Missing, also known as A Safe Place, is a mystery short story by Isaac Asimov.
Part of the Union Club series, it was first published in the March 1991 issue of Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine.
Summary[]
In the Union Club, a discussion about people disappearing prompts Griswold to recount a case involving his friend, Department agent Abner Lorimer. Lorimer was running a private, unauthorized anti-drug operation with a single, deeply undercover operative who infiltrated drug organizations. This operative, whose identity was known only to Lorimer, had previously lived in Orono, Maine, with his wife and daughter.
Two years prior, the operative reported he had moved his family to Portland for greater anonymity after a close call. However, he had recently fallen out of contact. Lorimer, growing nervous, discovered that the man and his family had never established a residence in Portland, Maine. Fearing the worst—that his operative had been turned by the drug cartels and was now a double agent, Lorimer secretly consulted Griswold.
After hearing the details, Griswold posed a single question to Lorimer: when the operative said he was moving to "Portland," did he specify it was Portland, Maine? Lorimer's reaction confirmed he had not. Griswold deduced that the operative, seeking a truly safe place for his family, had moved across the country to Portland, Oregon. This explained the false trail and the lack of a presence in the Maine city. The operative later re-established contact, confirming there had been no betrayal.
Characters[]
- Griswold
- Club Member (the narrator)
- Baranov
- Jennings
- Abner Lorimer
- The Undercover Operative
- The Operative's Wife and Daughter
- The Chief
See Also[]
List of short stories by Isaac Asimov