The Links collection is the correct field. Each individual Link has an
Item property that returns a linked contact, if one exists.
What Outlook version are you working with?

Outlook 2003 Sp2. The problem is that the linked contact doesn't exist, yet
there has to be an identifier other than the Item.name, otherwise, how would
Outlook know to group them correctly?

Example

I have a list of tasks for a contact going back for years. During that time,
the contact name has changed multiple times. If I click on the contact field
in one of the tasks that was linked prior to the name changing, it gives me
an error message about it not existing. How does Outlook know to group that
Task with that contact on the activity tab after all of the name changes?
There has to be some sort of GUID or unique identifier because it isn't the
link.item.name any longer.

TIA

Matt