There is also the idea that if you add the extra field to the third table but DO NOT add a permanent relationship, you can build a query using the query design grid. When you drop the first and third tables into the graphics area above the query grid, you can draw a TEMPORARY relationship that avoids the confusion of having that 2nd table in the way. That way you could avoid having a permanent anomalous relationship that would be caused by having both a direct and an indirect path from table 1 to table 3.