Catharine stood still on the street corner, reading the posted news that was attached to a store window.  It mentioned several local stories and incredibly also  included her name.   As odd as that was, and more troubling, it described her as missing. 

She thought to herself  - Missing ?  From where?  From whom?     

The story also used this phrase to identify her:  "she has a remarkable lock of grey hair "   

She shuddered at that and as she read the line a second time,  pulled her hair back under her hat as she looked around passerbys on the street to to see if anyone had noticed.   It did not appear so.    

Missing,  it was eerie to read of your suspected absence third hand,  as she most certainly was alive and well.   

But obviously people were searching for her-and why ?  What could her family want with her ?   The family that had ignored her and treated her as simply surplus baggage.  Those people, that group?  Hard to imagine and she suspected an ulterior motive.   Some fame and attention from either local papers or public officials, perhaps.     Maybe there was a family inheritance that was unsettled and now contested 

     It was hard not to expect the worst, because she had lived through it.  

She looked around her again, and realized the sidewalk was almost empty now.  She used the moment to remove the paper from the window and placed it in her purse like so much refuse.    

She put her head down and headed down the street to her job,  pretended as if nothing had ever happened.   She did not want to be late,  as the physician whose house she cleaned was a patient man, but a bit moody.   No need to keep Dr. Jekyll waiting.