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I shrugged, my fingers fiddling with the stem of my wine glass. I could feel the wine now and knew this would have to be my last glass of the night if I wanted to be able to work the next day.
"The husband would be my first choice," I said, "but that's just a guess. We need to dig deeper into her relationships before we can say anything real. I think we should also try to track down anyone else who might know something: friends, family, coworkers… even neighbors. Maybe someone knows something that could help us. We should also go back to Rachel's house tomorrow to see if we’ve missed anything. And I definitely want to talk to the sister and the mother."
Matt finished his beer and stood up. "Sounds like we have a busy day tomorrow. Guess we won't get anything done around the house again." He said the last part with a deep exhale. I knew exactly how he felt. But this was more important.
"It can wait," I said. "It's not going anywhere."
"I know. It's just…."
"Annoying, I know. To be living in this mess."
"And I really want to finish Elijah's room so he can move out of the nursery where he’s sleeping with Angel."
"I know. It can't be fun being a pre-teen sleeping with a toddler. It's not sustainable—that's for sure, even though he has been such a great sport about it. I haven’t heard him complain at all. That's really something. If it had been one of my teenagers, they wouldn’t have been able to stop whining about it, driving me nuts."
"Yeah, he's a good boy," Matt said proudly.
He smiled. I was so happy having him on this case and by my side again. I really loved him. I couldn't believe it had taken me so many years to finally admit it to myself. He was my soulmate—my one and only.
"It's getting late," he said and yawned. "Let's get some rest and tackle this again tomorrow."
I nodded and followed him up the stairs to our bedroom. As we got ready for bed, I couldn't help but wonder what other surprises this case held. Would we ever discover what happened to Rachel, or would it remain a mystery forever? I knew it would haunt me for years to come if I couldn't figure it out. But I simply had to—for her children’s sake. For Thomas.
Sleep eventually claimed me, but before it did, my mind still raced with possibilities and questions.
Chapter6
Matt and I got out of the car, squinting into the glowing orange sky. A warm breeze rustled through the trees, carrying the faint smell of blooming gardenia. As we approached the house, an image came into view—two figures standing on the porch, waiting for us.
Kyla Johnson stepped forward, her hands shaking as she held up a picture of her missing sister. Her voice quivered as she said, "Please, you need to understand why this is so important to us."
Tears formed in her eyes.
The mother, Madeleine Johnson, then approached us and said, "My daughter has three children, two of them just toddlers. Their father is dangerous; he could… he could have…." She stopped mid-sentence, unable to finish the thought.
I felt my heart heavy with dread as Matt and I exchanged glances and went inside the house. As we entered, the musty scent of old furniture and decaying wood filled my nostrils. Madeleine Johnson led us to the living room, where we sat on a worn-out couch. The room was dimly lit, the shutters closed to keep out the sun and heat, and the only light source came from a lamp on a side table. On the wall hung a fedora hat behind glass. I looked at it, and Madeleine saw me.
“It’s an original,” she said with pride. “Michael Jackson autographed it inside. I never take it out.”
“I take it you’re a fan,” I said, trying to ease the mood slightly and make them comfortable.
“Yes.”
Matt cleared his throat before he began to speak. "I assume that you know we’re here because we need to gather as much information as possible about the disappearance of your daughter, Rachel. I know you’ve been over this before, but we need to hear it again. When was the last time you saw her? When did you realize she was missing?"
The mother's eyes filled with tears as she spoke. "It was a week ago. We had dinner. I was supposed to babysit on the night she disappeared, but she hadn't told me what time. She and John were going out on a date—trying to mend their broken relationship. She never told me why they were struggling, but now that I hear this… that he was cheating, it all makes more sense. He was never good for her. I know he did something; I just know it in my heart.”
Kyla placed a hand on her mother’s arm to calm her.
“Sorry, yes. You were asking about when I realized she was missing. Well, when she didn't answer my calls or texts, I knew something was wrong. I called Kyla, and she hadn't heard from her either. Rachel always texts us during the day. We're very close that way. We always keep an eye out for one another, as families do."
Kyla chimed in, "She has three children, and she'd never leave them like that. I know my sister. Something's happened to her; I know it."
Matt nodded sympathetically and pulled out a notepad and pen. "Can you give us any information about her whereabouts before she went missing? Did she mention any plans or have any enemies?"
The mother shook her head, her eyes red from crying. "She didn't have any enemies that we know of. She worked long hours at the hospital. She was always tired, but she loved her kids more than anything. She wouldn't just disappear like this."
"She bought plane tickets for the day she disappeared,” I said. "Do you know anything about her planning a trip?"
