk. "It was the least I could do to try to find out what happened to Mister Spock for you. I thought that maybe one of them might have seen or heard something that could have helped. I will let you know if Officer Hanley reports to me on anything unusual."

All Kirk could do was nod as he knew if he said anything he could be accusing a senior officer of being a part of it. Whatever it was.

"We will be leaving in twenty-eight hours to allow for Officer Hanley's treatment and for me to take care of some matters then we will complete the survey of this area. There is a reason for the delay that I cannot go into right now. We will meet again just after departure."

After Tins had left Kirk paused to think over the events of the last two days. Two days of orbiting a planet where two of his security guards and one of Tins' officers were killed. A planet where Spock simply vanished. Two days of orbiting and not being able to do anything as it was a hands-off planet. Waltond was an independent planet associated with the Federation yet maintaining its right to govern itself.

They had been sent there with Tins to represent the Federation and to transport equipment that was needed. Yesterday he had gone down with Spock, Tins, McCoy and a security guard to arrange delivery as well as arrange for Hanley's used of a proper swimming pool for some physical therapy and all had seemed fine. They had been told that there were a few who were intrigued by exotics but that was nothing unusual. Tins went down a second time with twenty-five later to deliver the goods and Hanley for his first session at the pool. Later Tins had taken Spock back down along with three security guards as Tins had agreed to help with a minor matter that Spock could help him with. He had been walking with McCoy back to his quarters when he was not sure if he felt something or heard Spock call out his name with such pain he almost fell and was just recovering his composure when Tins had sent an urgent message for an emergency beam up. It was clear as the form materialized that they had been attacked and that the security guards had tried to protect him and that Spock was missing.

Tins had looked at him, "Just know Mister Spock died bravely, Kirk. I could not reach him when the beam hit. He is gone. Unfortunately it is a hands-off planet otherwise I would have you send down others to search but nobody is to beam down, nobody."

Bones had taken Tins to Sickbay and confirmed he had been badly beaten but that clearly the security detail had borne the brunt of the attack. It had been a bit of a surprise that Tins was going to have a meeting with all those who had been on the planet. When he had left Sickbay he had told McCoy he was tired, was going to rest, and would go to his quarters for a short rest.

It had been a surprise when Tins had contacted him early to say he wanted an immediate meeting with all those who had been down on the planet. "One of them may have noticed something they did not think too was important.

As Kirk looked around the room he wondered why Tins had called the meeting as none had seen anything just as they had said when they had first returned to the ship. . The room was as empty as he felt. Almost out of habit he started to walk.

McCoy had paused as his Captain walked to Sickbay and looked at Kirk, "Thought you'd be following me. You picked up on it too, didn't you? I want to find out what that man has done to himself this time."

"What do you mean, Bones?"

Blue eyes looked seemed to look into him for a moment, "You really don't know, do you? He, Hanley, tends to say 'nothing I thought of as unusual' when he is hiding his pain or something."

"All I know is that he looked at me in the oddest way, as though he wanted to tell me something but didn't know how."

"That cunning dog, he does know something."