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the
hotel.'
    Andersen
added, 'Saving millions in damage.'
    'Sounds
like him,' said Bernie. 'I have to tell Poppy.'
    Andersen
said, 'Chief. He must have a reason for not doing that
himself.'
    'My
Niece is crying herself to sleep every night, Dale. She's a mess. I
have to tell her at least that her husband is alive and still
saving the world.'
    'You
have to be the judge of that one.'
    'I will.
Have you heard anything from Andy Carter yet?'
    Andersen
said, 'The Scene of Crime Team are still at it in the hotel. Andy
called me ten minutes ago. Nothing to hang a hat on
yet.'
    'Hardly
surprising,' said the Chief. 'This gang is very professional, but
if anyone can find anything, Carter can. Think they'll strike
again?'
    'I do,'
said Andersen. 'They've come away empty handed so far. My guess is
they will rethink their tactics and try something a little
different.'
    Morris
said, 'My concern is that they'll be more determined to make their
efforts pay and they might do something rash and things could get
nasty.'
    Crowe
added, 'I tell you something for nothing. I for one won't be
walking into a building wired to blow up again. So if anyone asks
me, be prepared for disappointment.'
    'Too
right,' said the Chief. 'In future, leave the heroics to Tactical.
You three stay right out of action like that.'
    'No
worries, Chief,' said Crowe, relieved to hear the Old Man say
that.
    The
Chief got up. 'Dale. Work with Carter and keep me in the loop with
anything significant. If you're just hanging around though,
concentrate on finding Ducket. I'm off home to talk to Poppy. God
only knows how that's going to go. '
     

Chapter 13
    The
Chief changed into his jeans and sweatshirt and transformed himself
into Uncle Bernie. The two characters were usually well defined,
but sometimes the lines were blurred. This was one of those times.
His partner Debbie was out at work, so it was just him and Poppy at
home. His niece was at the dining table, staring at her
laptop.
    'Coffee?'
    'Hmm?
Oh, yes please.' She hadn't taken her eyes off the
screen.
    Bernie
took two coffees to the table and sat with her. 'Working on a
website design?'
    'Just
checking emails.' It had been the third time in the last hour she
had checked them.
    'Anything?'
    'Nothing. Not from Fred, anyway.' She turned the computer off
and closed the lid.
    Bernie
sipped his coffee, trying to find the words. Poppy was a mature,
intelligent young woman. He took her hand. 'I may have news for
you.'
    'Fred?'
    'We
think so. I have something here.' He took out his wallet and from
that got a folded sheet of A4 paper and handed it to his
niece.
    With her
hands shaking slightly, she unfolded the sheet. 'The hotel is
empty. F. I don't understand.'
    'First
things first. Do you think that's Fred's handwriting?'
    Poppy
studied the paper. 'Yes. I always said his handwriting is the worst
ever. No doubt about it. Where did you get this?'
    'It was
handed to Detective Morris. They were at that hotel last night. It
was something of a standoff. A man in a Tactical uniform handed
that note to Morris. Then he vanished.'
    'You
think it was him? You think it was Fred?'
    'He had
a visor over his face. But yes. I do. We all do. It was
Fred.'
    'I don't
understand what this note means?'
    'You'll
see it all on the television news later. It was the Ferret saving
the day again. Realising the significance of the message, my men
went in and literally defused the situation. The bad guys they had
assumed were in the building weren't. Fred was on the money, as
usual.'
    'He can
do that and he can't send me a damn email?'
    'Poppy.
I don't know what to say. I wish to God I did. but at
least...'
    'Oh,
yes. He's alive. He can't be bothered to contact me, but he can be
out there solving major crimes. What am I to him?
Nothing?'
    'Hell,
no, Poppy. You know you are everything to him. Never doubt
that.'
    Poppy
wiped away her tears, tipped her head back and stared at the
ceiling. 'So what is going on, Uncle Bernie?'
    'I have
a