The Perfect Husband (#wattys 2015)

9

''Hi, I'm here for Gloria Franco. She is my mother-in-law; I was told she had a heart attack.''

''Yes, she is in room 305. All you need to do is take the elevator up to the third floor and she will be in the room at the end of the hall.''

Elena smiled her thanks to the woman and followed her instructions.

When she got to the room, Robert was there, half asleep in the chair beside his wife.

He cleared his throat after Elena entered the room and stood up.

''I'm glad you are here.''

''How is she doing?'' Elena asked.

''Better that I thought, the doctors said she had a minor heart attack and she be ok by tomorrow.''

Elena let out a breath.

''I guess that's the only good news for the week.''

''We never really got to do much talking about the situation, all you and the wife did was cry.''

''There was nothing else to do, I feel broken Robert. Malik is my everything and I can't believe he's gone just like that.''

Robert rested his hand on her shoulder.

''I'm sure something will come up soon.''

But Elena wasn't, she was slowly accepting the fact that Malik might be dead.

It was coming into the second week since he left home, and they still hadn't found or heard a thing about him.

After staying for another hour or so just talking to her father-in-law, Elena told him to call her.

When she got home, Elena went through Malik's things. First she searched through his drawers, but all she found were old receipts, birthday cards and Christmas cards, parking tickets, flight tickets and that was it.

Elena sighed out, just as she was about to search through their separate closet the doorbell rang, and she made her way down the stairs.

"Detective," Elena greeted stepping aside.

Harrison let out a heavy sigh and Elena knew that she would be getting some bad news.

"I am sorry to tell you this Mrs. Fra-- Perry, but they found Mr. Franco's body near North Dakota-''

''What?'' She cut him off.

''I'm sorry to tell you this ma'am, but he was found at a truck stop. Whoever... he was forced into a drain. He had his neck broken and multiple stab wounds, his wrist was also slashed and a few of his ribs broken." Harrison said. ''They suspect he was robbed before beaten.''

Elena looked at him in shock.

"His body will be arriving tomorrow, and we would like it if you could come in to identify it and to make sure that it really is him." He finished.

Elena let out a cry then fell forward; Harrison caught her then walked her to the sofa.

"This can't be happening." Elena cried shaking her head.

"That's not Malik, he can't be dead." She sobbed, hugging her body.

''I'm sorry Mrs. Perry.''

''Are you?''

Elena shook her head.

''You came in here with this news, you... get out of my house.''

''I'm sorry again. I never liked delivering these type of news to people but-''

''I said to get out!'' Elena yelled at him.

Harrison didn't seem to know what to do with his hands, but he left before things could escalate.

Elena curled herself into a ball and cried, trying to accept the fact that her husband was dead.

She didn't want to break this news to his parents, afraid that Robert might be the one to go into cardiac arrest this time.

''Why?'' Elena cried and stared blankly at the ceiling.