his jaw and spoke.
“Hi, this is Hawk.”
“Hawk, this is Nancy Alport.”
“Nancy, have you heard from Farren?” Hawk was hoping for good news.
“No, that is why I am calling,” she said.
“I was hoping . . .” The statement was truer than he wanted to admit. Despite his suspicions that Rales had masterminded a grand mystery for him to solve, he was growing concerned. He could not ignore the way that Farren’s disappearance, the key, and this puzzle all seemed to be interconnected. If Farren were around, perhaps he could shed some light on some of the things Hawk was thinking and of course bring some clarity to the mystery.
“The sheriff’s department was just here. We couldn’t find anyone who has seen Farren for the last three days. Since he doesn’t have any family locally and he has never just missed work or meetings without checking in, this is serious.”
“I agree, it is serious.” Worry knotted Hawk’s stomach.
“I wanted to give you a heads-up that I gave them your number and told them who you are.”
“You did?”
“Yes, I hope that’s okay. They wanted to know who his friends were and who he might have talked to before he disappeared. You’re one of his best friends and you were one of the last appointments he had on his calendar when he met with you and your staff.”
“Sure, that only makes sense.” He was glad the late-night appointment they’d had was apparently not on Farren’s calendar. “Not a problem at all. Did they say they would be coming by?”
“I don’t know. They were here for well over an hour getting information. I’m sure we’ll be seeing them again. I hope they find something out soon.”
“Me too.”
“Hawk, do you think something bad has happened to him?”
Hawk paused, thinking back to the night at Gamble Place. He had initially figured the person who had chased him off the grounds was a security guard.While that still made sense, the car he’d passed as he made his escape did not fit into the scenario.
“Hawk, are you there?” Nancy asked.
“Yes, sorry, I’m concerned like you are. If there is anything I can do to help, you know I will.”
“I know you will. I was wondering if you could . . .”
“What is it Nancy? If I could . . . what?”
“I was thinking that maybe you could pray for Farren,” she said almost apologetically.
“I promise you I already have been. And I have been praying for you as well.”
“Thank you,” she said softly. Her voice was choked with emotion. “Bye.”
The connection ended and Hawk hung up the phone. If indeed the sheriff’s department did come, he’d have to let them know about the after-hours trip to Gamble Place and the Dwarf’s Cottage. If his disappearance was somehow related to the events from that night and the key to the kingdom, then Hawk must keep chasing the mystery. Perhaps if he could figure out what Rales had been trying to tell him, he might be able to find out where Farren had gone.
C HAPTER F IFTEEN
----
Day Five
Afternoon
T HE DECISION HAD BEEN MADE unconsciously.
The grumbling sounds emerging from Hawk’s stomach reminded him he had worked straight through lunch. Over the last couple of hours he had managed to return e-mail correspondence, return a list of phone calls, answer a handful of letters, and clear out the bulk of the things on his calendar for the next few days.
His plan was unfolding similarly to his plan from the night before: a little action, mixed with a smidgeon of hope, and trust that he could make creative decisions on the fly.
The last thing he did was to leave brief voice mails for Juliette, Jonathan, and Shep on their office extensions asking them to hold down the fort because he was going to be “out” more than he would be “in” for the next day or so. He kept the message vague, telling them to call his cell phone if they needed him.
Hesitating a moment, he looked at Mickey sitting on his desk. Hawk was counting on some of his
“Hi, this is Hawk.”
“Hawk, this is Nancy Alport.”
“Nancy, have you heard from Farren?” Hawk was hoping for good news.
“No, that is why I am calling,” she said.
“I was hoping . . .” The statement was truer than he wanted to admit. Despite his suspicions that Rales had masterminded a grand mystery for him to solve, he was growing concerned. He could not ignore the way that Farren’s disappearance, the key, and this puzzle all seemed to be interconnected. If Farren were around, perhaps he could shed some light on some of the things Hawk was thinking and of course bring some clarity to the mystery.
“The sheriff’s department was just here. We couldn’t find anyone who has seen Farren for the last three days. Since he doesn’t have any family locally and he has never just missed work or meetings without checking in, this is serious.”
“I agree, it is serious.” Worry knotted Hawk’s stomach.
“I wanted to give you a heads-up that I gave them your number and told them who you are.”
“You did?”
“Yes, I hope that’s okay. They wanted to know who his friends were and who he might have talked to before he disappeared. You’re one of his best friends and you were one of the last appointments he had on his calendar when he met with you and your staff.”
“Sure, that only makes sense.” He was glad the late-night appointment they’d had was apparently not on Farren’s calendar. “Not a problem at all. Did they say they would be coming by?”
“I don’t know. They were here for well over an hour getting information. I’m sure we’ll be seeing them again. I hope they find something out soon.”
“Me too.”
“Hawk, do you think something bad has happened to him?”
Hawk paused, thinking back to the night at Gamble Place. He had initially figured the person who had chased him off the grounds was a security guard.While that still made sense, the car he’d passed as he made his escape did not fit into the scenario.
“Hawk, are you there?” Nancy asked.
“Yes, sorry, I’m concerned like you are. If there is anything I can do to help, you know I will.”
“I know you will. I was wondering if you could . . .”
“What is it Nancy? If I could . . . what?”
“I was thinking that maybe you could pray for Farren,” she said almost apologetically.
“I promise you I already have been. And I have been praying for you as well.”
“Thank you,” she said softly. Her voice was choked with emotion. “Bye.”
The connection ended and Hawk hung up the phone. If indeed the sheriff’s department did come, he’d have to let them know about the after-hours trip to Gamble Place and the Dwarf’s Cottage. If his disappearance was somehow related to the events from that night and the key to the kingdom, then Hawk must keep chasing the mystery. Perhaps if he could figure out what Rales had been trying to tell him, he might be able to find out where Farren had gone.
C HAPTER F IFTEEN
----
Day Five
Afternoon
T HE DECISION HAD BEEN MADE unconsciously.
The grumbling sounds emerging from Hawk’s stomach reminded him he had worked straight through lunch. Over the last couple of hours he had managed to return e-mail correspondence, return a list of phone calls, answer a handful of letters, and clear out the bulk of the things on his calendar for the next few days.
His plan was unfolding similarly to his plan from the night before: a little action, mixed with a smidgeon of hope, and trust that he could make creative decisions on the fly.
The last thing he did was to leave brief voice mails for Juliette, Jonathan, and Shep on their office extensions asking them to hold down the fort because he was going to be “out” more than he would be “in” for the next day or so. He kept the message vague, telling them to call his cell phone if they needed him.
Hesitating a moment, he looked at Mickey sitting on his desk. Hawk was counting on some of his
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