The Search is Over?

It's Confirmed, They Found The Shrink -- Part 2

Daphne wished she hadn't said anything, but he had to have heard her.

It wasn't like he was going to go away now. And even if he did, it was only a matter of time before he'd be back again.

She took a deep breath, slowly released it, and unlatched the door and turned the knob…

"The boys have just located Niles' Mercedes. It was found in an alley three blocks away from his lawyers' office."

"Are you sure it was his?" Frasier probed.

"Silver Mercedes…"

"I'm sure there are plenty of silver Mercedes in Seattle," Frasier interrupted.

"E320…" Mike continued.

Again, Frasier interrupted.

"I'm sure there are also plenty of silver Mercedes E320's in Seattle."

"I'm sure you're right on both accounts Frasier…"

Under different circumstances, Mike probably would have said gotcha! before continuing, for no other reason then to put Frasier in his place, but under the circumstances…

"…this one however, has SHRINK for its license plate."

"Were there any signs of a break-in or a struggle?" Martin questioned.

"From first appearances, there were no obvious signs, but the boys are dusting it for fingerprints as we speak."

"So, let's recap what we know," Martin suggested.

Mike pulled out a small note pad from his pocket.

"Okay, this much is known. According to Mr. Douglas, Niles signed the divorce papers Friday evening and left his office approximately around 7pm. The boys mentioned that they found a parking ticket on Niles' car that was issued at…"

Mike double-checked his notes.

"…10:00 that same night. So, whatever happened to Niles, he probably didn't leave by car and it had to have happened between his car and Donny's office, and before 10:00," Mike summarized.

"That's a three hour window of opportunity that his whereabouts are unknown," Martin pondered aloud.

"There is one other thing you should know…"

Hide and Seek

Hide

"I can't help but notice that your couch is made up like a bed…"

"Why its for me of course," she quickly covered. "Like I stated earlier, I have only been in Seattle less than two weeks and I have been waiting for my new bed and mattress to be delivered, so I sleep on the couch." She concluded her statement, while nervously twisting her hair.

Her inner voice had kicked into overdrive the moment she looked through the peephole, not to mention her heart skipping a few beats.

Accompanying her inner voice, and making its first appearance, was her guilt.

Until as recently as an hour or so ago, her own guilt had been suppressed.

As she was easing him and his badly bruised and battered body into the bathtub, it floated to the surface. Not unlike the water that stung his bruises, the truth and her own guilt over what happened to her knight stung her.

Granted she didn't plant the bruises, or bash his head in, but it was on account of her that he was suffering in darkness and with no memory.

She continued to twist her long locks tighter and tighter, while praying that her knight wouldn't call out to her.

She also kept wondering how the cops even found out about this.

She was more than positive Audrey wouldn't have said anything. For she had expressed her fears and warning of their attacker quite adamantly (or at least she thought she had).

Regardless, Daphne had made up her mind before opening the door that she would do everything in her power to protect her knight, even if that included lying. It wasn't out of true altruism (like her knight's protection of her) of course, there was a selfish motive behind it has well.

She wouldn't be just lying in order to "hide" her knight from their attacker, she was also trying to hide herself.

After all, their attacker did warn her never to talk to the cops. What if he somehow found out she had "talked"?

Her guilt now contributed to the inner conversation that was playing out in her head.

And if he did, maybe he would only hurt her instead. Her knight had already suffered too much at the hands of this guy, she mentally rationalized.

It was time for her to rise to the occasion and it was her turn to protect him, like he had unselfishly did for her, without any regard for the consequences it might bring upon him.

Besides, even if he would "talk", he didn't remember anything, so why put him in harm's way for nothing.

Seek

Mike pulled out a small Ziploc bag from his pocket and placed it in front of both Frasier and Martin.

"My partner and I retrieved it this morning from a pawn shop."

Again, Frasier had his doubts and interrogated Mike.

"How do you know that this is Niles' wedding band?" he asked, cocking his eyebrow in suspicion.

"Aw geez Frase. Will you give it a rest already," Martin requested and ran his hand over his tired and stressed face.

At least this time, Mike was able to cut to the chase much quicker.

"From the inscription," he said matter of fact. "'To Niles on our Wedding Day. Always, Maris'."

"But…" Frasier started.

"Aw geez, I just knew you wouldn't listen to your old man and you had to open your big, fat bazoo."

"Listen to me, I am sure there are other Niles and Maris' out there…but," Frasier soberly conceded, "the absent of the word 'love' clinches that it would have to be our Niles and not some other Niles and Maris."

"Agreed," Martin quietly seconded.

"But, isn't it also plausible that Niles himself pawned it off? After all, the man just finalized a rather stressful and nasty divorce. Maybe he didn't want any reminders of Maris," Frasier started up again.

"We thought about it and then quickly disregarded it."

"May I ask on what grounds?" Frasier refused to ease up.

"Both of you have gone on record to say that Niles was very distraught and against this divorce, so it's highly unlikely that he would want to part with it, at least not this quickly."

"Did the pawn shop owner give you a description of the man who brought it in?" Martin asked, trying to conceal his ever rising fear that something terrible might have actually happened to his youngest son.

"The man we are seeking is well built and muscular and roughly six-foot-two and 270 pounds…"

Finding Out

"If you don't mind me asking, how did you find out about this?"

"Dr. Newman from Seattle General. It's required by law that emergency room personnel inform the police whenever they suspect a crime may have been committed so we can follow-up and investigate. He told us that you came in the emergency room for treatment…"

"That's right. I had a few cuts and I just wanted to make sure none of them required any stitches," she nervously injected and continued to lie in order to protect her knight and herself.

"But in fact, you didn't receive any treatment at all, did you? Someone else did. What can you tell me about the person you brought in for treatment?"

"I don't see how that has anything to do with my attack or trying to find my attacker," she got defensive and flustered.

"Ms. Moon, I'm here to help you. The more you're open and honest with me, the better the chance I have of catching whoever did this to you and before he strikes again."

"I've got a terrible headache…" she lied and rubbed her head. "Could we please continue this another time when I'm feeling better?"

Against his better judgement, he agreed and hoped he wouldn't regret it.

"I'll stop by tomorrow afternoon, say around 1:00? And please Ms. Moon, if you remember anything else in the meantime that may help." He handed her his business card. "Call me anytime, day or night."

Once out of her apartment, he pulled out his cell phone and called his partner.

As he made his way to the leasing office, he left this message:

"Hey Mike, it's me. I just left the woman now. She is still clearly shaken and hiding something. I think the man she brought in the ER for treatment was with her that night, although she never mentioned anything about him. I'm going to talk to her more tomorrow, maybe you can come with me. I'm on my way to talk to her landlord now and her neighbors to see if they saw anything or anyone..."

A Moon Story

"I'm so sorry," he whispered to her.

"For what?" She sat down on the floor by the tub.

"That you're going through all this, all on account of me. Maybe I should leave, cause the longer I stay, the more I am putting you at risk."

It broke her heart that he was so down on himself.

"Don't be silly. You're not endangering my life, you saved it, and I'll always be in your debt and grateful to you for that. As for leaving, I'll tell you when you have stayed too long, understood?"

"I just wish I could remember something about that night."

She knew he never would, which was a good thing, but sadly, he wasn't remembering anything else either.

"Let's change the subject, shall we?" she suggested.

"Good idea, so, give me the Daphne Moon story."

"Are you sure you want to hear this? It's not like I am the most exciting person," she commented and offered him an opportunity to back out now.

"Positive."

"Alright then. I was born to Harry and Gertrude Moon, as you already correctly identified, in Manchester England on April 18th. And before you ask, no, I'm not going to give you the year," she joked. "Suffice to say, I am not the infamous 29, nor am I 40."

"I come from a hideously large family. I am the only girl in a brood of nine. Now listen carefully, for there might be a quiz on this later….." she teased and listed all her brothers' names.

"Reginald, Nigel, Michael, Peter, David, Stephen, Billy and Simon."

He counted their names out on his fingers as she recited them.

"Yep, that's eight alright," he confirmed and attempted to joke.

She smiled at his attempt. He was starting to loosen up and feel more comfortable around her, which was good. She wanted him to trust her.

"I also have several aunts and uncles. Me one Aunt owns an enchanting little tearoom. When I was a little girl, to get away from all me brothers, I took my dolls down to her parlor to have a tea party under the table. One of my uncles is a political writer and writes about the royal family for a London tabloid.

I was extremely close to both Grammy and Pappy Moon. Oh Pappy…" she recalled warmly, "lived to be ninety three, he did. He used to take his teeth out and chase all his grandkids around the room until his mood would change, then it was every kid for him or herself as we all ran for we lives."

"And Grammy?"

"She made the best sticky buns, added a pint of rum to give them that extra kick, if you know what I mean. One time I remember we found her loaded in the garden in her wedding dress, facedown in the birdbath, was she."

Daphne leaned up against the bathroom wall by the tub and continued sharing her story.

"Me grandfather, father and me brothers, all work on the docks, except for Billy, Mum's favorite, he's a ballroom dance instructor."

"When I was twelve, I starred in the British television show called Mind Your Knickers. I portrayed Emma, and by the time the show got cancelled when I was sixteen, I was five foot ten and had me boobies bound up tighter than a mummy…" she chuckled and looked to see his reaction.

He was too cold to have one.

His skin was covered with goose bumps and every hair was standing on end. He was shivering and his teeth were chattering.

"I am so sorry! Where are me manners? You're shaking like a leaf. Here I am rattling on and on and on…why didn't you tell me to shut me trap up?"

The Search is Over?

With a great deal of tenderness, she dried off his shivering limbs.

Every so often, when she made contact with an area that was still sensitive, he would involuntarily flinch.

"I'm sorry," she whispered her apology. "Maybe I should strap your ribs and apply your ointments now."

She helped him into a pair of sweatpants and led him back to the couch.

Again, with a great deal of tenderness, she applied the antibiotic creams to his still badly bruised and battered body, for even the smallest of injuries were still quite painful to him.

When she got to his chest, she found her fingers getting lost in his sea of massive chest hair.

The more cream she applied and rubbed in, the more she found herself and her defenses doing the same.

Her concerns she had so adamantly expressed to Audrey earlier in the day were quickly becoming absorbed and a distant memory, for she found her resistance to him evaporating.

Her longing for him and for him to take her in his arms was only intensifying.

"All finished," she announced. "Now for your ribs."

Her own heart cringed as she felt his pain.

She knew that this would the most painful for him, for his ribs were still extremely sensitive.

At every tightening lap she made of the bandage around his gaunt waist, the more he fought back and gulped at the tears that threatened to spill out.

When she was done, she locked her eyes onto his teary and unknowing ones.

To be continued…