Page 3 of Holmes Is Missing

“Everybody listen up, please!” The voice had come from the nurses’ station in the center of the floor. Marple turned to see a tall woman in a knee-length lab coat standing in front of the curved countertop. Her posture was perfect and her greying chestnut hair was pulled into a severe ponytail. Throughpiercing eyes, she looked out over the turmoil and commanded silence.

“I’m Dr. Revell Schulte,” she said, her voice clear and firm. “I’m head of the maternity unit. I know what’s happened here is terrible. But we need order. And we need calm. This is a birthing center, not a police station. The women down this hallway have just given birth. They’ve all undergone massive physical trauma and are in need of medical care. So if you don’t absolutely need to be here, please leave.”

“You heard the doctor,” a tall, bookish-looking man in a dark suit said to Grey. He’d walked up during Dr. Schulte’s speech. “I don’t understand what a homicide detective is doing at a kidnapping scene in the first place.”

“Good to see you, Captain,” said Grey.

Marple decided this must be Captain Graham Duff, the newly arrived head of the Major Case Squad. She had heard about Duff but hadn’t yet met him in person. Her first impression: he was every inch the prick she’d expected.

Marple could tell Grey wasn’t a fan of her new boss either. It was clear now that she was unsettled by his intrusion, but she quickly regained her composure. “I figured it was all hands on deck on a call like this, Captain. I know it’s not my case to catch. I’m just here to help.”

“So what’s with the spectators?” he asked, jerking his head toward Marple and Poe.

Marple cleared her throat. “Captain Duff, I’m Margaret Marple, and this is my partner Auguste Poe. We’re private investigators from Brooklyn. You may have heard about—”

“I know who you are,” said Duff, cutting her off. “And like the good doctor said, you don’t need to be here.”

“Look! It’sthem!” The shout had come from the roomful of parents. Marple glanced over to see the frantic mothers andfathers looking their way. “It’s Poe! And Marple!” one of the women shouted. “ThankGod!” another mom sobbed. The parents spilled out of the tiny room and headed across the floor.

Marple smiled at Duff, her British accent adding an extra dab of sweetness. “See that, Captain? I believe we might be wanted after all.”

CHAPTER4

POE AND MARPLEheld their ground as the parents swarmed around them. Grey and Duff took a step back to avoid being run over. It was almost an assault—the desperate parents clamoring for answers, all talking at once.“What’s going on?” “Can’t you do something?” “Why is everybody just standing around?”

Poe held out his hands and pressed them gently downward, as if calming the waters. “One at a time, please. We’re here to help.” He glanced at Helene. “We’reallhere to help.”

One of the mothers spoke up, her voice shaking. “You were the ones who found those killers this summer.”

“Yes,” said Poe. “We are.”

“Is this a murder case?” wailed another mom. “Is my baby dead?”

Her husband wrapped his arm tightly around her shoulders. “Nobody’s dead!” he said firmly.

“Nobody knows anything yet,” said Duff, stepping in front of the throng, “but it’s important we move quickly.”

The parents totally ignored him. The man in the dress shirt reached past Duff to grasp Poe’s hand. “I’m Sterling Cade,” hesaid. “I’d like to hire your firm.” He looked around at the other parents. “I think we’dalllike to hire you.” The others mumbled and nodded their assent. “I promise you,” Cade went on, “money is not an issue. Whatever you need from us, you’ve got it.”

“We’d be honored to take the case,” said Poe.

“Hold on a goddamn minute!” Duff called out, a sharp edge to his voice. “This is a New York Police Department investigation. And if it turns out to be an abduction, as it appears to be, we’ll be calling in resources from around the country.” Looking at the desperate faces in front of him, he softened his tone slightly. “Please, folks. I know this is a bad time. I know you’re scared. But we have this investigation under control.”

“We hear you,” said a woman in a maternity gown, standing with her wife. She pointed firmly toward Marple and Poe. “But we wantthem.”

“You’re making a mistake, ma’am,” said Duff, suddenly icy again. He held up his bony index finger and jabbed it in the air three times for emphasis. “We needoneinvestigation,onecentral task force,onecoordinated effort. That’s how crimes like this get solved. By professionals doing their jobs. Not by amateurs playing cops and robbers for a fee.”

Poe had a sharp retort ready, but he had a feeling he wouldn’t need it. And he was right. Another mother piped up from the back of the crowd. She stared directly at Duff.

“So why didn’tyoucatch those murderers this summer on your own? Why did you need help from Holmes, Marple, and Poe? It was all over the news.”

Duff’s mouth tightened. Poe glanced at Helene, reading her expression. Her look said,Don’t push it.Then he heard the question he knew was coming.

“Hey,” one of the dads said, “where’s the other guy? Where the hell is Holmes?”

Poe looked over at Marple. He knew she’d been expecting the question too. She had an answer ready.

“Mr. Holmes is working on a private case of his own at the moment,” said Marple. “But he’s not far, I promise.”

---