It was with a heavy step that Maddy started back toward Baker street. It was only when she was two blocks away that she remembered that she had said that she was going to the shelter. It was too early for her to have returned from that distance.

On the other hand, she could feel the pain building in her breast that said that Eliza would wake soon and want to be fed. She stood for a moment at the corner, then she decided to go in.

She could hear Eliza crying as soon as the door opened. She walked up the stairs, rushing inside to find John bouncing Eliza on his lap. He look relieved. "Maddy, I'm so glad you're here," John said, "Back from the shelter already?"

"I never went. I walked around but I couldn't find a taxi. Too early I suppose, so I decided to come back."

"Well I'm glad for that," he said, "She woke up, and I didn't know what was wrong but she just started crying."

Maddy picked up Eliza and put a finger in her diaper. "She's only wet," Maddy said, "I'll change her, and then I'll take her with me to the shelter."

"Good," John said, "I have work today, so that's good."

"Thank you for watching her for me," Maddy said before running upstairs to change, feed, and dress Eliza.

Later they walked into the shelter to find it mostly empty. This was normal as it was a clear day and it was after breakfast but before lunch. Abigail was talking on the phone. She gestured for Maddy to sit. "That's wonderful. I would certainly appreciate that. Yes, I'll be in touch. Goodbye Mary." She put down the phone. "Hello Maddy," Abby said, "I found a teacher willing to take on our stray children. She works part-time at the local primary school and she is willing to run our children's program. But who is this child? Is this your's little girl? She's so beautiful."

Maddy smiled, "This is Eliza," she said. Abby came over and touched her hair.

"Adorable," she said. The phone rang and she reached across the desk to answer it.
"Hello? I see. Thank you for telling me," she said and hung up a frown on her face.

"What is it?" Maddy asked.

"It's Gabe," she said, "he didn't come to school this morning. His father called and said that he was sick. I need to go to his flat and check on him." There was a knock then and the door opened.

"Abby," a man said excitedly, "The oven has stopped working again."

"Turn off the power and toggle the switch a few times. The light should come on then."

"We did toggle it, but it still won't work, and we were fixing lunch."

Abby stood and walked toward the door. "Oh I need to visit Gabe!" she said.

"Let me go instead," Maddy said, "he should remember me. Just tell me the address and I'll take a cab."

"No need for a cab," Abby said, "he's just down the street." Abby bent over the desk and drew a small map on the back of an envelope next to Gabe's address. "Call me to tell me what's going on. Thanks for this Maddy. You're an angel."

"Don't mention it," Maddy said as Abby ran off.

Maddy left the shelter and walked down the street past parked cars and trucks, stepping over oil-slicked puddles on her way to Gabe's flat. His flat was on the ground floor. It was away from the main road facing an alley. There were broken toys and garbage littering the step. She knocked, and a man came to the door. He had stubble that was halfway toward becoming a beard, and he smelled of beer despite the fact that it wasn't even lunchtime yet. "What do you want?" he asked testily.

"Hello," Maddy said, "I came on behalf of Abigail from the shelter. I just wanted to see if Gabriel was alright."

"You from social services? I lost one boy, I won't let no one take the other." The man said and stepped inside ready to close the door.

"I'm not social services," she said, "you ever seen one of them come to a place with their child? No, I was with Gabe the day Michael was taken."

The man stopped. He seemed to see her the first time. "Did you see my Michael?" He looked stricken. His face wracked with worry.

"No, I never saw him, but ...can I come in?"

The man let her into their flat. It was small with dirty white walls. He walked into a small yellow kitchen with a chipped linoleum table. There was a half-drunk beer sitting on it. The man sat down and Maddy sat across from him looking at the small window over the sink and the stack of dirty dishes. An ashtray full of cigarette butts sat on the table, but he moved it over to the counter when she sat picking up a dishcloth and making a half-hearted attempt to clean the surface.

"Do you want anything? Water? Coffee?" he asked.

"No, I don't need anything. Thank You."

The man sat again. He leaned forward putting his head in his hands, his elbows on the table. He didn't say anything, so Maddy started, "We heard that Gabe didn't go to school today and we were afraid that something might have happened to him. Is he alright?"

"Gabe is fine," the man said, "Gabe is safe. I told him to stay home today."

"Why?"

The man looked up at her, "Someone took my son. They raped my other son, and you're asking me why he has to miss a school day? The police have no leads. They don't know where he is. They don't know if he's alive or dead. I can't do nothin'. If I could find those bastards that took him I would kill them with my bare hands. Since I can't, I'm going to make damn sure they can't hurt my other son again."

"So do you plan on staying here forever? You can't just lock your son away."

"What else can I do? This kind of thing isn't supposed to happen. I thought my biggest problem was a boy who ran away every other month. Michael was the good one. He never did anything bad. He was a model student. Why did they have to take him? He wasn't the good for nothin' one."

Maddy sucked in a breath. She turned her head and saw Gabe standing in the hallway. His lower lip jutting out. His eyes hard but shiny. She turned back to the father. "What are you going to do about money? Don't you have to work?" The man took another swig of beer, but said nothing. "Do you mind if I talk to Gabe then?" Maddy asked. He shook his head and gestured toward the hallway. Gabe wasn't standing there anymore.

Maddy rose and walked down the hall to Gabriel's room. The door was open and she could see a neat room with two beds in it. Apparently the brothers slept together. Michael's bed was neatly made. It had a red and blue striped duvet on it. Gabe sat on his bed staring at it. "Close the door please," he said.

Maddy closed the door. She looked at the empty bed once before deciding to sit at the desk. "She yours?" Gabe asked pointing at her baby.

"Yes, this is Eliza."

"Why is she here?"

"I couldn't get babysitting," Maddy said, "What about you. Why are you here?"

He frowned, "Because he won't let me go nowhere. The old man has gotten all fatherly now that Michael is gone. I said that I was going after him, and he was so mad he almost broke the table. He says there is no way that he's letting me out there again. It'd be sort of nice if I didn't have to stay here with him all of the time. Is there any word of Michael? Any news at all?"

Eliza looked around the room. It was full of Michael's drawings, his posters, his school books. The only thing missing was him. There was a picture on the wall of the brothers. Gabriel was wearing a football uniform with his arm around a little boy with an adorably cute face, brown hair, and deep green eyes. Staying in here doing nothing must be driving Gabriel crazy. She knew, because doing nothing was driving her crazy too.

We have some lead, some suspects, but no proof, not yet. Has anyone tried to harm you or to find you again?" she asked.

"How can I know?" he said, "I haven't set foot out of this flat, and if Dad doesn't go to work again today he'll probably lose his job. He doesn't look like he's going anywhere though. That's his second beer."

"What if I could arrange for someone to watch you."

"I don't need a babysitter!" Gabriel said vehemently.

"Not a babysitter," Maddy said, "someone to watch you so he can go to work without worrying that someone will just come in here and take you like they did Michael. If I convinced him, would you go along with it?"

Gabe sat up straight and rubbed his chin. "Yeah okay," he said, "I'll take a babysitter if it'll get him to leave."

Maddy pulled out her phone. It rang twice before she picked up. "Hello Shawna, I've got a job for you. How good are you with children?"

"I'm not a child!" Gabe yelled.

"I mean with irritating teenagers? Yes, you'll be inside all day, and there will be food. Good, meet me at the shelter I told you about. In an hour. I'll be there."

Maddy walked into the kitchen and talked to Gabriel's father. He was suspicious at first, but she convinced him that it was for the best.
"Someone will be with him at all times. You can go to work, and no one from the school or social services will hear about it."

She knew that she had won when he stood and poured out his beer in the sink. He was still worried, but he was willing to take help when he needed it. When he walked her out, she noticed that the flat across the hall from his had a broken window. "Who lives there?" she asked.

"Nobody," he said, "The landlord has been trying to unload it for months. The kids throw rocks, brats and vagrants all of them." Maddy peered in. The room looked small but clean.

"I see, when do you have to be at work?" she asked.

"Three o'clock" he said.

"We'll be here by two."

Maddy walked back to the shelter and waited for Shawna. Abby let her use her private bath to shower and they dressed her in some of the cast away clothes which were worn but clean. "What am I doing?" Shawna asked.

"You are babysitting a boy whose brother was kidnapped."

"What do I do if something happens?"

"You call," Maddy said. She reached into her pocket and started a text. Then she looked over and read the number off of Abby's phone typing them in and pushing send. "I'm texting you Abby's number, if you can't get me, call her. We don't think anyone will try to harm him, but then again they might, he was witness to a kidnapping. Best you stay in the flat. I'll go the store and buy you some food. What do you want to eat?"

Shawna looked at her surprised that she would ask. She stood for a moment with a confused look on her face and then she said, "Pasta and pasta sauce?"

"Fine," Maddy said, "And I'll get you some tea and biscuits. I think Gabe's father only drinks coffee and beer."

* * % * *

Early that evening Maddy walked tiredly up the steps to John's flat. Eliza was already asleep, and Maddy was close to being so when the phone rang. She answered, "Hello."

"Are we still on for tonight?" Mycroft's silken voice said. Maddy jumped. She had forgotten that she had chosen today for their second date. She looked at the time. He would be there in an hour.

"Oh, give me a moment to change," she said.

"If you are too tired from doing your charity work we can reschedule," he said.

"No, don't," Maddy said, "I could really use a night out. I'll be ready." Maddy turned around and walked back downstairs to knock on Mrs Hudson's door.

That evening Maddy rushed out in her high heels and the same red dress. She didn't have many dating clothes, and she was too tired to worry about the fact that she couldn't afford a new outfit. Mycroft was in the driver's seat of the silver coup. She climbed inside and they roared away.

Mycroft was wearing the same fake glasses, but this time he wore a blue jacket which sat open over a plain white shirt with no tie. A red handkerchief was peeking out of his breast pocket. Compared to his normal dress, he looked almost naked.

The restaurant where they ate was a chain that served hearty food and was frequented by the middle class. It had a bar near the front with televisions which were constantly showing football. Mycroft had reserved a table in the back.

"This is a walk-in place," Maddy said, "you don't need to make a reservation."

"I know," he said, "but they take reservations nonetheless."

Their table was in a back corner, nearer the kitchens, but away from most of the crowd. Even so, Mycroft winced at their yells, wrinkling his nose and brow when they grew too loud. Mycroft was disturbed by loud noises. Especially many people talking at once. He soaked up information like a sponge, and he didn't like places that were too stimulating. That was why he preferred cars with shaded windows, and dining alone at a club where no one was allowed to talk.

Maddy realized then what a huge concession it had been for him to agree to her terms. A normal date, like a normal middle class couple in public wearing clothes that would blend in. He only grimaced for a moment, then he calmed his face taking the menu from the waitress and glancing at each page briefly before folding it and laying it aside. He had already memorized it.

The waitress asked if we were ready to order, and Maddy glanced up at Mycroft knowing that he would have already decided what was best, and what they both would like. She nodded at him and the corner of his mouth twitched up for a second into a smile. Turning to the waitress he ordered. "I'll have the top sirloin steak, medium-rare with potatoes, and she will have the fish of the day, and two glasses of the Muscadet to start with."

A smile touched his eyes and the edge of his lips as he handed the menus back to the waitress and stared across at Maddy.

"Isn't it customary to have red wine with steak?" Maddy asked.

"Tonight isn't about me," Mycroft said threading his fingers together and placing them under his chin as he leaned forward with his elbows on the table. "So Madeline, how have you been enjoying your vacation here in London? Good times I hope."

Maddy frowned, "Well, this kidnapping has me a bit flustered," she said, "It's disturbing to think that someone can just take a child like that. It's upsetting, I think of it happening to Eliza."

"Eliza is safe, don't worry," he said in that way that made her wonder about how many people had been assigned to watch her.

"Your brow is wrinkling, Madeline. You need to take time to relax. Talk of something trivial that will take your mind off of the matters that worry you."

"Is that what you do?" Maddy asked.

"Well, no," Mycroft said, "But I don't have a problem thinking about...disturbing things. I have some very disturbing things that I am thinking of at this moment, but they are in the background of my mind. I am simply restating what I have heard others say. 'put it out of your mind'. I believe that is the phrase. So, let us speak of something mundane and middle-class. Did you watch any new shows on telly?"

Maddy smiled, "You're making fun of me aren't you?" she said.

"A bit," he replied.

She sat up in her chair rising to his bait. "As a matter of fact, I did see an interesting show," she said.

The corner of his eyebrow raised. "Interesting?" he asked, "What was it about?"

"Military history," she said.

Mycroft sat forward. "Military history? I didn't know that you had an interest in it."

"Oh yeah," she said, "When I was in high school, I had this really good history teacher. He had a PhD. He had gone to a military academy. He used to tell us stories about battles all the time. He'd talk about castle defenses, and how you build to prevent blind spots. He had us do triangulation and let us shoot off a trebuchet, so when I saw the show I had to watch it. It's a series. The last one was about the pike square. Do you know about the pike square?"

"You are referring, I suppose, to the battle strategy employed by Swiss troops against Charles the Bold in 1477 at the Battle of Nancy whereby a set of well trained men with pikes were able to defeat armed cavalry."

"I should have known that you would know all about it. So much for me trying to sound intelligent. I don't remember the date, but there were these blokes with spears and they marched around in a square."

"Demonstrations of such techniques are often performed by military units as a training exercise. It might be possible for us to attend one if you are interested. I never imagined that you would be interested in such a thing."

"Well, I suppose that there are still a lot of things that you don't know about me," she said glancing up into his eyes which regarded her curiously. Mycroft licked his lips and the outside of his eyes wrinkled in amusement before traveling down her body and resting a moment on her cleavage. He glanced back up at her face, his eyes burning her with their intensity.

The food arrived, and Maddy frowned down at the plate of fish steeped in a yellow sauce. She cautiously took a bite of the fish, and then her entire face changed. "This is good!" she said, "This is excellent. How did you know Mycroft? Do you secretly eat here?"

Mycroft laughed at that, a brief true smile crossing his lips. "No," he said, "The chef working tonight used to work at a well known seaside restaurant that specialized in fish dishes such as this. The owner offered him an increase in salary and the ability to head a staff in London. Since he has worked here, they have changed their fish supplier to one that is slightly more expensive, but much more particular. This shipment arrived from the dock only this afternoon, and therefore I knew that this dish would be fresh and well prepared. I am glad that you liked it."

"You always do such a good job of thinking these things through," Maddy said, "Is there a similar story for the wine?"

"Alas no," he said, "The wine selection here is very limited. Beer is much more common in this kind of establishment. I simply chose one that I thought that you would like. I am not drinking tonight as I will be driving."

"I see," Maddy said, "Then if you don't mind..." She reached across and took Mycroft's glass drinking down the wine as she stared across the top of the glass into his eyes.

Their eyes strayed frequently across the table as they ate. Maddy sat with the fork in her mouth remembering all the meals they used to have together. She always thought that he looked very dainty when he ate. Dabbing his mouth with the edge of his napkin. She glanced at his lips and then down his chin to his shirt. His top button was open revealing an expanse of white neck that was uncharacteristic of him. It was so pale from never having seen the sun that it almost glowed in the dim light of the restaurant. It looked soft. Maddy noticed that she had been staring a bit too long. She looked up to find him staring back at her. Maddy put down her fork.

"Are you finished?" he asked, "Would you like us to go to the cinema now? There are a selection of appropriately banal romantic comedies on that you might like."

"No," she said, pushing her plate aside as she leaned forward lowering her voice, "Mrs Hudson is expecting me at one. If we leave now for your house, we would have three solid hours together before anyone would expect to hear from us.

Mycroft's eyes dilated and his smile became incandescent. He placed the napkin down on the table and rose to his feet, walking around to pull out the chair for her. He placed the cash in the booklet and then tossed down a hundred pound tip before walking behind her as they left the restaurant.