"Lucas Bouchard is gone." Emily said upon Nathan answering his phone.

The Mountie immediately sat up in his chair. "Excuse me? What did you say?"

"He checked himself out of the hospital overnight. Nobody knows where he is. Nathan, he wasn't ready to be out on his own. I'm really worried."

It had been a month since Elizabeth's visit and in that time so much that was good had happened. Lucas's prosthetic limb had arrived on January 5th and he learned how to use it almost immediately. He worked so hard at doing his exercises that Carson needed to caution him about overdoing things several times. His surgery had healed but his residual leg was not yet used to being placed in a socket and the last thing that Shepherd wanted was for Bouchard to set himself back by doing too much too soon. Lucas faithfully adhered to this warning and disciplined himself to follow the doctor's orders and had done extremely well, being able to walk on his own with the use of a cane for several hours at a time and being able to withstand wearing the device the entire day. In fact, it was just the previous evening when Nathan and Emily were planning the former's return to Baltimore in just a couple of weeks in order to take Lucas home for good. But now, she was telling him that Lucas had disappeared? What had happened?

"We had a terrible night last night with Cyrus, Lucas's roommate. A few days ago, he had been clowning around, as Cy was apt to do, and he ended up running his bad leg into the corner of a metal table. It wasn't much of a wound, a scrape, really…but unbeknownst to any of us, it got infected and by last night had turned septic. Lucas was awakened at one in the morning by Cy standing over him trying to choke him to death."

"Goodness." Nathan said, imagining the scene.

"Yes. Cy had become delirious, which sometimes happens in these cases. Lucas managed to push him away and called for our nursing staff who immediately restrained Cy and called in Carson. When Dr. Shepherd got there, he knew it was bad and he called in Cy's wife, Mattie, who arrived around three. Lucas sat with her for the longest time until Carson came out to tell her that things didn't look good. That's when she broke down and began to scream out her husband's name, crying harder than I believe I've ever seen another person cry over a loved one. It was heartbreaking and she was inconsolable.

That was the last I saw of Lucas. He wheeled himself back to his room since he hadn't had time to don his leg – and when we went to check on him this morning he was gone. A newer nurse on the overnight staff said he just signed himself out. Took some of his clothes and his bag and left."

"Did he give the nurse any indication where he was going? Anything at all?" Nathan asked.

"Nothing. She said he was polite, as I would have expected Lucas to be. She said he asked her to thank me and Dr. Shepherd and our staff for all that they had done to help him and that he'd never forget us. Then he left."

Nathan exhaled and shook his head. Just when it seemed things were going so well, now this had to happen. "Okay. I'm going to try to make some phone calls. The Bouchards are well connected. Maybe his parents have contacts in Baltimore who can help us find him. Or maybe they might know where he's travelled to."

"He couldn't have gone very far." She said.

"How's that?" Nathan asked.

"He was essentially out of money." She said. "I shouldn't be saying this, but Lucas is broke."

Nathan digested that thought and then considered what it would mean to be in that kind of a situation for the Lucas he knew. For all he knew, Lucas was a good and honorable man – but he was largely untested. He had never had to suffer want and Nathan wondered how he would handle being placed into a situation where he might have lose some of his finer trappings and just be like everyone else – no longer a wealthy benefactor but just your average guy. But then again, he wasn't. Add to this his disability and…

"Of course, you'll tell Elizabeth too? I'm afraid if I call her, it will just scare her."

Elizabeth. Nathan closed his eyes knowing how difficult this would be for her and for him to even break the news. "Of course. I will call you later to let you know if I get ahold of Lucas's parents. Please call me at home, the office or even the Mercantile if you get any news. They can run and find me."

"Thank you, Nathan. I will" she replied then she hung up the phone.

School was in session and Elizabeth Thornton had just dismissed the children for recess when she heard a knock on the door. Raising her eyes she looked surprised but smiled.

"Nathan. What brings you here this morning?" she asked.

The man in the red serge didn't answer at first but took a few steps into the room, removing his hat. The look upon his face was deadly serious.

"Elizabeth…Lucas…"

Her mind immediately flashed back to that horrible night nearly five years before when a young Mountie in a red serge had come to inform her that her Jack was gone. Immediately, she began to break down.

"No, oh please don't tell me something's happened to him." she said, as tears flooded her eyes.

Nathan stepped forward, straightaway. "No. Nothing like that. He's okay." he said. "At least we think he is."

Elizabeth breathed a sigh of relief, placing her hand over her heart. Then she looked up at Nathan. "What do you mean, you think he is."

"He's left the hospital. Checked himself out overnight and nobody knows where he's gone." He replied.

Elizabeth was astonished by the news. "That's not possible. He's not supposed to be released for another two weeks."

"I know. Some things happened overnight with his roommate that were very traumatic. Lucas saw it all and Emily seemed to think that this is what upset him. I came here to let you know and also to ask if you happen to have his parent's phone number. I was thinking the Bouchards might have some contacts in Baltimore who might find him."

"My poor Lucas…Yes. I have Helen's phone number in my purse." She said, immediately reaching into her desk and retrieving a small hand bag. Taking out a slip of paper she handed it to Nathan. "Please return it when you're done with it and let me know what they say. Nathan, we've got to find him. I know when he's very upset about something his first tendency is to run, so whatever is going on with him has to be very serious – but he needs to be home and we need to talk it through. Lucas belongs in Hope Valley and we can't stop until we find him."

Nathan nodded. "I agree."

Baltimore, Maryland in late January 1920 was cold and windy. With highs in the mid-twenties, Lucas was very thankful to have his winter coat. But as he walked the streets with nothing but his bag, cane, Elizabeth's watch and a few dollars in his wallet, he began to realize how much his world had changed. Gone were the days that he could just walk into a hotel and book a suite. With prices in the city ranging anywhere from $1 to $4 a night, for him in this moment, it was simply not an option. And with each restaurant 'meal' costing nearly a dollar as well, this was out of the question as well. At present, he had precisely thirty-five dollars and fifteen cents to his name that he needed to make last – at least until he could get a job and start earning a paycheck…which, in a city that was overrun with men coming back from the war and hundreds of new immigrants, was not necessarily going to be an easy task to accomplish.

Having been in the city once before, when his father was there on business, Lucas already had a pretty good idea of which areas were nice and which ones to avoid. Unfortunately, he also knew that the nice ones were out of his price range and so he gravitated to the lesser parts of town. In his mind, this would work out just as well because housing was cheap and he wanted to get lost in the masses.

Peter Bouchard returned to America the moment that he heard the news. Ever since their time in Hope Valley, he and Helen's relationship had felt somewhat strained but she wouldn't talk about it and so he did what he often did which was to return to London where he could feel at least somewhat a success in life. But when it came to their only son, the couple was unequivocally united. Peter and Helen knew that without money or job and being in the condition he was in; Lucas's life was likely in danger and on that, they weren't incorrect. For, one week after he left the hospital, Lucas awakened in the cheap hotel he'd been sleeping in to find he'd been robbed and now, except for his coat and his cane, the watch and his grandmother's ring which he kept close to his heart in his shirt pocket, he had nothing – no job, no food, no place to lay his head. Lucas Bouchard had hit rock bottom. But then, an angel appeared.

Lucas had been up all night looking for food and trying to stay warm. Three times he looked at the ring and considered taking it to the pawn shop but his heart wouldn't allow him to do it. And so, he wrestled with the elements and tried to stay alive. On the morning of February 2nd as he lay sleeping in an alley outside of a church on the banks of Patapsco River he was awakened by the sound of a woman's voice.

"Is he alive?" he heard her ask, and then he felt a hand upon his thigh shaking him. He opened his eyes and saw the kindest most gentle face that he thought he'd ever seen. The man smiled.

"Yep. Looks like he's alive." He replied. "What'ya doin' out here young man? It's awfully cold for you to be outside."

Lucas righted himself and attempted to run a hand through his unruly mane but being that he was filthy and hadn't had a bite to eat in days, he knew it wasn't of much use.

"I was just resting for a moment." He replied, trying to stand. "I'll be out of your way in a minute."

Lucas reached for his cane and the man gave him a hand, helping him to stand.

"I'm Thomas Sullivan, the pastor here at Grace Church. We're just opening up for the morning services. Would you like to come in and get warm?"

"My name is Lucas." He said. "I'm afraid I'm not very presentable. If you might have a hot cup of tea, I'd be very much obliged."

"Nonsense." Thomas replied. "Everyone's welcome in the Lord's house. Come in. I can show you where my office is. There's a restroom in back of it. No bath, but there is a sink and I can have my wife Katie here bring you some towels."

Lucas looked at the woman who appeared to be around ten years older than himself and had a kindly expression.

"If it wouldn't be any trouble." He replied.

"No trouble at all." Katie said. "Come in. I'll even make you that tea. Are you hungry? I generally make some oatmeal for some of our parishioners who have to travel from far to get here."

"Yes." He said, immediately. "I would like that very much. Thank you, both. You are very kind."

Lucas cleaned himself up a bit then went back to their kitchen where he ate a homecooked meal and drank some freshly brewed tea then he listened to the sermon which seemed to be directed straight at his heart. God Hears the Cry of the Broken In Spirit was the title, and though he'd been raised as a Christian from the time of his youth, he'd never quite felt such a connection as he did there that morning listening to that sermon. It was as if God Himself was reaching out to him and comforting him. By the end of the message, he found himself walking forward and going to the altar just to pray. There was little else he could ask for than God's help, but he felt that he was heard and had a beautiful peace that he hadn't felt in days.

Standing up, he used his cane to return to his seat and when the final prayer was made, he turned to leave. Katie intercepted him.

"Lucas, don't go." she said. "Thomas and I would like to invite you to our house this afternoon. I'm making a pot roast for dinner and it's usually too much for the two of us since we lost our girl last year."

Lucas placed his cane in front of him, turning to look at the cold winter scene outside and then returning his gaze to Katie. "If it wouldn't be an imposition."

"It's no imposition at all."

It was a pleasant enough home just a few blocks from the church house, with a sidewalk made of brick and overlooking the river. As Lucas entered, the first thing that he noticed was the exquisitely embroidered display just inside the front door. He stopped to admire it.

"This is beautiful." he said.

Katie looked over at him and smiled softly. "That was our Rachel's. She was just twelve years old when we lost her to influenza last summer."

"I'm very sorry." Lucas replied, following her further into the house.

"Thank you. She was a beautiful girl. Looked like her father and the same sweet disposition. We miss her very much…but, we do not grieve as those who have no hope." She replied, showing Lucas to the dining room where she could continue talking to him from the kitchen.

"Yes. First Thessalonians." He said, surprising her.

"So, you're a Christian man?" she asked, reaching into her cupboard for a roasting pan.

Lucas nodded. "I am. Not always a good one, I'm afraid."

"None of us is as good as we should be." She replied. "Where are you from?"

Lucas immediately deferred to his standard answer when speaking to strangers. "Oh, here and there."

"Here and there?" the pastor said, coming in from his study with some papers in his hand. "What kind of answer is that?" he said, jovially.

Lucas looked up at him with his expressive eyes. "Well, I've been a bit of a tumbleweed over the years and…"

"It's not nice to lie to a pastor." Thomas said with a raise of the brow.

"I'm sorry?" Lucas asked.

"Until recently, you've been relatively settled – my guess is a businessman, somewhat successful, somewhere north of here."

Lucas tilted his head and a slight grin appeared on his face. "Go on."

"You were raised with some wealth and are not married. How am I doing?"

Lucas placed his hands in his pockets, then nodded. "You are not incorrect."

"Shall I go on?" the pastor asked.

Lucas chuckled. "Why not?"

"Not married, but you are in love. But you're parted from your sweetheart and you feel like you'll never be together again."

Lucas didn't wish for him to continue. "You're pretty good. How did you know all that?" he asked.

"I used to be a policeman before God called me into the ministry and there are many clues about a person that can tell you a lot about them, if you're paying attention. For instance, your hand."

"My hand?" Lucas said, raising it in front of him.

"Yes, it's soft and smooth, not like one of our factor workers whose hands are rough and calloused. You are a man who works with your mind, not your muscles. A businessman. Then, there's your coat, which is of the finest wool and though dirty is still in good repair. I adjudge that you are a man of some means – or were until recently. But something happened."

"And a child of wealth?" Lucas asked.

"You are very well-spoken and your manners are impeccable which tells me you are a man of good breeding. Your parents raised you to be a gentleman." He replied.

"What about the girl?" Katie asked, loving when her husband showed off his observational skills.

"The pocket watch that he wears, it's design is very delicate – something a woman would pick out. That, coupled with the look in Lucas's eyes when I mentioned marriage was the tell, if you will. Hence, he's in love with someone but not with her and it's left him feeling sad."

Lucas stared at him for a moment, thankful that it was a minister and not a gambler he was speaking with because if he were playing him at cards, the man would have slaughtered him.

"Guilty on all counts." Lucas said. "You're a very good read of people, something I've prided myself at being in the past."

"It comes in handy in my work." Thomas replied. "Particularly when someone is hurting and needs comfort but won't open up about what's really going on in their lives. I sense you've fallen upon hard times, somewhat recently, and now you're trying to find your way back."

Lucas picked up a glass of water that Katie has set on the table. "Only half right on that one."

"Oh?"

"Times are not good right now, this much is true. But, I don't believe that I can go back. Not anymore." Lucas said.

"Why don't we talk about that?" he asked. "Perhaps I can help."

Lucas and Thomas talked throughout the afternoon and into the evening enjoying the fellowship of new friendship and Katie's cooking, which filled Lucas's aching stomach with nourishment and gave him some much-needed strength. But despite the hospitality of his hosts, Bouchard continued to evade specifics regarding his background. Despite this, the pastor and his wife took a liking to him and decided to help him out.

"Where are you staying tonight?" Thomas asked.

Lucas looked down at his hands somewhat embarrassed by his answer and the pastor immediately understood.

"Katie, please take some extra quilts to the guest bedroom in back. We'll be having us a guest tonight."

Peter and Helen arrived on the stagecoach back in Hope Valley the third week in February having gotten some leads from detectives he'd hired in the Baltimore area. They had hit a dead end and since it had been years since Lucas had lived at home, Peter and Helen hoped that his friends in Hope Valley and especially Elizabeth might see something in the information that would lead them to their son. They could certainly use the help.

The group gathered at Abigail's just after dinner. Abigail had just closed up shop, filling in for Clara whose daughter Dorothea had been born on New Year's Day, and she and Henry opened up the restaurant for the meeting. "Anything for Lucas." Was Henry's tender reply.

Once everyone was seated, Peter passed around some papers to the various townspeople that were seated there and began to explain what the detectives had found.

"They had a lead that a young man matching Lucas's description was seen sleeping on the streets shortly after Lucas disappeared from the hospital."

"Lucas? On the streets?!" Elizabeth said with anguish. "It's the middle of winter!"

"Helen and I had the same reaction, Elizabeth, and we questioned this report." Peter replied.

"Exactly." Helen said. "Why wouldn't he just book a hotel room? Why would he live on the streets?"

"Maybe he can't afford one." Nathan chimed in. All eyes turned to him. "I have it on good authority that when Lucas left the hospital, he was essentially out of money."

"What?" Helen asked.

"It's true." Nathan continued. "I know he wouldn't want me saying this but according to his therapist, Emily, all the money Lucas had in the world was in a safe in the saloon or in his wallet. When he went to Baltimore he came with very little money and when he left it was even less."

"He spent all of that money on my Christmas present." Elizabeth said guiltily.

"That's because he loves you." Peter replied. "He'd do anything to make you happy."

"But why wouldn't he come to us for help?" Helen asked. "We could have given him money."

"Because he's a man." Bill replied. "And sometimes our pride gets in the way of us doing the right thing."

"So, you're saying Lucas has put himself in danger because he's too proud to take money from his parents?" Helen asked.

"There's a lot more to it than that, Mrs. Bouchard." Nathan said. "But that's something for another time. First, we need to find him."

"What else did they find, Mr. Bouchard?" Rosemary asked.

"Please. It's Peter." He replied, sounding so much like his son that it caused Elizabeth to turn her eyes toward him, studying the man whom had taught her love how to be a man.

"We have a street name or at least a direction where he was seen. He was seen on Thames, which is near the river." Peter responded. "Now, I have hired some scouts to look for him in the area and they are to report back to me if he is spotted.

When he left the hospital, he made no attempt to contact us and we are concerned that he might want to run again if he knows we are looking for him. We've handled so many things wrong and we're here to ask for your advice. It's been many years since Lucas has lived at home and frankly, he learned how to run away when things are difficult from me."

Helen's expression tightened but she reached out and took his hand.

"So, you all are his friends. Help us to understand our son. What should we do?"

All eyes turned toward Elizabeth who considered her words carefully. "Lucas is a deep thinker."

"That he is." Helen said.

Elizabeth inhaled. "I imagine he's someplace where he can be all alone and thinks he can hide from the pain he's going through."

"A bar?" asked Jesse.

"No." replied Joseph. "A church."

"Why does God let bad things happen to good people?" Lucas asked the pastor who over the course of the two weeks he had lived with had become a friend.

Thomas looked over at the young man who was sitting in his reading nook reading the Bible he had borrowed from him earlier that morning.

"Why did God allow humanity to hurt his Son?" the pastor replied.

Lucas cocked his head. "I don't understand."

"Same reason. Because of sin." The pastor said. "Man sinned and destroyed God's perfect creation and as a result we have suffering. Bad men chased that little girl into your saloon and wounded you and bad men and women are responsible for the suffering of Christ."

"Except He volunteered." Lucas replied.

"Yes, which is His grace and love for us. We don't ask for what happens to us. But that doesn't mean that the things that happen to us somehow take Him by surprise."

"So, you're saying it was God's will that I lost my leg and my future?"

Thomas shook his head. "Lucas, my friend. I know right now that it's hard for you to see any good coming out of this because right now the pain is too great. But let me try to explain it from my perspective. I lost my first wife, Patsy, when I was twenty-five years old. I was working on the police force and she happened to go into a jewelry store in order to have my watch repaired when some men forced their way into the building and robbed it. They killed the jewelry store owner and Patsy as they tried to get away.

Now, at the time, I could see no good coming out of that and certainly the murder of my wife was not a good thing. But, in retrospect as I sit here today, I can see even then God was working. If that hadn't happened, I never would have been brought to my knees. I never would have seen my relationship with God mature – and truthfully, for a long while He was the only one I had. And…I would have missed my calling.

God has a calling for you, Lucas. What happened to you is not good but what He can make from the broken pieces can be very good – for you, and for Elizabeth."

Lucas shook his head. "My future with Elizabeth is over."

"I'm not sure how you can say that." Thomas replied. "If she's half the woman you suggest she is then there is no way she's going to reject you."

"It's not her rejection that I'm concerned about." Lucas replied. "I know Elizabeth would willingly lay her life aside in order to be a help to me."

"So, what's the problem?" Thomas asked.

"I can't let her do it." He replied. "Before I left the hospital, I saw the tears of my roommate's wife as she was told that Cy wasn't likely to make it. I saw the terror in her eyes when he was basically out of his mind and I know how quickly things can happen. Now, I've always considered myself somewhat the maker of my own destiny but this whole experience has shown me the complete opposite. I control nothing. Bad things can happen in an instant and spiral out of control so quickly. Elizabeth has already suffered a brutal loss in this life in the loss of her first husband, the father of her child, Jack. I can't…I won't be the one to bring more sorrow to her life. Not after all she's been through."

"Why do you think you're the one who gets to decide what's good or bad for Elizabeth?" Thomas replied.

"Excuse me?"

"It sounds to me that you're still trying to be master of your own destiny – even though that's not working out for you very well at the present moment."

Lucas clinched his jaw and Thomas softened is voice.

"Listen, all I'm trying to get you to consider is that perhaps, in pulling away from her you're keeping Elizabeth from her calling and withholding from her an even greater joy than anything either of you could imagine right now. If she loves you like you say she does, how can she possibly be happy without you?"

And with that, the conversation was over. The next morning when the pastor woke up, Lucas's room was empty and Lucas had gone. It would be the last that anyone heard from him until Spring.

It was late April and the weather in Baltimore was becoming warmer as were the leads of Peter's scouts. But the real breakthrough came when one of the workers came upon a certain pastor who was eager to speak with Lucas's family. Peter telephoned Elizabeth the moment he heard about it. Up to this point, she had vowed to be patient and simply prayed for Lucas's safety, doing well to hide the heartache she felt that he wasn't near. That evening at a special meeting, she shared the information with the rest of the group so they could discuss their next actions.

"I took him to Baltimore. I'll just go and find him and bring him back." Nathan announced.

"No, Nathan. Not this time. I should be the one to go." Elizabeth said. "He'll listen to me."

"Well, what are you going to do about little Jack?" Rosemary asked. "The train trip is five days. Do you really want to spend ten days away from him plus any other amount of time you're looking for Lucas?"

"I'll bring him with me." She said.

"Do you really think that's wise? Bringing such a young child all the way to the other side of the continent?" Bill asked.

"Hey, I've got an idea." Joseph said. "Why don't we all go? Baltimore's a big city with lots of people in it. If only one person goes then it's going to be like looking for a needle in a haystack."

Lee agreed. "Joseph's right. I've been there several times on business. It's easy to get lost if one doesn't know where they're going and if we go as a group then we'll have a better chance at running into him or at least finding someone who might know where he's been."

"We can't all go." Bill said. "Someone has to run this town."

"You're right." Lee said. "You stay here, Bill. I'll deputize you and Abigail as my vice mayors and that way Rosie and I can go with Elizabeth and watch little Jack when she's not available to."

"You two are so wonderful." Elizabeth gushed.

"Alright. How many of us does that make?" Nathan asked. "There's me, Joseph, Elizabeth, Little Jack, Lee and Rosemary. Anyone else?"

"What about Allie?" Elizabeth asked.

"I can leave her with the Weise's."

"For ten days?" she inquired.

Nathan thought for a moment. "I guess you're right. That means seven of us. Definitely going to need a large rail car for this ride."

Five days later, the Hope Valley continent arrived in Baltimore where they were met by Peter and Helen Bouchard and Pastor Sullivan from Grace Church. They made their way to the hotel which was just down the street and then made their way to the hospital where Carson and Emily were waiting to see them.

"Nathan! Elizabeth!" Emily said, standing to greet them. "I'm so glad to see you. And you must be Allie?"

Allie smiled shyly then stuck out her hand. "And you're Miss Reardon. I've heard a lot about you over the past few months."

"Really? Good I hope." She said as she stared at an awkward and embarrassed Nathan Grant.

"Ohhhh yeahhhh." Allie said twisting back and forth. Nathan cleared his throat.

"I was just telling Allie how nice you were."

"Nice?" she asked.

"Yeah. We can talk more later. What's the latest on Lucas?"

Pastor Sullivan took them back to the day that he and his wife saw Lucas laying in the middle of an alley on a cold winter day and then he shared, as far as propriety would allow, some of the struggles that he had discussed with him during the week he stayed at his house.

"I really thought I was helping him and our conversations were very fruitful – but then, we woke up in the morning and he had gone."

"Sounds familiar." Carson said. "How did he seem while he was with you? You know, physically?"

The pastor thought for a moment. "When he first arrived, he hadn't eaten, so he was cold and tired and starving. He was using his cane but truthfully seemed to be getting around rather well. His leg didn't seem to be bothering him. I gave him a few odd jobs around the house while he was with us but only because he insisted. Of course, I ended up having to redo about a quarter of them."

"Why was that?" Joseph asked.

"Because they weren't done right. Oh, he tried and he worked hard; but, things kept falling. I don't know if you've noticed – the boy is not really the kind that takes to manual labor at all."

Lee and Nathan looked at one another and smirked, but were interrupted when Rosemary's elbow grinded into Lee's rib cage. "Lee! Behave!"

"You've not heard from him at all since then?" Peter asked.

"Not personally." The pastor replied. "But one of the members of our church said that he'd seen him down by the boat docks. Apparently, he's gotten himself some sort of job."

"Doing what?" Nathan asked.

"Didn't say. A little bit of everything going on down there. But the groups that are hiring the most workers generally seem to be involved in manufacturing and warehousing. A lot cheaper to store things here than in New York City, for example."

"I see." Lee said. "The waterfront is a pretty big area to cover. Did your church member happen to say exactly where he was when he saw Lucas?"

"Not exactly, but he said he was downtown picking up one of those new short-wave radios. Why on earth he would want one I'll never know, he's never been much of a talker."

Lee interrupted. "Is there some special place where you can buy short wave radios that perhaps might lead us to the area where he saw Lucas?"

"Oh, yes!" the preacher said. "Bentley's on Aliceanna."

"That's near the Fells Street Wharf." Carson replied.

"Great! I say we spread out and start asking around to see if anyone has seen him." Lee said. "Rosie and I printed some flyers with his picture on them. You can each take a handful."

"Have them right here." Rosemary replied.

"You guys are so thoughtful." Elizabeth said. "Thank you for this. And for watching little Jack for me while we're out looking."

"Um…excuse me, Elizabeth." Lucas's mother said, stepping up.

"Yes, Helen? Did you need something?"

"Yes. I was wondering if it would be okay if I watched Jack for you while you're away."

"You want to watch Jack?"

Helen lowered her head. "I'm not entirely sure if I saw Lucas right now, he'd be happy to see me since I had the opportunity and was in the area but didn't visit him in the hospital. And at least, if I watched little Jack it would free up one more person to assist in your efforts to find him."

Elizabeth looked at her uncomfortably, but not because of Jack, because she just admitted she'd avoided seeing Lucas. She wondered why not and also what was the real reason his parents had gone home so early before Lucas left Hope Valley. This was something she'd explore later but for now, she accepted the offer.

The teams broke up into threes. Elizabeth went with the Coulters; then, it was Carson and Joseph and Peter and finally Nathan and Allie with Emily and they fanned out across the area near the wharf, visiting street vendors and shop keepers and passing out flyers to pedestrians along the way. They had considered going into the warehouses by the docks themselves, but with the swarm of workers that was present that time of day, it seemed more of an opportunity to miss Lucas than to find him. Finally, around three o'clock, they gathered together in order to report back on what they had seen, which in the end was precisely NOTHING. Nobody knew Lucas. Nobody had seen him. And nobody could help them know where he might be.

Defeated, everyone except for Emily (who took a few moments alone with Nathan before leaving for her apartment) decided to stop for the day and go back to the hotel as it was getting late.

Stepping onto the trolley, they chattered amongst themselves for several minutes but all conversation came to an abrupt stop when a woman with curly red hair interrupted them.

"Excuse me, I couldn't help but overhear. Who is it you're looking for?" she asked.

Rosemary pulled her last copy of one of the flyers from out of her purse. "This man. Have you seen him?"

The woman took hold of the paper and studied it and then shook her head. "Wow. Don't he clean up well? I knew he was handsome but…"

"You know him?" Elizabeth asked. The others eagerly listened.

"Yeah. I know him. That's Lucas. He lives underneath my friend Doris's cousin Norman's grocery on 7th street." She replied.

All of their faces lit up.

"He lives there now? I mean, you know this? You've seen him?" Elizabeth asked, excitedly.

"Yes. Around noon today, actually. Works over at Sandstrom's Manufacturing doing inventory. Originally, they set him up on one of the machines, but I'm afraid he's a bit of a bumbler so they have him counting merchandise to make sure everything is there as it comes into dock."

Nathan bit his lip as the woman continued.

"He goes over by the shade tree near the fountain to rest every day when he gets his lunch break – I think he does it on account of his leg. A bit of a loner. Doesn't really interact. But, he's faithful to leave the minute the bell rings that tells them to stop work at around five o'clock. Has to get home to Annabelle."

The whole group became silent.

"Annabelle?" Joseph finally said.

"Yes. His girl. The woman he lives with." She replied. "I'm not judgmental about these sorts of things, but between you and me, I don't think they're married. He met her in town and he's crazy about her. Only time I ever see him smile is when someone asks him about his Annabelle."

"Thank you for the information." Carson said quickly as everyone sat back in their seats and absorbed this new revelation. The rest of the trip back to the hotel was complete and utter silence until they exited the trolley and began to return to the hotel.

"Lucas has another girlfriend? I don't believe her." Elizabeth said, as if in a daze. "He wouldn't do such a thing."

"You're right, Elizabeth. That's not like our Lucas at all." Peter said, just as bewildered as she.

There was a pause and Elizabeth felt a friendly hand on her shoulder.

"Well…at least we know he's alive and safe." Rosemary said, trying to be cheerful. "I say we return to our rooms and get freshened up, then we can get together later and figure out what we're going to do."

Lee shook his head yes.

"No." said Nathan. "We can't let it rest here."

Lee shook his head no.

"What do you suggest we do?" Carson asked.

Nathan thought for a moment. "Peter, I'd like you to stay with the ladies. I need to talk to the men."

"But, Dad!" Allie complained.

"No, Allie. Not this time."

"Nathan, what are you planning?" Elizabeth asked.

"Elizabeth. It'll be fine. Just go with Peter. I think this is one for us men. You don't need to be there this time." Nathan replied. She looked at him unconvinced.

"Trust me?" he said.

She and the other ladies reluctantly walked away.

Once they were gone, he turned to the men. "Lee and Joseph, I'd like you to go with me and Carson."

"Go where?" Joseph asked.

"To see Bouchard. Look, we know where he lives and what times he gets off work and we came all this way to find him. I say we pay him a little visit."

"And then what?" Lee asked.

"We either bring him back, or if he's doing what that woman said he's doing, we kill him."