I accepted the coffee from Hollis without a word. I was determined he would speak first. After several long moments, I gave in. "What is it Becky that thinks I can do for you?"

"To be honest I'm not sure that you can do anything."

"Then why are you here?"

"Becky wanted me to talk to you. She said if I didn't she would stop going out with me."

"Good grief do you want my blessing?" I said it with a laugh.

"No nothing like that." He was dead serious. I began to wonder if he wasn't a little slow.

"Then what exactly?"

"I'm still married." He hung his head.

"Then you need a divorce lawyer and I don't know a single one here." I said it seriously. Something had a bug up Becky's ass. She knew what I was about and it wasn't lawyers.

"Yes I need one of those as well, but it won't solve the real issue between me and Becky."

"Oh what is the issue?"

"My wife left me a year ago. Just disappeared actually. I was questioned by the police and the whole town knows. Most of them think I had something to do with her disappearance."

"Did you?" Yes it was blunt but I needed to know before I even listened to any more from him.

"If I did, I would not be here."

"Sure you would. If you fooled the police, then you think you can easily fool me. Becky wants to be reassured and you think I will do that if I don't figure this out."

"I'm sorry to have wasted your time." He turned to leave and I let him go. I figured, if he wouldn't answer my questions screw him. Becky would just have to figure out how she felt about Ed without my help.

He reached the parking lot, then made a call on his cell phone. After a very short conversation he turned and walked back up the slight incline to the river bank. "I'm sorry Mr. Abrams. I guess I have been asked that kind of thing so many times that it makes me a little crazy. I know you have to ask and I should not have lost my temper."

"So that was you having a temper tantrum. I would guess that if that is the angriest you can manage, violence is not in your playbook."

"No sir not at all," he agreed.

"So you are going to answer the questions from now on?"

"Yes sir. I love Becky and I want to start a new life with her. She will only agree if you look into this."

"If you want me to look into it, you have to answer my question truthfully and more important fully. I need to know even the slightest details." He nodded his agreement. "Okay so, how were you getting along when she disappeared?"

"We had hit a rough patch in the marriage." He looked as though he hadn't wanted to admit that.

"Okay that makes it look suspicious. Tell me did the cops check her credit card and cell phone records?"

"Yes there was no activity on either. The records haven't been checked in several months though."

"I need the card numbers and her driver's license and social security numbers."

"I can get you those."

"Give them to Becky she knows how to reach me. I also want the names, addresses and phone numbers of all her family and friends. If she worked, I want to know where and how long. If she had any hobbies, I want to know that as well. I need to know the specifics of your problems, and be honest. If you lie to me one time, I'm out of here. I also need the most recent picture you have of her."

Odds were real good that I couldn't do anything but set Becky's mind at ease. If she took off like he said, I would never be able to find her. If something worse happened there might be a trail of some kind. It just all depended on what the situation was and I wouldn't know that until I began looking into it.

I was looking forward to the chase. I had been so bored since I went underground. I missed the struggle to accomplish things.

"Go home and get to work on that information. I want you to have Becky call Lucy tonight." I knew that I was going to need Lucy's help. She was the closest thing I had to a computer expert. She might not be an expert but she could sure do a lot more than me on the net.