The rest of his obligatory holidays went in a blur. He used his free time to search for Kimber. He had only just really realised how little he knew about the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

Kimber hardly ever talked about her family. Christian didn't know much, only that her parents divorced when she was little. She had always avoided the topic. She once mentioned that her mother stayed in hospital a lot. It seemed to him that Kimber's childhood could've not been so happy either.

Christian remembered that she said she was staying with a friend till she found her own apartment. He couldn't remember Kimber mentioning any friends before though. She had always managed to niftily steer clear of the whole exes/friends/lovers issue. He knew she had been engaged a few times, he imagined she never meant it seriously beforehand. But apart from that, he knew as much as nothing about her past. During his quest he visited every location he knew of her being there once, he called everybody he knew of who ever had any business with Kimber. None of these roads led him anywhere, he had to admit dispirited. He was as good as doomed. Kimber had disappeared from the face of the Earth!

One week had passed since the "Carver's" latest attack. That made Christian hope that it was a one off incident and it was only a copycat's work who had heard of the real Carver and wanted to bask in his glory. But he couldn't completely relax. Nobody could sleep tight in Miami as long as the mystery remained unsolved.

He was lost in reverie when somebody knocked on the door of his office.

"Come in!"

"Hello Christian!" Sean stepped in and approached him with a friendly smile, "Liz just told me that you are back. Heck, I'm so happy."

"Me too," Christian answered grinning, "I'm a little too young to go into retirement just yet."

"Are you feeling better?" Sean asked concerned.

Christian nodded, "I had a lot of time to think. How are you?"

"You mean my outburst last week? I'm sorry," Sean looked down feeling guilty, "that was pretty rude and thoughtless from me! I know you wouldn't do anything to endanger Kimber."

Christian smiled slightly, "but that doesn't change the fact that she is missing without a trace."

Sean looked up, "she does it intentionally."

"Yes," Christian stood up sighing, "anything new?"

Sean shook his head, "nothing worthy of mention. I have an appointment with a patient right now. Maybe you wanna join me for the interview?"

"Yes, with pleasure," Christian nodded.

A little later the two surgeons sat in the consultation room with the files of a patient in her mid thirties in front of them.

"Tell me what you don't like about yourself," Sean looked at the patient.

"Oh, you know, there 's nothing much I do like," she smiled uncomfortably, "I've never been happy with my appearance."

"Can you be a bit more specific?" Sean challenged the woman.

"Well, I thought I could have a bigger breast for starters, and then I would like some liposuction. Look at this..." She lifted her pullover and showed her stomach to Sean and Christian, "and my thighs are also too chunky," she continued, "I think my nose is also too big, and maybe you could raise my cheeks and fill my lips a little?"

Christian shot Sean a meaningful look. Beauty was really a curse!

Sean cleared his throat discretely, "Miss Michaels, you must know we can't do all that with a single procedure."

"Ah, and I thought if I'm already under a general anaesthetic..." She giggled nervously, "you know, all in one."

"We have to give you different appointments for different procedures," Christian let her know, "besides, we should maybe talk about the cost of all that beforehand."

"If that's the only problem," Miss Michaels said smiling, "I've been putting money together for it for years."

"Okay, well, let's start from the beginning," Sean groaned innerly. He took an empty sheet of paper to complete the forms, "what kinda changes where you thinking of? And go slowly, so I can make notes."

Christian tried not to smirk.

As the door suddenly opened, both surgeons happened to look up to see nurse Linda come in.

"I'm sorry to disturb you Dr. McNamara, but a certain detective Myers wants to speak to you. He is in the waiting room."

"Let him wait a bit, Linda!" Sean was visibly annoyed.

"I told him you are in a meeting, but he is not easy to get rid of," she said apologetically.

Sean rolled his eyes, "tell him I'll come when I'm finished here."

"He will certainly not like that," nurse Linda gave him something to think about.

"All right. I'll go," Christian stood up.

Sean looked at him pensively.

"Please excuse me for a minute," Christian told the patient.

Myers...what did he want coming here again, he asked himself as he made his way through the long corridor to the waiting room.

He opened the door and went over to the officer, "detective Myers...what is so urgent that you can't accept to wait?" He greeted him.

"I'm afraid I have some bad news," Myers replied making a serious face.

Christian felt as if suddenly getting a cold shower on his back. He cleared his throat to get rid of the imaginary knot that had formed in his gullet, "did the Carver attack again?"

Myers nodded, "a young woman."

"My God," Christian managed to say, "will this ever end? Tell me how we can help. We will do everything that is medically possible for the woman."

Myers shook his head slowly, "I'm sorry, but in this case no kind of cosmetic surgery could help," he cleared his throat, "she is dead!"