Love Without End, Amen

26. Crossroad Blues

"Right. So what changed?" Sam wondered.

"You got me. But overnight, he gets this huge commission, and he starts designing... he starts designing the most ingenious buildings anyone has ever seen. It was like, the level of Van Gogh, and Mozart..." he cut off abruptly.

"What?" Dean asked.

"It's funny. True geniuses, they seem to die young, don't they? To have that kind of talent? Why... why just throw it away?"

STREET

Dean exited a building designated Animal Protection Agency, still wearing his suit. Sam and the twins were waiting in the car. Dean got in the driver's side.

"So," Sam said.

"Secretary's name is Carly," Dean informed. "She's 23, she, uh, kayaks, and they're real."

"You didn't happen to ask her if she's seen any black dogs lately, did you?"

Dean held up a page. "Every complaint called in this week about anything big, black, or dog-like. There's 19 calls in all. And, uh," he pulled off a Post-It note,"don't know what this thing is."

Sam took it, read it, and laughed. He glanced at Dean. "You mean Carly's MySpace address?"

"Yeah, MySpace, what the hell is that?" Sam laughed again. "Seriously, is that," he covered his son and daughter's ears, "some sort of porn site?"

"No."

"I wish." He pulled his hands away.

---

They made their way to Dr. Pearlman's house and knocked on the door.

"I swear, if this is another freakin' Pomeranian barking in the neighbor's yard..." Dean trailed.

The door opened to reveal a young woman.

"Afternoon, ma'am," Dean greeted, pulling out an ID. "Uh, Animal Control."

"Oh, someone already came yesterday," the woman said.

"Oh, we're just following up," Sam explained. "We're looking for Dr. Sylvia Pearlman?"

They entered.

"The doctor, well, she, I don't know exactly when she'll be back, she left two days ago."

"Okay," Sam said. "And you are..."

"I'm Ms. Pearlman's maid."

"So where did the doctor go?" Dean questioned.

"I'm not sure. She just packed and went, she didn't say where. That stray dog, did you find it finally?"

"Oh, not yet. You know, you didn't ever happen to see the dog yourself, did you?"

"Well, no. I never ever heard it."

Dean took a photograph off the wall of Dr. Pearlman at a bar with two friends.

The woman continued. "I was almost starting to think the doctor was imagining things, but she's not like that, so..."

"Hey, you know I read she was, uh, chief surgeon at the hospital," Dean said. "She's gotta be what, 42, 43? That's pretty young for that job."

"Youngest in the history of the place. She got the position... ten years ago?"

"Huh."

"Huh," Sam repeated. "An overnight success. Ten years ago."

"Yeah, we know a guy like that. Oh, look at this." He held up the photo and flipped it over to show writing on the back. "Lloyd's Bar."

---