Hi there! Thanks to everyone for the reviews and the welcome-backs! This chapter's short on Jack and Sam, but there's other stuff going on...As always, thanks for the words of encouragement from everyone - and thanks to Diane for reading this over...

The case continues...

Too Good To Be True
By: Mariel

Chapter 2

Danny and Martin stood in the marble-floored entryway of one of the most expensive condo apartment buildings they'd had the honor to visit in months. The gentleman seated at the security desk had smiled at them as they'd entered, then nodded knowingly when they'd said who they were there to see.

"Mr. Blackwell informed me he was expecting company this afternoon. I'll inform him of your arrival," he told them in a formal tone.

Martin and Danny covered their surprise easily. There was no way they were expected, but 'never look a gift horse in the mouth' was their motto, and if Mr. Blackwell was expecting someone, there was no harm in their slipping upstairs under a mistaken assumption. Surprising Mr. Blackwell might elicit information a few moment's forewarning might suppress.

Reaching towards a console on his left, the security man pressed one of several dozen brass buttons. When a male voice responded, he said, "Your company has arrived, sir."

Blackwell acknowledged the message with a quick, 'Thank you'. The security man turned back towards the two agents. "You may go up. Mr. Blackwell is on the top floor, number 1016."

When they were in the elevator and the doors had closed, Danny wondered aloud, "I wonder who he's expecting?"

"Certainly not us, unless he's psychic," Martin responded. He paused, then suggested, "Maybe we should have told him who we are."

Danny shrugged. He figured the more money they had they less warning they deserved.

It took only minutes to arrive at Blackwell's door. The man who answered their knock was in his early forties and tall, darkly handsome, and casually dressed in well-fitting jeans and a white, open-necked shirt with the sleeves neatly rolled up. He was also clearly surprised to find the two agents at his door. "Can I help you?" he asked, his blue eyes piercing.

"We're from the FBI, Mr. Blackwell. I'm Special Agent Martin Fitzgerald, and this is Special Agent Danny Taylor," Martin said as he flashed his badge. "We're here to ask you a few questions about your wife."

"Georgina?"

Martin nodded. "Her sister has reported her missing. We're wondering if you have any idea where she might be."

Frowning, Jason made no move to allow them in. "I spoke to Georgina yesterday morning. Her sister phoned yesterday afternoon, asking if I'd heard from her. Is that what's this is about? She still hasn't come home? Are you sure she's not back?" He paused, then said, "I'm sorry. That was stupid. If she were home, you wouldn't be here, would you?" He looked at the two men and said in a reluctant tone, "I suppose you need to come in."

Martin resisted the urge to glance at his partner. He nodded. "Yeah, we do."

Stepping back, Jason asked, "I'm expecting someone shortly. How long do you think this will take?"

This time Martin did glance at Danny. Turning back to Blackwell, he assured him, "We'll make this as quick as possible."

Jason ushered them into a roomy, sunlit living room that boasted twelve-foot ceilings, large, floor-to-ceiling windows, and French doors that opened onto a large balcony. Flowers, potted palms, and a small waterfall gave a feeling of looking out onto a lush garden. It was hard to believe they were sixteen stories up. Blackwell was obviously doing well for himself.

"Nice place," Danny commented.

Jason shrugged. "I like it better than that little place Georgina insisted we stay in."

"That why you moved out?"

Jason smiled, "No, it was a bit more than that. Georgina was a woman who couldn't get used to the idea we didn't have to worry about money, though. It took me two years to get her to move into the place on Dearbourne." He shook his head. "If I hadn't used the argument about better schools for the boys, we'd still be living in a little two bedroom in Queens."

Danny idly wondered what a two bedroom apartment in Queens was going for, knowing he wouldn't have been able to afford it, let alone a four bedroom house on a street like Dearbourne.

"Maybe she just didn't like change," he commented, surprised that he was even having this conversation.

"She was a traditionalist," Jason said. "She was always worried that the boys be brought up with the right values, that they understood 'the meaning of a dollar' as she put it. She wanted to be a housewife, do stuff herself. I personally don't see the sense in that. If you can afford to hire someone to do something, hire them to do it."

Indicating a soft leather sofa with a wave of his hand, Jason invited the two agents to have a seat. He, however, remained standing.

"What can I do to help you?" he asked the two men, becoming all business.

Martin looked around. "Where are your sons, Mr. Blackwell?"

"I enrolled them in a day camp. They won't be home until dinner time." Obviously now in a hurrry to get to the point of their visit, he said, "You say Georgina is missing?"

Martin nodded. "We're wondering if you know where she is - or if you know of any reason she might have gone somewhere without letting anyone know. Did she have plans to go away while the two boys are with you?"

Jason shook his head. "No, not that I know of. Like I said, I spoke to her yesterday. She didn't mention anything about going somewhere." He paused. "You think something's happened to her?"

It was the first glimmer of concern they had seen.

"We don't know. Is there a place she might go to on the spur of the moment?" Martin asked. "A summer place, or a friend's?"

Jason shook his head. "No. I can't imagine where she'd have gone. Besides her sister, there's only her mother for family, and she hardly ever speaks to her. She's rather a homebody. Stays with the kids, you know?"

"You two have been separated for about six months?"

Jason nodded.

"Is the separation permanent or a trial of some sort?"

Jason's expression shuttered closed. "That's personal."

"Yes, but if you're preparing to divorce, she could be dating someone and if that's the case, we need to speak to him, right?" Martin asked in a reasonable tone.

It was obvious Jason saw the logic, but he still didn't respond.

Not understanding the husband's reluctance, Matin said, "Mr. Blackwell, we need everyone's cooperation if we're going to find your wife."

Jason opened his mouth reluctantly. "I think it's unlikely we'll get back together."

The two agents waited for him to elaborate, but he did not.

"Are you sure there's nothing you can tell us? Did your wife have any enemies, anyone who might wish her harm?"

Again, Blackwell silently regarded the two men before responding. Looking away, he finally said, "I think Victoria may have jumped the gun when she called you. Sometimes Georgina goes off for a while."

"And when she 'goes off for a while', where does she go, how long is she gone, and why is her sister so sure she's missing?"

Jason made a frustrated movement with his hands. "Sometimes my wife was out longer than she expected. And she didn't always tell me where she'd been or what she'd been doing when she got back. The longer times, when she didn't come home for the night, I usually knew she'd be gone because she had to get someone to come in for the kids. I just never believed her when she said where she was going. That we're separated should tell you something! If you need to know anything, ask her sister. She's a hell of a lot more likely to know than I."

Recognising he had reached a dead end with that line of questioning, Martin asked, "Do you know if your wife is dating anyone?"

Jason's face relaxed as he took a moment to think. "There's a chance, I suppose, but I don't know, to be honest. The boys haven't said anything, and I'm sure they would. They have enough to say when-" He stopped abruptly, then continued wryly, "Separation is the easy part," he explained. "Getting the kids used to the idea that their mother and father aren't together anymore and might actually want to see someone else..." He shook his head. "That's almost impossible."

The silence that followed his words obviously made him uncomfortable. Moving restlessly, Blackwell finally told them, "Look, talk to her sister. Victoria and Georgina see each other almost every day. Victoria would know a lot more about her day-to-day routine than I would. She always has."

The last three words were said with unmistakeable bitterness. Martin knew there was an interesting story behind that tone, but knew instinctively Jason would refuse to answer any questions in that direction. So instead, he said, "Someone will be speaking to Victoria Newbury again later today. She gave us what information she could when she filed the missing persons report."

Jason smiled. "Of course she did. I'm just surprised she waited until this morning to contact you." Looking at his watch, he looked towards the door. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get ready. As I said, I'm expecting someone. If you have any further questions, you can reach me at my office - or here, of course."

They were walking across the building's foyer towards the exit before Danny said what was on his mind.

"That man is the most accomplished liar I've met in a long time."

Martin looked at him in surprise. "What are you talking about? He's not telling us everything he could - the look of relief when I stopped asking about his wife 'going off' proved that - but I don't know that he's actually lying about anything."

"He's been talking to the sister already today," Danny said, his voice sure. "He knew when we arrived that Georgina was missing."

"What?"

Danny nodded. Walking out into the day's bright sunshine, he reached for his sunglasses. "He said he was surprised that Victoria had waited until this morning to file the report. How would he know when she filed the report unless he's been talking to her since the phone call yesterday he told us about? I wonder why they both felt it necessary to act as though they hadn't spoken."

Martin looked thoughtful. Mentally kicking himself for not picking up on that himself, he said, "Damn it. I should have-"

Danny cut in. "Forget it. You were concentrating on other things. We'd better let Jack know this isn't the first time she's gone AWOL." Reaching their car, he opened the door and sat behind the steering wheel. Flipping open his cell phone, he waited for Martin to assume his position in the passenger seat. When he had, Danny said, "Jack and Samantha planned to see Victoria right after going through Georgina's house and talking to the neighbours. If Mr. Blackwell wants us to ask the sister why Georgina has disappeared before, that's exactly what we'll do."

Martin looked at his partner with a glint in his eye. "And something tells me we'll be sitting right here until we find out who Blackwell is expecting, right?"

Danny grinned.

End Chapter 2