I hadn't planned on going into work until a little later than this but I'm up, so I may as well get ready and drive in. It might not be a bad idea to get there a little early just to get settled and caught up on the goings on in Durant that I have missed out on the last couple of days. Before I leave I pull out the business card John had left with the divorce papers. I call his direct line and leave a short message: 'File them'. I figure that is all he needs and the sooner this is taken care of the better. I get in my truck and crank the engine. Ruby is at the office when I arrive. I swear, that woman never sleeps.

"Morning Ruby."

"Good Morning Vic, nice to have you back. I put some reports on your desk for you to review to get up to speed our open cases. Thought it might make it easier than having to wait for Walt or Ferg to fill you in on everything.

"Thanks, that's a big help. Ruby, have you heard anything from Walt this morning? He had asked me to call him before I came into the office but he didn't answer at his cabin and he is obviously not here."

"Maybe he was in the shower when you called him."

"Yeah, maybe. I'm just surprised he didn't call me back on my cell when he got out. It must have been at least an hour ago when I tried him. Surely his showers don't take that long." Vic pictures Walt in the shower with steam rising up from the hot water running over his head and down his chest. Whoa, okay that needs to stop right now! Can't be thinking of things like that. I visibly shakes my head to clear the image out of it.

"You okay Vic? Your head isn't bothering you is it? I can call Doc Weston to tell him you need to see him if you'd like."

"No Ruby, I'm okay, trying to get back in the groove of things makes my head hurt but not in an injured, concussion kind of a way."

"If you're sure. Let me know if you change your mind."

"I will Ruby."

"What's the latest on Branch?"

Ruby hesitates before answering, "We got a call last night that he held Travis up with a shotgun and stole his car."

"Shit, he's going from bad to worse, isn't he? Do we know where he is?"

"Not yet."

I sit at my desk and cannot stop thinking about Walt and where he might be. It is not like him to not check in. I have a bad feeling that something has happened but I don't really have anything to base it on. He'll be pissed if I try to go and look for him. I'll wait and see if he comes in, but I'm not waiting long. I call his home number from my desk but once again am greeted by Martha's voice when the answering machine picks up. About an hour later Ferg wanders in.

"Vic, you're back. That's great!"

"Thanks Ferg, hey, you haven't heard anything from Walt have you?"

"No, not since he headed out to find David Ridges and asked me to..." his sentence trailed off.

"Asked you to what Ferg?"

"Nothin'"

"Ferg, don't lie to me, what did Walt ask you to do?"

He looks over toward Ruby's desk but she's focused on her computer screen.

"He asked me to keep an eye on your house last night. He was worried Branch might come after you and he knew he wouldn't be available because he needed to follow up on Ridges before he lost his trail.

This is a perfect example of a why Walt doesn't need to know anymore about my drama than he already does. He's continuing to take it on himself to keep me safe, a habit he started after Gorski first tracked me to Durant. I shouldn't have let him know Shaun was out of town. Then he wouldn't have been so worried about me. But right now there is a bigger problem.

"So the last place anyone knows of Walt he was going after Ridges: a man who faked his own death, tried to kill Branch and actually believes he can travel through time, in other words a total whack job? I don't like this, I don't like this at all."

My cop instincts kick in. I start mentally going down the list of things I know and steps to take from here in order to find Walt when I hear Ferg from over by the window.

"Hey guys, come here. It's Walt, and he's with Branch."

I move to the window and look for myself. I see him walking toward the office. Thank God he's alright. I breathe easily for the first time since I was so rudely awakened this morning.