Chapter 20: Imposter

The phone rang again as it had so many times before in Maxwell's office at the theatre. That infernal ringing that had always seemed to have a person with bad news on the other line. The noise that had kept interrupting his process of reviewing the actors' schedules and perfecting the dates and times so that Heidi Miller, the lead actress, would stop complaining about being there when it wasn't the right time for her to rehearse. Actually come to think of it, Heidi really wasn't concerned that much for her work hours, but was more preoccupied with getting the attention of a certain British Broadway Producer.

Yes, and she was at it again, already flirting and it wasn't even lunch break yet. Not that Maxwell Sheffield ever had the time to take a lunch break. Even Niles agreed that the man needed to eat more, as he seemed to be getting quite skinnier lately.

"Maxie Waxie, when you gonna take a break?" she cooed at him sexily, playing with his collar and running her hand down his neckline.

She was a dirty blonde. Of course that had double meaning. It wasn't just her hair color, but the way she was too. He was however forced to put up with her foreplay or it was bye bye show.

"Excuse me, Heidi, I need to answer this."

Maxwell moved forward, extending his hand towards the phone receiver, which caused Heidi to be pushed off him.

"Maxwell Sheffield," he said, revealing his name to the caller.

The news on the other end of the line surprised him greatly.

"Maxwell Sheffield, it seems my one of my officers have found Fran Fine and are bringing her here, I need you to come down to the station immediately," informed Lieutenant Jeremy Briggs on the phone.

Briggs had hung up the phone after relaying the information, which was all as well because Maxwell Sheffield was speechless.

"Where are you going?" asked a disappointed Heidi, who was now sitting in his chair with her legs propped up on his desk.

He didn't answer her. Max instead ran over to the wood coat rack in his office, ripped his coat off of the peg and threw it on. Nothing was going to delay him from getting to that police station. He rushed out of the door dragging out C.C. and ignoring everyone's questions. They got in his car drove towards the station.

Everyone in the small, compacted office waited for Fran to be brought in. Maxwell was very nervous and wasn't sure what he was going to say. He wasn't even sure if she would forgive him.

As she was brought in Maxwell was overcome with emotion, but none of the positive kind.

"That is not Fran Fine," he spat out angrily, glaring at the imposter.

She had short, straight light brown hair with a very thin face and pale blue eyes.

"Yes, it is," the young girl in her twenties chirped out in a rather high voice.

Max gave her a threatening look.

He felt like one of those folks who got calls from people saying that they were their long lost child and in reality they weren't. It was just wickedly malevolent for this woman to pretend that she was Fran.

"Oh I'm sorry sir, I guess she doesn't look like the person in the picture." The officer handed Maxwell the wallet and he saw that the driver's license was Fran's.

"I'm sorry about this Mr. Sheffield," said Jeremy Briggs regretfully.

"I can't believe this," stated C.C., crossing her arms.

"How dare you rob from a dead woman!" yelled Maxwell, grapping her shoulders and shaking her.

Maxwell definitely needed to consider signing up for an anger management class.

"Who said anything about her being dead?" questioned the woman, slowly backing away from the man that had gone mad.

"What do you mean?" asked everyone else in the room, astonished looks on their faces.

"Well, when I found her, she was out cold, but she was still breathing. And when I came back she wasn't there. So obviously she got up and walked away."

So that meant that maybe… just maybe she was alive. And that was all the hope Maxwell Sheffield needed.