Dr. Arnold Benjamin sat behind his ornate wooden desk in his office at the Department of Mathematics, Cambridge University. There were just three weeks left before the beginning of the new school year and Dr. Benjamin should have been preparing for his Mediterranean cruise, due to depart on Monday from Southampton. God knows he needed a holiday with all of the changes to the department this semester, but the tragic disappearance of James Blair still weighed heavily on his mind.

Ever since the young man had been declared a missing person Dr. Benjamin had been following developments on social media in northern Scotland. Two months of online campaigns had netted zero leads as to what had happened to James. The official land based search had been called off long ago and the police investigation was at a standstill. Arnold knew this because he had personally contacted the Thurso constabulary several times, and spoken to both of James’s parents. Such a sad story.

Even so Dr. Benjamin held out some hope. He had exerted some of his influence with the admissions office and had James registered and ready to go as a new student on October 6th. Arnold had genuinely believed that James would turn up in time, but no such luck, and the beginning of the semester was almost upon us. What to do?

‘Let’s face it,’ thought the Mathematics professor. ‘There is no way that I can enjoy an ocean cruise while I am wondering about this young man’s fate.’ Dr. Benjamin came to a decision.

The Professor rose from his chair and stepped out into his waiting area, where his secretary worked. “Ms. Appleby,” said the Professor. “Would you be so kind as to cancel the arrangements for my Mediterranean cruise? I have some more pressing business to attend to next week.”

“Yes, of course sir,” responded the young woman.

“I wonder if you might also be able to reserve a passage on the train to Thurso for me on Monday morning. My business is in Scotland.”

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Dr. Benjamin woke early in his bed and breakfast room in Thurso. The trip had been a long one. Fourteen hours and three trains were required to reach the northernmost part of Scotland. It had been unfortunately quite dark by the time that he and his train had reached the area of James’s disappearance and so Arnold had seen very little of the area surrounding the train tracks. A river seemed to be near the tracks, but anything else to see would have to wait for a walking investigation, which he planned to do today.

Breakfast was quite lovely, fresh and tasty. Energized and invigorated from a quiet night’s sleep, Dr. Benjamin set out and walked to the police station through the stone buildings that made up the town of Thurso. As he entered the station Arnold noticed a weathered poster on the bulletin board in front of the building. James’s forlorn face was photocopied, with a plea to provide any information as to James’s whereabouts to the police.

The officers were cordial in response to Dr. Benjamin’s queries, but apologized that they had no new information for him.

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Arnold Benjamin exited the police station and set out for the Thurso train platform. He really wasn’t sure what he was looking for, but he knew one thing. He had to see the site of James’s disappearance for himself. Seeing was believing. Dr. Benjamin told himself that he was a rational man, but even though his head told him that there was no possibility of a visiting Professor finding clues to James’s whereabouts that everyone else had missed, he simply had to look.

The train platform was just as he imagined it. A bare platform extending towards the Scottish countryside. The station was beautifully framed with the town of Thurso on one side and the river on the other. The stone walled train station received four or five trains per day. The end of the line. Dr. Benjamin pondered what the scene must have been like when James’s train arrived back in July with his family waiting, and he failed to disembark. Tragic.

A security fence blocked access to the tracks for a few hundred yards but it was simple to walk to the end of the fence and up onto the tracks. Walking was easy after that. It was only a mile or two to the next train station, Georgemas, where James was last confirmed to be on the train. Dr. Benjamin resolved to walk the whole line. Why not?

It did not take long at all, and the Mathematics professor was walking into the Scottish countryside, with the magnificent River Thurso on his left. A gorgeous fall day for a walk it was. As he hiked along the rails further and further from the town he kept his eyes peeled. Could he possibly notice something? What on Earth had happened to James?

If he had fallen from the train, someone would have found him. He couldn’t have been kidnapped or run away since the conductor was sure that he had seen James, the stop just before Thurso. The train itself was searched thoroughly so he definitely was not left somewhere on the train. What had happened?

Presently the route of the train tracks approached a bend in the river where two fly fishermen were casting their lines. Dr. Benjamin needed a break anyway so he slid down the gravel embankment onto the grassy bank of the placid river.

“Good afternoon gentlemen,” began Dr. Benjamin. “How is the fishing?”

“Nothing so far today, but my partner landed a fine doe yesterday morning!” replied the fishermen, clad in chest waders and a fly fishing vest of some quality.

“A salmon then!” returned Dr. Benjamin. “Is this a salmon river?”

“Indeed it is sir!” responded the fisherman. “You're a new visitor to Thurso, I imagine. What brings you to our fine town?”

“I am a friend of James Blair’s family,” replied the Mathematician. “I just had to walk the train line for myself to see if I could find something.”

“Ah, indeed,” interjected the second man, as he paused in his fly casting to join the conversation. “Such a sad case that one. I wonder whatever happened to the boy? My son knew him. It’s said that he disappeared from the train quite close to here.”

All three men nodded thoughtfully, and the two fly fishermen got back to casting. There wasn’t much more to be said.

Dr. Benjamin thanked the men for their time and climbed back up to the railroad tracks. This really was a ridiculous long shot, but he was determined to carry on, even if he had to walk all the way to Georgemas. He could call a taxi cab from there if need be. The day was pleasant, and the countryside serene. He even noticed a couple of Atlantic salmon come to the surface of the River Thurso about a kilometer upstream of the two fishermen. It was the first time he had ever seen such fish in person.

Dr. Benjamin was about halfway to the Georgemas station when he heard an odd sound from behind him on the train tracks. He had just passed that spot and had noticed nothing out of the ordinary but when he turned back to look he was surprised to see a cascade of green sparks fill the air above the rail lines. That was extremely odd, being that this was not an electrified train line. A crouching figure was visible as the smoke from the sparks cleared. Was that someone setting off a firework?

Dr. Benjamin walked back towards the disturbance, and tried to comprehend just what he was seeing. It was a man, dressed in camouflage green robes. He was getting to his feet from a kneeling position and appeared disoriented. As Arnold Benjamin approached there was a look of recognition on the young man’s face. There could be no doubt. It was James.

The holder of the Lucasian Chair of Mathematics was overwhelmed with the sight. How could this possibly be real? And yet it was. He walked up to James, who by this time seemed to be coming to his senses.

“Dr. Blair, I presume,” commented the Professor.

James was home.