-
Joe grinned as he saw Callie walk into reception. Hearing her on the phone had been a relief but it was even better to actually see her. Her tense worried mouth curved up into a warm smile when she saw him. Her pace quickened and her arms came up. Joe quickly thrust the huge bouquet of flowers he'd bought into hands.
"Good morning Mrs Hardy, if you'll follow me."
Callie nodded, clutching her flowers.
Joe led her outside the hotel and along the sidewalk before ducking around a corner and sliding between two buildings. Then ended up in a small concrete yard beside a row of dumpsters. Joe dropped his bag and stretched, relaxing his tense muscles.
"We should be okay for a moment. I scouted this place out on my way here. There are no CCCTV cameras watching this spot. Unless the operator was particularly awake we should be off the radar. So Callie, what's going on?"
Callie hid behind her flowers.
"Can we keep moving for the moment? I want to get out of Chicago as soon as possible."
Joe sighed. "I guess that makes sense. Let's see if we can look a little bit different when we rent the car."
He took off his chauffer jacket and cap and shoved them back in his bag. He looked up at Callie and considered her black boots, pencil skirt and smart black coat.
"Uh Callie?"
"Yes?"
"How do you feel about getting changed?"
"I haven't got anything to change into."
"I packed an old pair of jeans and t-shirt. They won't fit you well but at least they'll look different. When a witness describes a suspect most of what they notice is their clothes."
Callie chewed on her lower lip. "Okay," she decided slowly, "I've been wearing office casual all week so at least it will be different."
"Good. We better dump the flowers too. Pass them here and I'll toss them in the trash."
"Do we have too?"
"Uh, they are kind of noticeable."
Callie sighed. "Sorry," she said handing them over, "It's just they're beautiful. I've never been given such a huge bouquet before."
"I'll make Frank buy you some more when this is over."
"No, it's all right. I'm being silly. Flowers don't last long enough for what they cost. Why did you buy them anyway?"
"Seemed the sort of thing Mr Hardy would do for his wife." Lifting the dumpster lid, Joe boosted the flowers to the back. Letting the lid slam shut, he dusted his hands off on his jeans.
"Right the clothes are in the bag. So, um, if you get changed here, I'll go stand over there." Joe turned away, trying to give Callie as much privacy as possible.
"Promise not to look?"
Joe spun around, "Of course I won't…" he stopped when he saw her grin and realised she was teasing. "Well, only if you want me to." He settled back to watching the wall.
"Careful," said Callie, "You'll loose your boy scout merit badge."
Joe laughed, "Now you're muddling me up with Frank, Cal. I just went for the camping, I never had the patience to meet all their requirements. Now my brother, he was the Eagle Scout with the record number of palms."
"Sounds like Frank. Since you came anyway, can I assume he's not hurt too badly?"
"Hurt? Who?"
"Frank."
"Frank's not hurt."
"Then where is he?"
"Ah."
"Can I assume I'm not going to like the answer?"
"Tell you what, let's go hire a car and get the hell out of Dodge."
"Joe?"
"Ye-es."
"You will tell me."
"Course I will. It's just a long story and we don't have much time."
"Whatever you say," said Callie, sounding completely unconvinced. "Right you can look."
Joe turned and loudly wolf-whistled. Callie blushed.
"Give over, I look like I've put on five stone." She flapped the too large t-shirt expressively.
"Nuh-huh. You Callie Shaw could look good in a sack."
Callie rolled her eyes. "Let's not put that to the test, okay?"
"Why not? With you modelling them we could start a whole new fashion. Ladies will be lining up to buy the newest sack in the very latest shade of mucky beige."
Joe pretended to look hurt as Callie giggled.
"Given your ideas of fashion, I'm suddenly grateful for baggy clothes."
"Don't get to relaxed, we've got a long way to go. I may yet have to improvise."
"The word strikes fear into my heart."
Joe laughed and bent down to repack the bag.
"Joe?"
"Yes." He looked up to see Callie staring down at him, chewing her lower lip.
"We're going to be okay, aren't we?"
"Of course we are," said Joe with all the confidence he could muster. Straightening up, he grabbed the bag.
"After all," he added, extravagantly offering Callie his arm, "You are in the company of the daringist and dashingist private eye the world has ever seen."
"One question?" Callie linked her arm with his and together they left the shelter of the alley.
"Yes."
"Where exactly is this paragon?" sad Callie with a perfectly straight face.
"Youch," yelped Joe, "That was cutting." He elbowed Callie gently in the side in retaliation.
"What did I say?"
"You need to work on that innocent look, Cal."
Joe glanced back towards the hotel and was surprised to see three police cars pulled up outside, lights flashing.
"Hey, I wonder what's going on?" Curious, he started drifting closer. Callie tightened her grip on his arm.
"Oh Joe, I think they're looking for me."
Joe looked at her, his eyes wide. As they walked away in the opposite direction, he said,
"You know, I think now would be a great time to tell me what's going on."
-
Frank smiled as he spotted Nancy's car. Grabbing his bags he quickly made his way over to her. Nancy stepped out of the car and waved at him.
"Hi Frank."
"Nancy."
Nancy opened the trunk; Frank dumped his bags and slammed it shut. Turning he almost stumbled into Nancy. Catching himself with one hand on her arm, he smiled.
"It's good to see you."
She smiled back, "You too." For a moment they stayed there, then Nancy lent forward to give Frank a quick awkward hug. It was over too quickly for Frank to really appreciate it. He took a step after but Nancy shook her head.
"We better get going the forecourt's not really the place to – catch up."
"No, you're right. It's just, really good to see you." Frank ducked his head; he had the unnerving feeling he was blushing, and scrambled into the passenger seat. Nancy got back behind the wheel, checked her mirrors and smoothly pulled away.
"So," she said, "Can you stay long?"
"As long as you can put up with me."
"Careful, Frank that could be a long time."
Frank laughed. "Seriously though, maybe a week. I just need to get away for awhile."
"So you didn't come here to see me?"
Frank's head shot up. "No!" he exclaimed, horrified, "That's not what I meant at all."
"Relax, I was just teasing."
"Sorry."
"It's not a problem. But Frank, are you okay? You seem awfully tense."
"I'm fine, my nerves are just shot after Joe's latest stunt."
"Want to talk about it?"
"Later maybe. For now why don't you tell me about your case? Has anything new come up?"
"Nothing. It's as if he just went out to lunch and vanished into thin air."
"Tell me about it from the beginning." Frank ferreted through his jacket pocket for a notebook and pen ready to jot down the important details.
"Okay then." Nancy paused for a moment as she pulled out onto the freeway and then continued. "John Dunne came to work for my father three months ago. I met him a couple of times. He was quite young but tired looking. Shorter than me, pale skin, brown eyes, black hair. He never talked about himself, or much at all unless you got him started on a point of law. Even then when he realised he was talking, he'd clam right up.
"Dad liked him. Said he was a hard worker. He graduated from Boston Law School just over a year ago and went to work for the Chicago State's Attorney Office. For some reason, and everybody I've spoke to has given me a different one, he quit and came to work for Dad."
"What did Dunne say?"
"He said Chicago didn't suit him and he wanted somewhere quieter. So he came to River Heights, worked his socks off for three months and vanished.
"He went out to lunch on Tuesday and just never came back. We called the hospitals and the morgue. Dad and I went round to his apartment. Far as we could tell nothing was missing. His wardrobe was full of clothes."
"What have the police done?"
"Not sure if they've even looked. They say he's left of his own accord."
Frank shaded a square on his notepad. "That seems very unlikely. People usually take clothes at the very least."
"Yes, and I called in a couple of favours. His bank account, credit cards… all untouched."
"Damn, that doesn't sound good."
"I know. And the police aren't doing anything."
He frowned, "Why not?"
"This is where the reason he left Chicago becomes important. Apparently he had a nervous breakdown and just walked away from the job."
"But you don't think so?"
"I don't know what to think. The police believe he's just had another breakdown. But even so he still has to be somewhere."
"True. And if so it's even more important to find him."
"Absolutely. Dad feels dreadful about it. Feels he let him down somehow. I've got to find him Frank."
"Hey, you know I'll help you."
"Yes I do and I'm very grateful." Nancy reached across and took his free hand in hers. Frank squeezed her hand comfortingly before letting go. He returned to contemplating his notepad.
"So what does your dad think?"
"He's stunned. He thought John worked too hard, and coming from my dad that's saying something, but he assumed it was first failure syndrome."
"Huh?"
"Dad thought he'd lost a case he should have won and was trying to make up for it. A lot of lawyers don't react well to their first big failure. Dad says the first time he wrong-footed himself in court he spent the next six months over-compensating madly."
"But he didn't disappear?"
"No. And John's cases were going great."
Frank doodled across his pad.
"So what have you found?"
"Nothing much. His mother died while he was in college. No other family. He had a girlfriend in Chicago but I've got no more than her first name."
"Anything else?"
"Something happened to make him quit but I don't know what. Practically everyone I spoke to had a different reason. Breakdown, split up with his girlfriend, arrested, doing drugs, alcoholic, argument with his boss, the police, a defence attorney or a judge. Oh, or offered a better job, but I know that one's false cause he was unemployed before he started working with Dad."
"Definitely sounds like that's worth checking out. Maybe we should head into town instead of going back to River Heights."
Nancy laughed. "Before I'm taking you anywhere Mister, you're going to take a shower."
Frank opened his mouth to protest and the reconsidered. Need aside, a long, hot shower sounded a wonderful idea.
"You're probably right. Maybe some breakfast too." The thought of food made him realise how hungry he was. "I had a snickers at the airport but before that it was yesterday lunch."
"Have you had any sleep?"
"Dozed on the plane."
"No wonder you're so wound up. I think Chicago can wait until tomorrow. How about we pack our bags and take a couple of days over it. We can investigate in the day and take in the sights at night. Maybe see a play?"
"That will be perfect. Always knew you where a genius."
"And don't you forget it. So now that's sorted out, do you want to tell me what happened yet? You know you'll feel better after you've vented."
Frank ran his hands through his hair. "I don't even know where to start. It was a screw-up from the very beginning."