Chapter 5: The Case of the Missing Midshipman

As the train pulled into Los Angeles at half past eight the following morning, we heard shouting on the station platform. With the train stopped the shouting came closer. Finally we could begin to make out the words: " ... MacLeod, Goodman Robert MacLeod."

I stuck my head out of the window and called, "Over here!"

The young fellow waving a large card with my name on it came to the carriage door. "Sir, are you Sir Robert MacLeod of the New England Bureau of Investigation?

"Yes. What can I do for you?"

"Will you and your party come with me, please? We need your help with a case."

The three of us joined him on the platform.

"Now who are you and what's this all about?"

"I'll tell you in a minute! They're holding the train to San Diego for us."

He hurried us across the tracks and onto another train. As we seated ourselves the train started off. Our guide mopped his brow.

"Fortunately your train was on time. Your Director was kind enough to sanction your giving us assistance on this case. My Name is Timothy McGee, and I'm with the Major Case Response Team of the Naval Criminal Investigation Service."

"Well, Goodman McGee, allow me to introduce the members of my team, Demoiselle Sarah Bullock and Goodman John Buck. Now, what's your problem?"

"We've got case that we think involves sorcery. A midshipman has disappeared off H.M.S. Essex not long before it docked. We've had the Coast Guard out searching for a body, but there's no sign of it and no one thinks that he could have gone overboard in daylight without someone noticing. The decks were too crowded for that!"

"Have you consulted the ship's Healer? Can't he detect the man's whereabouts?"

"No Sir and it's a she. She says that as far as she can make out Midshipman Higgins has fallen off the face of the earth!"

He went on to explain that their service did not generally recruit sorcerers as such and therefore had very few that they could call upon. We learned that H.M.S. Essex was a county class frigate. The young agent went on to describe the layout of the Essex, details of the officers and crew together with what they had learned so far. At last the train pulled into San Diego station.

"Interesting! Very well, young man, lead on!"

"Come this way, Sir. I have a coach waiting." On the trip to the Royal Navy Dockyard, Goodman McGee said that he had also been expecting to meet their team's forensic healer, a Goodman Mallard.

"That name put me in mind of one of the Lecturers at MIT. It wouldn't be him, would it?"

"Yes," replied Sean. "He worked for his uncle, at one time, He was on a sabbatical from NCIS. His uncle, Professor Alexander Waverly, is a Scot from Edinburgh"

We reached the dockyard, and climbed the gangway to the quarter deck to be greeted by her Captain, Lieutenant-Commander Ewing.

"Sir Robert MacLeod, welcome to the 'Essex'. Please allow me to show you to the Wardroom. Your party and I have been invited to eat there, so that you can meet my Officers. We are just in time for luncheon. Ah Goodman McGee, a message for you. Goodman Mallard left a message on the dockyard teleson that he has been held up. He should be here tomorrow or the day after He is waiting for your team leader, Goodman Gibbs."

After an excellent meal, during which I had managed to interrogate the officers without their realizing, we retired to a quiet corner of the wardroom.

"Goodman McGee," I started, "I would like you and Goodman Buck to find out where Midshipman Higgins was last seen and by whom. If we can find out when and where he disappeared, we can concentrate our efforts in finding out how it was done."