Clark sat in the kitchen, nervously stroking the dark mustache on his rugged face. He had just been on the phone to his long-time friend and fishing partner, Bob Firman,…a man who also happened to be a constable in the local detachment of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. It was Bob who Clark had to thank for the safe return of his little son, William and it was to Bob that he turned with his hopes for finding Gretyl. Details of William’s return had been sketchy, due to an ongoing investigation, but Clark had learned that the police had found William roaming the streets of a small town called Jonquiere in the province of Québec, some five thousand kilometers east of where Clark and his family lived. “Bob,” asked Clark, “What do you think it means that William mentioned the name of his sister, Gretyl? Is it co-incidence? They were only two years old when they were stolen from us. “ All Bob could do was to re-assure Clark that it sounded promising and that they had all their men and women working on the case. Meanwhile, Clark had to wait and he knew that, for the sake of the children that were at home, he had to be strong. Still, observant folks would notice an ever-so-slight bounce in his walk that hadn’t been there a week earlier and a smile almost curled on his lip as he packed William’s lunch for his first day at school.

Sandy, Betsy, Ann, Sophie and Georgia had already left. In fact, school had started about an hour ago but William was going to start in Kindergarten and would attend only for short periods, to begin with. Clark saddled up Blue, hoisted William and his new lunch box up into the saddle and took off into the woods, towards the one-room school. The teacher, Miss Murdock, ushered them into the class and showed William his seat. He was to share a desk with a boy named “Red” who had immigrated to Canada from Ireland. Red’s name was actually “Robert” but that was a technicality he chose not to deal with. Red was in Grade Two and, as far as he was concerned, knew more than William ever would. Miss Murdoch could see the anguish in Clark’s eyes and assured him, “Mr. Von Tonner, if you wish to stay with William today, you are most welcome.” The relief on Clark’s face was palpable. “William,” she said, “ I would like you to draw me a picture of yourself and your family”. William’s little nose scrunched in that way that the family was beginning to recognize and she pointed to the paper and gestured, “ Toi et ta famille”. He understood and happily got down to work. An hour later, she collected his finished work and gave a quiet gasp. Clark heard it. “Mr. Von Tonner”, she whispered, “I think you’d better have a look at this”. Clark admired the obvious talent that his son had for details but what struck his heart was the portrait of, not just himself, but of also of a little girl the same size. “Gretyl, perhaps,” he thought to himself. Then she pointed out something else, in the background, that took his breath away. He would need to talk to constable Firman right away.