Christian didn't even feel half so invigorated after his lengthy shower as he had hoped he would be. But at least it had helped him to bring a little clarity back into his thoughts. Having only a towel around his hips he bolted into the bedroom and pressed the button of his answer machine.

"Hello Christian! It's Sean. Where are you? I know you are on holiday, but it's vital we talk. Come to the office at noon, I'll explain everything. I cannot talk about it on the phone now."

Christian scrunched his forehead. It wasn't Sean's style to blow things out of proportion, but this message clearly sounded like a plea for help. Why did he say nothing yesterday?

Christian dried his hair a bit with the towel and reached for a shirt and trousers. A glance at the clock told him that noon has long past. Perhaps he should call Sean and tell him he was on the way.

He picked up the receiver and dialled the number of the surgery. It was ringing, but nobody answered. He put the phone down shaking his head. Why did Sean ask him to go to the office if he wasn't there, he wondered. He dialled a new number and waited.

"Julia? It's Christian. Is Sean there by any chance? ... Not? ... In the office? ... No, I had already tried there...mobile? ... Good idea. If you see him, tell him I called. Okay, thanks... I'm going to the practice now... Well, see you later."

Christian's third attempt to reach Sean, this time on his mobile, failed as well. Slowly but surely he started to seriously worry about his friend. Julia had said that Sean was at the practice. Thus he will be, Christian tried to calm himself down. There could be a thousands reasons, why he could not get to the phone when it was ringing. Perhaps he was already in the operating room.

Christian took his car keys from the table in the living room. At least Abby didn't think of stealing his keys the way Kimber once did with his Lamborghini. Kimber! He was back to thinking about her. Why couldn't he just banish her from his thoughts forever? Christian left the apartment sighing.

Sean's office was empty when Christian arrived at the practice. The operating areas were also empty. He wanted to leave straight away when Liz came in.

"Christian! What are you doing here?" She seemed surprised, "I thought you were on holiday."

"That's true," he replied curtly, "tell me, do you know where Sean is?"

Liz nodded, "a certain detective Myers was here and talked to him."

"Do you know what about?"

"No, unfortunately not. I only arrived as they were on their way out. I think they wanted to go to the police station."

"To the police station?" Christian felt how his stomach tightened only with the thought of it.

"Sean cancelled every appointment today," Liz explained, "I was just about to leave too."

"I'll set off to the police", Christian said determined. "I want to know what is going on."

"I have a funny feeling", Liz said thoughtfully.

"How do you mean that?" Christian scrunched his forehead.

"Detective Myers investigated the Rhea Reynolds case back then, or am I wrong?"

"No, you're right. Why?" Christian regarded Liz without grasping what she meant.

"Well, maybe I'm thinking too much into it, but it's it weird that a murder investigator shows up here?"

"What are you getting at?"

"Hell, Christian, don't try to look dumber than you are!" Liz had gradually lost her patience, "maybe there's a copycat. Do you understand? Someone who also believes that beauty is a curse, and now clued-up, he abuses and kills the same way as the Carver had," she cleared her throat, "I mean Quentin."

Christian went ice cold, when Liz's words penetrated his mind. He suddenly remembered what Kimber had said.

"Quentin wasn't my captor. You were-porn was. He was just the man holding up the mirror to our beautiful superficial lives showing me how grotesque they were. That we just hide our ugliness behind a beautiful mask. He was right. Beauty is a curse on the world."

His lower lip began to quiver.

"Christian? Everything all right with you?" Liz asked worried, "on the other hand, that was only an assumption ", she tried to calm him down , "I do not know why he took Sean with him."

"I have to...have to go to the police."

"Are you sure you can drive?" Liz asked sceptically as it was obvious that Christian had become parchment white all of a sudden.

Christian nodded. "I get myself an aspirin", he said standing up.

Liz watched concerned as he left the office. She noticed the slight smell of alcohol emanating from his direction. She knew that Sean had almost forced him to take a break. But she wasn't sure that was a good idea. Working at least could have been the vital distraction he needed. Liz sighed deeply. Maybe she should talk to Sean again. The shape Christian was in she found very alarming.

Christian rummaged through the drawers of his desk for aspirin. The way his head pounded was shattering, and he was back to feeling light headed and nauseated. Apparently he was still not so sober as he thought he was. But he couldn't make any allowances for that just now. He had to go to the police station, no matter how.

He quickly downed two aspirins and rinsed his mouth with water. He couldn't shake off Liz's words. And the idea, that maybe Kimber was involved in some way bothered him even more. Christian shook his head. But that wasn't enough to get rid of his sinister thoughts. He put the opened box of aspirin into his jacket pocket. In case he maybe sill needed to take another tablet on the way. He sat behind the steering wheel of his car and drove off.

Relieved, he took a deep breath when he parked his car in front of the police station. Fortunately he had encountered no road patrols. An alcohol test in his condition would have been momentous. Christian shoved some chewing gum into his mouth and stepped out.

He entered the police station and addressed an office worker, "I would like to see detective Myers. My name is Christian Troy."