She stepped into Connie's in the middle of their lunch rush and scanned the room looking for Noah Wallace. If anyone had any information, it would be Dinah's ex-boyfriend. She spotted him trapped at a table, being lectured by an older woman. She waited until he was finished and at the bar before approaching him.

"Noah Wallace?" He turned to look at her, nodding his head slightly. "May I have a few minutes of your time?" He glanced over at Kevin Conlan behind the counter who nodded agreeably.

"Sure, I guess. Do you want to talk in Maura's office?" He gestured towards a closed door in the back of the restaurant. Toni nodded and followed him, noting how every one said hello as he passed. In the office, he closed the door behind them and waited for her to speak.

"You know who I am?" She queried watching his face.

"Detective Hamilton. I've waited on you before," he said simply.

"Good. I'll get right to the point then. Do you know where Dinah Stafford is?"

"Should I?" He responded quickly.

"It might interest you to know that her parents have filed a missing persons report. Actually, to be 100% accurate, they say she was kidnapped." Noah's expression changed slightly to a worried gaze. "We don't know who of course, but we have our suspicions. Would you be able to enlighten me any more?"

"I don't know how," Noah replied. "Do you know who took her?"

"The description matches that of Tyler Jones." The name registered on his face but it wasn't worry the name elicited. It was relief. "You don't seem surprised." Noah shrugged slightly shifting his eyes away from the detective. "Noah, she's in trouble if she's with Tyler Jones. You need to talk to me."

"I don't have anything to say," Noah answered carefully. "Except that I doubt she's with Tyler Jones."

"Why? How do you know she's not with him?" Toni pressed. Something wasn't right here and she knew Noah held more information than he was letting on.

"Because Dinah is smarter than you give her credit for," Noah replied with a careless shrug of his shoulders. "You wouldn't be the first to underestimate her. The first would be her parents and then me. So, back off and give her some credit. If she's gone, she probably left because she was under constant surveillance by her parents. Why don't you ask them how they've been treating her lately."

"I don't have to," Toni replied. "Did you know her sister is in town?" By the look on his face, he didn't. "She is. And it might interest you to know that she was in the house the night Dinah disappeared. Kelly Gennaro doesn't even know Tyler but her description of him is pretty good. Let me leave you with this thought, Noah. If anything happens to Dinah, you're going to feel as guilty as if you'd done it yourself. Don't forget too, if I find out you're lying to me, I will arrest you for being an accessory to a fugitive."

Misery, pure and utter misery. Georgia slouched down in her seat at Connie's hoping to disappear completely as Gina gave the waiter a lecture on how to handle some unruly patron. After fighting a losing battle over how a "lady" handles herself and how a "lady" doesn't have strange men spending the night, Georgia was beaten. Jay had kept silent, learning the hard way as a teen not to be defiant after a dressing down from Gina Corelli.

"You'll do fine and if they give you anymore grief you send them my way. Now, then young man, what was your name again?" Gina asked. The waiter flushed a rosy red but smiled gamely.

"Noah," he said.

"Well, Noah it is nice to meet you," Gina returned. "I'm Gina Corelli, this is my son Jay. And you might know my daughter, she's in here often picking up strange men."

Georgia turned bright red with humiliation. Noah nodded at her and had the decency to look embarrassed for her before moving off to place their order. She slumped down even further in the booth. She looked around the room, spotting Jillie at the bar greeting Noah. Whatever he said, made Jillie glance in the Corelli's direction. She saw Georgia and gave her a slight wave before moving towards them.

"Georgia," she greeted as she neared the table. The other woman looked like she was about to slide beneath the table. "I don't mean to intrude," Jillie apologized, "but I've been meaning to call you. I thought you might want to get together and maybe talk a little more before we take the plunge, so to speak."

"The plunge?" Gina asked turning to Georgia. Georgia nodded but did her best to ignore the questioning gaze for the moment.

"Hi Jillie. Um, I would love to talk to you about that. If you two will excuse me?" She jumped up out of the booth, grabbing Jillie by the elbow and leading her away. "Thank you! I owe you a huge favor," she said when they were out of earshot.

"Well, between you and Noah, it looked like someone needed saving. Then again, Noah needs a big kick in the.... Well, he's somewhat of a pushover at times. From what he said, it sounds like your mother gave him some good advice."

"I wish she'd just shut up. You're not going to believe what she did to me this morning," Georgia groaned. "I don't even think I've told you this. That guy I was telling you about? Ian, my boss? Came over last night and we...well for lack of a better word, made up. He spent the night but my mother took it upon herself to show up this morning and humiliate me in front of him. I'll probably never see him again now," she added petulantly. She hated to sound so whiny but dammit! Gina was always interfering in her life.

"Ouch. That had to hurt a bit. But never say never. Some guys get a kick out of that kind of thing. They think it's cute to see a woman squirm." Jillie shrugged. "On the other hand...last time I heard about Ian, I thought you hated him? Obviously things changed, hmmm?" she grinned.

Georgia couldn't stifle the goofy smile at his name. "I thought so too. But he showed up with flowers and Chinese food. What could I do? Besides, he apologized...sort of."

Jillie arched a brow, but didn't say anything. If Georgia was happy with her boss, good for her. She wasn't going to let her own experience color her judgment. "Well, it sounds like he wants to pursue something. If he's worth it, he won't let something like a little visit from your mother scare him off. Right?"

Georgia hoped she was right but only nodded trying to reassure herself. "Anyway, let's talk about something else," she said with a smile. "You think you're ready for a roommate?"

"Hey, I still haven't gotten used to living alone yet. I don't think having a roommate will bother me. What about you? And is there a particular time good for you when we could start moving things? I don't want to infringe on your schedule."

"Any time is good. My brother's visiting, so I can take advantage of him." Georgia glanced over her shoulder at them, noticing another man who had joined them. "Hmmm...seems my mother has roped someone else in. Would you like to meet my brother? Mom will just introduce herself, but John Junior can be a bit shy," Georgia smiled affectionately.

"Well, I guess we better let her know we'll be living together in sin," Jillie laughed before looking at the table.

Georgia laughed and led Jillie back to the table. Jay glanced up at them, rolling his eyes and jerking his head at Gina with a grin. Georgia cleared her throat, interrupting a laugh between Gina and the new man. Smiling brightly, Gina paused long enough to take note of Georgia's friend.

"Georgia! Why didn't you tell me this restaurant was so wonderful?" Gina asked. Georgia narrowed her eyes, looking over at Jay who shrugged carelessly.

"Wonderful," Jillie echoed, glancing quizzically at the man sitting across from Georgia's mother. "That's what we like to think of it, isn't it?"

The man cleared his throat looking embarrassed for some reason before Gina continued. "Where are my manners? Georgia this is Mr. Conlan, he owns this restaurant." Georgia's eyebrows shot up in surprise and she glanced at Jillie who looked annoyed for some reason. "And who is your friend?"

"Jillie Conlan," Jillie spoke up before Georgia had the chance. "And that would be my father. Dad, this is Georgia Corelli. I'm sure you two have met briefly before. She's the nurse who's been taking such good care of Jory."

"Of course," Kevin smiled warmly. "I'm just not used to seeing you out of uniform."

"Lot of that going around today," Jay muttered. Georgia glared him and Gina gave him a swift kick under the table.

"Mom, Jillie is the girl I'm moving in with," Georgia explained changing the subject.

"Wonderful!" Gina exclaimed surprising Georgia and Jay. "If she is anything like her father, I'm sure she'll be nothing but a positive influence on you, Georgia. Georgia could use a little...direction," Gina told Kevin in a confidential whisper.

Jillie smothered a laugh when Kevin sent her a doubtful look. "Don't worry, Mrs. Corelli," she smiled brightly. "I've got the feeling Georgia and I will both benefit from the arrangement."

Ian's morning so far had been...eventful. He imagined that Georgia's morning was something of a waste considering the intrusion of her mother on their day. For the best, he reminded himself. He had other things to attend to. First things first though, he needed food.

Saturday morning in Conlan's Glen and the downtown area was swamped with people eating at the deli and Connie's or window shopping at Tia Rosa's. There was a crew of construction workers busy at work on the edge of town clearing out old warehouses for some new project. He parked near the construction and paused at the edge of the lot watching them before shuffling off towards Connie's. He picked up a newspaper on his way inside and waited for the hostess to seat him.

Connie's was bustling this morning. He caught sight of Jillie Conlan and watched her for a moment, talking at the bar. She was exactly how he remembered her, how every man who grew up in the Glen remembered her: a flirt and a tease with a body to back up her confidence. Now there was a woman. Jillie moved off towards the other side of the room, breaking his view of her.

"Just one today?" The hostess asked picking up a menu. He nodded and followed her to a small table by the window. "Your waiter will be along in a minute. Can I get you some coffee while you wait?" He nodded again, content for the moment with coffee and a newspaper.

The Observer was it it's best a small town paper reporting the comings and goings of the social set, which, for today, was exactly what Ian wanted. He scanned the articles, wondering why they didn't hire real reporters until he found what he was looking for. "Historical Society Opens Museum." His brother's ex wife was now in charge of the museum and poised to add a wing of local artists to the building. How interesting...

"Ian." He closed his eyes at the sound of Ellen Mason's plaintive whine preparing himself for her tirade. What had he done today to deserve this, he wondered opening his eyes and looking up at the woman he had dated ever so briefly. She had changed a little since the last time he saw her. Her style had matured a little but she still looked ill at ease with herself and her surroundings.

"Ellen," he replied in a guarded tone.

"I'm not going to freak out on you," she said in a meek voice that belied her look of confidence. He raised an eyebrow questioningly at her. "I know that's what you were thinking. I would be thinking that too if I were you."

"Really? I must be quite transparent then."

"I was wondering if I could sit with you for a moment and talk to you?" Ellen asked. Ian frowned meeting her eyes. That familiar look of hope she reserved for him unnerved him.

"I'm not supposed to speak to you," he replied. "Your brother made that a condition of my employment at his hospital," he added bitterly. Ellen pulled out the chair opposite him and sat anyway. "Ellen, seriously, I am not looking for a fight with Jamie."

"I'll deal with Jamie," she said hotly. "Just hear me out."

Ian shrugged and leaned back in his chair, dropping the newspaper to the table. "Fine, but if he comes around asking, you started this."

"I know. He told me he had hired you. And...well, I didn't expect to ever see you again. But I've moved back to the Glen and live at Four Winds. There's a lot I never expected to happen that has. I've grown up a lot since we dated. And I can see how badly I acted. You must think I'm mental."

Something like that, Ian thought skeptically. Aloud he only murmured, "You gave me plenty of reason."

"I know. And I'm sorry about all of that. I was young. Really what I wanted to say to you is that I'm sorry. Sorry that I made you feel responsible for me and my problems then, sorry that I put you at odds with my brother, sorry I made your life miserable for a while."

"Fair enough," Ian muttered. Ellen grinned happily and pushed her chair back. "But look, Ellen, I don't want any trouble with Jamie. Okay? So this little conversation between us, has to stay that way. All right?"

"Of course," Ellen agreed standing to leave. "But if it ever comes down to it, I'll make sure Jamie knows we've made our peace. Enjoy your breakfast."

Kevin laughed aloud at Gina Corelli's joke, grinning wickedly at her sense of humor. He glanced at her son next to her and laughed even harder at the scowl he was offering the world. That boy, Kevin decided quickly, needed to wake up and take a part in life around him. Gina's daughter, Georgia was pleasant enough. He had always thought that she took particularly good care of Jory. And Jory had nothing bad to say about her. Couldn't get a much better endorsement than that.

"Now, Kevin, I have bored you to death with stories about my children," Gina said yanking him back to the conversation. "Tell me about yours."

"My kids...well, I have five of them..."

"Five!?" Gina interrupted with a sharp breath. "How did you and your wife manage?" Jay shifted uncomfortably and slid out of the booth. "Where are you going, John Junior?"

"To the bathroom," Jay replied quickly, running away quickly. Just as well, Kevin thought. He was almost as sour as Maura could be. Gina shrugged but motioned for him to continue.

"Yes, five. Though we never intended to have so many. Maura is my eldest. She's smart as a whip with a good head for business. She runs Connie's," Kevin began catching the look of mild interest Gina gave the diner. "Then there's Luke. He works for Mason Enterprises...married a Mason too. Done well for himself, I think. You've met Jillie. Her twin brother is in the hospital right now."

"That's four."

Kevin scowled lightly at the reminder of Piper. "My youngest daughter is in college right now," he told her quickly.

"Mr. Conlan?" Joanie touched him on the shoulder interrupting them. Kevin swiveled around in his seat, relieved at the distraction. "Maura's on the phone."

"Oh. Okay, I'm sorry Gina. I better see what she needs. I'll be right back." He left the booth and took the phone from Joanie waiting until she had left before speaking. "Maura? Is everything all right? Are you okay?"

"Yes," Maura sighed on the other end. "I'm fine Dad. But I do have a problem. I'm stuck in Richmond, can you or Noah come get me?"

"Why are you stuck in Richmond? What happened to your friend?" Kevin demanded.

"Long story. Can you come get me?"

Kevin shook his head firmly. "No. Someone has to be here Maura," he replied sternly.

"Send Noah then," Maura persisted.

"I can't, Maura. He's busy right now." Kevin kept the police visit to himself.

"Dad, please. I just tried to rent a car but I forgot my good credit card at home. Just send Noah to come get me," Maura said. Kevin heard the note of exasperation in her voice as she continued. "Dad, I have had possibly the worst week of my life, don't leave me stranded in Richmond like this. If Noah can't come then...I don't know...ask Jillie or Luke. Please."

Kevin opened his mouth to say that Jillie was the most unlikely candidate to help Maura out when his eyes fell on a newcomer to Connie's breakfast crowd. A smile crept across his face as an idea formed in his head. "Sweetheart, I think I see someone who will be more than willing to help you out. Just sit tight...help is on the way."

Nicolas watched the detective from across the room follow the waiter into a backroom. The waiter knew nothing as far as Nicolas' sources were able to gather. But the detective was sharp. There were connections she could make yet. His cell phone rang and he picked up the call, offering a terse greeting of, "Tejera," before falling silent and listening.

"Nicky, it's Vega. I found them."

Nicky sat up straighter at the statement. Vega was a good man with good contacts. "Where?"

"You're not gonna believe this. They're in New Orleans. Navarro tracked them to the French Quarter but lost them in a crowd. From what he said, they've ditched the car and are on foot."

New Orleans meant one thing and one person. "Get Navarro back and send Martin and Torres to bring them in. I don't want them hurt but I want them somewhere safe until I get to there," Nicky responded. "How's my mother, Vega?"

"She's well. But she thinks I'm Rey." Nicky made a disapproving noise in his throat but kept his silence, hanging up instead as Detective Hamilton emerged from the office with Noah Wallace trailing behind her looking worried. She saw him and hesitated for the briefest of seconds before changing course towards him.

"Well, Mr. Tejera, you're still here. I suppose you've heard the news," she said standing over him.

"And what news would that be?" Nicky replied coolly giving the detective an appraising stare.

"Dinah Stafford is missing," Toni informed him meeting his gaze with her own. "Maybe you would like to share a little bit more about why you're in town again?"

Nicky shrugged, smiling gently. "I've already told you, Detective. I'm here on business. As a matter of fact, I'm waiting for a business associate to arrive for an early meeting. I'm thinking about investing in a real estate development if you're interested," he added. "As for the girl, I have no idea who she is or why you would feel the need to tell me."

"The eyewitness described Tyler Jones as the person who was with her the last time she was seen." Nicky nodded unwilling to let even the smallest shred of understanding show on his face. "Mr. Tejera, your friend is now looking at kidnapping charges unless we can prove otherwise. Are you certain you don't want to tell me anything now?"

"Detective Hamilton," Nicky began dropping all pretenses of civility for the moment. "I have nothing to offer you in the way of information. I'm sorry, that's just how it is. Tyler Jones is none of my real concern. What more do I need to do to make you see that?"

"You're not telling me something," Toni accused him suddenly. "I don't know what it is, but if you think I'm going to let you off just because you say you have no connection to Tyler Jones you are mistaken. I'll find out what your connection is, Mr. Tejera, and for your sake, you better hope I don't find anything."