Missing Like You

FIFTY-TWO

DETECTIVE GABE GIBBONS
FRIDAY JUNE 24, 2022

I was so convinced that she was murdered by her husband that it made me blind to any other possibilities. I think back now, wondering what else I could have missed. Now we know one thing for certain: these two cases are definitely connected. But I'm still unsure how to make sense of it all. I'm willing to bet Alexandra was not their dog-walker. And in that case, the only other logical explanation would be that they were having an affair, Scott and Alexandra.

Did Mark somehow find out? If he knew, then why didn't he say anything? This leads me to believe the husband did not know of the affair.

I truly believed this was an isolated incident. I was so dead-set in my ways to believe a certain theory – that Mark was responsible for her disappearance – and now, that entire theory is being thrown out the window.

I don't know what to make of this discovery. Mark's wife went missing, and now Scott's wife is missing. What happened to Alexandra, and what happened to Isabelle? There are now an abundance of questions to add to my ever-growing list and I have no idea how to answer any of them. The two people who do have answers, however, are Scott and Mark. I'll start with Scott.

I head over to his house. The news vans still swarm the street, reporters still posted outside, waiting for answers they'll probably never get. I push my way through and knock on the door. A few minutes later, Scott appears at the window. He opens the door once he sees it's me.

"Any news?"
"We need to talk. Kitchen?"
He seems hesitant, fearful of the words I need to say. He nods and we walk through the house and take a seat at the kitchen table. I study his facial expressions, trying to see if there's a crack, anything out of the ordinary.
"What is it?" he says to me. "Did you find something?"
"I did, actually."
He stares at me, awaiting my response.
"I'm going to ask you a question and I need you to answer it honestly. Think you can do that for me?"
"Of course."
"Good." I clear my throat. "Did you know Alexandra Chambers?"
He continues staring at me, but something has changed. His face falters, only slightly, but just enough for me to know.
After a moment of silent deliberation, he says, "How did you find out?"
"Were you having an affair?"
He waits a beat. "Yes."
I remove the phone records from my brief case and slide them across the table. He picks it up and scans the page.
"Those belong to Alexandra," I tell him. "Incoming and outgoing calls, to your phone number."
He puts the piece of paper back down on the table and looks at me. He's awfully composed for someone who's just been caught. "What do you want to know?"
"When did it start?"
"February of last year."
"When did it end?"
He hesitates. "June, July-ish."
"Who broke things off?"
"It was a mutual decision. We both agreed it would be best not to see each other anymore. We both had spouses."
"So you knew she was married," I say, a statement, not a question. "And she knew you were as well."
"Yes."
"How did the two of you meet?"
"Lenora Valentine."
"Ah," I say, nodding my head. Makes sense. If there's any reason for someone to cheat, it's Lenora Valentine. "And may I just ask you this, Mr. Donovan. Why is it that you failed to mention this to me or anyone else on the taskforce in the week since your wife has disappeared."
"I didn't think it was relevant. It's not relevant."
"Alexandra Chambers went missing last year and was never found. Now your wife has gone missing and is nowhere to be found. You're telling me that doesn't strike you as odd?"
"Women go missing all the time. I don't see how there's a connection."
"You want to know what the connection is?" I pause. "You. You're the connection, Scott. You were having a relationship with a woman who subsequently went missing, and then your own wife goes missing."
"I know how it looks, but I didn't do anything to either of them. Lexie or Isabelle."
"So where'd they go?"
"I don't know."
"This is the affair that Kate was talking about, wasn't it? Alexandra was the reason for your separation?"
"Yes," he remains completely stoic as he relays this information. "Isabelle found out about the affair. But at this point it had already ended. Things were over between Lexie and me. Isabelle and I tried to make it work for a while, but she couldn't live with it anymore. That's why she moved out. That's why we're no longer together."
I sit back and process this information. "And you said things ended between the two of you in June or July. When did Isabelle find out?"
"A few months later."
"How did she find out?"
"I told her," he says. "It had been eating away at me for months. I was guilt-ridden. So I told her the truth. Do I regret? Sort of. But I can't go back and change how things turned out. I just have to live with my mistakes."
I stare at him. "You were interviewed during the investigation last year. An officer came around to speak with you, is that correct?"
"Yes. They had made the connection back then. In the phone records."
"You lied," I say, matter-of-fact. "You told them she was your dog-walker."
"Did you expect me to tell them that I was having an affair with a married woman who then went missing? I would incriminate myself. I didn't have any other choice."
"You can tell that to the jury," I say, then stand. "Is there anything else you'd like to tell me? Any other details you failed to mention? Because trust me, Donovan – I will find out."
"No, I've told you everything," he stands as well so that we're face to face. "I know how this may look. But I had nothing to do with Lexie's disappearance. I have absolutely no idea what happened to her after we stopped seeing each other. And my wife? I haven't the slightest idea where she is. But I know one thing's for certain, and that is that somebody took her. I need you to find her. You need to find Isabelle. Before it's too late."

______

After leaving Scott's house, I get in my car and drive over to the residence of Mark Chambers. I know his address off by heart. Memorized it after it became a frequent destination of mine during the investigation last year.

As much as I'm trying to remain clear-minded and focused, I can't help but scold myself. I'm supposed to be a fucking detective. How did I miss this? How did I let this colossal lead slip right by me? I was so arrogant and determined that it made me lose sight of the investigation. I was so focused on pinning this on Mark and finding enough evidence to create a court case that I let everything else slip right through the cracks. I don't know if Scott is telling the truth or not, whether he had any involvement with Alexandra's disappearance. But God help me if he did and I missed it... I'll never be able to live that down.

I pull up out front of Mark's house. His car is not in the driveway, but I head to the front door regardless and ring the doorbell, then knock a few times. I give it a few minutes, watching, waiting. No response. He's not home.

I drive over to his work. He owns the accounting firm, Chambers LLP. I park the car and head into the front, directly to reception. A petite red-head is working the desk. She looks up, pleasant and smiling, ready to be of assistance.

Before she can even open her mouth, I say, "Is Mark Chambers here?"
Her face changes slightly, her eyebrows furrowed. "He's not in at the moment. Can I take a message?"
"When will he be in?"
"I'm not sure."
"How can I get a hold of him?"
"I can give you his cell if you'd like?"
"I've already tried it," I tell her. "No answer. When is he supposed to be in next?"
She stares at me, thick dark lashes above hazel doe eyes. "I'm not sure when he'll be back, I'm afraid. Mr. Chambers is currently on a leave of absence."
"Leave of absence?" I repeat. "Since when?"
She thinks about this for a moment. Then she says, "Last Friday."

Last Friday. June seventeenth.

The day Isabelle Donovan went missing.