It has been seventeen days since anyone has heard from Thomas Fell. Numerous calls have gone unanswered and his mail continues to pile up. No lights are seen inside after dark.
Another unanswered phone call. Jan Joyce-Cleveland begins to fear the worst. Has he been hurt? Has he run off? What happened to the men hired for the expedition? Worried for Thomas Fell, she places a call to Professor Knox Makepeace.
Thomas wanted Makepeace on the expedition. As they met for lunch to discuss Thomas’s plans, Makepeace was disturbed by Thomas’s behavior. He was overly paranoid. Any slight against him was magnified by ten. He cared for nothing but the expedition. In the end, Thomas stormed off, leaving Makepeace wondering what could have changed him. When Joyce-Cleveland called asking if he had heard from Thomas, he became concerned and contacted a friend of Thomas, Detective Norman Wright.
Years ago, Thomas Fell had helped Detective Wright solve a case involving antique theft. Ever since then, the two have kept in touch, sharing a lunch together now and then and swapping stories. When Professor Makepeace called him and said that Thomas Fell was missing, Detective Wright would use all his resources to make sure his friend was all right. During his inquiries, he somehow drew the attention of Thomas Fell’s sons, Roger and Kenneth Fell.
Roger Fell. The successful doctor. Kenneth Fell. The struggling artist. When they heard that their father was missing, they both volunteered to help search for him. They did not volunteer out of some familial duty; no, they agreed out of guilt. It’s been months since either had spoken to their father. Embarrassment sets in when they are not the first to notice that Thomas Fell is missing.
Calls are placed and plans are made. Now, the five stand outside the house. The five want answers. They want to know what happened to Thomas Fell.
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