Chapter 12. Missing

Pamela had been gone for 4 days now and Boxhall was getting anxious about her. He thought of filing a missing persons report but Wolfe told him not to do that, as it would attract unwanted publicity and Baron would have even more fodder for his campaign. Boxhall knew Wolfe was right, but he still wanted Pamela found, no matter what. He had taken to pacing the bedroom at night for a few hours before sleep would carry him off, and his work showed no signs of his mental distress. He had been an officer in the White Star Line for a long time now and he knew how to prevent his mental stresses from impacting his job.

One afternoon just before he started home, Lord Pirrie called him to his office for a chat. The old man looked better since the sinking debacle and he appraised Boxhall now with his keen eyes and bade him to sit down.

"Thank you, sir." Boxhall preempted a chair and sat down in it.

"Are you doing all right, Mr. Boxhall? The men say you seem distant now."

"It's a few problems in my personal life, sir."

"Ah. If I remember correctly, you had a pregnant friend to take care of, yes?"

"More like be there if she needed care," Boxhall amended. "things get a little intense and that often throws me for a loop, so to speak. I'm not used to it."

Lord Pirrie chuckled and leaned back. "It is an emotional time in a lady's life, having the child of one that she loves. Is the father in the child's life?"

Boxhall wanted to roll his eyes and snort. "No, sir. He doesn't know about the child and neither of them loved the other."

"Oh, it's one of those," Pirrie said, his voice went down low for a minute. "she's having a bastard baby."

"Sir, I must protest the label you put upon the child," tired and emotionally distraught, Boxhall glared at his boss. "it did not ask to be conceived or born into a place where the father doesn't know that it lives."

Pirrie recognized the vehemence and measured Boxhall up with his eyes. "You have grown to care for the mother and child, have you not?"

"Sir!"

"I mean no harm, Mr. Boxhall. This is just between the two of us, do I make myself clear?"

The officer relaxed marginally. "Yes sir."

"It is not unusual in the least to become infatuated with a lady who is having a bastard child. I would say once you feel the lad moving underneath her skin, you would be developing an affection for the child as well. Might I ask if you have felt that phenomenon?"

Boxhall reddened slightly, remembering when he had gone into Pamela's room while she was asleep and put his hand on her small bump. The child had moved, nudging his hand around and he cleared his throat. "Yes sir."

Lord Pirrie smiled. "Then you have felt the miracle of creation which lies in our children, Mr. Boxhall. If you need a few days off to care for the mother, please do not hesitate to ask."

"Thank you sir." the owner of the White Star Line waved him out with a gentle smile.

When he had returned home, Boxhall saw Wolfe was waiting for him nearby. He unlocked the door and admitted the policeman in, asking him immediately what news that had transpired. The lanky cop sat down on the couch and measured his words carefully, not wanting to upset Boxhall. From his experience on the police force, he'd dealt with many relatives that wanted news of their loved ones and Boxhall was no different. If he said the wrong thing, Boxhall would be shattered. He finally arranged his words into a sentence and looked up at the White Star Line officer.

"Rumor is going around that Mrs. Baron has disappeared from public sight," he pulled a clipping out of his pocket and handed it to Boxhall. Mrs. Baron was a plump figure with dark hair and eyes. The picture had been taken a month ago, as she was arm in arm with her husband and waving to the photographers. Of interest, Boxhall noted a very obvious pregnant belly poking out from her dress. "she's also having his child and is due any day now. The lady has a history of mental instability and violence. She has a nasty habit of flying into rages of which she does horrible things and claims afterward that she doesn't remember doing any of it. Several witnesses tell the truth but because her husband is well connected, she gets off every time."

"Damned politics," Boxhall cursed, passing the clipping back to Wolfe. "so how do we rescue Pamela?"

"I have a few men already working on that part, Mr. Boxhall. Mrs. Baron injured a few of my men's wives, apparently from a jealous rage or something like that, so they will do anything that they can to bring her down. The house has been on stakeout ever since Pamela disappeared." Wolfe looked like he wanted to say more but stopped, afraid of causing Boxhall any more distress.

Boxhall knew it immediately. "What aren't you saying?"

"Mrs. Baron likes to go into her basement these past nights and one of my men has heard screams. They were faint, but he has the ears of a bat and I trust him absolutely."

The officer paled. "So that means.."

"Mrs. Baron is doing horrid things to Pamela," Wolfe nodded. "we have enough to get a search warrant, though I do not want to rouse suspicion that we think they are up to something."

"So what do we do?"

Wolfe steepled his hands together. "The Barons will be leaving for France tomorrow around early evening. I think that you and I should go over there and conduct a raid."

"I'm for that." Boxhall put his head in his hands. "God, I hope they don't do anything to the baby." Wolfe gave him an odd look.

"The mother first, the baby second," he said harshly, standing up. "once the health of Pamela is assured, her child will follow."

"Of course."

"Mr. Boxhall, I do suggest you go to work like nothing has happened tomorrow." Wolfe noted upon his arrival that the officer looked exhausted and drawn. "We will put an end to this once and for all. Mrs. Baron is a menace and should be in prison. You must get all the rest you can, as tomorrow will be a busy day."

"I will try, Reg."

"Good man. Sleep now." Wolfe did not want the officer fainting from exhaustion as they raided the place. He made sure Boxhall went to bed and was sound asleep before he left the house.