(no subject)
Laura tried hard not to frown at Steele's question. She felt torn. Her natural instinct was to help, helping people was a big part of why she enjoyed her work. Also these weren't just any people they were almost friends and fellow detectives. Perhaps she thought that was part of the problem, couldn't they solve this themselves? Bert was a grown man, what did it even mean that he was missing? Perhaps he merely wanted a rest. There was another problem she herself wanted a rest. She recalled times when she had insisted that she was only happy when working and in many ways it still held true. But life and priorities have a habit of changing and with those changes there came a slight shift in what was important. Their last two cases had come hot on the heels of each other and the one before, she felt the need to take a breath not leap right into the next one. It was almost a relief when Sophie began to fuss and Laura felt saved from replying to a question she still had no answer to.
Steele as usual read his lovely wife with a precision that could only have been more accurate if they were sharing one brain. He knew she wanted to help but he also knew she felt emptied.
"Perhaps." he said, choosing his words and tone carefully. "Perhaps there is a simple explanation for this. Have you tried looking for him yourselves, you are both after all excellent detectives."
"We have." Carl said and then softly added. "The truth is we are afraid of what we might find."
"You say he's missing, when did you last see him? Could he merely be busy?"
"It's been over a week. He was supposed to meet us today at the doctors but he failed to show up. Misty was having a scan today."
"I have put it off for a while now." Misty said almost apologetically. "But my doctor insisted, you see I'm by far bigger than I should be."
"Did you have the scan?" Steele asked.
"Yes."
"And?" When silence met his question Steele continued. "Ah I see you want to share the results with Bert first."
"Well that's why he was coming." Misty said and would have started crying again but Carl slipped his arm around her still slender shoulders.
"Forgive me for asking." Laura said, "But why did you resist having a scan. Most people do have them these days."
"I know, and most people have their babies at hospital but I really want the pregnancy and their birth to be as natural as possible, no-one can be totally sure what impact scans have on the baby."
"Their birth?" Laura said smiling. "You mean.."
"Yes." Carl said "We're having twins.
"Well that would certainly explain your reluctance to be participating in detective work." Steele said.
"That's what I keep trying to tell her."
Steele as the husband of a strong and capable woman and knowing what a gamble it could be knowing just when concern could be misread quickly changed the subject saying, "Now back to Bert, to the best of your knowledge who was the last person to spend time with him?"
"He was going to see an old friend the day after we saw him." Carl said. "But he didn't arrive he did however call to say another friend had needed to see him."
"Did you speak to that person?" Laura asked.
"No." Carl said. "We don't even know who it is. His old friend Beryl simply said he had plans to see her but called to cancel saying another friend needed him."
"I think" Misty said smiling for the first time "That Beryl was a bit put out, we think she would like to be more than friends with Bert."
"Ah." said Steele. "Do you think you could perhaps talk to her again. She may be able to give us details about the other person."
"Do you think they have something to do with it?" Carl asked looking worried.
"I have no idea whatsoever." Steele said "However the wisest detective I know once told me to begin with the last known person to see the er person."
"You were going to say victim weren't you? Do you think......"
"There, there Misty, it's an extremely broad rule and just as applicable to the missing as to... Let's just say it's a good starting point eh?"
"What Mr Steele is saying is go home and rest, try not to worry. In the morning call Beryl and see if she is able to divulge the identity of the other friend. Then if she can we will speak with them."
"And if she can't."
"Carl, good question." Steele said. "But we can address that when it comes up, if indeed it comes up at all."
"So that's it?" Misty asked. "We just wait?"
"No you rest as much as you can too."
"How can I?"
"By thinking of your babies, and thinking of Bert." Laura said kindly.
"Thinking of us too." Steele said.
"Of you?"
"Yes, well I don't want to be the one to tell Bert we didn't do our best to take care of you and his grandchildren, that is how he views them isn't it?"
"He still thinks it's just one." Misty said. "He doesn't even know."
"Well all the more reason to get rested and find him, so you can tell him eh."
"Thanks Steele." Carl said. "We'll go home and wait til morning to speak to Beryl. I'm not sure why we didn't think of this ourselves."
"Because you're too close, it's far easier for us than for you simply because of how important Bert is to you."
"What if it were Mildred? I'm sure you'd be just as worried as we are but you'd have no problem knowing what to do."
"Yes, that is true." Steele said and smiled at the range of looks he received from the others. Laura a bit surprised, Misty resigned and Carl admiring albeit a tad envious. "But you see you forget one detail, I'm not preparing to give birth to twins."
Steele as usual read his lovely wife with a precision that could only have been more accurate if they were sharing one brain. He knew she wanted to help but he also knew she felt emptied.
"Perhaps." he said, choosing his words and tone carefully. "Perhaps there is a simple explanation for this. Have you tried looking for him yourselves, you are both after all excellent detectives."
"We have." Carl said and then softly added. "The truth is we are afraid of what we might find."
"You say he's missing, when did you last see him? Could he merely be busy?"
"It's been over a week. He was supposed to meet us today at the doctors but he failed to show up. Misty was having a scan today."
"I have put it off for a while now." Misty said almost apologetically. "But my doctor insisted, you see I'm by far bigger than I should be."
"Did you have the scan?" Steele asked.
"Yes."
"And?" When silence met his question Steele continued. "Ah I see you want to share the results with Bert first."
"Well that's why he was coming." Misty said and would have started crying again but Carl slipped his arm around her still slender shoulders.
"Forgive me for asking." Laura said, "But why did you resist having a scan. Most people do have them these days."
"I know, and most people have their babies at hospital but I really want the pregnancy and their birth to be as natural as possible, no-one can be totally sure what impact scans have on the baby."
"Their birth?" Laura said smiling. "You mean.."
"Yes." Carl said "We're having twins.
"Well that would certainly explain your reluctance to be participating in detective work." Steele said.
"That's what I keep trying to tell her."
Steele as the husband of a strong and capable woman and knowing what a gamble it could be knowing just when concern could be misread quickly changed the subject saying, "Now back to Bert, to the best of your knowledge who was the last person to spend time with him?"
"He was going to see an old friend the day after we saw him." Carl said. "But he didn't arrive he did however call to say another friend had needed to see him."
"Did you speak to that person?" Laura asked.
"No." Carl said. "We don't even know who it is. His old friend Beryl simply said he had plans to see her but called to cancel saying another friend needed him."
"I think" Misty said smiling for the first time "That Beryl was a bit put out, we think she would like to be more than friends with Bert."
"Ah." said Steele. "Do you think you could perhaps talk to her again. She may be able to give us details about the other person."
"Do you think they have something to do with it?" Carl asked looking worried.
"I have no idea whatsoever." Steele said "However the wisest detective I know once told me to begin with the last known person to see the er person."
"You were going to say victim weren't you? Do you think......"
"There, there Misty, it's an extremely broad rule and just as applicable to the missing as to... Let's just say it's a good starting point eh?"
"What Mr Steele is saying is go home and rest, try not to worry. In the morning call Beryl and see if she is able to divulge the identity of the other friend. Then if she can we will speak with them."
"And if she can't."
"Carl, good question." Steele said. "But we can address that when it comes up, if indeed it comes up at all."
"So that's it?" Misty asked. "We just wait?"
"No you rest as much as you can too."
"How can I?"
"By thinking of your babies, and thinking of Bert." Laura said kindly.
"Thinking of us too." Steele said.
"Of you?"
"Yes, well I don't want to be the one to tell Bert we didn't do our best to take care of you and his grandchildren, that is how he views them isn't it?"
"He still thinks it's just one." Misty said. "He doesn't even know."
"Well all the more reason to get rested and find him, so you can tell him eh."
"Thanks Steele." Carl said. "We'll go home and wait til morning to speak to Beryl. I'm not sure why we didn't think of this ourselves."
"Because you're too close, it's far easier for us than for you simply because of how important Bert is to you."
"What if it were Mildred? I'm sure you'd be just as worried as we are but you'd have no problem knowing what to do."
"Yes, that is true." Steele said and smiled at the range of looks he received from the others. Laura a bit surprised, Misty resigned and Carl admiring albeit a tad envious. "But you see you forget one detail, I'm not preparing to give birth to twins."