Missing Like You

THIRTY-NINE

DETECTIVE GABE GIBBONS
FRIDAY JUNE 24, 2022

I tell him it was a pocket dial, then hang up immediately.

Holy hell. Holy hell. I call Rylie into my office right away. She enters as I'm pacing back and forth across the room, raking my hands through my hair.

"What the hell's the matter with you?"
I snap my head up and look at her. I can barely get the words out. I don't even know where to begin or how to start. "Alexandra Chambers," I spit out.
She eyes me, slowly closing the door behind her and walking towards my desk. "What about her?"
I take in a breath. "Who do you think did it?"
"We've already been over this," she says, then glances down at my desk and sees the paperwork sprawled out. "Gabe... Are you tormenting yourself again? We put it to rest a year ago."
"Listen," I walk forwards so I'm standing in front of her. "There might be a connection. To the Donovan case. But first tell me – what do you think happened to Alexandra Chambers?"
She studies my face. "I think the husband did it."
"Okay. We're on the same page. But she didn't run away?"
"She definitely didn't run away."
I nod, grabbing the paperwork. I hold it up and show her. "See this?" I say. "This number from Alexandra's phone records was highlighted. It only appears a few times, so I guess it didn't stand out as conspicuous. Would you like to take a wild guess on who this number belongs to?"
"Enlighten me."
"Scott Donovan."
"What?" She grabs the paper from me and looks it over herself. "How can this be?"
"Alexandra and Scott must have known each other. They must have been acquainted in some way. But how? And why did no one make this connection earlier? Why was he not flagged and interviewed during the investigation last year?"
"Who in the department would have dealt with this?"
I think about this, racking my brain on who worked the case last year. Then it comes to me. "It would have been either Summers or O'Connor."
"Call them both in here. Now."
I send them an urgent 911 page to my office. They arrive within five minutes. Avery Summers and Brad O'Connor, both worked the Chambers' case along with me and a handful of others. I go over everything I've just told Rylie, then ask them the most pressing question in the room: Who was the one responsible for following up on the calls in her phone records?
"That would have been me," Brad says. "I think I recall this one. We traced the number back to him and I went over to pay him a visit. Forgive me if I'm wrong – I'd have to reference my notes from that time – but I'm pretty sure he told us that Alexandra was his dog-walker and that he didn't know her that well. There were only a few calls to and from his number, so it made sense. And he had an alibi for the night she went missing, so we ruled him out."
"Who was his alibi?" I ask.
Brad thinks about this for a moment. Then he says, "It was his wife. She confirmed that he was at home that night, with her, watching a movie."
I stare at him, analyzing his words. "His wife," I say aloud. "His wife was his alibi. The same wife who, if I'm not mistaken, is currently missing right now?"
His face is expressionless. He blinks once. "Well, yes. It would appear she is."