Disclaimer – You recognise it, I don't own it.

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"Mister Wayne!" Tam jerked as he walked into the office, "I… I didn't… I didn't know you were coming."

"My son is missing." Bruce replied, "Where else would I go?"

"Home, Bruce," Lucius spoke from the doorway, "Home where the police can contact you if they find anything. You don't need to be here. I've got things under control. Rest assured, everything is in good hands."

"I know that, but…" Bruce tailed off.

"Come to my office," Lucius motioned, "I'll tell you what I know. Tam, you hold down the fort here. Standard press statements, you know the drill. Deflect."

"Reduce. No comment." Tam recited, "Confidence in the GCPD. Expecting Mister Tim home in the near future."

"Good." Lucius nodded, "Don't forget your training."

"I won't. Not this time. Not even for Vale!"

"Good. This way Bruce."

Lucius led Bruce to his office; after instructing his secretary not to disturb them for a few hours he locked the door and sat down.

"Has this got anything to do with the Family Business?" Lucius immediately cut to the chase.

"I don't think so." Bruce replied, "It looks to have be related to Project Padua."

"Padua?" Lucius' eyebrows rose, "Tim didn't tell me that he'd briefed you on that one."

"He hasn't. Damian overheard something about it."

"That would explain the memo and reprimand that Tim sent out regarding project security and secrecy."

"What can you tell me about it?"

"Not a great deal. Tim's got the project locked down tight. I know that it's still in the development stages. But not much more than that. They were stalled about four months back, but then the block cleared three months back. I don't know how it got fixed. To be honest I didn't ask. I was just relieved that it seemed to be moving."

"Do you know about potential applications? Or possible industrial espionage?"

"Tim was suggesting that it could be used to track shipments of weapons. The actual trackers, from what I understand, are very small and easily hidden. Some of the scientists were considering if they could be used to track terrorists. I am not aware of any industrial espionage. But as CFO such things wouldn't be brought to me."

"Do you know what Tim was up to on his last day here?"

"No. As I told the police, Tim runs a pretty tight ship. He did tell me that he has a Lunch Meeting and then he was leaving for the weekend."

"Why didn't you tell me he was missing?"

"Because I didn't know he was. I thought you knew where he was. Come on Bruce… It's not like your sons haven't gone for long stretches without checking in with me before. Maybe it was a little different this time, because Tim's the CEO… But he's got things organised so that it doesn't matter if he's away. To be honest, most people think he just took a holiday and timed it with Tam's so that he didn't have to put up with a different PA. Lord knows no-one else meets his standards."

"What about his last Lunch Meeting? Do you know anything about it?"

"Not really. I believe it was a last minute thing. Else Tam would have known about it. Tim probably meant to produce a full report afterwards. He usually does."

"Is there anything you can remember that might help?"

"No. I'm sorry Bruce. But Tim's had me working on other projects. Long term things. It's taking quite a bit of my focus."

"Anything I need to worry about?"

"No. It's mainly expansion and revising the Board of Directors."

"Why? The Board works."

"The Board works, because Tim and I have tight control over it. Tim spends quite a bit of time doing backstage work to get everyone moving in the direction he needs. If they had their way, I'd be gone and so would Tim. But they're willing to put up with Tim at the moment and focus on getting rid of me. They think Tim's controllable… They're going to be surprised."

"So Tim's working on the Board."

"His goal is to replace them with younger, more innovative minds. Preferably increasing the female and ethnic ratio."

"Well, the Board is primarily older, white males." Bruce conceded, "Is there anything you can tell me that might help?"

"Technically I can't tell you anything." Lucius sighed, "Tim is an emancipated minor. You are not legally responsible for him… However, as owner of the company you have access to relevant information that might interfere with the running of the company."

Lucius opened a drawer and removed a file from it. Bruce claimed the file and flicked it open.

"Tim's medical records?" Bruce frowned, "I know his records inside and out."

"You should read that." Lucius repeated, "It won't help you find him. But it might help when you do."

Frowning Bruce took another look at the file. Then his heart stuttered.

"Acquired Asplenia? Please tell me that doesn't mean what I think it means."

"He lost his spleen? Yeah, it means exactly what you think it does."

"When? How?"

"When… When he was looking for you. I don't know how, exactly. Tam knows more, but she won't say. All she has ever said is that the ninjas took it."

"Ninjas?" His heart froze this time.

"I don't know all the details. But from what little I managed to piece together; when I sent her to find Tim and bring him back, she found him in his room. Injured, along with a woman. Then the ninjas came and took all three of them. Tam never saw the woman after that. But she didn't see much. She disappeared off the grid for three months. Then came back to Gotham. Shaken, but unharmed."

"Ra's Al Ghul."

"I couldn't say. Tam didn't see much. Ninjas. An opulent room, that was basically her prison. An Albino. Tim. And violence. But only at the end. They didn't touch her."

"A hostage for Tim's behaviour."

"The only conclusion I can draw."

"God!" Bruce ran a hand through his hair, "Nothing like that got into any report that I ever read… I'll take that up with Tim later. The key thing is finding him."

"If there is anything I can do to help. Just tell me."

"I wish there was." Bruce sighed.

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"Okay, so this is our timeline," Crispus pointed to it, "He swiped out of WE at twelve fifteen on Friday. Apparently headed for a Lunch Meeting. Have you got a trace on his car?"

"No point." Renee sighed, "It's still in the garage at WE. Where he is known for leaving it for months at a time. He might have walked."

"Did I hear you mention cars?" Romy asked wandering past.

"Just in passing." Renee shrugged, "It's a bit of a surprise that a CEO owns a Honda Civic, even if he is under the drinking limit. Why do you ask? Linked with your case? A murder, right?"

"Solved it yesterday. No, I was thinking about a Cold Case. Caught it 'bout a month ago. Murder, again. Victim was Jacob Spencer. Car mechanic. Found in a parking garage. He was all dressed up."

"Fancy meal out?"

"No. Looked more like a chauffeur. But we couldn't find his car. A Rolls Royce Phantom."

"You tried Josie?"

"Probably ought to. It's just weird. The whole case."

"Why?"

"He ran a classic car restoration and mechanic shop in the suburbs. According to his staff, he very rarely chauffeurs anyone himself. But there's one guy he does, Chen Rong. Usually books in advance, but he called Spencer, on his personal phone, and the guy dropped everything to transport him. Had less than two hours notice."

"I presume you traced the call?"

"Dead end. Burner. But there was something about the guy that just didn't sit right…"

"Montoya!" Crispus called her attention back to him, "You got anything from that footage?"

"Nothing useful." She sighed, "Drake exits WE, turns right and disappears off WE's cameras. Traffic cams catch him from there. He walks nearly a block, disappears into a dead zone, then disappears. He never emerges."

"Must have gotten into a cab or something. I don't see a CEO walking to a Lunch Meeting. Doesn't give a good image… Besides you'd notice him on another camera."

"Any luck with the restaurants?"

"Anyone who is willing to talk about their clients didn't have a reservation for Drake for that day. Those who won't talk claim client confidentiality."

"That sucks. Anything we can try?"

"I'll get the captain to try and lean on them."

"Let me ask Fox. He might have some contacts."

"Good idea. Might as well make his status work for us."

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"God!" Dick looked around, "Tim is such a geek!"

"And that's new?"

"Not really. Okay, let's check his study."

"This way."

Dick scanned around the room, two walls covered in bookshelves, a desk tucked under a window and photographs occupying most of the fourth wall.

"I'll take the desk and the photos." Dick declared, "You'll do better with the books."

"Don't get too excited if you find a tablet. He keeps one around for games."

"Noted."

It didn't take Dick long to find three tablets, all stashed in the drawers of the desk. He put them to one side, to look at the passcodes later.

"That's wrong." Jason frowned.

"What?" Dick looked up.

"These books, they're filed wrong." Jason pointed, "This is the Sci-Fi section."

"Even I know that Asimov wrote Science Fiction, Jay." Dick spared a glance, "Invented the Three Laws of Robotics. I don't see a problem."

"He wrote mostly Science Fiction." Jason created, "This is a mystery collection that he wrote."

"I've never heard of it."

"Alfred's a fan. Says he relates to one of the characters."

"You don't like mystery books. I remember that. You're a literary snob. You don't even like Agatha Christie or Ellery Queen. And you won't touch ACD."

"I just have taste. Something you never got." Jason sniffed, "But I remember this. I got ill once and refused to do what Alfred said. He told me that if I was going to behave like a small child he would treat me like one. Complete with bedtime story. He chose one of the shorts in these books. 'The Driver' it was called. He chose it 'cause I hate mystery stories. And 'cause he knew I would like it the best out of all of them."

"Well, it's not like Tim to miss file things. Check the books."

"On it. I am not reading these things though. Any joy for you?"

"Three tablets. An old film camera. Notebooks. Mainly filled with school stuff. A few draft essays, though why he's drafting them on paper, I don't know."

"Any interesting topics?"

"'Discuss Recruitment and the Related Legislation'," Dick started, "'Depictions of the Female Form often Support or Challenge Attitudes Towards Women within their Cultural Contexts.'. 'Explore the History of Forensics, with a View Towards it's Impact on the Criminal Justice System'."

"Sounds like he's doing some serious studying. I've got a bookmark in this book, 'The Banquets of the Black Widowers'… Alfred said Timmy was Atheist, right?"

"Agnostic, but pretty much."

"Then why's he using a religious bookmark?"

"Why's he left a bookmark in it? Timmy doesn't usually put a book back until he's either finished it, or given up. I presume it was in use."

"Marking a story. The book's full of short ones."

"Check the Bible… If he's got one. I'm getting nothing here. Would be more helpful if he had a computer."

"He uses a laptop. Usually takes it everywhere with him. Which Bible? I've got a Bible, a Quran, a Hadith, a Shruti, a Tanakh, a Talmud, a Tao Te Ching, a Tipitaka and a whole host of other stuff. Most of this is in the original language. Either he's a major polyglot…"

"Or he's up to something. As per usual. Well, try the actual Bible. It was a Bible bookmark, right?"

"A Psalm. I'll try the Bible first. Then the Tanakh."

Dick moved over to the wall of photographs.

"Good to see he kept this up." Dick smiled, "At least he's still got a hobby."

"Those are professional shots." Jason remarked, "And historical things."

"Nope. They're his." Dick returned, "He was good enough to be a pro, back when he was taking shots of us. Haven't you seen his collection?"

"I knew it existed. Wasn't in a hurry to look back at my days in the pixie boots and the scaly pants."

"Pity. He's got a good eye. These are all his work. I'm sure of it."

"Even the historical one?" Jason motioned at an old picture.

"Check her wrist," Dick snorted, "Her watch is modern. Even if the car and the clothes are old."

"It's a Pontiac Redbird." Jason corrected, "Of all the Pontiac Birds, it was probably the prettiest. But I doubt that's why the kid wanted a picture."

"Nostalgia." Dick nodded, "That's what we called his car… Redbird."

"Vanity licence plate," Jason noted, "'Psm 78'. Probably could even trace the owner if we wanted."

"Anything of note in the Bible?" Dick asked.

"He's been practicing his Hebrew?" Jason shrugged, "He's written some Hebrew next to the start of each Psalm, as far as I can tell. But nothing long enough to be his password. And it's against every Psalm. So there's no indicator for us. Nothing useful in the Tanakh. I think the bookmark was just a mistake. Maybe a cleaner put it back on the shelf and misfiled the section."

"Alfred would never do that."

"Yeah, but Alf ain't never been here. Look around, this is Tiny Tim's home. Just as it's always been… Full of stuff. Empty of people. Just pictures on walls."

"At least they're good pictures." Dick tried to joke, "Bit confusing…"

"What do you mean?" Jason frowned, "Landscapes and odd shapes. I've seen worse at the Modern Art Museums."

"This one," Dick pointed, "Babs brought one like it for her Dad for Christmas. Only it's meant to say a word. That one doesn't."

"I've seen that guy before." Jason moved to a different picture.

"How can you tell? It's just a hand."

"No, but that's a very distinctive bracelet." Jason stated, "Hold on."

He moved to the bookshelves and pulled out a photograph album.

"Here." He flicked over a few pages.

"He's never the focus of the picture." Dick frowned, "It's always the car that's the focus. But from what I can see, he's what? My age?"

"Between the two of us I'd say. Male. White."

"Physically fit. Probably a Classic Car Restorer."

"Where do you get that?"

"None of the cars in the pictures are complete. They're all missing stuff. There's tools in the background and in his hands."

"But classic cars? You can't recognise what's classic and what's crap!"

"No. But there's no way a normal mechanic would be rebuilding a car from the frame up. That leaves Hero or Classic Car Restorer. I know all the Heroes and all the gear builders on sight. Even from the limited angles on these, I know I don't know him. Add in the other pictures on the walls being of car parts or classic cars…"

"Seems Tiny Tim has two hobbies. Photography and Classic Cars."

"Never knew he was into classic cars. But it makes sense. He's a history buff and likes knowing how things work. Any names written on those photos?"

"Nothing useful. All seems to be License Plates. And what use is that going to be? Tracing cars that have nothing to do with Timmy. He just took photos of them."

"He obviously spent quite a bit of time with this man. But I don't know him."

"A case?"

"Unlikely, given that he wouldn't bring a case up here. Never mind put it on his walls."

"And we still haven't found his clues regarding the password."

"They've got to be here somewhere."

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Please Review.

I write stories because I can't draw. I have all these images in my head that I cannot reproduce. So I try and describe them with words. If anyone else would like to try to translate what I have written into what they think I saw in my head, they have my permission. I only ask that I be notified of it, so that I may look and go "OOoooh!".

Many thanks to my reviewers:

Rehabilitated Sith – Never thought about that. Certainly Tim's not as close to Clark as Dick is. But I think part of that is Tim's closeness with Kon.

Loftcat27 – Give me time. I know, but I still haven't written it out.

Anonymous – You're welcome. Glad you enjoyed.