"It is some crime that deviant committed," Edward Quartermaine was saying, as Alan entered the living room. "If you can't find out his name, then you can't tell the authorities you've found him."

"Oh Edward, put a sock in it," his daughter-in-law answered. "I don't want to have to call Emily over this. But there may be no other way. I have my professional duty. Oh, hello dear," she said, seeing her husband come into the room. She went over to kiss him hello.

Edward started grumbling, walked off to the window to look out and listen.

"What's up?" Alan asked.

Monica explained.

"Here's an idea," Alan said. "Let's try Alexis first. She can even talk to Zander."

"You know, you are brilliant," she said, giving him a hug.

Monica called Alexis, who agreed to stop by Monica's office at the hospital that evening. She said she was coming in to see Zander anyway.

"When he was arrested, they ran his fingerprints of course, and he had no prior record," Alexis said, as Monica led her to a chair opposite her desk. "So there was no way to match him to any other name than what he gives."

"Who is to say it's not his real name? People have it. It's common."

"Which is what makes it a needle in a haystack too. I've never had the time to go and investigate him behind his back. I wanted him to work in my office; just running errands and things like that. I thought he could take over the job Emily used to have; I could teach him to do it. But I can't have him work illegally, and he either has no social security number or won't give it to me, and of course, he wouldn't go and get one."

"So that's why he works for the local mob. Emily really disapproves of that. If she were still here, she might be able to get something out of him. I just can't bring myself to bring about any contact, though. If she called him on her own, that would be something I couldn't prevent, but she hasn't, from what I can tell. The times I talked to her she was excited about classes, her new roommate, all the college stuff and I hate to drag that stuff down with Zander and his problems."

"I can understand that," Alexis answered. "Adjusting to college, and it sounds like she's doing well with it, is more important in the long run. He's an adult, or so he says, and really it's his responsibility to tell you what his medical history is. For Emily it just is not a good time to bring up something that might well inspire her to come running back here. Even if it's just temporary, it would still upset things. It's not good to miss even one class at the very beginning of your freshman year. Let me try. I've got some sort of relationship going with him. It might even be better. His pride isn't as involved. And I have the lawyer-client confidentiality, and can explain the doctor-patient confidentiality."

"I appreciate this, Alexis. Really you don't know how much. I'm just relieved he doesn't contact her either. I'm sure she doesn't know he's been shot. I guess he wouldn't tell her. I give him credit for it. It wouldn't do her a bit of good to know."

"Obviously he has run away from home," Alexis said, almost to herself. "How did it take me this long to realize it? And then there is the question of who shot him just now; that's been on my mind. There's always something! You never get enough quiet when it comes to Zander, to think about anything other than the now. There's always something in the immediate moment taking up your attention! How did he become a drug dealer? Why did he run away from home? Was he underage when he did? I wonder - if I looked in the missing children's reports or - maybe someone reported him missing. Even if he was over 18 when he left home, someone could have reported him missing. It really is amazing! I've know him a year now; it must be almost that. And it has never occurred to me to think of these simple questions before or to wonder why he never just told me!"

Monica's relief was great. It looked like there were plenty of other ways to find out about Zander without disturbing Emily. The longer she went without contacting him or asking about him, the better.