This is the second story set in the "Orphaned Spirits" Universe. In this universe, Rollie never met Manny and so, never became his apprentice. Angie has quit college and works for "Big Jake" Westmoreland, a former assistant of Manny's who didn't last long as an assistant. Angie and Rollie finally meet when Big Jake and Angie go Down Under to do special effects on a film for Simon Simony. If you want to read about their first meeting, check out "Orphaned Spirits". (Gee. Think that might be why this is the "Orphaned Spirits" Universe?)

If you're glad I'm writing this now, then thank Maureen. We made a deal. If you wished I wouldn't, then she gets the blame. *wicked grin*

Oh yeah, timeline. This takes place after "Orphaned Spirits".

Angie blinked at Big Jake's words, fighting back the tears. She wouldn't let him know how upset she was, how close to actually losing it she was getting. She swallowed the lump in her throat and felt it settle like a granite boulder in the pit of her stomach. It clenched tightly as she responded quietly. "Okay."

Big Jake watched his assistant with hard, beady eyes as she went to her computer setup deep in the heart of the small, rundown warehouse he used as a SPFX studio. Good thing, she knows who's the boss, he thought to himself, preening a bit. With a sly smile, he went over to his desk to gloat over the contract with Nick Breen.

Nick Breen! Angie wanted to scream, to cry out to the heavens! There was no justice in the world! None! Why?!? Why did they have to work for that... that... monster? WHY?!? How could she walk on to the lot each day and work near the man responsible for her father's death? How?!? HOW?!? She sat at the terminal, staring at it with unseeing eyes, brooding over that black, bleak day. The day Manny Ramirez died and her life ended. Her blue eyes slid tightly shut and she struggled to hold back the tears, the sobs that clogged her throat, screaming for release. Big Jake was probably getting a kick out of it. Out of making the daughter of his "mentor" (The one who almost literally kicked him out of his studio for incompetence) work for the man most culpable in his death. It was Breen's incompetence, Breen's decisions that were responsible. Unfortunately, the studio had pulled the ropes of New York City's so-called justice system and cleared him of that responsibility. Angie knew better, she'd been there and seen the entire horrible nightmare, but hadn't been able to convince any one to so much as fine Breen, never mind prosecute him. No one wanted to listen to the then eighteen year old girl/woman. Everyone had said she was being hysterical. Finally, she gave up trying to get someone to listen, to believe her. All that remained were her nightmares and her - alone.

The blonde took a deep breath and opened her eyes. They were drawn to the small framed picture sitting on top of her terminal. A soft, sad smile touched her lips. Well, no, not alone, not totally, not anymore. By some miracle, she had found someone to hold on to, to cling to, to turn to in time of trouble and to help her when life got to be too hard. The tall, lean young man in the photo stared at her with warm brown eyes, a wide smile on his face and a baby koala clinging to his right shoulder. The man was battered and hurt, but the life and joy inside of him shone through, captured by the lens of the camera. Angie Ramirez was no longer alone, she remembered. He might be on the other side of the world, but she still had Rollie Tyler. Angie had a suspicion she loved him, but might never know for certain since he was in heart of Australia and she was in New York City. Still, as Rollie kept reminding her in his small, but steady flow of letters, you never knew what might happen. Letters... Yes, she would write to Rollie when she got back to her apartment. He would understand and listen. Maybe they could arrange a time to talk on the telephone. The Aussie was the only person she knew who didn't have internet access and didn't even have a phone in his isolated home. Feeling slightly better, she went to work on the computer graphics for their last film, pushing thoughts of Breen and Westmoreland FX's newest project out of her mind.  

Angie moaned silently to herself as she hastily slipped through the studio lot to the special effects truck. She now spent her days dancing around to avoid Breen and sometimes her own boss. It was a pain. It was unbearable. It paid the rent. More and more her mind was occupied by thoughts of what David McNabb and Simon Simony had told her - that she should start her own business. If she was the boss, she wouldn't be working for Breen that was for sure! She sighed silently as she wished for a letter from Rollie. The man had been strangely silent after she sent her last letter, the one telling him all about Breen and the new job. Why? Had distance finally stilled the care and concern they had found for each other? Or worse! Had something happened to Rollie Tyler? She told herself to get a grip. After all, if Rollie had been interested enough to send her at least two letters a month (if not more!) for six months, he wasn't about to loose interest now! It was more than likely an unkind act of that occasional public nuisance, the post office. Whether it was the Australia Postal Service or the US was up for grabs. A fact of life when you depended on the mail for your sole means of communication. If only Rollie would get a phone or, better yet, add internet access with it! She knew when there were problems with her email. There wasn't any uncertainty about delivery or non delivery there. She sternly reminded herself that Rollie was far more consistent with his letters, than she was with hers. Two letters a month, sometimes more, was not a shabby rate. Especially from a man. A man who lived alone in the heart of nowhere to boot! One who usually walked - walked! - to town to get them delivered.

Angie froze as the giddy actress (Actor, she claims to be an actor!) called her name and joined her. The taller brunette was thin, beautiful, always moving, irritating, but also terribly sweet and friendly. The blonde reminded herself that she needed more friends and Lucinda Scott had been an unexpected ally in avoiding Breen and keeping Big Jake off her back. She cringed ever so slightly as the woman actually squealed and turned to face her.

"Angie! Angie! Angie! You'll never guess! Never, never, never in a million years!" Lucinda finally stopped and waited patiently. When Angie Ramirez didn't say anything, her mouth formed a small pout. "Well, aren't you going to guess?"

"You just told me and I quote, 'You'll never guess! Never, never, never in a million years!' So, why should I try to guess? Just tell me, Luce!"

"I've got a part!" Lucinda jumped up and down like a giddy school girl. "A real part in the movie!"

"What?!?" Angie was perplexed by the announcement. All parts were cast and closed weeks ago. Lucinda was dialogue coach for the leading lady, the producer's girl friend. How could she now have a part in the movie? "How? I thought everything was cast."

"It was." Lucinda took a deep breath, her eyes sparkling. "They added a new part. I'm to play moi's leading lady's best friend." She made a slight face. "I get killed by mistake in the fifth act, but still... It's a part!"

"We've already filmed the fifth act." Angie pointed out.

Lucinda shrugged, dramatically rolling her eyes. "I know! They're going to reshoot it!"

"Reshoot it? What else have they just suddenly decided to change, Luce?" Angie pulled her new friend toward the SPFX truck, anxious about this new turn. Films didn't have whole scenes reshot without extremely good reasons. It was much too expensive for them to do this big a rewrite this late in the game and... It was odd. Distinctly odd. Angie felt the hair on the back of her neck standing up. Too odd!

Rollie closed his eyes and wondered if his last letter had reached Angie. He hoped so, since he wouldn't be home to receive any of hers for a while. Still, this trip was necessary for Baby. It was a pity they hadn't gotten a name for her, but with the other joeys gone, it hadn't seem as urgent a matter anymore. She was his only baby at the moment. Maybe he should write Angie when he got back and ask for suggestions. Mind, that might not be necessary if Doctor Barry Waugh and Doctor Sandy Carmichael were successful with her. Barry Waugh was suppose to be an expert on Australian wildlife, particularly koalas. Sandy Carmichael was not as well known in the field, but seemed to be making a name as Doctor Waugh's assistant and future replacement. The experts at Alice Springs and Darwin were hoping they would manage to accomplish one of two goals - a) re-introduce Baby to her natural environment or b) get her to accept humans (besides Rollie Tyler or Angie Ramirez that is). Either way, the good doctors were to try and get Baby to accept other koalas in particular. Rollie himself wasn't certain about the whole plan, but if it would help Baby, he was willing to give it a go.

At least the transportation people and the authorities were all being especially nice to him and Baby. He hadn't had a lick of trouble traveling to Melbourne with her. In fact, his only real problem was the way everyone wanted to pet Baby. At least, it hadn't disturbed the young koala too much. She just clung to her "mum" and accepted the attention. Pity, he wasn't as pragmatic about it! Grateful their journey was almost over, he waited for the plane to empty and the chance collect his small kit and move on. His long legs weren't made for planes, that or planes weren't made for his long legs. With a soft sigh, he stood, using one hand to balance Baby and the other to grab his small bag from the overhead. He walked out of the plane, pausing to thank the crew for their kindness on his way. The lanky, brown haired man stood at the exit ramp and looked around with uncertain brown eyes. They'd said that someone would meet him at the air terminal. So where were they?

A beautiful woman, a willowy blonde dressed in khaki, strode briskly forward. "Mister Tyler?"

"Uh, yes?" Rollie blinked as he took in the vision in front of him. He felt his mouth go dry. It had been too long since he dealt with women like this one. Not since he was a stuntman. Angie, Angie wasn't like her or the others, he could talk to Angie. He wasn't sure he could talk to the woman in front of him.

"I'm Doctor Carmichael." She reached out a graceful hand to him, waiting for him to shake it.

Doctor Carmichael?!? Why hadn't someone mentioned that Sandy Carmichael was a she? They were probably laughing their heads off right about now, thinking about the naive Bush walker and the sophisticated lady animal doctor. "Uh, yes. Doctor Carmichael." He dropped his bag and shook her hand, hoping she wouldn't notice he was shaking ever so slightly. His other hand gently stroked Baby, finding comfort in the soft, familiar touch. Guess I'll have to talk to her. He swallowed. "Call me Rollie." Everybody else was right. I have been alone too long!

"All right, Rollie. I'm Sandy to my friends. I'm sure you and I are going to be great friends." She was practically purring as she drew his arm under hers and lead him through the airport. A silent, young man picked up Rollie's small bag and followed them.  

The movie set was bustling with activity as the crew readied for the next shoot. Angie was taking advantage of the small respite in her duties to re-read Rollie's letter. She sighed as she realized Rollie probably hadn't gotten her letter about Breen and their new job before he left. The condition of the letter and envelope indicated that it had gone through quite a bit of rough handling before reaching her. She wished she could telepathically send a message to him and get him to call her at her apartment tomorrow. She jumped as a hand touched her shoulder.

"What's that?" Luce asked her, trying to read over her shoulder. "Is it from your boyfriend?" She was curious about the pretty blonde. Angie hadn't shared much about herself and had steadfastly refused Lucinda's efforts to get her to go out on a double date with her. Even though she had personally promised her a really good time!

"No," the special effects artist responded wryly, "it's not from my boyfriend."

"So who is it from?" The actor craned her neck, trying to read. 'Come on, Annngie! Nobody writes letters anymore! Please!"

"Rollie does," Angie answered as her attention returned to the carefully written letter. His left handed scrawl had gotten better as time passed and injuries healed.

"Ah ha! It is from your boyfriend!"

Angie sighed deeply. "Rollie is a friend. That's all."

"A friend who writes you letters, girl. A man who writes! Angie, do you know how rare that is? Guys don't just write anything!"

The blonde shook her head at the brunette. "A man who lives in the middle of nowhere and doesn't even have a phone writes. Rollie writes letters all the time."

Lucinda's eyes danced with curiosity. "The middle of nowhere? There isn't such a place anymore, Angie. Everybody is somewhere and everywhere has phones. Even the Antarctic has telephones!" She was very proud to know that little fact. She'd dated a man who worked there for a while.

"Rollie doesn't have a phone. He lives in the Outback. If he wants to call someone, he has to go to town." Angie's lips quirked slightly. "Where they have a grand total of five phones!" She gave Luce a sly look. "Oh and he usually walks to get there. He doesn't have a car."

"Oh." Lucinda considered Angie's words and the letter which she neatly folded, inserted back into the envelope and returned to the safety of the bottom of her backpack. She smiled. "Is he cute?" Her smile turned to a grin. "Does he look like Crocodile Dundee? Does he talk like him? How old is he? What does he do for a living? Hunt crocodiles?"

Angie almost laughed as the questions flowed over her without any sign of stopping for answers. The fun vanished however when she spotted Breen headed her way, clearly intent of talking to the SPFX crew and Big Jake wasn't here at the moment. "Damn," she muttered under breath.

"What's wrong?" Lucinda asked, then spotted the director coming their way. "Oh." She said flatly. "Him again. Want me to activate diversion tactics?"

"No," Angie sighed in resignation, "he's wants to talk about the effects." Well, she knew she'd have to talk to him eventually. She just wished she didn't feel so alone and vulnerable doing it.

"Want me to stick around? Keep him from, uh, being a pain."

Angie rolled her eyes slightly. Lucinda had somehow gotten the impression that Breen was harassing her as in workplace sexual harassment. It seemed to be something she was familiar with. The blonde had never explained about her past with the man, about her father. She hadn't wanted to talk about it. Still... "You don't mind?" and flashed a grateful smile, before turning serious and facing part of her nightmare. Her face was closed as she acknowledged his presence. "Mister Breen." Her voice was colder than the heart of an Arctic winter.

"Oh, Angie," the man grimaced slightly, a bit uncomfortable. Then with the gall only the most ego concentrated personality could produce, he continued. "Look, I... I've been wanting to speak with you. I am so sorry about your father. I was young. It was my first movie and I was under a lot of pressure. I had people who were looking for any reason to get rid of me. I had to..."

"No! No, you didn't have to and you don't live with the consequences. I do! Every night, I live it. Are you happy about that? To be part of my worst nightmares? In living or should I say dyingTechnicolor! You don't know and you'll never know. SO JUST STAY AWAY FROM ME!!!" Angie turned and fled, her face pale, her cheeks flaming. Embarrassed to have lost it in front of everyone. Haunted by her memories of that night as they screamed at her as fresh as if it had just happened. She ran, seeking a place to hide from the curious gawkers that watched her, heard her. They didn't understand! They couldn't understand!

Lucinda watched Angie run away, bewildered and concerned. This wasn't a case of a big shot harassing a pretty female and making life difficult. It was something worse. She didn't know what it was, but she aimed to find out before the day was over. She turned a jaundiced eye on the director, her expression carefully neutral, waiting for him to comment or offer an explanation.

Breen looked around, mumbled something about emotional women and hurried away.

Lucinda shook her head and decided to go find her friend.

Rollie looked around the room he'd been given at the research center. He'd spotted a couple of koalas in the trees on the way in. In between dodging the attention of Sandy Carmichael. He stroked Baby's fur and then started to unpack his small kit. His things didn't even fill one of the drawers, but it was enough for him. She'd said that dinner was at seven and he would meet Doctor Waugh at that time along with the rest of the staff. Including the man who'd carried his bag? He wondered about him. He'd never said a word and Sandy hadn't offered to introduce him. There was a story there. He'd have to keep his eyes and ears open to find it.

In the meantime, there was time for some serious attention to Baby. He settled on the bed and began to stroke and play with the young koala. Free of the attention of strangers, Baby chirred happily and petted and rubbed against the man, grabbing one of his hands gently and pulling it. Curious eyes took in the strange room and she clambered up the bed post, looking at everything. Oh yes, Baby was going to love those posts. He'd have to make sure she didn't get into too much trouble. Like tangled in the curtains. Rollie rescued Baby from their dastardly grip and pondered getting her some food. He didn't have anymore eucalyptus leaves with him or any milk to flavor. They were both hungry. He could wait. She couldn't. So where would he find something for her to eat? Time to do a little exploring. He slipped out of his quarters silently, Baby safely perched on his shoulder, wishing Sandy had bothered to show him around a bit or at least offered something for his young charge. Decidedly odd.  

Angie huddled in a dark corner of the set, her arms wrapped around her knees, trying to get her emotions and memories back under control. She wished desperately for Rollie to be there, holding her in his strong arms and soothing her. It was an impossible wish, but not as impossible as her equally fervent wish for her father to be there. A step sounded and she jerked her head up, trying to see in the dark. Who was there? Breen? Or Westmoreland? He was going to fire her. Maybe she should save him the trouble and her pride by quitting first.

"Angie?" Lucinda Scott moved closer to the blonde, uncertain and anxious. She never liked people getting upset or unhappy. She worked very hard on putting on a happy face, even in the face of an absolute disaster. Lucinda Scott was a professional and she never let a little unhappiness slow her down. She sat down beside the other woman. "Do you want to talk about it?" Her tone was quiet and serious, totally at odds with how she normally behaved.

"No, I don't want to talk about it." Angie sniffed and rubbed at traitorously red eyes. "Have I been fired?"

"I don't know. No one said so." Luce shrugged. "Sometimes... Sometimes talking helps. You know?"

Angie stared off into the distance and the brunette thought she wouldn't answer. Then. "He killed my father. Oh, no one will actually say it, but he did. Breen did." She looked at the other woman with grief filled, haunted eyes. "I was there. I saw it happen. I know what Breen did, but no one would listen to me." Sad eyes turned to contemplating the past. "They thought I was hysterical."

Lucinda hesitated because this was serious stuff! It sounded like Angie was talking about murder! Was their director, a jerk and a womanizer certainly (He would jump anything with breasts!), also a murderer? Would the authorities turn a blind eye to that? Luce considered walking away, she didn't want to be involved in something that heavy, but... She stared at her new friend, the pain radiating from her was almost visible. What type of friend was she if she just walked away now? She knew people said she was flighty, the sort that just wanted a good time. She had never gotten involved before, not that way, not that seriously. Lucinda stared back at the door and then touched Angie's shoulder gently, turning the blonde to face her, her eyes serious and dark. "I'm listening."

Rollie slid through the rooms on silent feet, Baby clinging to her perch on his right shoulder. Not seeing anyone, he decided to see about getting fresh leaves off of some of the trees outside. Hoping to find some of the trees Baby was used to eating, he slipped out a side door and moved soft as a shadow into the thick woods. Silently, he moved among the leafy giants, pausing here and there to strip off a few leaves. Some he offered to Baby to eat, others went into a pocket sewn inside his wool fleece vest. He blinked up at some of the koalas high up the trees and they blinked sleepily back. None of them objected to the quiet man with his equally quiet companion. That was why he could slip unnoticed to the odd activity playing out deep in the heart of the woods. What?

One hand going up to make sure Baby remained silent, he ghosted behind a particularly large eucalyptus and sent her scurrying into the branches. Once he was sure his charge was safely hidden, Rollie turned his attention to the events unfolding beyond. Whispered words full of urgency and anger drifted among the trees. Unable to hear what was being said, he moved closer, a silent hunter well trained by the Yamatji. He watched Sandy Carmichael as she spoke with harsh gestures and muted sound to the quiet man who had carried his luggage and driven the SUV that had brought him here. Abruptly, the words and gestures stopped and he froze, fearing detection. Woman and man separated as if by an unseen signal, each going in opposite directions. For a moment, Rollie hesitated, wondering if it was wrong to follow. Surely, this was none of his business. Baby was his business, not whatever was bothering Doctor Carmichael and her unnamed companion. Besides, which one would he follow? Carmichael or her associate? What would it lead to? They certainly weren't poaching or hurting the animals here and probably not the people either. Perhaps, they were only hurting each other. Perhaps, it was a quarrel between lovers or something and, in that case, most certainly none of his business. A soft rustling drew his attention back to the trees and he saw one of the resident koalas peering over at Baby. Decided, he went and coaxed her back down, returning to his room to wait for dinner and to ponder what he had observed in the stand of Eucalyptus trees. Odd. Very, very odd. Rollie wondered if he'd been dropped into the middle of a soap opera or something more sinister. Not that soaps didn't have sinister things happen in them, but they were always tangled up in relationships. Slowly, he began to gather defenses back around his soul, defenses he hadn't needed or used since he'd returned to the Bush and the Yamatji. Defenses built well and strong, tried and found true in the complex world of movie making. Briefly, he wished Angie was here to be his ally. He wondered how she was doing and felt a faint tendril of apprehension.  

Evening settled over the movie set like a shroud, turning trucks and equipment into ominous, monstrous shadows. People were shutting things down, packing everything up for the night. A few noticed a blonde woman moving quietly through the lot, avoiding everyone else's eyes. Some wondered what had happened between the special effects expert and the director. Everyone knew about the earlier explosion of emotion. A few remembered that time and knew. They were aware of how painful it was for Angie Ramirez to work for Nick Breen. Sympathetic eyes watched her move toward the director's trailer and the explosives shed beyond it. One or two said silent prayers for Manny's little girl.

Several hours later, the night was turn to day in a towering flash of flame and sound. The echoes of the explosion rattled windows for over a mile away. The movie lot turned into an inferno.

Rollie washed his hands and face, Baby watching with bright eyes, taking in his movements. "Well, I don't know what is happening here, little luv, but we'll muddle through." He dried his hands with the soft, yellow towel. "We always do," he smiled warmly at the young koala, "and I do have a surprise or two up my own sleeve."

He moved out of the small bathroom with Baby trailing slowly, listening to his quiet words. "I don't trust this Sandy or her too quiet friend..." His face filled with concern. "And I think something might be happening with Angie. You remember Angie? I talk about her enough to you. Remember how she found you and Mangela brought both of you to me. You were so small then. Now you're getting to be a big girl. Pretty soon, you're going to be really interested in the boys. You be careful when you are. They're only interested in one thing." He told his charge seriously. "I should know. I was a boy too... once." He looked at the clean shirt in his hands, then put it on. "I've learned a bit since then, or hope I have."

He sat down on the bed and Baby climbed up to join him, settling in his lap. He hugged her gently. "I know. I'm worried too." His eyes flashed as he thought of the scene in the stand of trees so close by. "We have a puzzle here." He gently touched the little koala's nose. Her eyes crossed slightly watching his finger. "We will have to be careful. We can figure it out, but we'll have to take it slow. I hope Doctor Waugh has a nicer feel than Doctor Carmichael. If he does, maybe he'll let me borrow the phone. Maybe he'll let me call Angie?" He gently tickled her under her chin. "Would you like to talk to Angie?"

Rollie shifted Baby to his pillow. "Now, you stay here and stay out of trouble. We'll play dumb for a while and see what's what. I wonder if Sandy will finally introduce her friend at dinner. How do I look? Clean enough? Dumb enough? I hope so. Maybe Sandy will think I'm just another pretty face?" He laughed self mockingly. "Whot? You don't think I'm pretty? Everybody tells me I'm a looker. Dad says I get it from Mum and the snake oil from him. We're going to need both to get to the bottom of this... Whatever this is. Well, ready or not, it's time for dinner."

A moment later, a knock sounded. Doctor Sandy Carmichael barged in and wrapped her arm around Rollie's. "Are you ready for dinner, Rollie? We're informal here. Come along and I'll introduce you to everyone and then tomorrow we'll see about introducing your koala to ours." She chattered on about inconsequential things.

The brown haired man allowed her to guide him to the dining hall. He listened silently, taking in everything around him. His eyes, normally bright and full of intelligence, were vague and dreamy.  

The man pinched his nose and shook his head as he examined the crime scene. What a mess! Whoever had done this knew exactly what they were doing. Fortunately no one had been killed, the only real plus in this crime. Work had been done for the day, everyone had been gone except for security and they'd been on their rounds, well away from the site of the explosion. So if the culprit hadn't wanted to kill anyone, they knew the schedule intimately, which implied someone on the inside was involved. And according to the uniforms first on the scene, the center seemed to be the director's trailer. Time to get to work. "Come on, Frank." He climbed out from behind the wheel of his unmarked police car.

"Right with you, Leo," Francis Gatti piled out of the passenger seat, hastening to join his partner. He hadn't been a detective for long and everything still seemed sort of strange. He shot a glance at the older, somewhat taller man. Leo McCarthy was a troublemaker. Every cop on the force knew it. Every cop also knew he was a good detective and cop. He cared about justice, about right and wrong. There were days when Frank wished he had a different partner and other days when he thought he was extremely lucky to be partnered with the senior detective. He wondered which one it would be today.

Three witnesses later, both detectives were shaking their heads. So far everyone and everything seemed to be pointing at the junior special effects expert, Angie Ramirez. One, she had a beef with the director and no, they hadn't known what, but it had blown up yesterday afternoon. Two, she had the knowledge to do it. And three, they'd seen her heading for the explosives shack when shutting down for the day.

Leo stared at his partner for so long, the shorter man wondered what he had done wrong. "Let's go have a chat with Mister Nick Breen."

"Okay Leo." Some days, that seemed to be all he did - say yes or no to his partner and follow him like a pup. He wondered if he'd ever get to do something on his own, then shook his head ever so slightly. Of course he would! He was just learning the ropes of a new position. If he couldn't handle the job, his superiors wouldn't have given him that promotion. Right? Right! And Leo didn't have patience with idiots. So... He picked his way through the debris, following his partner to where Nick Breen stood, raging about the lost time, equipment and most probably, film.

The detectives stared at the man, listening to his words as he yelled and roared to some poor sob of an underling. But that's all it was, bluster and bluff. Leo saw it, heard it, knew it. The man wasn't feeling any real pain or loss from the destruction and it made him wonder why.

"I'm ruined! We'll never get the film done now! I would have to start over from scratch. All of the footage was in my trailer, waiting for me to go over it!" Breen spoke with his hands, dramatically over emphasizing everything.

And why was all the footage in your trailer? Is that SOP for film making? Weren't there copies or something? Leo studied the questions, brushed them off and tucked them away to be asked of someone else in a little bit. He added some more to that corner. So if the film was shut down, what happens? Does anyone profit? Where is the gain in all of this destruction? What about insurance? Frank and Colleen could look for those answers for him - later. He cleared his throat and spoke. "Mister Breen?"

"What?" The man spun around to stare at the two strangers.

"I'm Detective Leo McCarthy. This is my partner, Francis Gatti. We have a couple of questions for you, if you don't mind." He spoke with a deceptively soft tone, his gray eyes looking tired and worn. A short, curly haircut of light brown hair heavily touched with gray, added to an appearance of worldly knowledge and weariness. Leo McCarthy gave the appearance of a man who'd seen just about everything man could do to his fellow man. Nothing and no one would or could surprise him anymore. He flashed his badge and tucked it back into his pocket, waiting for a reaction.

"Of course, detectives! You have to catch whoever did this terrible thing. They've completely ruined my movie and possibly my career!"

What about the people who could have died? What about them? Good thing, this guy wasn't an actor. He wouldn't have a career! "Your career?" Leo asked politely.

"In this business, you're only as good as your latest movie. And now look at it! Ashes! Ruins!" Breen waved his hands around the studio lot, indicating the destruction.

"I understand, Mister Breen. Could you tell me who might want to do this? Harm your career and film? Why would they do it?" McCarthy waited.

"No," Breen shook his head emphatically. "Everybody loves me. No one would... would do this. At least, I don't know of anyone."

Riiight, Frank thought to himself as he settled back to watch an expert at work and take mental notes. One day, he would be doing this and he wanted all the tips he could get.

"Really? Well someone did it. This wasn't just an accident. What about... Angie Ramirez?"  

Leo almost grinned as the man squirmed ever so slightly. Whatever was there with this Ramirez woman was real and important. He rocked back on his heels slightly, waiting patiently.

"Angie?" Breen blinked a bit as if surprised.

"Yeah, we heard you had some type of fight with her yesterday."

"Uh..."

"Quite a row ending with Ms. Ramirez storming off in a fury."

"Well, there... She..." Breen looked at his hands, now locked together, fingers entwined.

Frank wondered if the man could talk without his hands, he was stumbling so much.

"That... That's old news really. She, uh, well, she blames me for her father's death. It was an accident, of course, but... It was very traumatizing for her, I'm sure. I tried to, well, sort of apologize yesterday. I guess she wasn't ready to deal with it yet."

Leo nodded with a knowing look, jotting a few notes in his pad. "I see. Then everybody doesn't love you. Where is Ms. Ramirez?"

Breen blinked again. "I'm sure I don't know. You don't mean that you think that she...?" He looked horrified at the thought.

"Covering the possibilities, Mister Breen. Just covering the possibilities." McCarthy closed his pad and tucked it away in his suit jacket. "Thank you. If we have any more questions...?"

"I'll be around. There's going to be hell to pay with the backers."

Leo and Francis split up, questioning cast and crew. All of them told Leo that Angie Ramirez was the last person they saw head toward the explosives shed. Except for her boss, Jake Westmoreland, he said he hadn't been on the set and so had seen nothing. He also told Leo that Angie had been very unreliable on this movie and she'd had developed an "attitude". The cop walked over to join his partner. "I'd like to adjust his attitude," he muttered. "Okay, Francis, let's see what we've got."

"Leo, one of the actresses I talked to, she said it wasn't Ramirez."

"Wasn't Ramirez? Well that's a switch. So which one was it?"

Frank consulted the notes on his electronic notepad. "Uh, Lucinda Scott. Get this! She says she saw a blonde woman, but insists it wasn't Angie Ramirez."

"Oh, so. What? They're friends, right?"

"Well, not exactly. Ms. Scott says this movie was her first working with Ramirez. They met on set. She also said that Westmoreland and Breen have been giving her a hard time and that she helped her duck them a few times."  

"All things considered, I can't blame Ms. Ramirez for that, Gatti. What makes her think it's wasn't Ramirez?"

"She said 'I didn't see her face. She had the right build and hair, but she didn't move like Angie Ramirez.' Not much use, huh?"

"Nope. So, where is this Lucinda Scott? I've got a couple of my own questions to ask her."

"Last time I saw her, she was over by the canteen. So, Leo, you think she knows something."

"I think," Leo tapped the side of his nose with a finger, "something stinks. Let's see if we can't find out what. Oh and while you were talking to people, did anyone happen to mention where Ms. Ramirez is?"

"Nope, none of them have seen her since yesterday."

"Great," Leo muttered under his breath.

Much to Rollie Tyler's relief, Doctor Barry Waugh proved to be much nicer than Sandy Carmichael in both manners and feel. The entire dinner, the lanky man felt like she was a leech that'd latched on to his skin. He kept wanting to use his steak knife to remove her, to slide the blade across his skin to pry her off, but restrained himself. It wouldn't be easy to explain to the others. Most of them were ordinary, normal people. Just the type of folks he'd expect at a game preserve or charging around the bush looking for animals. All right, so they weren't exactly normal, but they were very nice and polite to the stranger in their midst. All of them were eager to meet Baby and show them the compound and introduce them to the other koalas. This was what Rollie had expected when asked to come, not Carmichael and the Silent Type. That was another thing Rollie noted. Sandy's friend was not at dinner. So where was he? Who was he? What did he do besides drive Sandy Carmichael around and argue with her?

"What's the matter, Mister Tyler?" Doctor Waugh asked anxiously. "Is something wrong with dinner? You've hardly eaten a thing."

"Rollie, please, Doctor!" Knowing he couldn't explain that Doctor Carmichael had ruined his appetite, he reached quickly for an explanation. These people didn't know him, so... "I'm sorry, everything's fine. I'm just not hungry. I must be tireder from the flight than I thought. Don't take many."

"Of course. You have come a long way today. Well, perhaps we should let you retire and get a good night's sleep. We can chat in the morning."

"That's fine," Rollie hesitated. He really wanted to call Angie, but he didn't want the woman sitting next to him to know. He wasn't sure why. It was just a vague feeling that Angie was a protection for him against her. With reluctance, he pushed away his desire to phone her. It was almost day for Angie anyway. Tomorrow morning would be better. That would be her night and with luck she would be home then. He pushed his chair back and stood up. "Thanks for the spread. Sorry I couldn't appreciate it more. I'll see all of you in the morning. Good night."

There was a round of good nights from around the table as he turned to leave. Sandy started to get up. "I'll just show you the way back to your room, Rollie."

"No! No, that's okay, Doctor, er, Sandy. I can find it. Thanks."

She pouted ever so slightly. "Well, if you're sure?"

"I'm sure. Thank you. Good night."

"Good night, Rollie," she purred back.

Rollie walked out of the dining room slowly. Damn! She really did make his skin crawl. A feeling of urgency burned inside of him. He bolted down the hall, running to his room. He got there just in time to see a figure flee out an open window. The lanky man darted over to try and get a better look. He started to follow when Baby's cries reached his ears. "Baby!" He spun around looking for the koala, finally finding her under the spread from the bed. She immediately climbed into his arms, chattering indignantly about the mistreatment. Rollie stroked her gently. "So so so. It's okay, Baby. Shh. It's okay. I'm here. I'm here now." He looked around, taking in the state of his room. It had been well and truly trashed. Nothing, absolutely nothing was in its place now. The sight made him tired just thinking about putting it back to rights. Bloody hell! It looked like a monsoon had gone through. That or a marauding herd of apes, remembering the mess that one ape had made during a movie he'd worked on. Remembering how grateful he'd been to be 'just a stuntman' that time, he decided this might just be pay back for that rather selfish gratitude. Rollie picked up a comfortably padded chair and set Baby in it. "Now you stay here. If you behave, I'll have this back to rights in no time. Well, almost no time. Otherwise, we'll be at it all night." He closed the window, putting the latch in place.

Shaking his head, he went over to heave the mattress back on to the bed. "Wonder what they were looking for, Baby. Was it Sandy's friend, Mister No-name? You know, he wasn't at dinner and I did leave early. That intruder must've gotten a right scare thrown in him when I opened the door. Sure took off quick enough. Wish I'd gotten a good look. Whoever it was really ransacked the place. I wonder what they thought they were going to find." He kept up the steady stream of words as he set things to rights in the room. "Did you bring something I don't know about, luv? No? Well, I'll take your word for it. Doctor Waugh's a nice old man. Very much the grandfather type. Or at least what I imagine a grandfather would be like. Not like I've got a lot of experience there. Still, he's got a much nicer feel than that Sandy woman. I didn't get a chance to ask about calling Angie though. Didn't want to do it in front of her! Not sure why." He scratched his head, then started to make the bed. "I wonder if Sandy knew about our nocturnal visitor. This is all too strange for me." He looked over at the young koala with serious brown eyes. "If I didn't think Doctor Waugh could help you... Well, we'd be out of here, that's for sure! They wouldn't have seen us for the dust." Rollie worked steadily, putting drawers back in place, then placing the little he'd brought with him in them. He picked up the broken pieces of glass from the bath's floor. He only cut a finger once doing it. Sucking the finger, he tossed them into the trash basket and looked around. "Wish I knew where to get another drinking glass. Guess we make do. Should I report this to our hosts now or wait? What do you think, Baby? Yeah that's what I think. We don't know what's what or who's who. Just 'cause Sandy gives me the creeps isn't sufficient to think she is involved. And there's nothing to say they're not all in it or out of it." Rollie picked up Baby with a soft sigh. Anxious, she nuzzled his face, trying to comfort her 'mum'. She could feel the anxiety rolling off of him. He moved to stretch out on the bed, Baby curling into her place against his side. "I know I should tell Doctor Waugh and have him call the police. It's just I know nothing! What do we report? Someone broke in and ransacked the place. Well, no, I'm sorry Constable, they didn't actually take anything. Well, Doctor Carmichael has this friend she won't introduce. He's about the right size. Oh and they were arguing back there in the eucalpyts. Go over real well, that would. Nothing. Nothing and more nothing. We'll have to keep our eyes open. See what there is to see. Still wish I knew what that bloke was looking for." He blinked sleepily. "I'll see if I can't ask Doctor Waugh about the phone tomorrow. I don't know what's going on, Baby, but Angie needs us. I can feel it. Very frustrating considering she's the other side of the world. Hope a call helps. Hope she's home. Hope..." Rollie dropped off into an uneasy sleep full of dreams with vague ominous shapes and Angie and Baby crying for his help.    

Lucinda Scott fidgeted with her necklace as the older detective watched her. "You have no idea where Ms. Ramirez is now, Ms. Scott?"

She shook her head and tried to speak. Nothing came out. Luce paused and drew in a deep breath, releasing it slowly. "No, I don't. And that's not like Angie. She's been here on time or early every day."

"Maybe she knew there wouldn't be any work today," he responded wryly.

"No!" Lucinda shook her head, sounding absolutely certain. "Angie isn't like that. You'll understand when you talk to her, Detective. Angie is..."

"Angie is what, Ms. Scott?" He glanced at his notes. "You met her at the start of the shoot."

"That's right." She nodded acknowledgment.

"Hardly time to get to know someone that well."

"Maybe. You have to understand, Detective McCarthy. Some people think I'm a ditz. That I'm really shallow. Well, I'm not. I'm really good at observing people. It's part of what makes me a good actor and I am good. Damn good! Angie... Angie is young and she's been hurt. She's also tough as nails. You can knock her down and she'll come fighting back. Breen is a leech. He clamps on to anything with breasts. And yes, me included. But not Angie. I thought at first he had, you know? That that was why she was avoiding him, but she told me that he killed her father. I thought at first she meant he'd murdered him and I couldn't understand why he was walking around free and all. But then she explained. When Breen first started as a director, he'd hired her dad to do the special effects. There was this one effect... It was very dangerous and her dad told Breen that. He told him that they shouldn't do it. Breen insisted and Manny Ramirez did it and paid the ultimate price. He died in that explosion with Angie watching. She tried her best to get the authorities to listen to her, to bring Breen up on negligence charges, but they wouldn't listen to her. That was that. From that time on, Angie was alone. She went to college, but finally had to drop out because of the expense. She got a job with that jerk, Westmoreland, and has been keeping his company afloat ever since. Because, between you and me, Big Jake Westmoreland couldn't effect his way out of a paper bag. He can't even find his own ass without help."

"That's all very interesting, Ms. Scott, but it doesn't explain why you think Angie is innocent. Almost every one else we talked to says she was the last person to approach the explosives shed. Means, motive, opportunity and knowledge, Ms. Scott."

"Maybe, except that wasn't Angie. I know what Angie looks like and that woman last night did look a lot like her, but she sure didn't move like her. Angie's fit. She works out. Athletic. That woman last night did not move like an athlete. And... Well, this shoot has been weird. I got a role after all the roles were filled. We started shooting scenes that were already shot. Weird. It made Angie... uncomfortable. She thought something was going on. I didn't want to believe her. After all I'd finally gotten a role! But I'll admit it now. Something strange is going on here and it's not Angie!"

"Hmm." Leo looked thoughtful. "So they recast parts after they closed casting and started shooting scenes over?"

"No, they didn't recast a role. They created a new role! Look. If someone quits, they'll hire someone else and do what they have to do to get it to fit the movie, even redo canned scenes. They don't come up with new roles part way through the filming! Movies cost too much to be doing that without a reason."

"So, they've been spending more money than they needed to be doing?"

"Yeah and I don't get it. Why did Breen hire Westmoreland FX, knowing Angie was working there? Westmoreland isn't very good at his job. It's Angie that makes that company and Breen had to know how Angie would feel about working for him."

"Maybe he felt bad about her father. Maybe he felt guilty and wanted to help her out." Francis chipped in.

Lucinda shook her head. "No way. Breen is a weasel. He doesn't have a heart. His ego's too big. It gets in the way. There has to be a reason for him to hire Westmoreland FX and there has to be a reason for the changes."

"I see and you have no idea where Ms. Ramirez might be. How about a boyfriend?"

Lucinda suddenly smiled. "You know, Angie says she doesn't have a boyfriend, but there is this guy. He lives in Australia and writes her letters. Real letters!" She sighed wistfully. "I never had a guy write me letters. Ever! But he does and regularly too! It's sooo cute and romantic." A dreamy look appeared in her eyes. "I wonder what he looks like. Angie wouldn't say."

Francis tried to keep a straight face as his partner stared at the woman in disbelief. Leo took a deep breath. "Okay, so she probably didn't go to visit him?"

She blinked and shook herself. "Well, no. It's kind of far to go on a whim. You know?"

"Yeah, I know. Come on Francis. Let's go." McCarthy nudged his grinning partner.

When they got out of sight and earshot, Leo swatted at his partner. "What are you grinning like a lunatic about?"

"Ms. Scott and her description of Angie's boy friend." His smile got wider. "And your reaction to it."

"Ha ha. Well, sober up, Francis. Something is going on here and Angie Ramirez is at the heart of it. We've got to find her. If she's still alive."

That sobered Francis up quickly. "Yeah." He looked downcast at the thought of her being dead, thinking about his wife and daughters. This young woman was alone in the world, but she seemed to have been doing good for herself. She was working hard, unless you listened to Westmoreland, smart and had a maybe boyfriend in Australia. She was also a suspect in their bombing case and missing. He hoped she wasn't dead. He hoped she wasn't guilty. "Maybe Westmoreland?"

"Maybe. Or Breen. Or someone with a grudge against Breen. Or..." Leo looked thoughtful. "Okay, this is what we do. We check Ramirez's place. We check the books for the film, Westmoreland FX and Nick Breen. Colleen can help with that. I'll call and get her to start with that computer of hers. You check with the personnel office and get an address on Angie Ramirez."

"Gotcha, Leo." Frank started to head off, then paused, glancing back at the older man. "You don't really think she's dead... Do you, Leo?"

Leo's face softened fractionally. "I don't know, Frank. I... If she isn't dead, we better find her PDQ. I got a feeling."

Rollie woke with a start. The shadows of his dreams faded away as he recognized the soft touch of the coming dawn. Baby nuzzled up to him, patting him with her paws. He stroked her and stood up, stretching. He dressed quickly in moleskin trousers and shirt, gathered his charge in his arms and slipped silently out into the new day. Baby made a soft grunt and he set her down, watching as she scampered over for the nearest tree. He watched her climb with mild amusement and strolled over to stand under the tree. He leaned against the trunk and turned toward the east, wanting to see the sunrise. He remembered sunrises at home, shared with his Mum and waited with a feeling of melancholy. He listened to the Dawn Chorus shatter the silence of the hastily fleeing night.

The sun and the day were well on their way, when he heard the soft footsteps behind him. He sighed, uncertain about his new acquaintances. Glancing over his shoulder, he spoke. "G' morning, Doctor Waugh."

"Good morning, Mister Tyler."

"Rollie. Please."

The doctor smiled, showing a dimple in one cheek. "Rollie. Is that Baby I see?" He pointed up in the tree with his chin, his eyes alight with curiosity.

"Yeah. That's Baby."

"She's a pretty one. Healthy too." The two men watched her clambering around, gathering an occasional leaf and nibbling on it.

"She is pretty." Rollie smiled up at his young charge and thought of the woman who'd found her and brought her to him. He looked over at the older man, unsure, especially after his unannounced visitor last night. Oh well, nothing ventured. "Doctor Waugh?" He turned to face Barry Waugh.

"Yes, Rollie?" He looked at the younger man with an open, friendly face, bright hazel eyes burning with curiosity.

Rollie had a feeling that curiosity was a driving force with this man. That was fine by him. "Um, I was wondering if it would be possible to borrow your telephone?"

"But of course! If you need to call home, just help yourself."

"Th--that's not exactly it." He felt a blush rising up his face and wondered why, then blushed more deeply. "I... I have a friend in the U.S. and I'd like to call her, if you don't mind. S--sh--she's the one who first found Baby actually."

"Really?" Barry fought to hide his amusement from his guest. Ah, to be young again. He grinned. "Of course, you can call her. Perhaps later, we could arrange a conference call. I would love to hear more about Baby and I'm sure she could give some excellent insights." He thought that young Rollie's 'friend' would be nothing like his assistant. Sandy Carmichael was a... Oh well, don't go there. It's too nice of a morning to spoil that way.

Rollie relaxed fractionally. "Yeah, I--I'm sure we could do that." He glanced back up in the tree and whistled softly. Barry watched in fascination as Baby immediately scampered down. How did he do that? He'd never seen a koala come like that before. She was bit awkward since she was holding something in one hind paw. "And what have you got there, young lady?" The Aussie clucked at her and she moved to him quickly. With a chittering sound, she offered her 'mum' her prize. "Thank you." Rollie said politely as he accepted the gift. He opened the soft leather pouch and poured it's contents out in the palm of his hand.

"Rocks?" Doctor Waugh asked, staring at the small stones in bewilderment.

Rollie looked around sharply, carefully returning the stones to the pouch. "Sapphires." He drew it closed and tied the string off.

The doctor's eyes bugged out. "Sapphires? Are you sure?"

"I'm sure. I..." He hesitated. Was this what his 'visitor' had been looking for last night? Where had they come from? And how had Baby found them? His eyes captured his host's and he looked deep into them, seeking. He had to trust some one. Could he trust this man? "Is there somewhere we can talk and not be overheard?" He had a feeling of eyes boring in his back.  

Rollie sat in Doctor Waugh's office, absently running his fingers through Baby's fur. The motion and feel was soothing and he needed that at the moment. There was too much wrong, too much that felt off. It was like an itch he couldn't reach to scratch. So he concentrated on Baby and let her ease his soul.

Barry Waugh looked up from the rocks poured on to the blotter on his desk. "You're sure they're sapphires?"

The younger man smiled. "Yeah. I'm sure. My Dad, he brought some home a time or two when I was little. Hard to believe they'd clean up and polish into something as beautiful as a sapphire, isn't it? If I remember right, those should be Royal Queensland Blues."

The doctor looked down at what looked like pebbles to him and back at his guest. He was right, it was hard to believe. And it was amazing how much this young man apparently had stored under that long, shaggy mop of brown hair. He wondered how much Rollie Tyler actually remembered and how little, little had been. He wanted to shake his head at the thought of all this... intelligence just sitting out in the middle of the Outback. Adopting orphans... That's what he'd been told, that the man adopted orphaned animals and raised them to go back into the wild where they belonged. If he hadn't been there, the little koala sitting in his lap would be dead. Another as well and how many other young animals? Perhaps he'd been there for that reason. Or perhaps, just perhaps, Rollie Tyler was the type to find purpose in helping others wherever he was, whether it was the middle of 'nowhere' as so many claimed the bush was or the heart of a city.

"Doctor Waugh. I... I didn't say anything earlier, but... Someone searched my room last night."

He looked at Rollie with wide eyes. "Searched?!?"

Rollie nodded. "Yeah. I didn't want to say anything, 'cause I didn't know what was going on and I... I'm the stranger here. I..."

"You think they were looking for the sapphires?"

"Makes sense." Rollie shrugged. "Not like I have anything worthwhile, 'cept maybe Baby here." He ruffled the koala's ear fur gently. "And she's not mine. She's just with me for a little bit until she grows up."

"She's more precious than any jewel."

"Yes." Rollie whispered in answer. Baby sat up and hugged his neck and he hugged her back.

The level of communication between man and koala was astonishing, but there were more immediate matters that needed tending at the moment. "I guess we should call the police. I just wish we had an idea of who it was."

Rollie Tyler froze for a second. "I have an idea who." He licked his lips. "When I came here with Doctor Carmichael, a man drove us here. He never said anything and she didn't introduce us. Later, I saw them arguing in the grove of eucalyptus. Last night at dinner, he wasn't there and when I returned to my room... early, I... The man I saw leaving by the window was the right size."

Barry Waugh frowned. "You think this man is the one who searched your room." He looked at the door to the verandah. "You think Sandra Carmichael is involved."

"Yes," Rollie dropped his head. Why had he bothered? Why should Doctor Waugh listen to him? He was a stranger and a nobody. He should have stayed quiet and let the police sort it out.

Barry Waugh sighed deeply and pushed his chair back. The door opened and Carmichael sashayed in with her silent partner. He shook his head as he stared at the pistol in her hand. It was pointed steadily, not at the men, but the young koala in Rollie's lap. "I guess you're right, Rollie." He looked at the young Australian who sat up stiffly, his arms curving in instinctive protection of Baby. "I'm sorry."

"Not your fault." Rollie answered softly. He looked at the doctor with sad eyes. "You didn't know."

Leo McCarthy looked around the tiny apartment of Angie Ramirez. It was furnished with Salvation Army furniture and everything said the person who lived here didn't have money. But she had pride. It was neat and clean, well kept. It felt... homey. He glanced at his partner and hid a smile. The cat they'd found inside was weaving around the shorter man's legs, crying piteously. It almost sounded like it was howling. It was obviously hungry and just as obviously had pegged Francis Gatti as a soft touch. Good instincts, he thought and turned to check the book shelves.

"Uh, I'll check the kitchenette, Leo."

The detective stifled a chuckle. "You do that, Frank. You do that." He picked up the framed photograph of a man and a young woman from one shelf. Was this Angie Ramirez? He turned it over and found someone had written 'Manny and Angie, 1989' on the back. He examined it closely. So this was Angie Ramirez. Her face showed strength and was really very pretty. By society's standards it was too strong to actually be considered beautiful, but... He tilted his head to one side. He decided that she was beautiful and a survivor which only enhanced that beauty, returning the picture to its place. He wondered what Colleen would say about her. Perhaps he would ask, it never hurt to have a woman's opinion. He looked at the books on the shelves, then moved on. I wonder if there's a picture of her 'boy friend', remembering Lucinda Scott's curiosity. He found it on the bed stand - a small photograph of Angie Ramirez with a baby koala in her arms and a tall, slender, young man standing beside her, one arm wrapped around her shoulder, the other in a sling. Both were wearing huge smiles, happy to be together. He frowned thoughtfully, taking in the long hair and the smile. He's shy, Leo thought to himself. This isn't the grin of someone who's made a conquest, it's the smile of someone who's found a friend and maybe the light of his life. Should hang on to her, pal. That's a rare thing indeed in this old world.

Francis came out of the tiny kitchen area. "Nothing there."

"Oh?" Leo responded absently. "Well, I'm not finding much either. A couple of pictures of Ms. Ramirez." He passed the one in his hand over to his partner, curious.

"She's pretty," Frank said automatically. "Guess that must be her Australian 'not boy friend'." He examined the man with a critical eye. The man appeared to be the same age as him with Angie Ramirez being several years younger. He couldn't decide if it was six or eight or longer or shorter. Still, he tilted his head to one side, considering the man with a father's eyes, not a predatory type and smiled in approval.

Amazing how we can judge someone we've never met, just on the way he looks. Leo smothered another laugh. It was so easy to follow Francis' thoughts as they flowed across his face. Of course, I was doing the same thing. "Guess so. Why don't you take that chest of drawers and closet." Let Frank deal with her unmentionables, he should be used to it. "I'll check the bathroom. We need clues, Francis. Something to tell us if she was on set last night setting that bomb or where she is now."

Francis Gatti returned the picture to the night stand. "Yeah." He moved on in their search, hoping to find something that would explain what had happened and where she was. The cat strolled over from his food bowl and joined the detective as he stuck his head in the small closet. He looked down at the small animal as it batted at something soft in the back corner and blushed slightly. One thing to see Sarah's underwear, another to see a stranger's. He wondered if he'd ever get used to the intrusive nature of his work and sighed. He reached up and pulled down a shoe box from the shelf. A glance showed it was full of pictures and small mementos, not shoes. He moved to sit on the bed and sort through the box. The cat followed and stuck its head under the bed, sniffing. A small cloth came sailing out from under the bed, the cat following in a stalk. Francis glanced at it and looked down, only to look back swiftly. He rescued the pad from its attacker and sniffed cautiously. "Uh, Leo? I think we found something."  

Rollie shifted back in his chair, uneasy about the gun pointed at his young charge. He watched the woman and man with sharp eyes hidden behind a veil of soft brown waves.

She sauntered over to Doctor Waugh and his desk. "Put the stones back in the bag, Doctor Barry!"

Barry Waugh shrugged slightly and complied. All things considered, he didn't care about the sapphires. He was more concerned about that gun pointed with unwavering sureness toward his guests, human and koala. He held out the little bag of sapphires.

Sandy Carmichael laughed lightly and accepted the stones. She stepped over to stand in front of Rollie and Baby. "Give it to me." When Rollie just pulled back slightly, pulling Baby closer to his body, she snapped. "NOW!"

Rollie shook his head and answered softly, stubbornly. "No."

Doctor Waugh shifted uneasily and started to speak, just as Carmichael reached forward to pull the koala from the man's arms.

"Run Baby!" Rollie shouted, tossing her toward the curtains. "Climb! Get away!"

Baby obediently scrambled up the curtains. She glanced toward her 'mother', wondering why she was suppose to do this thing. Her mum usually fussed at her for climbing the flimsy things. Why was he encouraging her now? Besides, the tone in her mum's voice was scary. He never shouted.

Sandy Carmichael, furious, hit Rollie in the face. Unfortunately for Rollie, it was with the hand holding the gun. Baby started yipping softly seeing her mum fall to the floor. The woman growled and kicked him in the side. Baby's yips began to grow louder. Carmichael and her accomplice exchanged glances, disturbed by the increasing noise. It was bound to attract attention. She glanced out the windows and stalked to the curtains. The young koala started to scream distressingly like a human baby, shaking. Why didn't her mum get up? Why didn't he come?

Baby's cries attracted attention all right, but not quite what Sandy Carmichael and her friend expected. Reacting to the sounds of a distressed baby, other koalas clambered down out of the nearest trees. Mothers all, they came seeking the source. They grunted angrily as they scrambled on powerful legs toward the verandah.

The man watched them come with wide, surprised eyes. "Um, Sandy? What are they doing?" He pointed outside at the disturbed koalas approaching them.

She glanced out, past the curtains. "Damn! It's this stupid joey. They're coming to find out what's wrong. We don't have time for this!" Eyes flashing, she glared at her employer and the man who started this trouble. "It's all your fault!" She shouted at Tyler as he rose to his knees. She kicked him again, as hard as she could. Rollie went down again with a strangled gasp as the steel tipped boot caught him in the stomach. "I'm warning you, Doctor. Don't try anything! Don't call the police. You do and we'll be back. We'll burn this compound down around your ears!" With a last furious look at Rollie Tyler, she growled. "And I'll kill you and that--that nuisance with pleasure! Come on!" The pair fled the room, heading toward where the motor vehicles were parked. They'd take a sport utility and leave, disappear into the depths of the country. Sandy Carmichael muttered imprecations and curses under her breath. It had all been so perfect! No one had suspected a thing - not until that bushy boy and his pet had shown up. They'd spoiled everything!

Leo joined his partner. "What ya find, Francis?" He looked at the small pad of cloth in the other man's hand. He accepted it cautiously, only touching one corner and sniffed the fading scent on it. "Chloroform. Looks like Ms. Ramirez might just be in trouble." He glanced around the small apartment. "Call it in. Get forensics down here."

"Someone kidnapped her, right Leo?"

"That or Ms. Ramirez has... kinky habits. Call it in, Frank. We've lost enough time."

The shorter detective pulled out his cell phone. "Do you--Do you think she's still alive?"

Looking over at the picture on the night stand of Angela 'Angie' Ramirez and her maybe or maybe not boyfriend. "I hope so, I sure hope so."

Rollie lay on the couch, slightly curled around Baby and his aching stomach. Damn. Bloody hell! That hurt. So did his side and head. Baby murmured softly at her mum, making him smile gently. "You did good, luv." He stroked her back, listening to the doctor on the phone. It'd taken a little while to convince Doctor Waugh that they had to notify the authorities about Carmichael and No-Name. What had finally worked was a quiet comment about how he would feel if they hurt someone else... or worse. That had started the other man into acting. One of the female koalas sat perched on the back of the couch, surveying the room with a majestic air. She was a matriarch and didn't currently have a baby in her pouch or on her back. She seemed to have taken it upon herself to protect this baby and her injured 'mother'. An irritated grunt came from her and Rollie obediently quieted and closed his eyes. He didn't want to argue with the wilder and older koala. The others had returned to the trees and their own charges, apparently content to let this one handle things. She reminded Rollie a bit of one of the elder lubras. Not one he wanted to argue with at all.

Rollie woke from his doze when the police arrived. He answered their questions as best he could and sketched a picture of the rather non-descript No-Name. He accepted the poking and prodding of the medic they brought with them. Sighing deeply when the man insisted he return to the city with them for a 'real' doctor to check him out and perhaps stick him in the hospital. The rotund, mousy haired man hadn't found any signs of a concussion or broken bones, but he was worried something might be ruptured inside where he'd been kicked. He supposed he'd have to go, but what about Baby? Hospitals didn't like koalas inside. He'd already learned that lesson once. He didn't want to go through the argument again. Oh well, don't borrow trouble as his mum used to say. He didn't think he was hurt badly enough to require hospitalization.

The constables turned their questions to Doctor Waugh. He provided a picture of Sandra Carmichael, a description of the vehicle they'd taken, including the license number and in general, corroborated Rollie's part of the tale. The one in charge watched, amused and a bit amazed, as Rollie wandered outside to join them and got into a conversation with the trackers they'd brought. The two local aborigines seemed to accept the young man with open arms. They seriously examined the tracks together and he listened with one ear as they chattered away with each other, seeming to reach a consensus.

Rollie watched the authorities set out, carefully following the trail of the SUV had left. He was fairly certain that the trackers wouldn't get tired of this hunt and would see it through to the end - whatever that end was. They hadn't been happy about the assault on him or the threats to the young joey. He needed that assurance. He didn't want to think of Doctor Sandy Carmichael or her friend coming back and hurting Baby. The senior constable had identified him as someone Sydney police were very anxious to question in regards to a stabbing. Having done what he could, he accepted being bundled into the remaining police vehicle with Baby in his arms. Time to visit a doctor - again. He thought he could get very tired of the repetition of these doctor visits. Rollie decided he needed to do something about it. What he could do, he wasn't quite sure of yet. Perhaps Mangela would have some ideas.

The young Aussie and his charge returned, Rollie in something of a haze due to the painkiller the doctor had made him take. He'd been cleared, a bit reluctantly but cleared none the less. The x-rays, EMGs and other tests hadn't found any signs of internal bleeding or such. Thank goodness! He really had had enough of hospitals for a while. He was badly bruised though and it was going to hurt more, a lot more, before it got better. Oh well, wasn't the first time. He smiled a bit wanly at Doctor Waugh, who met him at the door.

"Are you all right, Rollie?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Just give me a little time." He blinked owlishly, feeling the painkiller.

"Perhaps you should lie down for a while." The doctor wrapped a gentle hand around his arm and guided him to his room. "But first, I thought you might like to call your friend." He nodded to the telephone they'd placed in his room.

"I..." Rollie stared at the phone, astonished. "I... Yeah. I would."

"Well, I'll leave you to a bit of privacy. 2254 will reach me in my office if you need anything. Dial 9 to get the outside line." He walked toward the door. "Oh, and Rollie. Don't fret about the cost." He left with Rollie's soft, heart felt "Thank you" in his ears, thinking that was the least they could do for their abused guest.

Rollie stared at the telephone for a moment. Perhaps he should wait. It was late on the Eastern coast of the United States. Angie probably needed her rest. It would be the middle of the night there. He could wait. It... it wasn't that important that he talk to her. It didn't have to be right this moment. He settled Baby on the pillow and reached down, carefully, because it still hurt in spite of the pain killer, to remove his shoes. He'd lie down for a bit. He could call Angie later in the evening, perhaps after dinner. Yeah, that's what he would do...  

In spite of the painkiller, Rollie couldn't seem to fall asleep. He glanced over at the phone with longing in his eyes. He really shouldn't call her and yet... Memories of his dreams rose to haunt him. Baby murmured in his ear and nuzzled his neck. He reached up and stroked her gently. And yet... He turned over on to his back, trying to ignore the temptation. He'd waited this long, surely he could wait a few more hours! No, he couldn't. He sat up with groan. Damn, he was already getting stiff. He petted Baby once more, then reached for the phone. Carefully, Rollie dialed the international phone number he'd memorized when Angie had gone home. He made sure he dialed that 9 to get out first. He held his breath, waiting for Angie to answer. She would forgive him. Surely she would! Three rings. Four rings.

A soft click and he was finally hearing her voice again. "You have reached the residence of Angie Ramirez. I'm away at the moment. If you would leave a name and number with a brief message at the sound of the beep, I'll get back to you. Thank you." Beep.

Beep? A bloody answering machine! Bloody damn hell! Oh well, he took a deep breath. "Angie, this is Rollie. Sorry to be calling so late. Um," he hesitated, the doctor wouldn't mind him giving out this number to Angie. "Um, if you'd call me at..."

There was another click and a man's voice came on. "Hello?"

"Uh," Rollie wondered if he'd made a big mistake calling now. Sounded like Angie might be... entertaining.

"Sir? Are you still there?"

"Uh, yeah. I'm here." Rollie swallowed nervously. Bloody hell.

"My name is Leo McCarthy. I'm a detective with the New York Police Department."

A detective?!? Bloody hell! What was a detective doing answering Angie's telephone? Please let him be her new boy friend. Please, please, please.

"Sir? Your name's Rollie, right? Rollie what?"

"Tyler. Rollie Tyler."

"Mister Tyler, when was the last time you heard from Ms. Ramirez?"

Oh BLOODY HELL!!! He wasn't Angie's boyfriend. He was... No. Please let her be all right. Please let her be all right. "Um, I got a letter, uh, a couple of weeks ago." He took a deep breath. "What's going on, Detective McCarthy?" When there wasn't an immediate response, he felt a cold chill in his stomach. "Please, where's Angie? What's going on?"

"That's what we're trying to find out, Mister Tyler. No one has seen Ms. Ramirez since yesterday and we... have a few questions we'd like to ask her."

Questions? Why did the police want to question Angie? And where was she? Why...

"Mister Tyler, if you hear from her, would you contact me immediately and ask her to call as well?"

Hear from her? What? Anything he got would be old news. Angie certainly wouldn't be calling him, he didn't have a bloody phone she could call him at! Except... The phone at the pub. He could call Mister Brown. Leave the number with him and... Oh! The detective! "Uh, yeah. Yeah, I can do that." He listened carefully to the phone numbers the American gave him, writing them down and repeating the numbers to make sure he got it right. He might have to call them himself as much as he hated that thought. This McCarthy might be the only way for him to find out what had happened to Angie. "Yes sir, I--I'll do that."

He listened to the buzz of the disconnected telephone for a minute, before carefully hanging it up. What had happened to Angie? Where was she? Why were the police looking for her? If it hadn't been for this McCarthy bloke, he might of thought she was working nights or... or on location or something. But... He shivered and pulled Baby close, hugging her. Where was Angie? What was going on? He sat there, the questions whirling around his head, staring at nothing. Later, and he never knew how much later it was, if it was a few moments or a hour, Baby yipped softly and tugged at her mother. She was hungry. The Aussie shook himself slightly. Baby was hungry. He had to feed her. Whatever... Whatever had happened to Angie, Baby still needed him. He stood somewhat shakily. He had to fix her bottle. Maybe get her some nice juicy, tender leaves to nibble. He looked down at the young koala in his arms and almost cried. He wanted to find Angie. He wanted to go to New York City and find Angie Ramirez! His heart fairly screamed at him to go. And he couldn't. He couldn't abandon his responsibility to Baby. How long? How long would it take to get her to accept someone else? Doctor Waugh, perhaps. Or maybe a female koala would adopt her? How long would it take though? And what was happening to Angie while he played nurse maid to an... an animal? He scrambled blindly through his drawers, pulling out her bottle. Why? Why couldn't he go?

Rollie stumbled out into the hall, turning toward the kitchen. Formula. Baby needed her milk. He tried to focus on the task at hand. Going to pieces wouldn't help Baby or Angie! Baby... Baby might be all that he had left of the beautiful woman who'd wandered into his life for too brief a time. She... He stopped walking. Something was in his way. He blinked.

Doctor Barry Waugh looked up into his guest's face, surprised by the paleness and shakiness he was exhibiting. He hadn't been this bad before. He'd been a bit dazed, but... "Rollie? Are you all right?" Had the doctors missed something? Was young Tyler hurt worse than any of them had realized? He looked like he was in shock. They must have missed something.

Rollie blinked and focused abruptly. "Doctor Waugh? Oh. Sorry. Baby's hungry. I need to fix her bottle."

The doctor reached out, gently touching Rollie's arm. "Are you all right?" When Rollie nodded his head. He tugged him toward the kitchen. "Are you sure? You... You're looking a bit pale."

"I'm all right. I..." He looked around the large kitchen, a bit bewildered.

"Here's the formula for the young koalas." Doctor Waugh handed it to the younger man. He watched with sharp eyes, as Rollie measured it out and set about fixing the bottle, his hands shaking. "Rollie. Are you sure you're all right?"

"I'm... I'm fine." Rollie concentrated on his task, refusing to look up. "I'm fine."

"Did you call your friend?" Barry asked, watching his guest with sharp eyes.

"C--ca--call?"

"Your friend? In New York? The one who found Baby?" He prompted gently.

"I..." Rollie closed his eyes and swallowed. When he opened them and looked at his host, they were haunted. "I called. Sh--sh--she wasn't there. Sh--sh-she..." He sat abruptly and looked up at the older man, his eyes pleading. "A detective answered the phone. They're looking for Angie. Sh--she... Why would the police be looking for Angie?" He begged, desperately seeking reassurance.

Police? "I don't know, Rollie. Did the detective say anything else?"

Rollie took a deep breath and cuddled Baby close. "He said... He said they had some questions for her and... And that no one has seen her since yesterday." He stared at his young charge, his warring emotions clear upon his face.

"Oh. Well, perhaps it's nothing. Maybe..." He searched for something, a possibility. "Maybe she saw something and they have some more questions. A mugging or... something. And a day. That's not long, not really. She might not know the police want to talk to her and might be visiting a friend or something."

"Ma--maybe." Rollie hugged Baby and stood. He returned to fixing her meal with carefully controlled motions. Maybe he was making it out to be worse than it was. It wasn't like Angie was expecting him to call or anything. She was a grown woman, capable. And she was working too, he bet. He, of all people, should know the irregularities of a movie crew member's life. He'd left the message or... Would it be there? That detective had picked up the phone and interrupted the recording. He'd call again in a bit. Leave a new one. And he would call Mister Brown and leave the number here, just in case Angie called there. With a silent prayer, he presented Baby her bottle and cuddled her close as she started to suck it. Angie would be fine. Of course. He stroked Baby's back, gently. She was fine. It turned into a mantra in his head. Angie was fine. Angie was fine. He tried a smile on the doctor. "I... You're probably right. I'm probably fretting over nothing. After Baby finishes her bottle, I'm going to lie back down. I think I really need that nap. The pain meds are muddling me."

Doctor Waugh reached over and gently ruffled Baby's fur. "I expect you're right. It's going to be fine, Rollie. You'll see." He left them to the young koala's meal. He only hoped it would be fine.

Leo stared thoughtfully at the phone. Well, that must have been Ramirez's maybe/maybe-not boyfriend. He'd certainly sounded Australian. Rollie Tyler. He rolled the name around. So, he hadn't heard from Angie Ramirez recently. He'd been surprised to get the detective too. Leo glanced around the empty apartment. A couple of hours ago, he'd dropped Francis off at his place, along with the cat. They'd found its carrier and after it had been cleared by the forensics team, had spent at least a hour trying to corral the cat or coax it into the pet carrier. Finally, when they hadn't been looking, it had just strolled in there and curled up for a nap. The moment he saw that, he'd pounce on the door, shutting it and locking the cat in. That had taken way too long. He was glad he didn't have to explain why he was late. He chuckled softly, wondering what Francis Gatti had said to his missus. After grabbing a quick bite, Leo had returned to see if the search had turned up anything useful. They were done, but, unfortunately, hadn't found anything immediately useful. They'd picked up a few prints though. Maybe there was something there. He'd just have to wait. And at least he'd gotten to talk to Rollie Tyler. Maybe he would hear something and call back. He took a last look around, then walked out and locked the door. Or maybe not.  

Doctor Barry Waugh hung up the phone with a feeling of satisfaction. Now, he just had to talk to Rollie Tyler. There was a bounce in his step as headed for his guest's room. He knocked softly on the door.

Rollie jerked awake from his uneasy doze. What? He sat up and pulled Baby close. "Come in."

"Rollie!" The doctor paused a moment. "Did I wake you?"

"No, no. I wasn't really asleep. What can I do for you, Doctor Waugh?"

The doctor smiled. "I have a favor to ask of you, Rollie. You and Baby." He reached out and gently scratched behind the young koala's ears. Normally, if they were intent on returning a koala to the wild, they kept contact with them to a minimum, only doing what was necessary. Baby, strangely enough, seemed to tolerate others only as long as Rollie Tyler was there and said it was all right. He had a feeling that if the Aussie was out of the room, the koala joey, now calmly accepting his attention so quietly, would be fussing at him from the top of some high place. Amazing!

Rollie blinked and looked at the doctor. "What favor?" He asked softly.

"Oh," Barry shook himself from his distracted thoughts. "I thought you might agree to take Baby for a trip. A friend of mine with the Wildlife Conservation Society has been begging for us to send a koala to them for a visit. I thought that you and Baby would be perfect for the task."

"Oh," Rollie hugged Baby close, stroking the young koala's soft fur. He'd been hoping to find someone else to take care of her, either Doctor Waugh or perhaps a real koala. He glanced out the window, torn by his need to find Angie and help her and his need to keep his young charge safe. Once more, he tried to convince himself Angie was fine and didn't need help.

"Admittedly, it's a long trip, but I think Baby will handle it just fine with you there." Barry felt a grin tug at the corners of his mouth. "I know that spring's a bit cool in New York City at the moment, but it should warm up nicely in a couple of weeks."

New York City? Rollie blinked again and shook his head. He had to be hearing things. New York City? He looked at Doctor Waugh with hopeful eyes. "New York?"

"Yes, the W.C.S. runs several zoos and centers there. Scott, my friend, Scott Miller, has been requesting a koala to show to the children at the Prospect Park Wildlife Center. The center is geared for children and one of their most frequently received requests is to see a real, live koala." His friend had been grumpy when he'd been woken from a sound sleep, but when Barry'd asked about the possibility of Baby coming for a visit, he'd jumped at the chance. All had been forgiven and arrangements begun, dependent upon Rollie Tyler's agreement.

"Baby and I would be delighted to visit your friend and the children, Doctor Waugh." Rollie gave the doctor a sunny smile.

Barry Waugh beamed, happy to be able to help. He rubbed his hands together. "Now, we have to get busy. We'll need to get you a passport and papers for Baby..."

"I've got a passport at home." Rollie interrupted, rubbing one hand over his face. "I'll need a few other things too. I'll call Mister Brown. He can send Bonzer to collect them and send them on here." He looked around the room. It wouldn't take long to pack his little bag. "What about feeding Baby?"

"I'll get you some formula and we'll pack a few leaves. Good thing, she's still on the bottle mostly. We'll send fresh leaves every other day while you're there, plus they do have a few eucalyptus growing in the States." He nodded thoughtfully. "I can make arrangements on Qantas for your trip. How long do you think to get your things from home?"

"No more than a day." He laughed at the doctor's surprised look. "You might be surprised at how quick the bush telegraph can work when it needs to. They'll probably give my stuff to Doctor Jock. He'll fly it to Alice and put it on a flight from Alice to here. No, a day's plenty."

"Well, why don't you make that call and get things moving? I'll get ready for Baby's exam."

"Will do, Doc!" Rollie was practically humming as he dialed the number for Mister Brown's pub. It felt so good to be doing something, instead of worrying. He was going to the US of A! He was going to see Angie! He didn't know what was going on or where she was, but he was sure of that. After all, he was going to New York City! Obviously, anything could happen. It didn't take long to reach Joe Brown and Rollie was promised that he and Bonzer would see to everything. He'd carefully described the bag he wanted and where it was located to the other man. It contained everything he would need for his trip, not just his passport, but other things as well. He hung up, assured that his bag would arrive safely and in a timely fashion at the Melbourne airport.

The young Aussie clucked at Baby, cuddling her close. "We're going to see Angie, luv. Do you remember Angie?" He tickled her gently under her chin. He noticed her attention focusing on the door and stood to open it. There he found one of the others, he'd been introduced to the night before. Was it only last night? So much had happened! Roberta 'Just call me Bobby' Savitch was a middle aged woman and much nicer than Doctor Sandy Carmichael. Bobby was open and friendly. She was also a volunteer at the center, offering a willing pair of hands to help out with the koalas that needed it.

"Hello Rollie. I'm here to show you the way to the clinic." She smiled warmly up at the brown haired man and looked at the small koala in his arms. "Hello! You must be Baby. I've been wanting to meet you."

"Yes, this is Baby." He coaxed the young koala to his shoulder. He felt three of her paws clutching at the shearling vest and her fourth paw grabbed a tight hold of a lock of his hair. The one habit he hadn't managed to dissuade her from and it had to be grabbing his hair. Oh well, at least she didn't pull it - much.

"She's lovely. This way, Rollie, Baby."

They followed her down the hallway, turned left and walked toward the end of that hall. This place was a good size. He peeked into one of the rooms on the way and saw a teen aged boy sorting through some eucalyptus branches. Another room showed a young woman with a baby koala tucked into a shearling pocket. This baby was much younger than Baby and seemed disinterested in the bottle the woman was trying to get her to take. Rollie stopped and stepped silently into the room. "What's wrong with her?" He asked softly.

The woman jumped slightly and glanced up at the man. "She lost her mother on the highway. Poor thing, so young. She has a broken leg too. We can't seem to get her to eat and if she doesn't eat..." She looked up at the man with the koala clutching his shoulder and hair.

"Let me give it a try," Rollie accepted the bottle and sat in the chair. Baby murmured softly in his ear as he tried to coax the little one to accept her milk. He gently slipped one finger inside the pouch and ran it through her fur, acting like he was grooming her. He sighed as the baby didn't even look at him. Poor wee thing. Frowning thoughtfully, he reached up and scratched Baby's back. He poured a little milk on his finger and stuck it near the injured joey's mouth, trying to get her to suck on it. When she didn't pay any attention, he literally stuck it against her mouth. At first, he thought it wasn't working, then he felt the softest of licks. All right, that gave her a taste, now for a bit more. He gently placed the nipple of the bottle up to her mouth and squeezed a bit out so it dripped milk. Everyone held their breath as the baby just lay there, then slowly, cautiously licked the nipple. Suddenly feeling her hunger, she latched on to the nipple and started sucking. "That's a good girl." Rollie smiled in relief. "I think you can take her from here." He told the woman.

"Thank you." She sat down, accepting the bottle and gently reached in to stroke the little joey with a finger, mimicking Rollie's movements.

"Thank you, lad. We were worried about that one." Bobby beamed up at the taller man.

Rollie blushed slightly. "No problem."

"I'm surprised she didn't bite you, actually."

Rollie grinned. "She smelled the milk. Much more interesting than biting me. Besides, I expect I smell a bit like a koala with Baby here."

Bobby led him to the end of the hall and they stepped into the antiseptic smell of a medical clinic. Rollie glanced around curiously.

"Right. Let me examine Baby so she'll have a clean bill of health." Doctor Waugh gestured for Rollie to place Baby on the padded table. He did, careful to hold her gently and scratch behind her ears, muttering soft reassurances to his charge. Baby sat patiently through the exam, only occasionally clutching at Rollie.

"That orphan from the highway is eating now, Doctor Waugh." Bobby informed him.

"Oh good. I was worried about her." He responded absently. "I guess she finally got hungry enough to eat, huh?"

"Actually, Rollie got her to eat." She told the doctor with a twinkle in her eye.

"Rollie? You got our 'problem' case to eat? Good for you, old son!" He praised the blushing man.

"It was nothing, really," Rollie responded softly.

"Nothing? No, it wasn't 'nothing', Rollie. We would have lost that one if she didn't start eating soon. Thank you."

Rollie blushed and ducked his head, nodding slightly. He watched the doctor and the volunteer closely. He wondered how long it would take Barry Waugh to realize the woman working so efficiently with him was in love with him. He hid a grin, thinking about it.

"There. All done, Baby. That wasn't so bad, now was it?" Doctor Waugh laughed as Baby grunted at him in disgust.

Rollie gently gathered Baby back up. "So, how's my little girl?" He rubbed his nose against Baby's cheek.

"She's fine, Rollie. Very healthy. I didn't even find any leeches."

"Leeches?" Rollie looked indignant. "Not on any of my charges!"

Barry laughed. "No, I can see that, but we usually find a couple on every koala, even the healthy ones. You've kept Baby very well groomed."

Rollie smiled. "I've done my best." Baby climbed up to his shoulder and muttered softly as she grabbed a handful of hair. She leaned against his neck, burying her nose against his hair and murmured at him.

"She should have a passport," Bobby said, nodding at the notion.

"A passport?" Doctor Waugh looked surprised. "Bobby, she's a koala. Koala's don't have passports!"

"Well, why not? She's going traveling, isn't she?" Bobby waved a finger under Barry's nose. "Lot farther than I've ever been and I've got a passport. She should have one too."

Barry Waugh shook his head and sputtered. "But..."

"With a picture! Come on, Rollie. We've got to take Baby's picture." Bobby led the bemused man out of the clinic and down the hall. He was even more bemused as she made a phone call and he listened to one side of the conversation. "Bobby? This is Bobby. -- Yes, I need an emergency passport issued. -- Not for me, silly! It's for Baby. Baby Tyler! She's going to the States tomorrow. -- No, I have her picture, quite charming. -- No, of course she doesn't have a birth certificate, but she is obviously Australian. -- Oh, you'll see. We'll be 'round in just a bit. -- See you then, Bobby!"

"Baby Tyler?" Rollie looked at his charge, then at her picture and blinked.

"Well, they need a last name for the passport and you've adopted her. So, Baby Tyler."

"She should probably have a real name, you know. I mean, she won't always be a baby." Rollie offered tentatively.

"Oh, I don't know, it seems to suit her." Bobby laughed softly. "Besides the rest of the world already seems to think we're all crazy anyway, so why not use Baby for a name?"

"Yeah, maybe." He tickled Baby and chuckled as she tried to tickle him back. "Angie and me, we were going to name her, but then those poachers showed up and, well, it sort of got sidetracked in the excitement."

"I expect. So, we have her picture and Bobby should just about have the paperwork ready. So, let's go!"

Rollie smiled at her enthusiasm and followed obediently. "Maybe they're right and we are crazy," he whispered in Baby's ear. He rather liked the notion of Baby having her own passport.  

Rollie blinked and looked at the man sitting at the desk in front of him. Bobby proved to be the doctor's Bobby's cousin and he thought he might get a headache keeping the Bobbys straight. They were chattering rapidly and he wondered if it was like a family secret language or something. Fortunately, Bobby was as taken with Baby and Bobby's notion of having a passport for her as Bobby was. Equally, fortunate, Bobby was placed rather high on the government food chain. So he soon had Baby Tyler's passport in his hands. He showed Baby her picture and she chittered at him. "You're absolutely right. It doesn't do you justice, but then that's the way of passports." He told her solemnly. The two Bobbys laughed and Bobby said good bye to his cousin and her new friends. The Aussie and koala followed Bobby obediently back to the car.

"When do you think your bag will get here, Rollie?" Bobby asked as she started the car.

"Don't know. I expect Mister Brown will call with the information." He looked at her pensive face. "Don't worry, Bobby. It'll get here in time."

"And then you and Baby will be on your way." Bobby tried to smile brightly.

"Well, yeah. I guess so." He looked out the window of the car, thinking. He'd only just met Bobby and Doctor Waugh and yet it felt like longer. Hard to believe he'd just gotten here yesterday and already he was leaving on a journey. I'll miss them! The thought surprised him. Well, he'd have to come back, wouldn't he? Baby would get older and need to find a mate. And he'd probably have to testify when they caught Sandy Carmichael and her 'friend'. He tried to remember if the police had given a name for him. He'd been a bit out of it, but... Oh yeah! Sonny Carson. He wondered about that. Sonny Carson - Sandra Carmichael were awful similar to each other. "I wonder if they're related."

"What?" Bobby glanced at the younger man. "Who's related?"

"Sandy Carmichael and Sonny Carson." He looked at her. "The names are similar. Maybe one is an alias?"

Bobby blinked as she stared at the road ahead. Related? Maybe Rollie was on to something. She'd have to mention it to Mitch. He'd know where to go with the notion. "I don't know. But... It's a possibility. I'll ask Mitch."

"Mitch?"

"The senior constable you met yesterday."

"Oh." Rollie hesitated, then his mouth quirked. "Another cousin?"

"Well, yeah." Bobby laughed. "I have a lot of cousins!"

"Very useful, they are too!" Rollie laughed, ignoring the swift flash of jealousy. He wished... Don't go there, sonny boy, that's just the way life is.

Bobby chuckled as they lapsed into a companionable silence. They returned to the compound and got out of the car.

Baby muttered a bit and then clambered down Rollie. She sat at his feet, looking around carefully. "I swear sometimes I think she thinks I'm a tree, not her mother like everybody claims."

"Who knows? Maybe you're both." Bobby responded.

Doctor Waugh came down off the verandah, walking toward them. Bobby turned to him and Rollie once more wondered how the man could be so blind to what was obvious to him. Baby grunted and scrambled into a run for a nearby tree using that funny rolling gait of a koala on the ground. ... Right in front of Bobby who stumbled, trying to avoid Baby, and would have fallen if Barry hadn't reached out and caught her. Rollie almost snickered as their eyes met in surprise. He decided to go after Baby and leave them alone.

"Baby," Rollie said warningly as he caught up with just as she reached his head height up the tree, "I swear young lady, if I thought you did that on purpose...!" He let the threat hang as she yipped softly in response, reaching over to clutch some of his hair. "Yeah, go on. Enjoy yourself while you can. I don't think we'll find many places for you to climb in New York." She let go of him and he watched as she scrambled the rest of the way up the tree. He gave a quick glance over at the doctor and volunteer and snickered. People were so... oblivious at times. He wondered if he was ever that bad. Probably, since he was only human too and not a koala. He looked up at Baby, even the young ones seemed to be too smart for his good. He chuckled and leaned against the tree to wait. All right, she pulls my hair sometimes. At least she doesn't kick me where it hurts. He rubbed his sore stomach. Black and blue all over, that's what he was.

Leo rubbed at his eyes and looked at Colleen's monitor again. "So, is that much insurance normal for a movie?"

Colleen, a pretty middle aged woman with blonde hair hanging to her shoulders in a gentle curve, glanced at Leo in mild disbelief. "How should I know, Leo? Movies cost money to make, but I don't know what's normal."

"Can you find out?" Maybe he should see an eye doctor, it was getting hard to see some things like small print. He sighed. Getting old, Leo. He hated to admit it, but he was.

"I can poke around a bit, compare it to other movies, but I don't know what to compare it to." She frowned at the screen, a line furrowing her brow.

The detective smiled at her. Colleen was a real gem, all woman and she always looked beautiful to him, even when she was frowning. "Did you find anything on the... What did they call them, Frank?"

"Backers, Leo."

"The backers? The ones with the money financing this thing?"

"Not a lot, not yet. But... I think you'll be interested in the producer." She popped a new screen up and sat back, feeling slightly smug at digging up something before her sometime boy friend.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't our old pal, Ricky Scapetti. Since when do mob boss wannabes get into the movies?" Ricky Scapetti wasn't a Scapetti or a Ricky. His real name was Luicius Stanislaw. He had fond dreams of becoming a big mob boss as opposed to a bookie and numbers runner. Man should stick with what he knew best, making money off of suckers betting on the ponies. Not having pretensions of being a member of a mob. It was a wonder the real bosses hadn't shut him down. Probably found the weasel amusing.

"Since his latest girl friend wants to be a star," Colleen grinned as she said it. "According to my research on the movie, she's suppose to be Breen's newest discovery."

"Yeah, right. More like his newest link to the piggy bank. Make the man with the money happy and you get more money."

"Maybe laundered money?" Francis chipped in.

"Maybe. Good thought, Francis." Leo placed his hands on the police researcher's shoulders. "Can you check it out?"

"I'll add it to the list, Leo," she responded drily.

"Gina Marconni." Leo frowned thoughtfully. "I don't remember talking with her. Did you, Frank?"

"Nope. I don't think she was on set that day." Frank brightened as he thought of something. "I could ask Lucinda Scott about her."

"You do that, Frank, you do that. And see what she knows about our producer here. Get the inside angle," Leo straightened up, "And I'll pay a visit to Mister Scapetti."

"Be careful. If I remember right, Scapetti doesn't like you, Leo."

"Feeling's mutual. I don't like him either. Don't worry so much."

McCarthy glared daggers at the two goons who escorted him to Scapetti's den. Both were big, muscular and brainless, totally interchangeable. He wondered briefly if anyone in Scapetti's so-called mob had any real brains.

"Leo McCarthy." Ricky Scapetti drawled out in what he fondly thought was a tough voice. "To what do I owe the displeasure?"

"Well, Mister Scapetti, I'm investigating the explosion down at Nick Breen's film site..."

"You mean the sabotage caused by that ungrateful brat, Ramirez?"

"I mean the explosion caused by yet unidentified parties," McCarthy responded in a smooth tone. "Is that what Breen told you? That Ramirez did it."

"She had the... expertise," Scapetti said, "and thinks Nicky killed her father. Total delusion, of course."

"Of course. Funny, Breen didn't mention anything to me, until I mentioned her." Leo examined the well appointed den with a practiced eye. "So, Ricky, what happens to the film now?"

"Ricky!"

The grating tone of Gina Marconni's voice rasped across Leo's nerves like fingernails on a chalkboard. He added nausea to his headache as Ricky Scapetti simpered at the woman. She was easy on the eyes, but not on the ears, that was sure.

"What do you need my dove?"

"Ricky, they're not going to shut down my movie, are they?" Tears filled her eyes. "I'll never be a star if they shut down."

"Nonsense, my love, the show must go on and it will. I promise you." He raised her hand to his lips and kissed it. "Detective McCarthy will find the ones who tried to harm your career and Mister Breen will begin again. Trust me, my little turtle dove."

"Oh please," Leo muttered under his breath. He decided he better leave before he threw up on Ricky's expensive Persian carpet and had to pay for it to be cleaned. "I'll be in touch." He said more loudly. "Come on, boys, show me the way out of here," leading the two goons back to the front door. So, Ricky didn't seem to care about the amount of money he poured into his latest infatuation's career. He wondered if the knowledge was worth the headache he now had. Leo started his unmarked and headed over to the studio lot. Hopefully, Francis was having better luck than he was.

Lucinda looked at her freshly manicured fingernails and then at Francis. Nothing she liked better than a chance for some good juicy gossip. Well, except some really good girl talk or a hunk of a man maybe. "Well, Gina Marconni thinks she can make it in the business, but she doesn't stand a chance. Not really. She doesn't have the guts or the staying power." She glanced around the almost empty set, carefully checking for anyone too close to hear. "Or the talent. No talent whatsoever. The only reason she's the star is she's the producer's girl friend and... She and Mister Breen have been... Well, you know."

Francis blinked, his eyes a bit glazed from listening to Lucinda rambling. "Un, no I don't know. What has she been doing with Mister Breen?"

"They've been..." Luce glanced around again, more carefully this time, "boffing in his trailer between scenes."

"What?" Frank sputtered, startled. Was Breen really stupid enough to fool around with the producer's girl friend?

"Yeah! Honest, I caught them going at it one day. Well, I didn't walk in on them or anything, but I heard them... You know? You know."

"Uh, yeah. I'm sort of getting the picture here. Thanks Lucinda."

"So, you can tell me, Frankie. Is Mister Scapetti really a gangster?" Luce leaned closer to Gatti, eager to get the real lowdown.

"Nah, he's just a bookie. A big time bookie, but a bookie. Know what I mean?"

Luce leaned back with a disappointed sigh. "Yeah. Hey, you guys found Angie yet?" The more time passed, the more worried she was getting. She'd had visions of some of Scapetti's 'boys' giving her cement overshoes or something. Did gangsters really do that?

"Not yet. Leo talked to her friend in Australia though."

Lucinda perked back up. "Really? What's he like? Is he cute?"

"I talked to him, Ms. Scott, as on the telephone." Leo spoke up as he joined them. "So, no, we don't know if he's 'cute'," conveniently neglecting to mention the picture they'd found at her apartment. "And he hasn't heard from her for a couple of weeks. Seemed a bit upset about talking to me and very concerned about Ms. Ramirez. He doesn't know what's going on at the moment."

"Oh," she responded, disappointed.

"You about done, Francis?"

"Yeah, Leo. Talk to you later, Luce."

The two men walked away, heading for their cars.

"Luce?"

"Well, yeah, she's a nice lady, Leo."

"So, tell me, Frank. Does your wife know about the nice lady?"

"Leo, Sarah knows everything."

"Everything, huh?" Leo smiled as they stopped at their cars. "So she doesn't happen to know where Ramirez is, does she?"

Francis did a double take, then grinned. "No, Sarah's good, but she's not that good." His grin widened. "Yet." He got into his car.

Leo laughed and got into his own car. He leaned out the window toward Francis. "So, did the nice lady have anything interesting to say?"

"Yeah, she did. I'll tell you back at the precinct."

Leo put on his sunglasses. "Right."

Angie Ramirez groggily shook her head and tried to look around. She was in a cramped, uncomfortable position and it felt like she was on the floor. Why was she on the floor and why was it so dark? Was it night? Or... She shook her head again and noticed the feeling of cloth. A blindfold? She tried to shift her position and felt the ropes holding her. Ropes? She was tied up and blindfolded! Why? What was going on? She tried to remember what had happened and how she'd gotten in this mess... Whatever this mess was! It wouldn't come. "Hello?" She called softly, wondering if she should. It probably wasn't a wise idea to call attention to herself and yet... She wanted to know what was going on. She needed to know what was going on! "Is anybody here?"

A rustling sound reached her ears and then heavy footsteps. Hands reached down and turned her over.

"What is going on? Please?" She tried not to beg, but she really wanted to know what was going on here. A cloth pressed against her face and she struggled against the ropes and hands. No! The sickly, sweet smell was familiar - she'd smell this before and... Awareness faded with a chuckle filling her ears and her heart with dread. She didn't feel herself lifted from the floor and being carried away.

Rollie stood in the middle of the Melbourne airport, checking the flight numbers from Alice. There it was, the flight with his things. It was on time too. Good. He smiled at Doctor Waugh. "I can't thank you enough, Doctor. You've been very kind to Baby and me." He reached into the baby pouch lined with wool shearling which was snugly fastened to his chest and scratched his charge's head. She was curled up, asleep in the pouch that Bobby had provided him. It was a compromise for transporting Baby on the international flight. They'd first suggested a baby seat, but Rollie knew with absolute certainty that she wouldn't accept it for long. The pouch held her close to him and, added to her own strong paws, would keep her safe if the flight encountered rough weather. It would also provide Baby with a place to hide from the attention she was bound to attract. Even she'd get tired of it on this long of a flight. Over a day was a very long time.

"It was our pleasure, Rollie. I just wish it could have been longer... and quieter!"

"Yeah, guess we did have quite a bit of excitement. Do you think they'll catch them?"

"I don't know." Barry shrugged. "I hope so."

They drifted over to the gate, waiting for the plane to land. Mister Brown had passed on a message from Doctor Jock. The pilot of this flight had his bag and would pass it out as soon as they landed. Rollie stood patiently waiting while the doctor wandered around restlessly. A short time later, Rollie had his bag and his long legs was eating the distance to the international terminal.

"Wait a minute, Rollie," Doctor Waugh called after him.

"What is it, Doctor?" Rollie turned back and joined him.

"You would probably like something to read on the flight." He nodded to the little bookstand. "It's a long way and you can't sleep the entire time."

"Good idea." It didn't take long for Rollie to pick out a couple of books. Doctor Waugh insisted on paying for them.

"You've already done so much." Rollie lamented, thinking of the American money in several of his pockets, the plane tickets and the hotel accommodations waiting for them on the other side of the world.

"Not enough, Rollie. Not nearly enough. You've only been here a short time, but we'll miss you. You and Baby."

"We'll miss you too, Doctor Waugh. You've been very good to us."

They stopped and spoke with the Australian customs people at the entry to the international terminal. Baby was introduced to all of them and they were delighted by her passport. "Give the Yanks something to talk about, she will." One inspector said as they cleared her and the gum leaves Rollie was carrying. "I hope someone will be meeting you on the other side. They might give you a spot of trouble."

"Don't worry, Rollie. Scott will be meeting you when you arrive. He'll get you through the red tape." Doctor Waugh hastily assured him.

Rollie hid a smile. "I remember." Besides, he had dealt with red tape before and still remembered the lessons Dingo had taught him. Not that he was going to hide Baby or her food or who he was or what he was doing. He wondered what the doctor would have to say if he knew about the U.S. permanent resident papers he had tucked in with his passport. "We'll be fine."

"I'm sure you will. Well, I guess I best be getting back."

"Yes, Doctor. I'm sure you have plenty of work to do. Thank you for your help and... everything."

Rollie shook hands with Doctor Barry Waugh and watched him walk away. He coaxed Baby back into her new pouch and thanked the customs people. A hour and a half later, they were on their way to Los Angeles, and from there, to New York City... and Angie.    

Rollie and Baby passed the flight to Los Angeles quietly. Fortunately, it wasn't full and the airline gave them the privacy of three seats in first class. While Baby did cause a stir, it was mild compared to the flight to Melbourne. Mostly they slept, ate and Rollie read. Occasionally, he even read to Baby, scratching behind her ears and asking her what she thought of that. The flight attendants smiled at the sight and had a good laugh. Qantas had arranged for their wait in Los Angeles to be in a V.I.P. lounge. Rollie sighed in relief as he allowed both of them to stretch their legs. Baby climbed several chairs and murmured in excitement. A laugh from the door way startled the Aussie. He turned to find a gray haired man of about sixty, impeccably dressed, standing there.

"Koalas are so funny with that rolly poly walk of theirs on the ground, aren't they?" The man asked with a warm smile.

Rollie shrugged thoughtfully. "It's just the way they move."

"I guess so. I'm Thomas James. How has the trip been so far, Mister Tyler?" He held his hand out.

The young Aussie shook his hand, surprised that this man knew who he was. "Just fine, Mister James. Everyone has been very kind and helpful."

"I'm happy to hear that. I'm in charge of the American Airlines operation here in L.A.. We'll be handling the remainder of your flight. We want you and Baby to have a good trip."

"Thank you, Mister James. We appreciate all everyone has done for us, and please, call me Rollie."

"All right, Rollie. If there's anything you need, just ask."

Rollie grinned. "I'll do that."

The executive made his good byes and left. Rollie played with Baby, making sure she got plenty of exercise. Normally, a koala slept a great deal of the time and was most active at night. Baby, however, stayed awake for a much greater time than her wilder cousins or even those in the animal parks and zoos. It didn't seem to matter to her whether it was day or night either. Rollie wasn't sure if this was just Baby or if it had something to do with the time she spent with him. Either way, he wanted her to be quiet and behave on the rest of the flight. She'd been very good so far, but had to be tired of the continual confinement of the plane cabin. Heaven knew, he was tired of it!

A flight attendant stuck her head in the door interrupting their play. "Mister Tyler? The plane will be begin loading soon. We thought you might like to go ahead and board."

"Yes, thank you." Rollie gathered up Baby, placing her in the pouch. He grabbed his small travel bag and his bigger bag, following the attendant to the jet. Soon, they were settled once more in the first class cabin, waiting to resume their journey. Tired by the boredom of the long flight, they slept most of the way to NYC. A bit restlessly and not really restful, but sleep none the less. Rollie stretched and blinked as the announcement of the landing at Kennedy Airport would be soon. He hid a yawn and watched the preparatory motions, disinterestedly. Finally! New York and Angie! He wondered how long it would be before he could get away and find Detective Leo McCarthy. Rollie slipped a hand in his pocket, reassuring himself that he still had the paper with the detective's numbers and precinct on it. Soon... As soon as they dealt with the red tape and Scott Miller! Then he could find out what was happening with Angie Ramirez. Soon...

Rollie reached into the pouch and scratched Baby's ears gently as he waited for all of the other passengers deplane. Once things had quieted down, he stood and gathered up his luggage. He thanked the flight crew with a relieved smile, grateful to not be facing anymore flights for a while. He walked toward the end of the international terminal and hesitated in front of the diverging custom lines. Should he take the returning American or the incoming international? With Baby, it might be best to go through the international. Besides, Mister Miller was probably waiting on the other end of that one. He'd taken one step forward when a large hand came down on his shoulder, clasping it in a tight grip.  

Rollie looked over his shoulder at the big man standing there. Casually dressed, he was mostly bald with one of those faces that didn't show age. As if to make up for the lack of hair on his head, his eyebrows were craggy, thick and dark. "Jase Belden! You old bastard!" Rollie grasped the hand he was offered in a solid handshake. "I'd of thought you'd be working a desk job by now."

"I am, but when I heard you were coming in with a special load, I'd thought I'd meet you, Rollie. So what's with all this hair?" He tugged at a lock of the long, wavy, brown hair gracing the Aussie's head.

Rollie grinned wickedly. "Well, guess I have to make up for those follicularly challenged, Jase."

Belden laughed. "So where's Dingo? And what's he up to now?"

"No idea where he's off to right now. Or what he's doing. Could be anything."

"Same old Dingo."

"Always."

Jase led the way to a door behind customs. He opened it and waved Rollie through. None of the inspectors even looked twice at the two men. "Hi boys and girls!" Jase greeted the men and women who worked under his supervision at Kennedy Airport.

The men and women called out. "Hey Jase!" "What's brings you out of your ivory tower?" "What's up, Jase man?"

"I want you to meet an old friend of mine. This is Rollie Tyler. Yeah, that's right, the guy with the koala. Anyway, like I said he's an old friend and..."

"Can't be that old a friend, Jase! He's not that old." The man laughed heartily at his own joke.

"Well, there's where you're wrong, old son. You see, Rollie is responsible for one of my biggest busts. What was it, Rol? Five thousand kilos of coke?"

"Sounds about right, Jase." Rollie rocked back on his heels, knowing he couldn't get away from the old saw. He recognized the gleam in Belden's eyes.

One of the other inspectors shrugged her shoulders. "Nice haul, but we've done better."

Jase grinned wickedly and threw the punchline. "Not with just the help of a thirteen year old kid."

"Thirteen? Pull the other one, Jase."

"Yep, Rollie was thirteen when he led me to that load. Went down sweet and clean with his help too." He wrapped an arm around the faintly blushing man's shoulders. "The look on that guy's face when that fire extinguisher went off apparently all by itself was absolutely priceless!" He tugged a strand of hair. "You saved my life that day, kiddo."

"Well, I couldn't just hide and watch..."

"Yeah, I know. You're a good kid, Rollie." Figuring Rollie was already too embarrassed, he decided to get down to business. "Now, about this koala?"

"Baby?" Rollie shook himself slightly. He clucked and coaxed her out of the pouch. She chirred at him, scrambling to his shoulder and grabbing a hank of hair.

"Oh, so that is what the hair is for!" Jase laughed softly. "She's a pretty thing. How come you're with her?"

The inspectors clustered around to see the young animal, careful not to get too close or make too much noise.

"Well, I've sort of... been taking care of her since she lost her mum. She hasn't taken too kindly to anyone else." Rollie reached up and rubbed her back. He sighed, a haunted look creeping into his eyes.

"What happened, Rollie?"

The young Aussie looked down. "They'd been snagged by a group of smugglers and poachers. Left Baby and another little joey out in the bush to die." The group of customs people muttered angrily. They knew all about the results of such actions and none of them liked it. "The police caught the gang, but... Her mother didn't survive. The heat and... everything."

Jase rested a large, gentle hand on the shoulder away from Baby. "What else happened, kid?"

"I... I had to ki--ki-kill a man." Rollie looked into his old friend's compassionate eyes. "They were going to kill Angie and the joeys. I--I couldn't let them do that."

"Course you couldn't Rollie." Jase patted the Aussie's back, Baby yipping slightly in distress. "You didn't have a choice. You did what you had to do." He drew back, one hand resting on Rollie's shoulder. "If there had been any other way, you would have found it. I know you, kiddo. You didn't have a choice." Seeking something to draw his friend from the funk he had slipped into, he quirked an eyebrow and leered. "Who's Angie?"

Rollie blushed. "She's a friend. She's really the one who found Baby." He smiled suddenly. "She lives in New York! I'm going to visit her while I'm here."

"Oh ho! Ulterior motive, eh, kid? Good for you." He slapped Rollie on the back and looked around at the group gathered around them. "Where's Toby? I thought I told him to be here?"

"He's checking a cat that just came in from Paris, Jase. Should be back in a minute."

"A cat? Any of the vets can check a cat!"

"Well, this was a tiger cub," a man with gray hair sticking in all directions said as he walked up to the group.

"Ah. Well, in that case, I forgive you for making me wait, Tobe. Now here's Rollie and Baby. Give her a check and let's get this show running." He looked at the others. "The rest of you lot, don't you have work to do?"

"Yes sir!" They chorused, scattering with a laugh.

"Which one's Rollie and which one's Baby?" Toby asked with a straight face.

Jase faked throwing a punch at the other man. "The one with the hair is Rollie," he informed the veterinarian.

"That lets you out, then." Toby shot back without blinking an eyelash.

Belden shook his head and buried his face in his hands.

Rollie smiled. "This is Baby, Doctor. I'm Rollie." He reached out and shook hands with the newcomer.

"Thank you for clarifying that point, Rollie." He clucked at Baby. "Now, young lady, let's check you out." He smiled up at the taller Australian. "You have her papers?"

"Right here." Rollie unfastened an outside pocket on his knapsack and pulled out the papers Doctor Waugh had given him, along with their passports.

"Excellent!" Toby accepted the papers and looked them over. He grinned at the passport with Baby's picture. "A very good likeness, young lady. Much better than most I've seen." He hummed a bit, then asked Rollie to place the young koala on a padded table. When he tried to comply, Baby yipped and held tightly to his hair, refusing to let go.

Rollie looked at the doctor, flustered. "I'm sorry, she's usually better behaved, but..."

"It's been a long flight and she's tired of all the strangeness. I understand. Actually, I'm surprised she's behaving as well as she is. Just hold her still, I'll check her where she is."

Rollie stroked Baby's back and scratched behind her ears. He managed to coax her to hold on to his chest. Toby reached out and gently began to check her out. Baby buried her face against her mother, yipping.

"There, there, Baby. I'm almost done. Can you get her to look at me? I need to check her eyes, nose and throat."

"I'll try." Rollie slipped over and sat on the inspection table. He murmured softly to his charge. He reached into a pocket and pulled out a couple of eucalyptus leaves. "Here you go, luv. How about a gum leaf? Hmm? Come on, that's my good girl." He hugged her and rocked gently back and forth. Finally, after several minutes of just humming softly and rocking, Baby turned to reach for the leaves. The doctor grabbed a gentle but firm hold and hastily finished the checkup. Once freed of the stranger's hands, Baby grunted angrily and climbed around to Rollie's back. Her hind feet planted firmly, she stood there, grunting again as she grabbed two pawfuls of his hair and yipped, her disgust and anger plain.

"Ow! Baby, don't pull." Rollie quietly requested. "Guess that's it. She's had enough for today."

"That's all right. I'm done. Baby's fine and cleared." With that, Toby stamped her papers. He reached over, grabbed another stamp and did the same to her passport. He handed them back with a flourish.

Jase Belden grinned. "Okay and now for you, Rollie. Anything to declare?"

"Just one koala, not quite a year old, and an assortment of eucalyptus leaves." He made a show of frowning thoughtfully. "Oh yeah, and formula!"

"Formula?"

"Yeah, Jase. You know, Baby formula!"

"Ha ha! Very funny, funny man." He grinned as he stamped Rollie's passport and tossed it at him. "Somebody's meeting you, right?"

"Yeah, Scott Miller. He's with the W.C.S.."

"Okay, let's see if we can't find him in this zoo." Jase led the way out into the terminal. "Know where you're staying yet?"

"Not really, Jase. They've arranged a hotel, but I don't know which one." He walked, careful not to turn his head with Baby still perched on his back, gripping his hair tightly.

"Let me know when you get there, okay kiddo?" He handed Rollie one of his business cards. "I've got something for you." He waited a beat. "Besides, I want to find out which hotel will take koala guests!"

"Sure, Jase." Rollie started to ask what he had, when they were interrupted by a whirlwind.

"Mister Tyler?" The whirlwind stopped in front of him and became a wiry, older man in his mid-sixties, wire frame glasses sliding down his nose and wispy white hair. "I'm Scott Miller. Is there any trouble?" He glared at Jase Belden with fire in his light brown eyes.

"No, no trouble. This is an old mate of mine, Jase Belden."

"Yes, I've met Mister Belden before." The fire went out and he smiled benignly at the much bigger customs man. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah, that we are."

"Here, let me help you with some of that." He efficiently relieved Rollie of his bigger bag. "This way, Mister Tyler."

"Rollie. Call me Rollie, Mister Miller."

"Only if you call me Scott or Scotty. Doesn't matter which."

"All right, Scotty, lead the way." Rollie called back to his friend. "Talk to you later, Jase!"

"Okay, Rol! Enjoy your stay."

Rollie followed Scotty out to short term parking. There was a cool breeze blowing between the pylons of the parking deck. He felt Baby shiver slightly and her paws shifted. He stopped while she backed down a bit and clambered around to his front. He tried to coax her back into the pouch, but the joey was having no more of that. She clutched the front of his shearling vest and curled into a ball. He sighed and placed a hand on her back.

"Is she all right?" Scotty asked anxiously.

"She's fine. She's just tired of all this rushing about and then sitting still." So am I, Rollie thought to himself. "And it was a bit warmer in Melbourne."

"Of course, well, we'll soon be to your hotel and you can both relax." He led them to a late model Chrysler, unlocking the doors with the