Neighbors

Chapter Seventeen, Missing

I keep trying to reach Chris while we take the kids to Aria’s. “Anything?” I shake my head and look in the back to see both Jamie and TayTay have fallen asleep. “Were here.” I nod and go around to the back to get TayTay out. “Hey, sorry…where’s Chris?” I start to cry as I hand Aria the baby. “Quinn?” I shake my head. “I don’t know Aria he’s…missing.” Aria stares at me in shock. “What?” I stifle back sobs. “I don’t know…he just disappeared and he won’t answer my calls.” “I’m sure he’s fine maybe he’s doing something special for you?” I shake my head. “I don’t think so, something dosen’t fell right. Aria I’m scared.” Aria sifts TayTay to her him and hugs me. “He’ll be ok.” I hear Jamie’s footsteps come up beside me. “Hey Mommy!” He hugs Aria then looks at me. “What’s wrong Aunt Quinn?” I wipe my tears. “Nothing buddy, I had so much fun!” I crouch down on his level and give him a hug. “Tell Uncle Chris I said I had fun. Love you Aunt Quinn.” I kiss his head trying to hold back tears. “Love you too buddy.” I stand and he takes off inside. “He’ll be ok Quinn, call me with news alright?” I nod. “Ok, love you.” I hug her and kiss TayTay’s hand. “Love you too.” I walk back to Peyton’s car. “You alright?” I shake my head. “No, take me to the police station.” She nods and we drive in silence to the police station. I run inside with Peyton trailing behind me. “I need to file a missing persons report.” The officer looks up from his laptop. “Alright, how long has said person been missing?” “An hour or less.” The officer stops typing and shakes his head. “Ma’am we can’t file a report that soon, come back if said person has been missing for twenty-four hours…or if you get a ransom call. I’m sure said person will return.” I shake my head. “No, he dosen’t just disappear randomly, I promise you something is wrong.” “Has this person ever done something like this before? Does said person have any mental issues?” I shake my head. “No to both.” The officer sighs. “Ma’am there is nothing I can do for you.” Peyton comes up beside me. “Do you know officer Cole?” The officer turns his head to her. “Yes, why?” “Because that is my boyfriend and he knows the guy were talking about.” “Ok…he can’t do anything for you either. He’s not even technically in service yet he’s still a rockie therefore he has no say in this.” “I don’t care! I’m telling you my boyfriend would never do this!” The officer sighs again and looks from me to Peyton. “Alright fine I’ll see what I can do, give me a second.” He stands and walks into another room he comes back a few minutes later with another officer except this one is wearing a suite. “Ma’am, are you a hunder percent sure your boyfriend would never and I mean never do anything like this?” I nod. “Yes sir he would never especially not while watching my nephew.” The man looks at me. “He was watching a child?” I nod. “Is the child missing?” “No, he was chasing the child when he suddenly disapereard I searched the whole park for him and our car, I’ve called so much his voicemail box is full.” The man nods. “Alright, follow me. Officer get her some coffee and have her friend comfortable in the waiting room.” The officer nods and leads Peyton to another room while I follow the man. I sit down and he takes a seat on the other side of his desk. “Ok so how long exactly has your boyfriend been missing?” I look at my phone. “An hour and some odd minutes if I had to guess I’d say an hour and ten to fifteen minutes.” The man nods. “Ok, what’s your name?” “Quinn James.” He nods and types. “Alight Ms. James my name is Dectecive Brown, you can call me Lucas though.” I nod. “Alright what is your boyfriends name, age, job, family, and birthdate.” “Chris Keller, twenty-six, photographer, none besides an aunt and possibly a grandmother, one-six-ninety-six.” Lucas types away on his laptop and then looks back at me. “Ok, so I don’t have him on record so I assume he’s never been in the system?” I nod. “No.” He types again. “How long have you been with Chris, Ms. James?” “Almost three weeks.” He types again. “He’s never done this before, or talked about doing something like this? No trauma or ptsd?” I shake my head. “He does have truama from when he was a teenager..but not something that would caus ehim to run off.” He types again. “Ok, what is this trauma?” “When he was seventeen he, and his two siblings and parents were involved in a crash his father died on scene, his Mother was diagnosed brain dead at the hostpital, his sister was put in a coma and after a year he decided to pull the plug, his brother lived through the crash with only one leg but joined the army and died a year later.” Lucas types all this and then turns back to me. “Was he injured? Maybe a brain issue?” I shake my head. “He was sliced by glass which later caused a long scar on his side, but no other serious things.” He types. “Ok, can you think of anyone who might want to hurt Chris? Or maybe even just scare him?” I think. “Not that I know of, he is an amazingly caring person everyone that meets him wants to be friends with him.” Lucas types this. “And what about you Ms. James, anyone that might want to hurt Chris to hurt you?” I think. “My Father and I do not speak and only once have we spoken since I’ve been an adult, my Mother is in jail another than that I can’t think of anyone that has had issues with me.” Lucas types this. “Ok, and Ms. James where were you in the timing your boyfriend went missing?” I sigh. “I was at the park with him, I was sitting on the swing with my niece.” He types this. “And can she back this up?” I shake my head. “Not unless newborns can speak. My nephew was with Chris more recently than I was.” He types this. “I know that was a horrible question, I hate to ask it but it’s part of the job. I know from my cops intuition that you did not hurt or harm your boyfriend. But the problem is I don’t know who did, or where he is.” “Neither do I, but please find him. I know there’s really not much to go off of but please he’s an amazing person who I love deeply and I can’t imiagion…” I start to cry and he hands me a tissue. “Ms. James I am going to do everything in my power to find your boyfriend and bring him back safe and sound.” I nod. “Thank you.” He smiles. “I know this sounds impossible but all you can do right now is go home and wait.” I sigh. “I will need a number for both you and your boyfriend.” I nod and give him both our numbers. “Ok, thank you Ms. James. I will call as soon as I find anything.” I nod and head out to get Peyton. “Ready?” I nod. We drive to my place with only the sound of me crying to fill the car. “Do you want me to come in with you?” I notice that we are already at my place. “No. I’ll be fine.” “Ok, love you call me.” “love you.” I climb out and head for my apartment I sit on the couch and think about who would want to hurt Chris. It gets me nowhere though because there isn’t one single person I can come up with. I hear the door open and realize I forgot to lock it I reach in my purse and grab pepper spray luckily I see that it’s just Owen before I spray. “Woah, sorry I didn’t mean to scare you.” I nod and sit back down. “You ok? You seem tense.” He sits beside me and I fall apart he freezes at first then holds me. “Want me to go get Chris?” I start to cry even more. “Quinn?” He pulls me back and looks at me curiously. “What’s going on?” “It’s Chris Owen, he’s missing…it’s not good.” Owen stares at me in shock. “What?” I nod. “Since when??” “I don’t know sometime this morning at the park.” He looks around neverosuly. “Owen? What aren’t you telling me?” He shakes his head and sighs. “Oh Quinn…I think something terrible has happened.” I stare at him. “What do you mean? Tell me everything you know.” Owen takes a deep breathe and then begins. “A few days ago someone reached out and asked Chris to take some pictures and they’d pay a high price but he wasn’t allowed to tell anyone where he was going or that he was going to do them. I told him it sounded off but he really wanted to make that money he wanted to start saving up to give you everything you could ever want. Then yesterday morning he got a call saying he was going to pay for telling me about the gig. He freaked out when he realized somehow they had been listening to him and he told the guy to leave him alone. The guy showed up while we were packing and threatened to hurt people Chris cares about. He started aiming for points and then he said what about your pretty girl? I could kill her easily. Chris got really fired up and punched the guy I saw it happen and so did Cole. I pulled Chris back while Cole made the guy leave…but Quinn ever since yesterday morning Chris told me he had a weird feeling he was being watched. I think that guy took Chris. And if he did there’s no telling what he’s gonna do or what he has already done.” I feel like I’m going to stop breathing any minute now and I can’t do anything but sit frozen in place. “Quinn?” Owen shakes me gently but I have no reaction. “QUINN!” I snap out of it and then fall to the floor and cry. Owen holds me mumbling it’s his fault when my phone starts to ring. “Hello?” “Ms. James, it’s Lucas. We need you to come to the station.” My hand shakes while holding the phone. “Why?” There's a pause. “Ms. James, we found a body that matches your description. We need you to come identify him.” I shake wildly and stand. “Ok.” I hang up and grab my purse. “Where are you going?” I keep walking past Owen and out the door till I’m in my car and driving to the station. I drive slowly all the way there. “Hello, I’m Ms. James…I’m here to see Detective Brown.” The officer looks up and gives me a sympathetic look. “Take a left and follow the sign that says Morgue.” I nod and do as he told me I open the door and see Lucas and a younger looking woman. “Ms. James.. I’ll give you a moment.” He and the woman walk out. I walk over to the table and slowly lift the sheet covering the head. I fall against the cabinet crying.