Rodger wasn`t known in the area and decided to look around for a while, around lunch time he was sitting in cafe having a meal and overheard a conversation in the cubicle behind him. What he heard annoyed him greatly but he didn`t say anything, he ordered a refill for his coffee and continued to listen.

The people were saying that it amazing that the weirdo seemed to attract trouble these days and that the community would be better off if he and his mum left the area, that seemed strange as it seemed Elizabeth was a well respected member of the community. He continued to listen and saw several people nodding at what was being said, he made notes in his pad, finished his meal paid and left.

He went and sat in the nearby park that seemed deserted and pondered over what he heard, what is wrong in this town, a young boy has saved several lives and they want rid of him? something wasn`t right and his next prot of call was the local church to talk to the vicar.

The Reverend Thomas took Rodger into his office and the pair talked for a while, it would seem from what the vicar that James was considered strange because he wasn`t rough and tumble like the other boys his age and he always seemed to be reading a book and he was more intelligent than most of towns kids, James thought things out before committing self are never acted stupid or in a way that might injure or upset others. The vicar liked James very much as did the old people who James was always running doing errands for. Some people thought it strange that James could sew, knit and cook and the men thought these were female skills were as James thought anyone should be able to do them.

After talking for a while Rodger told the vicar what James had told him earlier that day and the vicar sighed and said that James spent a lot of time on his own, never had any friends and was extremely kind and considerate of others and in this day and age was respectful to his elders, something not found in todays young. Rodger told him what he heard in the cafe and the vicar nodding his head stated that there was an element in town that thought James was responsible for the incidents, they seemed to consider him bad luck.

"It`s strange that "said the vicar " Before his father was killed in the war James was just like every other little boy, getting into mischief but since his father died James seems to more responsible."

The two men talked for a while longer and parted witha handshake, Rodger went round to see if Elizabeth was home and on arriving saw her pull up outside the house, she saw him coming and invited him in. He asked if he could use her phone to call his employer and Elizabeth showed him were it was before going to the kitchen to prepare a meal.

Rodger called the mysterious Mr X and related what he had heard and found out and was told to say nothing to Elizabeth, he was to meet with Mr X later that evening but meanwhile a security company would be hired to keep an eye on the mother and child. Rodger came to the conclusion that there was something about this case that was a bit out of ordinary.

Elizabeth came into the room just as he put the phone done and asked if he would like to stay for a meal, he politely refused saying he had a meeting to attend but did accept a coffee and chatted with Elizabeth about James for a while. Did Elizabeth know the treatment James was getting ? had James ever told her about the bullying and lack of friends ? if she had why was she so adamant about staying in the area ? , these were questions that needed answering. Hopefully tonight he would find out more about the mysterious Mr X and why his involvement with Elizabeth and James.

Rodger had got handed the case by his partner Steven Goodfellow, they were a small firm that was just starting out after they had qualified as lawyers, the fee was substantial and if they did well in handling this case it would really set the practice up and they could employ in more people. Steven was away handling another at the other end of the country and Rodger had no way of contacting him, Steven never used a mobile phone and was forgetful about leaving contact details with the office.

At the pre arranged time and place Rodger met with Mr X, a well dressed but rather elderly man in his 60`s. Mr X introduced himself as Brian Montgomery and was led into dining room, once the meal was served, Mr Montgomery opened the conversation.

"I suppose you have questions to ask about your assignment" he started off

"A few " replied Rodger

"Well before I answer your questions let me give you some background information on myself and you`ll see were I fit in to all this" said Montgomery

"It was during the Korean war it all started, I was young fool at the time, came from a good background with money, lots of money. My father was an arms dealer and sold weapons to whoever he could, he didn`t care that they were being used to kill and murder people and nobody messed with him or they disappeared. I attended the best schools money could buy, went to Oxford and graduated with a doctorate in chemistry, I won`t go into the which field as it doesn`t really matter now.
I was working in a laboratory at a government installation when I was recruited by the intelligence services to go behind the Iron Curtain and gather some vital information on a new bio weapon the Communists were supposedly trying to develop. At the time I was walking out with a young woman and we married against both our families wishes, well my wife became pregnant with our child, in those days there was no modern technology to tell you anything about the child. Not long after the birth I went on the mission which went badly wrong, most of the team were killed or captured and eventually after the farcical trials executed for espionage. I was lucky I was injured in the shootout but managed to hide from the search parties, I don`t remember much of what occured until I came round in hospital bed, I had been found by a member of the underground and brought to safety, the hospital was a couple of hundred miles away from where we were attacked and well outside the search area.

Once I recovered I tried to get home but everytime I got near the border something would happen and I would have to run again, eventually I settled down and being fluent in various East European languages found work, I still kept in contact with the underground but even they couldn`t help me get back home, so I was stuck. My death was reported on the state news channels and having no way to contact HQ I couldn`t confirm I was still alive.

Well to cut a long story short, as you know that after seven years a missing person can be declared legally dead, and that happened in my case, with the fall of Iron Curtain I managed to return home a few years ago and have been trying to find out what happened to my family. I discovered that my wife had remarried and the child had been a boy, my wife died of cancer 15 years ago. the boy joined the army and was killed a while back in the middle east. My father died not long after I went missing in an aircraft accident and after my return I as the only surviving member of the family got the lot. My identity has been changed and I live alone, I`ve been trying to find my sons family and after a long search have done so, Elizabeth and James as you may have surmised.

It`s not my intention to interfere with their lifes but I would like to know more about them, and ensure they are safe and want for nothing, I`m an old man now and was deprived of my family for all these years and would like to get to know them if possible and thats were you come in.
So what I want to know is what you have found out so far?"

Rodger related what he discovered, how James had heroically put his life in danger to safe the children, how he had saved the of Gerry and fought off their attackers, then he told the old man the darker side of James`s life how he had no friends that a lot people though him weird and why, his talk with the Vicar and some of older towns people.

" So James seems to take after me then, I too was a bookworm and had few if any real friends". replied Mongomery

" Look what I want you do is hire some PI`s and get all the information you can about the mother child and towns folk, if they are in in any danger from anyone get them to a safe place, but you must not under any circumstances reveal my identity until I tell you." stated Montgomery

He handed Rodger a credit card and a file, the credit card was for an unlimited amount and Montgomery told him to use what ever he needed, money wasn`t a problem, the file contained all the information Montomery had managed to acquire from his various contacts and should be of some help to Rodger.

The two men shook hand at the end of the meeting and went their separate ways, Rodger was happier knowing more about the case and the Mr X and would do all in his power to bring the case to a successful conclusion.