Familiar Faces

As Dr. Thomas entered the small office he was motioned by Detective Morris of the Chicago Police crimes unit to sit down. "I want all the information you have on him" he shouted into the phone "ASAP!"

Dr. Thomas was surveying the office. It was plain, decorated with brown wooden panels with framed photos across the wall. On one side it was covered with family photos and in the other side police buddies with various department awards .

"I'm sorry to keep you waiting" he said as he stood up from his brown leather chair. "I'm Detective Morris, thank you for coming in on such short notice."

"That's quite alright, I'm Dr. John Thomas" he replied.

"Yes, I know who you are, that's why I asked you to come in".

"I don't quite understand why you asked to see me detective".

"I'll get right to the point doctor, there are some people we can't find and I thought you might be able to help us."

Doctor Thomas looked confused "What?"

"One of them is a manager at a local eatery" the detective looked towards Dr.Thomas and he continued "he disappeared nearly two years ago while going to make a deposit at the bank with the weeks receipts, nearly twenty thousand dollars, no one has seen him since". He walks towards the file cabinet and continues "John O'Malley is his name, worked at the Bank Restaurant on Fifth".

"What has that got to do with me? " Dr.Thomas proclaimed.

Detective Morris opened a folder and took out a flyer, he handed it to Dr.Thomas. It was a wanted poster. "This flyer has been circulating all over the US. There have been no leads, it's as if the man has disappeared into thin air".

Doc looked over the flyer, while the detective pulled another from the folder. It was a group photo of the employees of a small restaurant , there were 12 men and 2 women in the photo. It was Bank restaurant only many decades ago.

"Why are you showing me this picture detective ?" Dr. Thomas asked.

"Does anyone look familiar?" he asked.

"No. Why would they ? This picture is from the 1800's, why would I recognize anyone?"

"The two women in the picture are sisters and co-owners of the restaurant, the others are their employees. Take a good look at the man to the far left of the picture." Morris points to a man in the picture and asks, "recognize anyone now doctor?"

The doctor looked closely at the picture. He was speechless for a few moments. "Amazing" he finally said "who is he?" he asked " his father, grandfather?"

"Maybe" Detective Morris said as he took back the picture "maybe not".

"What do you mean?" Dr. Thomas sounded confused.

"The precinct has a dozen cases like this. All unsolved. The case of Mr.Poll is another one, I'm sure you heard about him in the news."

"Of course, he's been in all the papers for the past 2 years".

"Then you know he married a very rich, much older woman".

"Yes".

"Well, she gave him money to start his own music group but when she found out he was having an affair with one of the back up singers , she withdrew every last cent from the investment."

"I don't blame her" doc said.

"No one did. But that left Michael with no money to his name. He had to ask his wife for money to buy a pack of cigarettes".