THOUGH IT WERE TEN THOUSAND MILES

By Joan Stephens

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Chapter Three

 

Catherine had known immediately upon waking that Vincent was gone. Their connection was completely silent. Knowing Gabriel’s cold eyes were watching her via the camera, she turned on her side, buried her face in her pillows, and wept furiously. She would not give him the satisfaction of seeing her openly crying. Finally the storm abated; she rested for a while, thinking. Even though she had promised Vincent that she would not harm herself or the baby, she doubted if she could keep that promise. She had no life without him, and she would not, if she had the power, let Gabriel raise Vincent’s son without love or goodness. Forgive me, my love, but I can’t keep that promise. We will join you soon. Preparing herself to begin the long, arduous process, she turned a cold, triumphant face to the camera.  

 

Gabriel recoiled from her image. My god, she was going to do it. Shouting for Pope to use the Business Band radio to contact the driver of the truck that was transporting Vincent to Washington, he told him to have the caged man awakened immediately. Somehow, she knew he was gone and would need to be reassured that he was alive. He wondered if there was some kind of psychic connection. This child was becoming increasingly more desirable as he learned more about these two amazing people.  

 

Suddenly, she felt the misty touch of his aura. He was feeling as sick and disoriented as she had when she woke up in this prison cell, and she felt the tenuous touch of his essence lessening ever so slightly as the minutes passed. Sending her thoughts of love and assurance that he was all right, he just as suddenly disappeared from her mind. She wondered fearfully what Gabriel had in store for him. But her love was alive and for the time being she would abide by her promise.  

 

*********************

 

Father was more than worried, he was afraid, afraid that he would never see Vincent or Catherine again. It was more than two weeks since Vincent had left to bring her safely home. Since then, there had been no word about either of them. It was as though the earth had swallowed them. The city had been searched Above and Below, Catherine’s apartment was under constant surveillance, and the word had gone out on the streets to report anything that even remotely pertained to them–all to no avail. They were gone. What he had feared since the night Vincent had brought Catherine to his home had come to pass. Once he would have blamed her, but now he could see that nothing could have prevented their meeting or the deep, all consuming love they felt for each other. Now he prayed fervently each night for both of them.  

 

He had even come to the fateful conclusion that he needed help that only a Topsider could give. He had decided to trust Catherine’s boss and good friend, Joe Maxwell, but he would tell him only what he needed to know: his world still needed to be protected. Going to his wardrobe, he changed into his vintage street clothes as he was to meet Peter in the park in half an hour. Peter had worked with Maxwell on a case two years prior and was his channel to the man.

Mary was waiting for him in the common room. “You’re going Above?” she asked, a worried frown on her usually placid face.  

 

“Yes, we must do something. We have exhausted all our resources; we need a new approach. A Topsider can help us and I think I know one who can. ”

 

“Be careful, Father. ”

 

“Don’t worry, Mary, I will be with Peter. Nothing will happen. ”

 

*******************

 

Emerging warily into the Park, Father saw Peter sitting on a park bench near the tunnel entrance. Looking around, he sat down beside his old friend. It was a warm spring day, the sun shining brightly, the trees in full leaf, but he couldn’t appreciate how beautiful it was.  

 

“Peter,” he said, greeting this oldest and dearest of friends, wearily dropping onto the bench.  

 

“Jacob, you look terrible. When was the last time you slept?” Peter asked, obviously concerned. He noticed the dark circles under the gray eyes, the nervous hands clutching the lion-headed cane, and the added wrinkles around the eyes and mouth.  

 

“Oh, I slept a little last night, but I haven’t been able to sleep much. Too many thoughts crowd my mind. ”He passed a weary hand over his face. “When do we see Maxwell?”

 

“In about an hour. How much are you willing to tell him? He’s a good man, Jacob, and he loves Catherine like a brother. He would do anything for her. ”

 

“We can tell him that she is missing and that Vincent is also. We can’t tell him too much about the tunnels. ”

 

“That might make it more difficult to find them, especially if they are .  .  . ”

 

“Don’t say it, Peter, don’t even think it. They must be alive. They have to be. ”Leaping to his feet, he began to limp back and forth–his hip immediately made him sorry that he had.  

 

“But you must face the possibility, Jacob. ”

 

Vehemently shaking his head, Father denied the possibility, “Not until we’ve exhausted every opportunity to find them. I will not believe they are gone forever. ”

 

“Sit down, Jacob, you’re not doing your hip any good stomping around like that. We will do all in our power to find them. Now, what have the helpers and street people found out?”

 

Easing down on the bench, he leaned against the back. “Nothing. That’s what is so frustrating! How could they just disappear with no one, no one, seeing or hearing anything? There must be someone who saw Catherine being taken. Someone must know something. ”He sighed heavily. “I will not give up!”

 

“None of us will, Jacob. We’ll find them. Have faith. ”

 

********************

 

Joe looked much the worse for wear. The bruises had turned an ugly yellowish-green while the livid, red scars were beginning to fade. “How are you doing, Joe?” Peter asked.  

 

“Getting better every day. ”Rising to his feet, Joe expended his hand over his desk. “It’s good to see you, Doctor. ”

 

“You too, Joe. I want you to meet Jacob Wells, a good friend of Cathy’s. Jacob .  .  .  Joe Maxwell. ”

 

“Cathy!” Joe yelped, excitedly pumping the older man’s hand. “Do you know where she is?I need to talk with her. ”

 

“That’s why we are here .  .  . ”

 

Before he could continue, Joe interrupted. “She has something of mine. I need it. I’ve called and left messages, but she never got back to me. ”

 

Jacob turned to Peter. “Vincent was afraid of that book,” he said in an aside to his old friend.  

 

“Vincent?Who’s Vincent?” Joe demanded to know.  

 

“My son, Mr.  Maxwell. May we sit down?” He moved toward the ugly utilitarian couch that crouched opposite Joe’s desk.  

 

“Oh sure, I’m sorry. Please, sit down. ”Joe waved the two men to the sofa and resumed his seat behind his desk. Leaning back in his chair, he decided to listen to what this oddly dressed man had to say about Cathy before asking his own questions.

 

“What about Cathy?”

 

“You haven’t heard from her since you were in the hospital?” Squirming around, Jacob tried to find a more comfortable spot in the bumpy cushion.  

 

Surprised, Joe glanced at Peter, who just shrugged. “How did you know about that?”

 

“Catherine told me. ”

 

“Oh. No, I haven’t seen her since then, in fact, she didn’t come to see me the next day as she said she would. ”

 

“Didn’t you find that a little strange?” Peter asked.  

 

“Well, yeah, but she is a very private person. She often disappears for periods of time. Why?”

 

“She’s missing. And my son with her,” the older man stated flatly. “I .  .  .  we think Catherine was taken. ”

 

“Kidnapped?”

 

“Yes. ”

 

“Maybe they’re off by themselves. ”

 

“No, they would never worry me like this. We have searched the city for them. They have completely disappeared. ”

 

“Who’s we?” Joe asked suspiciously.  

 

“Peter, myself, friends and family. ”

 

“You’re sure they are gone?”

 

“Yes, I’m certain of it. ”

 

“All right, tell me of the events leading up to their disappearance. ”Joe took out a small notebook and pencil. “First, tell me why you think they may have been kidnapped. ”

 

Willing himself to relax, Jacob sat back in the couch. “You gave a book to Catherine. ”

 

Jolted, the young DA asked, “She told you about it?I’d asked her to keep it quiet. ”

 

“She trusts me. A very important book she said. She told me she had given it to District Attorney Moreno as you instructed. ”

 

Joe looked troubled. “John said she had just come to the office to say hello that she didn’t give him the book. That’s when I began to call her. I even went by her apartment several times hoping to catch her at home. ”

 

“I think you know Catherine well enough to know that she wouldn’t lie about something like that,” Jacob replied.

 

“Yeah, she might be evasive about her private life, but she wouldn’t lie about that. Besides why would she tell you that she gave Moreno the book?She had no way of knowing that we would even meet. Go on. ”

 

“I believe whoever took her thought she knew more than she does. ”

 

“But why would they take your son?” Joe chewed on the end of his pencil. “He wouldn’t have known anything about it. ”

 

“Catherine and Vincent have a special relationship. They know–particularly Vincent–when the other is in trouble. He went to bring her back, to rescue her. ”

 

“Why wouldn’t they just kill him and dump his body?” Joe asked.  

 

“Vincent is special,” Peter inserted his comment into the conversation.  

 

“My son is a rather unique individual, Mr.  Maxwell. Certain people would like to have him. ”

 

Intrigued, Joe asked, “What’s so special about him?”

 

“Right now that is not important. ”Jacob looked down at the floor then up at Joe. “Can you help us?”

 

Joe let the subject of Wells’ son’s uniqueness drop for the time. He could find out later. “I hope to. Is there anything else you can tell me?”He looked from Jacob to Peter. They both shook their heads.  

 

“Nothing that would help you in your search,” Jacob said.  

 

“This isn’t much to go on,” Joe said as he stood up.  

 

Jacob and Peter stood, also. “It’s all we have right now,” Jacob replied. “If we learn anything, more we will inform you right away. ”

 

“How do I get in touch with you, Mr.  Wells?” Joe came around his desk, holding out his hand.  

 

Shaking the proffered hand, Jacob answered, “Give any messages for me to Peter. He will see that I get them. ”

 

“I’ll get right on it,” Joe said as he shook Peter’s hand.  

 

 

After Jacob Wells and Dr.  Alcott had left, he sat in his office, thinking, What had Cathy gotten herself into this time? And what a strange man for Dr.  Alcott to have for a friend. His clothing was at least thirty years out of date. Very hesitant about giving out any information, too. Strange, very strange.

 

Reading what few notes he had, his thoughts turned to Moreno. Was it possible? No, not John. It couldn’t be true. But why had he lied to him about the book? Was he somehow connected to the shadowy figures behind it?

 

He would have to tread carefully, but he was determined to find Cathy. He decided to tell Moreno about Cathy’s disappearance and to go from there. He was up and out the door before he could change his mind.  

 

***********************

 

In the month since that wondrous and stressful night they had spent together in his prison and that horrendous morning when she thought he was dead, her days had taken on a tedious sameness that did nothing to relieve the stress she was under. The house felt empty although it was filled with servants, guards, and Gabriel’s underlings. She was surrounded be cold, heartless men, and a nurse that was like flint, stone-faced and icy, while the servants were afraid to speak to her. It took all her courage to rise in the morning and face another empty day. All her needs were perfunctorily met. If she wanted for anything, all she had to do was ask for it. She spent the long days reading, listening to music, and watching TV, and above all else, worrying about Vincent. Her thoughts constantly were with him whatever she was doing. Knowing Vincent was alive and the certainty of his coming for her was the one thing she had to cling to that gave her the courage to face each dreary day of captivity.  

 

She had taught herself how to knit and was even now knitting a baby blanket that she hoped to have finished by the time the baby was born. As she felt the quickening life of Vincent’s child within her, she talked to him–she was certain it was a boy–telling him stories about his father, how they had met, about his life, what he was like, how much Vincent loved him, hoping in some way that the child would know all this deep in the very heart of him. Being Vincent’s son, it was likely that he would share a bond with his parents. She didn’t think that Gabriel fully understood their bond and its strength, and she meant to keep it that way, carefully governing her emotions, studiously avoiding any reaction to what she was feeling through the bond.  

 

****************

 

The last two months had been hard on Father. He had aged considerably. Frustrated as he was at the lack of progress in solving Vincent and Catherine’s disappearance, he had to believe that they would return; the alternative was unthinkable. The only thing that kept him from sinking into total despair was the everyday problems of the community. Someone seemed to need his advice every moment of the day and directing the community took up a vast amount of time. He was thankful for each and every problem that came his way.

 

And it had been a long agonizing and frustrating two months for Joe, as well. Everywhere he turned, he met roadblocks: leads fizzled out, witnesses disappeared, there had even been veiled threats against him. It troubled him deeply, but he had come to believe that Moreno was deeply involved in Cathy’s kidnapping, the man he had always thought of as a good, honest man. He was certain that someone very powerful was pulling John’s strings. How else could he explain his total lack of success?He needed help .  .  .  out of the office. If John was really involved, he could trust no one: not in the office or in the police department with the possible exception of Greg Hughes whom he would trust with his life. He thought of Elliot Burch; he might know who was top dog in NYC.  

 

**********************

 

From the day Vincent awoke in Washington, he had been kept securely locked in his cage in the basement of an old stone house in Issaquah, a small town outside of Seattle. All this he had learned from the children of the owner of the house. He had tried several times to break the locked door but was unsuccessful. He could smell the odor of wild beasts and thought that he might be imprisoned near a zoo. Thoughts of Father, of Catherine, their child, and their bond, although it was stretched to the limit, kept him from sinking into an abyss of despair from the brutal and degrading treatment at the hands of his keeper. He was a heartless, insensitive man that gave Vincent just enough to eat to keep him alive. Vincent had learned very early that it was best that he act as if he were mentally slow. Undernourished, unwashed, and thoroughly miserable, he did not know how much longer he could last before he killed his keeper, Schmidt, and tried to escape. Killing the man would only draw attention to his attempt to escape, but he was nearing the end of his rope. Yet, this escape had to be as inconspicuous and quiet as possible. Since the day he had awakened in this cage, he had been working on an escape plan.  

 

Schmidt had two children, a boy Alan, nine, and a girl Sophie, eleven, whom he treated in the same manner as he did his living exhibitions. Vincent had become their friend and confidante when they found out that he had never known his mother. They were motherless too, having lost her just last year in suspicious circumstances, and they bonded with him through their mutual loss. He was the only one that paid any real attention to them. At first, they were afraid of him–they had had some scary moments with some of the creatures, human and otherwise, that their father had kept in the basement--but as with all children they were also fascinated by his resemblance to Aslan. Slowly, they grew accustomed to him and lost their fear. He was not like the others that their father had keptuntil they died; he was intelligent, caring and talked with them. They would sneak at night into the basement with their books and would settle down on the cement floor outside the cage which was butted up against two walls in a corner, and he would read to them until they knew it was time to go upstairs and to bed.  He was always gentle, and when they offered him part of their snack, he thanked them in soft terms. Carefully, he nurtured their fascination until it had become friendship. They loved him and he returned the feeling. He wished he could take them with him back to the tunnels where they would be raised with love but that was impossible. Maybe, later, after he had saved Catherine and the child, he could get them away from this terrible man. At least that was his hope.  

 

One evening when the children came for their nightly reading ritual, he asked, “Remember how I told you I have a wife back in New York?” It was a small lie, but Catherine had been the wife of his heart since the night he had found her dying in the Park.

 

“Catherine,” Sophie said, her eyes softening as she remembered how Vincent had spoken so lovingly about her.  

 

“Yeah,” said Alan, “She’s going to have a baby. ”

 

“You love her very much,” Sophie added.  

 

“Yes,” Vincent replied, “But I haven’t told you that she is being held against her will, a prisoner. That they are going to take the baby from her unless I stop them. ”

 

“You’ve got to save her, Vincent,” Sophie cried horrified. “You’ve got to get out of here. ”She looked at her brother.  

 

“Maybe we could get Papa’s key and open the door,” the young boy offered.  

 

“Is it possible?” queried Vincent, hope shining in his eyes. “Can you do it without waking him? Will you do it?”

 

“Papa usually drinks until he falls asleep. A piece of cake, “ Sophie shrugged.  

 

“Which one of us should get the key?” Alan asked her.  

 

“You, you’re smaller and sneakier. ”

 

“I am not,” he indignantly answered.  

 

“Yes, you are. While you’re taking the key, I’ll get some food for Vincent to take with him. ”They turned to go.  

 

“Sophie, Alan, I don’t know how to thank you. Please, be careful. ”

 

“It’ll be ok, Vincent,” Alan whispered over his shoulder as he and his sister raced upstairs.  

 

*******************

 

About thirty minutes later they returned. “Here it is, Vincent,” Alan said breathlessly as he hurried into the basement. Sophie, following hard on his heels, was holding a plastic grocery bag filled with food. Opening the door to the cage, they entered and Sophie handed Vincent the bag of food.  

 

“Now, both of you go back upstairs and go to bed. I don’t want either of you to get into trouble because of me. I will leave the key under the right corner of the cage. Get it as soon as you can and return it. I will make it look as if I forced the door open. ”Kneeling, he stretched his arms out and gathered the children in, holding them close to his heart. It had been so long since there had been any softness in his life, and he savored the feeling of their arms around him. “I love you, Sophie, Alan. Take care of each other, love each other. Be good. I hope to see you some time in the future. Now go. ”

 

As they backed away from their friend, they started to cry. “Love you, Vincent. Be careful.  We’ll miss you. ”They ran out of the basement. Hurrying silently upstairs, they slipped into their small bedroom and into bed. Neither one of them was able to go to sleep for a long time, worrying about Vincent and crying because they would miss him.  

 

Locking the cage door in case Schmidt should check on him, he settled down to wait until the early morning. The moon had set, leaving it pitch dark. He noiselessly opened the cage and stepped out. Now to find something that could be used as a lever, making it look as if he had forced the lock. Finding an old screwdriver, he soon had the lock broken. It would have to do. In his anger, maybe Rudolph wouldn’t look at it too closely. Hiding the key under the corner of the cage, he took the bag of food and slipped upstairs. The zoo owner was passed out on the couch, snoring like a chain saw. Vincent was tempted to dispatch him then and there, but the temptation passed as he realized that he didn’t need the entire police force of the state of Washington looking for him.  Moving stealthily away from the darkened house, which sat next to the wall surrounding the zoo, he passed into an open field, then into a small copse of trees. Free at last. He waited to see if anyone had seen him leave. Oh, the freedom! He laughed joyfully, feeling the boundless space around him. Throwing his head back, he took a deep gulp of clear, fresh air that cleaned his lungs of the fetid smell of his cage and the zoo. Then he stood amazed at the numberless pinpricks of light in the velvet black sky. He had never seen the Milky Way before and gazed in wonder at the starry path that stretched from horizon to horizon. If only Catherine could see this with him. Thoughts of his beloved brought his mind back to the danger he was still in and the necessity that he be as far from the zoo as possible by morning. He watched the huge, ugly fieldstone house for several more minutes. So, that is what his prison looked like. He was glad to be out of it. When there was no hue and cry from the drunken man, he took off, loping down the highway that ran next to the stand of trees, heading east. At last he was on his way to Catherine. The friendly darkness swallowed him.  

 

********************

 

The sun was shining through the French doors of her room, her prison cell, the sunny day matching her mood. Catherine was easier in her mind than she had been since this whole ordeal had started. A month ago, the bond had sprung back into life. She had come to realize that it was stretched as thin as it had been when she was in California. Gabriel had transported Vincent to the west coast, knowing that if he had killed him, she would will herself to die. But now Vincent was free. Sometime during the night, she didn’t know the exact time as she had no clock in her room, she had been awakened by a shout of freedom that hummed through the bond, telling her that he was on his way to her.

 

She could feel Gabriel’s eyes on her. Every day at this hour he would intrude on her. He rarely came to see her but used the camera to check on her. Shortly the doctor would arrive accompanied by his icy, stone-faced nurse. He would ask how she felt, was she getting enough exercise, taking her vitamins regularly, and sleeping well. Then he’d check the baby’s heartbeat and leave. It was a daily routine that broke the monotony of being alone so much of the time. Even though she was still allowed to go almost anywhere in the house, she still felt alone as the servants rarely spoke to her or answered her questions, and the guards never spoke to her at all unless it was to give her an order. She would never feel complete until she was in Vincent’s arms and surrounded by her tunnel family.

 

Her day had been longer than usual as it was difficult for her to contain her joy, but that evening as she sat knitting, half-listening to the evening news on TV, it took all her willpower to sit there calmly. She wanted to shout, to cry out that Gabriel had better be careful because her man was coming for her and woe betide anyone who did her harm. But she didn’t. Finally, unable to contain her restlessness, she went into the small garden. The moon was full and beaming benevolently down on her. “Look after him for me,” she whispered to the silver orb riding above the treetops. “Give him my love. ”

 

Somewhere in Washington, Vincent was walking in the borrow pits that ran along the east bound road he was following. East, or as close to east as he could get, was the only direction he took, and this night he had his face pointed directly at the full moon shining in his eyes. It seemed to speak to him in Catherine’s voice, “Look after him for me. ” Then the moon said, “Give him my love. ”Ah, he felt closer to his love tonight than at any other time since he had awakened in that prison of a house.  

 

“I’m coming, my love. I will be with you soon. ”Sending his message of hope to her, he increased his gait until he was running through the night, on his way back to the woman he loved.  

 

Catherine heard his voice speaking words of hope and, looking back up at the moon, murmured, “Thank you. ”Heartened, she

returned to her room and serenely went to bed.  

 

******************

 

Maps, blueprints, drafts lay scattered, covering the top of Father’s desk. The community was growing so fast that it was increasingly difficult to keep up with the demand for new chambers. Mouse and Cullen had just left on a scouting trip, hoping to find some chambers close by that could be modified into living quarters. Standing over his desk, he began to gather the maps into one pile and blueprints and drafts into another when Peter entered. With a physician’s cool detachment, he observed the demeanor of the man he had come to see. This was a man in intense pain, suffering a great loss, valiantly trying to hide that fact from those who loved him, a man who felt helpless in the face of his sweeping loss.  

 

“How are you, Jacob?” he asked, coming down the small stairs.  

 

“Oh, as well as can be expected,” Father answered. “I still have difficulty sleeping, worrying about both of them. ”

 

“Would you like me to leave something with you to help you sleep?” Peter asked, concern for his old friend written plainly on his handsome face.  

 

Shaking his head, Father replied, “No, not just yet. But I may ask for something soon. ”

 

“Jacob, you can’t go on like this. You have to sleep, to keep up your strength,” Peter said as he took a seat beside the cluttered desk.  

 

“I feel as if all my strength went with them, and I won’t get it back until they are safely home. ”

 

“Then it is important that you keep what strength you have because we don’t know how long this might go on. ”

 

“I know, Peter, but I miss him so much. He was my good right arm, and now I don’t have him to argue with or to love.”

Unable to stop himself, Father began to weep. It was the first time since Vincent and Catherine had disappeared that he broke down and cried. Peter took him in his arms, comforting him as he had when Margaret left him, silently praying that his old friend would soon have his son and the woman he had come to love as a daughter safely back in his home.  

 

“Now, my friend,” he commanded after Father had composed himself, “you are going to bed. You’re exhausted and if you can’t sleep I will give you something to ensure that you do. ”Walking Jacob to his bed, Peter pulled down the covers and eased him into bed. Tucking the covers around him as if he was a small child, Peter said, “I’ll stay until you are asleep, Jacob. ”

His old friend’s hand felt so comforting in his and Father said, “Thank you, my friend. ”Smiling wearily at Peter, he commented,

 

“We’ve been through some rough times together, haven’t we?”

 

“Yes .  .  .  yes, we have, but we got through them, and we’ll get through this. Go to sleep, Jacob. That’s an order from your friendly, old-fashioned physician who believes a good night’s rest can put a better complexion on the next day. Good night,” he said with added emphasis and settled back into the chair that sat beside Father’s bed.  

 

Father dutifully closed his eyes, and with his dearest friend sitting beside him, he surprised himself by falling instantly into a deep sleep.  

 

********************

 

Gabriel learned of Vincent’s escape from a very nervous Pope who kept his fear deeply hidden. He had learned that one did not show fear or remorse before this man as he would turn on that one for being weak and unreliable. As soon as he had received the call from Schmidt, he had hurried to inform his employer who was strangely unmoved by the whole thing. Finding him in the hallway outside his office, Pope had told his master what Schmidt had related to him.

 

“I was afraid this might happen,” Gabriel said.  

 

“Yes sir, it was always a definite possibility,” Pope agreed. “I have put all our associates on alert and doubled the guards around the estate. ”

 

Rubbing his hands together almost as if he was enjoying the possibility of Vincent making his way back to New York, the dark man said with malicious pleasure, “So .  .  .  he’s coming to claim her and his child. We shall see. No man, no matter how powerful, can defeat me, but he will have to learn that, it seems. I will play his game; he will unwittingly play mine. I look forward to teaching him a great lesson: that the truth will set him free. ”He turned to enter his office and as an after thought turned back to Pope. “Get rid of Schmidt. I don’t suffer fools gladly. He should have been able to keep Vincent longer that a month. ”

 

“Yes sir,” Pope agreed. He thought of Schmidt’s two children. They would be much better off without him.  

 

*********************

 

Elliot Burch, man-about-town, high-flying financier, and architect was becoming worried. He hadn’t been able to get in touch with Cathy for the last two or three months. He knew he had no claim on her–she had made that abundantly clear–but he cared for her in his own way and liked to touch base with her occasionally. She wasn’t mentioned in the society pages, and he hadn’t seen her at any concerts or plays. It was a shock when he called her at the DA’s office, only to be told that she no longer worked there. The next time he saw Joe Maxwell he would ask him about her. He had a nagging feeling that something was wrong.