"Mrs. Mary Templar?"

"Yes, I'm Mary Templar. Who are you?" asked the woman at the door. She had her auburn hair put up in a loose bun and wore a white long sleeved shirt and jeans.

"I'm Sara Black and this is my husband, Adam. Can we ask you some questions?"

Mrs. Templar looked back and said "Well, my husband Simon is going to be home in an hour, but the children; are home from school now. Could you come back later when my husband is home?"

"We can if you would like, Ma'am," said Sara. "What time would you like us back?"

"How about seven o'clock?"

"That would be fine. Goodbye and see you later," said Sara as they left Mrs. Templar's doorstep. Mrs. Templar merely closed the door.

~~~Beyond the Future~~~

"Anybody there, hello?" asked a tall man in a brown three piece suit, who put his briefcase down on the dining room table.

"Daddy, daddy!" three voices raised in an unending litany came close as the children came forward to greet their father, who promptly swept them up in a giant bear hug.

"Simon? Is that you?" asked a voice in the kitchen.

"Yes, It's me. The children are here in the dining room with me."

"Warren, Jean, William! What have I told you about ganging up on your father?" said their mother.

The three kids shook their heads.

"Well, if you ever try this again, don't do it without me," said their mother smiling as she reached over to plant a kiss on her husband's cheek.

"Mary?"

"Yes, Simon. What's wrong?"

"Wait a minute. Kids, don't you have some homework?"

Groans came from all the kids followed by, "Yes, sir."

"Well, your mother and I need to talk alone for a bit. Could you all please go to your rooms and do your homework while your mum and I talk?"

"Yes, sir," said the children heading up the stairs to their rooms.

"What do you think Mum and Dad are going to talk about?" asked William.

"Bret Washington says that when his parents want time alone, they want time to kiss. ," said Jean in her own nine-year-old way.

"I don't think so," said Warren, the oldest at eleven.

"Well, I hope they aren't doing any kissy face yucky stuff anyway," said William.

~~~Beyond the Future~~~

He waited until he heard the doors to each of the kid's rooms slammed shut and then turned back to face his wife. "I saw a newscast. It was about this girl that has been missing for more than twenty years—"

"Oh, her parents must be worried sick. Have they found any leads?"

"No, but they are looking. Darling, did you see anything suspicious going on when you were growing up?"

"No dear. Why are you asking?" asked Mary.

"I'm sorry, dear. But I'm asking because when this girl vanished, you and she were the same age."

"And you think that I might have come across her? Simon, after one girl went missing, my parents would not let me go out at night."

"What about school? You would have seen her there."

"I doubt it. I didn't really have many friends that year. I was new to my school."

"What about your biological father?"

"He's dead," said Mary with tears in her eyes.

"Listen, I know that, but Mary darling, could you have any other family living?"

"I don't think so. My father was the only one living and my mother—I don't remember her at all."

"Could you have had a twin?"

"Why are you questioning me like this, Simon?" asked Mary, anger in her voice.

"I'm not questioning you, dearest. But is it a coincidence that you and this missing girl are the same age?"

"No, but I'm not her. That poor girl is probably dead in a shallow grave somewhere," said Mary. "By the way, a man and a woman were here and wanted to see me about something."

"What did they want?"

"I don't know, but I told them to come back at seven. Is that all right?"

"It's fine, but what if they are here to talk to you about this missing girl?"

"Then I'll just tell them that I don't know anybody by that name. Or if they show me a picture, I will probably not know who is in the photograph anyway."

"But—"

"No buts darling. It's an honest mistake. I'm sure they will understand," said Mary with a smile.

~~~Beyond the Future~~~

Sara and Adam arrived promptly at seven o'clock and Simon came to the door and welcomed them to their home. They all sat down in the living room, Sara and Adam on a red couch, and Simon and Mary sat on a brown couch across from them.

"Now, I'm Sara Black and this is my husband Adam."

"Pleased to meet you. I'm Simon Templar and this is my wife Mary."

"So you're 'The Saint'?" asked Adam with a grin.

Simon answered with a smile of his own. "My mother loved the Saint books by Leslie Charteris. That man knew how to write some good novels. I've read every one about my namesake or should I say I'm the namesake."

"So what is it that you wanted to see me about?" asked Mary.

"Could you take a look at this picture please?" Sara asked.

Mary took the picture from Sara's hand and looked at it. Then she smiled. "Mrs. Black, where did you get a picture of me with my father?"

Simon went to look at it himself and saw a slightly portly man in a black three-piece suit with an auburn haired little girl in a gingham dress upon his knee.

"Is this little girl you, Mary?"

"Yes, with my father." She turned towards Sara and Adam. "Why do you have this old picture of me and my father?"

"Your—a relative of yours wants to see you."

"What relative? As far as I know, my father and I had no living relatives."

"What about your mother?"

"What about her? I think she left us awhile back ago. Why are you asking?"

"Your mother was alive, but she died ten years ago worrying about you," said Sara.

"Yes, after abandoning me when father died. I'm sure that she didn't think anymore about me."
"That's isn't true and this relative will vouch for that."

"You don't think I know what went on. My father was killed by vagrants and my mother did nothing!" said Mary, visibly shaking with rage. "Perhaps you should leave now. I don't think I could carry a decent conversation tonight and please tell this relative to stay out of my life."

"Please, I'm sorry if I upset you, but can't we talk reasonably at a later date? Please?" Adam asked.

Mary simply nodded her head and said, "Yes, perhaps we could."

"Thank you. We'll leave now and you have a good night," said Sara as they went out the front door.

~~~Beyond the Future~~~

"So you're saying my father is still alive," said Mary, her tone neutral. They had come to dinner at Mary's request nearly a week after the original visit. They had decided to tell her about her father and see how she reacted to the news. "How do I know that even if he isn't dead that he didn't abandon me all those years ago? My memories at best are cloudy and confused."

"Your father not only didn't abandon you he in fact, spent most of his fortune to hire private investigators to get on your trail," said Adam. "They didn't find anything or at least not much. Of course, from what Sir Ian has told us and what we have checked into ourselves they didn't have access to the bank or police records so never came up with the Irish connection."

"Why don't you at least come meet him and form an opinion after you've spent some time with him," Sara suggested.

"I don't know I have so many things to do here…" Mary said sounding uncertain while in the meantime emotions of sadness hope and betrayal were running through her. Simon didn't say anything for he had already decided it was his wife's decision and not his own. He could give her advice if he was asked, but not to influence her decision in any way.

"Let me tell you a little story," said Sara her voice quiet and kind of sad, while Adam looked shocked and gripped her hand even tighter. He knew what she was about to do and it would be an emotional roller coaster for her for she had lived through it with sheer strength of will alone. "There were once two little girls—twins who were very close to each other and who did everything together. One day, they were at the park with they're brother and mother. Suddenly a van pulled up and a man grabbed the two little girls after knocking their older brother out of the way when he tried to protect them. They were taken to a root cellar that was out in the middle of nowhere and tied at opposite ends so they couldn't comfort or touch each other one bottle of water between them. They were left there for nine days while money negotiations were going on without food and just the one bottle of water between them. One of those little girls was me and; for twenty-five I had a killer chasing me while his partner sat in prison refusing to tell who the other guy was. So at least go see your father, before it is too late and you feel guilty for the rest of your life for at least not making the attempt."

Mary and Simon had both gone pale at this recitation of the past. "So what happened to your twin?" asked Simon.

"Kim died on the ninth day about dawn. I've always wondered if the man's partner hadn't gotten sloppy if we were ever meant to be found at least not before it was too late. After that, my mother divorced my father and moved from England to Texas where she met and married Frank Victor about a year later. Frank was the first one to get me to speak again nearly two and a half years later. He used to take me with him on his rounds around the ranch. I think he sensed I felt safer in the wide open spaces where you could see for miles."

Sara fell silent and Adam put his arm around her shoulders holding her close. Talking about the past was highly emotional for her and wrung her out like a rag.

"All right, I'll come and meet my father," said Mary finally touched by Sarah story about a tragedy from her past.

"That's good," said Adam. "We can arrange a private plane for you if you want."

"No thanks I'll just take a commercial flight. Just give me the address," Mary said.

"We'll have someone meet you at the airport if you'll just phone us the time your plane lands." Adam handed her three numbers and said, "One is my cell phone number, one is Sara's and the other is the hotel we're staying at. Come along Sara, time to head back to the hotel." They both got up to leave without another word

Sara nodded, but did not speak and allowed Adam to lead her out of the house.

~~~Beyond the Future~~~

"Daddy!" said Mary as soon as she saw him. She ran to him and Ian hugged her tight.

"Susan!" said Sir Ian hugging his daughter close not caring who was watching and as if she was never going to let her go.

"I thought you dead," said Mary.

"I know and if that bast…Never, mind your home now and that's all that matters," said Sir Ian.

"I can't stay more than a couple of weeks I have a home and a family," Mary said.

"Why not invite your husband and children here?" Ian suggested. "I want to see my grandchildren."

"All right daddy," Mary agreed. "They'll be on the next flight, but remember the name's Mary now," Mary told him almost teasingly. Ian made a face at that, but didn't say anything. "It's a name I've gone by for twenty-five years."

"You know I have Adam and Sara not to mention Dave and Kate and Marcus and Shari to thank for this reunion."

"Me too, I really must thank them. For twenty-five years I thought you dead and all because of one man's lies," Mary said,

"You'll get to meet them and they'll all waiting at my place," said Ian not responding to her last statement knowing that she had a right to be angry after what Liam and his partner had done to her.

~~~Beyond the Future~~~

An hour later, the limo driver pulled in front of Sir Ian's house. The limo had been rented for the day, as usually Ian drove a Camry. The driver parked and opened the back door for Sir Ian and his daughter. The butler opened the door and his face broke into an unaccustomed grin. "Mistress Susan It's so good to see you after all these years."

"Matthew," said Mary throwing herself into his arms. Matthew who had been butler for longer than Susan had been alive hugged her back. They had always had an extremely close relationship when she was younger. If Matthew had been there that night she might not have disappeared for he would have done anything to prevent it. Mary was almost glad he hadn't been for the two men who had taken her had been ruthless and Matthew could well have ended up dead.

"If only I had been there that night I might have prevented you from being kidnapped."

"And you also might have ended up dead," Mary told him. "Besides, it's over now."

Matthew didn't respond, but his expression said he didn't agree and led her and Sir Ian to where the others were waiting in the parlor.

~~~Beyond the Future~~~