Bumble Street.

Peering at her old television in the corner of her cluttered lounge room. Elke peered in horror. From the moment she had woken, Elke peered in horror. From the moment she had woken, her Saturday had gone pear-shaped. Elke had turned to kiss her handsome husband, Everard. She woke up daily, still amazed that this blond surfer had married her at all. She did undersell her good qualities, her talents. Their personalities were completely different. Elke was a quiet, meditative and spiritual soul. She had evolved from her rigid, religious influences to develop her own faith as Goodly Town's resident cosmic and mystic medium. Everard, on the other hand, was an archetype of a muscular, fit beach addict, party animal by night, early,morning jogger, and wannabe number one surfing champion.

But this morning, before the morning light. Everard refused Elke's Elke's loving kiss, saying, "I want a divorce! You don't me love anymore!"

Elke had managed to mutter, " No way! What for? Last night you said you loved me! Have you met someone?"

"You're impossible! I'm going to the Surf Carnival!" With that, Everard slammed every door in their home, before roaring off in his vintage restored car. By day, he was a mechanic rev head, after all. Elke had made herself a cup of her chai decaffeinated latte, then sat staring at the back of the registration line-up. Everard did not appear upset like she was. He stood there, right in front of a dark cave opening in front of the towering sand dunes. He seemed calm, bulging strong arms folded in front of him. Suddenly, scarily, two ghostly and strange white arms emanated from the gloom, grabbed Everard and hauled him into the cavern.

This was her worst nightmare she was confronting. Everard had disappeared. Elke did not know whether she should visit the beach. She knew the officials would not let her near the contestants. She just knew time was of the essence. Trying not to panic, she rapidly showered, dressed in a simple summer frock, and tied her blonde curls into some sort of scraggly ponytail. Deciding to wait till 9 am, she thought she was going to phone the media switchboard, so they could page Everard and his surfer buddies.

Elke started to phone him and his pals. But the only response she got was, "This number is not accepting is not accepting calls." Obviously, their phones were switched off. Becoming world champion surfers was far more important than this perilous situation. Dithering, Elke rang around, asking any friend she could see on the Goodly Town beach to check the cave. She just knew she would never be able to buy a ticket at this stage of a nationally rated event. She would wait until the competitors had their noon break for muscle men snacks. That was so last night when Everard's unsuspecting and dutiful wife had prepared him a protein rich lunch. Now he had vanished. She did wonder if his lunch had disappeared too through this portal to a parallel sphere in the universe.

By 1 pm, Elke had found no information about these ghosts in the cave in the sand dunes, so that was that. It was her obligation to report this strange mystery to the Bumble St Missing Person's Unit, on the far side of Goodly Town. She drove there in her neat, sweet little lady's car, air conditioning flat chat, her nerves churning. She was determined to throw her charms on the mercy of the first policeman she met there, to bring her husband back from the beyond the between.

But when she entered the faded, jaded decor of the cop shop, there were no police personnel. An empty waiting room for concerned citizens held only one chair, uncomfortable. Elke sat, no one was there. She had nothing to eat, only a bottle of water.

Elke was waiting. She tried not to sip too much liquid as she did not know where the loo was. Waited, waited, mystified. Exploring, she did find a buzzer to press, but that brought no response. The whole town just knew their cop shops were underfunded, understaffed, places, where no one wanted to be a recruit. Everyone in the seaside 'hood just knew they had to keep themselves safe, because their police force took a while, times were tough.

The hours went rolling by, slowly. Finally, Elke was relieved when the inner door swung open, and an attractive Detective appeared.

"Grayson here. Will this take long? My fries are getting cold." Detective Grayson totally had his priorities sorted. Elke silently wondered if this task force needed some receptionist manners, expressing any genuine interest for the queries of concerned citizens of Goodly Town. Despite Elke's latest holistic fad for holistic macro foods, the waft his burgers and fries was enticing. His age-appropriate gooey eyes were a bit tempting. He smiled and handed her a bucket of chips, "Got a spare for you!"

Unfortunately, Elke did not realize that Grayson did not exactly float any boat as a detective. In fact, he was quite defective, the very worst cop in their home state. That was why he had been assigned to desk duties, as he never successfully solved a case for Bumble St. police force. But after salving his starving hunger, he did say, "How can I help you today?"

Elke spoke clearly, telling all her cares to the to the Detective.

"My husband was registering for the surfing contest this morning. He drove off in a bad mood because he said I don't love him, and he wanted a divorce. I was watching him at the beach on TV, and he has disappeared. Two white alien ghosts grabbed him, and taken him through the cave to a mystery dimension."

Detective Grayson demanded to know, " Lady, are you on drugs?"

Elke stumbled through the routine questions about her ID, Everard's ID, her credentials and address, phone number. She looked at her own phone, and shared her husband's photo with Grayson. The Detective took a good look long at the photo. Grayson might never have solved a case, but he had learnt one basic fact in Bumble St.

"Elke, call me Al. I do not know this. So does every officer in Missing Persons. A missing husband does not want his wife to find him. He won't be single for long. He's probably got a new phone by now."

"Come with me. I have an idea. I can find him before this night is through. I do know where all the bad boys go this time of a night in Goodly Town."

The Detective guided her to her squad car, and headed to the really worst area, where all the thrill seekers drank and played with ladies of the night.

Cosmic Elke reluctantly followed Det. Al Grayson into the feature show, starring the luscious Miss Sassy. The strip tease joint centered around both females, and a row of dancing male strippers. Their main role tonight was danced by Everard. He had abandoned his other workplace, to explore some masculine fantasies he was displaying with Miss Sassy.

Al Grayson marched off, right onto the stage, showing his police badge, yelling,

"Right you, your can hoodwink some folk, but not the Goodly Town police. Come here and explain yourself to your wife."

Everard started blustering, refusing to admit any misbehaving. He was in the wrong. Elke suddenly became lovely, welcoming wife. She had good reason.

"You're not an excuse for a coward, gutless." Detective yelled at him,'"You're no good at being a male stripper. Miss Sassy can have you."

Turning to Elke, he asked, "Was he any good as a surfer?"

Elke replied, " No, he was useless at that too!"

"He's no good as a husband either. You need to get a divorce. Come on. I'll drive you home, far away from him."

"No.... " Cosmic Elke protested, "I'm catching a taxi. She had developed trust issue with males.

"Okay," Grayson replied, turning to Everard, "You're funding all her taxis, right now. I''ll have more than a word in your shell -like brain if you don't. Empty your wallet!"

"I''ll take you the taxi rank. This bar is definitely not a gym."

Grayson was very full of himself. For once, he had successfully solved his investigative case.

He took Elke's hand, waiting for her taxi with her, telling her,

"You can do better than that. You won't be single for long. It is your right to choose to put that past behind you, focus on the future."

Elke did not know. Then he continued, "I have now decided to resign.I do not really like police work. My family expect me to follow their ambitions." He threw his badge far away.

Elke was intrigued, "What will you do next?"

Al Grayson answered, "The future is a mystery for everyone. We must hope for the best in an open book. I have your contact details too. I shall let you know."

Elke returned home, resolved to seek litigation proceedings for the future very unfriendly divorce. She did not worry if big Al Grayson would let her know. Cosmic mystic mediums like Elke just know.