Sara Howard walked into the building which housed her detective agency and felt the hot, slightly stale air envelop her. The heat of summer gripped tightly and even early this morning, she was already overheated. She had only been gone six weeks but considering she spent most of her time here, it felt like it had been longer. She had enjoyed Boston, but it felt good to back in New York. The familiar streets and fast pace felt the most like home, even though she'd never really felt at home in a building. Her detective agency was the closest to what home felt like which made her a little apprehensive to admit to herself, and a little sad.

Her assignment in Boston had been long and exhausting. She normally didn't take cases outside the city, but when Mrs. Darnwell had contacted her rather desperately to find her daughter who was last seen in Boston, Sara couldn't refuse. She had gone to college with Marie Darnwell and although she had not seen Marie in the years that passed since their schooling ended, she felt she owed it to the quiet, studious girl to find out what happened and possibly bring her home to her mother. Sara had taken Elizabeth, a detective-in-training with her. Elizabeth craved adventure and Sara thought she might benefit from seeing what the job was like up close. Although even Sara did not predict the outcome of their investigation, holding out a small amount of hope until the very end.

As she entered the office, a fan in the corner provided a small moment of relief with a barely cool breeze against her flushed cheeks. Her assistant Bitsy stood from behind her desk and she gave her a welcoming smile. "It's so good to have you back Sara."

The office was rather busy after the Libby Hatch case had ended and Sara had felt she should stay, but Bitsy had insisted she leave and they would handle everything while she was gone. They had five trained detectives and Bitsy was so organized that Sara knew they could handle the work, but she still checked in often while she was gone to handle anything that needed her assistance.

Bitsy knew better than anyone that some time away from New York was what she needed. "It won't feel so bad when you're away from here." And she'd been right. After fighting back tears that she didn't even understand as the train had pulled away from the New York station, Sara had felt such sadness, but the time away had cleared her head. From the Libby case, from Marcus' death, from Laszlo's departure and most of all, from John.

He was so close to the surface of her thoughts, that just a moment's lapse and she could see his kind eyes, his smile, that laugh, usually directed at her. Eyes always looking for her, searching for her in a room, even when he was not aware of it. And below the surface, far where she pushed it was the most intimate memories she'd shared with him. She can almost feel his touch against her skin, like the last fading moments of a beautiful dream.

He was the reason she needed to leave. She would never admit it to anyone, even Bitsy who knew it was true. She had left the city a week after she had last said goodbye to John Moore. She'd watched him walk away with the women he was marrying – the woman he was now married to. The women he'd have a child with. She could not bear to be in the same city while the high society event was broadcast in every newspaper and was the talk of the town. So she'd left. The perfect opportunity and excuse had presented itself and she had taken it.

Sara shook the thoughts loose and turned to Bitsy. "I hope things weren't too hectic while I was away."

Bitsy waved her hand. "Nothing we couldn't handle. Although business has never been better. I've left a few files on your desk from cases where they insisted they only work with you. I'm sorry you have to rush back into work, after Boston."

Sara squared her shoulders. "I'm glad to be back and ready to work."

"I hope the time away was…good?" Bitsy asked hopefully.

Sara just nodded. "Did you leave my messages on my desk?"

"Yes, I also left a file for you that I thought you may find interesting. One article in particular."

Sara looked at her assistant, sensing this was something more personal and gave her a slight raised eyebrow. "Please come into my office in ten minutes and you can catch me up on everything."

She left Bitsy and walked into her office, her refuge really. The one place where she could think clearly. The files were stacked neatly on the corner of her desk, but Sara ignored them for the moment and sat in her chair. It looked just the same as when she'd left it. She glanced over her shoulder to the cabinet behind her. The gaping bullet hole left when Libby and John had struggled. Where she'd nearly lost John, a knife to his throat. She looked to the corner of the room. And the very place where she had lost John – where he'd told her his fiancé was with child, his child and no matter what either of them wanted, his marriage to Violet would proceed.

She opened a package of cigarettes and lit one, inhaling with purpose. Her heart ached. No matter how much she tried to work or where she went, she questioned everything that had happened between her and John. He had become so much more to her since they'd reconnected in the last few years, more than a wealthy man in high society. More than just a handsome, indolent man. He was smart and resourceful and passionate. He threw caution to the wind even when he was fearful and he had loved her with all of his heart. And all of what he was had been stifled, marrying into a rich, flashy family who seemed to use John as an ending to all their jokes.

John had been so torn to leave her, but he was getting what he had wanted, what she knew he wanted – a family. So they had said goodbye, embracing right here in this office. She can see them then, like ghosts - her eyes closed, cheek resting against his shoulder, his arms around her, gently stroking her back, trying to memorize their last embrace.

Sara inhaled another breath of smoke, helping it to her relax and focus. She stood and paced a moment before opening the first file, the lightness causing the contents to spill to the floor. They are newspaper clippings she realized – all written by John Moore. She is confused as to why Bitsy would collect these in her absence and then leave them for Sara to read. She hastily collects the papers, putting them back into the file and pushed it to the bottom of the pile.

Bitsy enters a moment later and Sara sat down, straightening her shoulders, pushing away all thoughts of John Moore. "Let's get started."