Disclaimer: I don't own Without a Trace, any of the characters, story-lines, or actors. However I do own my ideas.
Zai: Thanks for the reviews! I hope you enjoy the next chapter. And Jeannedomingo: Yeah, they were still hiding their relationship.
10 hours missing
Martin shifted on the office chair. Across from him, on the other side of the large conference-style table, sat his boss Jack Malone. Jack tapped his pen absently against his notebook before asking his next question, "So, she stayed till twelve, why not the whole night?"
Martin shrugged, "I offered, she didn't want to, I guess."
"And she seemed fine?"
"Yeah, she didn't mention anything bothering her." Martin leaned forward in his chair and rested his forehead in his hand. "Dammit!" Martin swore sharply. "If I'd just walked her to her car..."
"It's not your fault-" Jack began but stopped when he realized how hollow those words must sound from Martin's position. They'd all told the victim's families the exact same things, time and time before. Jack slowly rose to his feet and looked at Martin intently. Though Martin hadn't explicitly explained his and Sam's new relationship, Jack understood. "Martin," he sighed wearily, "go home."
"You can't take me off her case Jack! I need to help. We can't be short two people. Jack, please don't do this."
Jack considered for a long moment, then gestured toward Martin's desk. "Go through all the recent case files, find me a suspect." Martin nodded numbly and headed off to retrieve all the old case files. Jack pulled out his cell.
0-0-0-0
Vivian stepped back from the door of the last apartment on the floor, as the suite's occupant closed the door behind her. Danny headed over from across the hall. "You get much?"
"A couple people recognize her, but no one who recalls seeing her last night," Vivian said with a sigh.
"I got a guy," Danny said scanning his notes, "in 407, says he saw Sam in the lobby at about six, yesterday."
Vivian's response was cut off by a ringing from her waist. She held the phone to her ear, "Johnson."
"Viv," Jack's voice came over the phone, "Did you get anything from the canvas?"
"Not much, A lot of people not home. We got several who remember her, but only one guy who saw her last night. Around six-ish. No one saw her leave."
"Martin said she didn't leave until after twelve. Are you done at the apartment?"
"Yeah, we're done here."
"Okay, send Danny back. We'll need help sorting through old case files. You check out Sam's house. See if you can find anything out of the ordinary." Jack paused, "One last thing, Martin said he walked her to the lobby, so she must have gone missing from the car-park."
Vivian was silent for a moment. The distance between the lobby exit, and Sam's car hadn't been very large. It seemed as if someone had to have been waiting for her. "All right, I'll check back in a bit," Vivian finally said before disconnecting the call and turning to Danny. "Jack wants you to head back. He and Martin are looking for a suspect from our case files." Danny nodded and Vivian turned to head back to the ground floor.
"Viv?" Danny said slowly, "Do you think Martin can work this one... I'm mean, with he and Sam being involved."
Vivian shook her head, "That's Jack's call."
0-0-0-0
Case files were spread across the entire conference table. Martin and Jack sat on opposite sides of the table, tackling their own piles. Danny stopped in the doorway. Martin sifted through the sheets in a file aimlessly. Jack looked up having heard Danny's approach. He rose to his feet and came to stand next to Danny.
Martin didn't even notice Jack leaving the table. He knew how important it was they go through these files, it was possible someone from a former case had grabbed Sam. Eleven hours, she had been missing nearly eleven hours. An eleven hour-eternity.
Eleven hours ago and her light hair had been spread across his pillow. Her warm, firm skin bared beneath him, showing every curve of her well-defined body. Last night she had been so close, right there in his arms. The same as countless other nights at one-another's place. And despite all of them, he had never found the time or the words to tell her how much she had come to mean to him. A thought occurred, and was just as immediately banished from his mind; and now you might never get that chance.
Across the room Jack and Danny watched Martin closely, "Jack he shouldn't be here. His mind is elsewhere. He could miss something."
Jack shook his head, he agreed with Danny but he had made his decision - it was better to keep Martin here where he could keep an eye on the distressed agent. "His mind is on nothing but the case," Jack said curtly and returned to the case file he had been scanning. He pushed a few toward the chair Danny had claimed next to Martin.
0-0-0-0
Vivian surveyed the living room for a second time. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. She had now been through the entirety of Sam's house and was back where she had started. Even the computer had yielded nothing warranting further investigation. Vivian sighed and let herself back out.
Before returning to the office Vivian headed over to the nearby houses. It was possible someone had noticed something unusual even though this was not the site of Sam's disappearance. She did not find anyone home until she reached the house directly across from Sam's house. A man answered the door.
"Hello. I'm special agent Vivian Johnson with the FBI. I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions." Vivian asked politely.
"Uh? I've already spoken to your colleague," came the man's tired reply, "told him I hadn't seen the lady's car last night."
"My colleague?"
"Yeah, er, Fitzgerald. Or something."
Martin. He must have come talked to the guy earlier. "Well, I was just wondering if you'd noticed anything unusual around lately."
"Hmm. Sorry, I work nights and sleep days. You might try asking Mrs. Breckhem." The man said gesturing to the house to the right of Sam's. "She's usually home. She might be out back in her garden."
Vivian thanked the man and headed back to see if this Mrs. Breckhem was around. There had been no reply at the door so Vivian headed around the side of the house. And sure enough, an elderly woman was kneeling in her back garden. "Excuse me," Vivian called from the gate.
"Oh, hello dear," the silver-haired woman exclaimed coming over to the fence. "I mustn't have heard you knock."
"Oh that's all right, My name is Vivian Johnson, I'm with the FBI. I was wondering if perhaps I could ask you a few questions."
"Well of course dear. Please come have a seat," she said opening the gate and gesturing to a white patio table with matching chairs. "Can I get you something?"
"No, that's all right. I don't want to take up much of your time." Vivian said as they each took a seat in the whitewash clean chairs. "I was just hoping I could ask you a few questions about your neighbour. She's missing."
"Oh my!" The elderly woman exclaimed. "How awful! Samantha's such a nice girl."
"Do you know her well?"
Mrs. Beckhem shook her head, "No, but she always offers to help when I'm bringing in the groceries and whatnot."
"Have you noticed anything strange lately? Anyone hanging around, that sort of thing."
"Well now that you mention it," Mrs. Breckhem said after a short pause, "There was this car, never seen it around before. Would pull up across the street and just sit there. An ugly sort of dark red station-wagon. Only saw it twice though."
"Recently?" Vivian asked.
"Yes, first time was, oh about a week ago and the second must have been Friday."
"Did you notice the licence plate, or what the driver looked like?"
Again Mrs. Breckhem shook her head. "No, it was rather dark then. Curious though..." she trailed off.
"What's curious?" Vivian prompted.
"Both times the car showed up was when Samantha was entertaining that gentleman friend of hers. Pulled up only a moment or so after he arrived."
"Gentleman friend?" Vivian asked, although after speaking with Martin's neighbours she was quite sure she knew who that was.
"Yeah, a nice looking lad. He's been coming round awhile now. I don't know his name though." Mrs. Breckhem replied.
"Oh, that's all right, you've been a great help." Vivian said rising to her feet and handing Mrs. Breckhem a card with her office number on it, "Just in case you remember anything more about that station-wagon."
"Glad I could be of help. I do hope you find her."
Vivian headed back around the front of the house and pulled out her cell to give Jack an update.