Alexander hasn't been sleeping well, lately. Of course, you wouldn't sleep well either if your son--or whatever exactly Keye is. It isn't as if they've done anything legally to cement the relationship, after all, no matter the emotions involved--had disappeared, for the third time, and hadn't come back for an entire week.

Thus why he left work earlier than usual--immediately after his latest class, instead of staying in his office for some hours--and is combing the city for his boy.

He's worried, and it shows. He looks tired; his face is drawn, there are dark circles under his eyes, and his lips are set into a frown that has little or nothing to do with his usual stern expression.

He's in his car, so as to cover more territory faster, and he's basically been cruising the city, looking in places where young people might be and getting out at each one, looking around inside for a bit, then leaving again. He doesn't want to call the police, yet, though maybe he should.

Maybe he should call Miss Vendredy; she is Keye's friend, isn't she?

If he turns up nothing, he'll call her. Or someone.

He has to find his boy...

Teague was nonchalant as usual. He was seated on the sidewalk, leaning back against th foundation of an old stone building. He had on his usual scruffy set of clothes - a couple of old t-shirts (this time in shades of blue and pruple) and a pair of old jeans. He was barefoot. His guitar rested in his lap, a very faint melody floating from her as he plucked aimlessly at her strings.

"Lovely day it's been, Lucinda," he muttered, his blue eyes sliding lazily to one side as a soft breeze tickled his ear. Well, look here. Who was that, coming this way and looking so very troubled?

For a moment, Alexander didn't recognize the street singer. That may give one a hint as to how very troubled he was indeed... Then a snatch of song played in his head, and he parked the car, got out, and slammed the door. (Another proof of his distraction; he never slams his car door.)

"You."

There was none of the anger you might have expected from him. None of the 'I remember you, you almost got me killed' sort of tone to his voice. Just tired, sad, and maybe just a little hopeful.

He remembers, you see, that Teague had known about Keye. Maybe...

"Me."
Teague nodded in agreement, smiling drowsily. He halted the music coming from his guitar by pressing his hand down on the strings. He gave Alexander a once-over, very slowly and deliberately. He said innocently, "You look like you haven't been sleeping well. Have something on your mind, Dr. Barclay?"

He didn't know for sure, but he could make a pretty accurate guess. He began putting his guitar away, just in case the professor decided to snap on him and damage Lucinda past repair.

"I'm sure you know already."

He's not (quite) desperate enough to (completely) toss his pride aside and ask the street singer right out if he knows where Keye is. Absently, he runs a hand through his hair.

It might or might not be so, but he looks like he might have wept, sometime recently. But maybe that's just the light, or the lack of sleep...

... or maybe he really was crying.

"Then I'm sure you'd be right," he said, blinking slowly, as if he was just about to drift off to sleep. This seemed to trouble him not at all. He locked Lucinda in her case, leaning back and crossing his arms as he looked up at the professor.

"But just so I'm sure we're talking about the same thing, why don't you tell me what you're talking to me for?... It can't be about that little song I made up a while ago. Haven't sung it since, you know."

"... my boy."

If Teague knows as much as Alex thinks he does--since, after all, he knew about Keye long before Alex had the boy move in with him, and he knew things that Alex had been much more careful to keep secret--he should know who that is.

"Where is he?"

Are we going to have to resort to death threats again?

He smiled, raising his eyebrows, then lowering them, in a very comical sort of way.
"Your boy. That one? You want to know where he is?" he repeated. He didn't have any grudges against Alexander, or his 'boy', for that matter, but that didn't mean he wouldn't toy with him a little. Couldn't expect him to just tell all.

"I do know where he is. That is, his location has come to my attention..." he said, leaning forwards and resting his chin on his knees. "D'you like animals, Dr. Barclay?"

Alexander ignored Teague's last question, mainly because he didn't see the relevance to the real subject.

"Yes. I want to know where he is. Tell me."

He's still speaking in that odd tone, the one that says he's tired and worn out and sad... but the hopefulness in it is slowly dying. If Teague refuses to tell him, Alexander shall have to comb the city alone.

It's rather sad how he doesn't think anyone else would help him, isn't it.

"No, no," he wagged a finger at him, frowning slightly. "It's important. You've gotta at least know your animals. You'd recognize a wolf's howl if you heard it, right? Work with me here, professor-man."

Alexander refrained (barely) from grinding his teeth together.

"I would recognize a wolf's howl. What does this have to do with my boy?"

Careful, Teague. That weariness could be pushed to desperation any moment now. Alexander does not like it when someone else controls the situation. He's a control freak, though perhaps not in the same way as certain others I could mention.

"You'd recognize it? Problem solved," he said, snapping his fingers. He edged back a little from the professor, just in case. "It has everything to do with your boy, Dr. Barclay. Your finding him hinges on it. You go thataway-"

He swung his arm out and pointed down a side street.

"- and you keep your ears open. Listen for the wolf. The louder it gets, the closer you are. You find the wolf, you find your boy. Easy as that," he said keeping his index finger out in the direction that had to be followed. "I tell no lie. Now get your ass in gear, and get moving."

"You had better not be lying." A flash of the Alexander that Teague met the first time. "I'll kill you if you lead me wrong."

You knew he was going to get a death threat in there somewhere, didn't you?

He didn't wait for Teague to say anything else, though, getting into his car again and starting the engine. Teague said he wasn't lying... Alexander is desperate enough that he'll take the bard's words at face value for now.

And then he's driving in the direction Teague indicated.