to go, Angel. I think you’ve cleaned them out.”
“Hey!” she protested as she followed him from the small café. “Don’t be mean!” She pouted and he wrapped an arm around her.
“Just teasing, babe. At least now I know not to come between you and food.” She elbowed him, frowning when he failed to flinch.
Chapter 11
Chase led the way to the Richards’ townhouse and pressed the appropriate buzzer.
“Hello?” a harried, female voice responded.
“Mrs. Richards?” Chase leaned closer to the callbox.
“Yes?” the woman shouted over the crying in the background.
“We’re here to talk about your husband, Dr. Richards,” Chase announced, his voice radiating authority.
“Oh, thank goodness!” The woman breathed a sigh of relief. “I’ll be right down.”
Exchanging a look of surprise, Angela and Chase waited at the front door, the picture of professionalism. Minutes later, a young blonde woman, with a toddler on her hip, and wearing a stained blouse, opened the door to the brownstone. “I’m Melody, Allen’s wife. Thank God the police finally sent someone over.”
Unsure why Melody Richards needed to speak with the police, Chase simply waited for her to continue rambling. She ushered them into a messy family room and handed the sobbing toddler a bottle before setting him in a playpen. “I’ve called several times to report Allen missing, but no one would help me.”
Richards is missing? Now, why doesn’t that surprise me? Chase sighed internally and prepared to direct the conversation where he needed it to go. “When did you last see your husband, Mrs. Richards?”
“Wednesday, before he left for work. He kissed Christian and me good-bye around seven-thirty that morning. Later that evening, he called and said Abigail – that’s his mother – was sick and needed him so he wouldn’t be home. When he didn’t get in touch by noon on Thursday, I called his cell. He didn’t answer so I contacted Abigail. She said she was fine and had never even called Allen. He never showed up at her house either.” Melody’s voice rose continuously throughout her story and she finished with a wail. “Allen’s been kidnapped!”
“Did he say anything else the night he called you?” Chase prodded, even though he doubted the emotional woman had anything else to share.
“No!” she sobbed, picking up her son who had started whimpering along with her. “Someone called, pretending to be his mother and then took my husband. You will find him, won’t you?” Melody knelt in front of Chase and clutched his hand. “Please! I don’t know what we’ll do without Allen.”
“Did you notice Allen behaving differently recently?” Chase asked, shooting Angela a pleading look as he tried to extricate his hand from Melody’s grasp.
“No. He went to the office, stayed until 8:00 or 9:00 p.m., and then came home to sleep, just like always. He’s worked a lot since Christian was born.” She stood, wiped her tears away with the back of her hand, and walked to the bay window in the front of the room. “Money always seems to be tight even though he gets paid well.”
“Has anyone unexpected called since Allen disappeared?” Angela spoke for the first time.
Melody thought hard before shaking her head negatively. “No one’s called except for my friends, Abigail and my mother. Mom thinks Allen left us and wants me to come home.”
“That may be a good idea, Melody.” Angela interjected softly. “Just in case. It would be safer for you and your son.”
“Do you think so? I don’t want to abandon Allen, but if you think I’m in danger, maybe I should go visit my parents.” Melody’s lip quivered and she looked at Chase, clearly needing a male opinion.
“I agree, Melody,” he concurred quietly.
“Hey!” she protested as she followed him from the small café. “Don’t be mean!” She pouted and he wrapped an arm around her.
“Just teasing, babe. At least now I know not to come between you and food.” She elbowed him, frowning when he failed to flinch.
Chapter 11
Chase led the way to the Richards’ townhouse and pressed the appropriate buzzer.
“Hello?” a harried, female voice responded.
“Mrs. Richards?” Chase leaned closer to the callbox.
“Yes?” the woman shouted over the crying in the background.
“We’re here to talk about your husband, Dr. Richards,” Chase announced, his voice radiating authority.
“Oh, thank goodness!” The woman breathed a sigh of relief. “I’ll be right down.”
Exchanging a look of surprise, Angela and Chase waited at the front door, the picture of professionalism. Minutes later, a young blonde woman, with a toddler on her hip, and wearing a stained blouse, opened the door to the brownstone. “I’m Melody, Allen’s wife. Thank God the police finally sent someone over.”
Unsure why Melody Richards needed to speak with the police, Chase simply waited for her to continue rambling. She ushered them into a messy family room and handed the sobbing toddler a bottle before setting him in a playpen. “I’ve called several times to report Allen missing, but no one would help me.”
Richards is missing? Now, why doesn’t that surprise me? Chase sighed internally and prepared to direct the conversation where he needed it to go. “When did you last see your husband, Mrs. Richards?”
“Wednesday, before he left for work. He kissed Christian and me good-bye around seven-thirty that morning. Later that evening, he called and said Abigail – that’s his mother – was sick and needed him so he wouldn’t be home. When he didn’t get in touch by noon on Thursday, I called his cell. He didn’t answer so I contacted Abigail. She said she was fine and had never even called Allen. He never showed up at her house either.” Melody’s voice rose continuously throughout her story and she finished with a wail. “Allen’s been kidnapped!”
“Did he say anything else the night he called you?” Chase prodded, even though he doubted the emotional woman had anything else to share.
“No!” she sobbed, picking up her son who had started whimpering along with her. “Someone called, pretending to be his mother and then took my husband. You will find him, won’t you?” Melody knelt in front of Chase and clutched his hand. “Please! I don’t know what we’ll do without Allen.”
“Did you notice Allen behaving differently recently?” Chase asked, shooting Angela a pleading look as he tried to extricate his hand from Melody’s grasp.
“No. He went to the office, stayed until 8:00 or 9:00 p.m., and then came home to sleep, just like always. He’s worked a lot since Christian was born.” She stood, wiped her tears away with the back of her hand, and walked to the bay window in the front of the room. “Money always seems to be tight even though he gets paid well.”
“Has anyone unexpected called since Allen disappeared?” Angela spoke for the first time.
Melody thought hard before shaking her head negatively. “No one’s called except for my friends, Abigail and my mother. Mom thinks Allen left us and wants me to come home.”
“That may be a good idea, Melody.” Angela interjected softly. “Just in case. It would be safer for you and your son.”
“Do you think so? I don’t want to abandon Allen, but if you think I’m in danger, maybe I should go visit my parents.” Melody’s lip quivered and she looked at Chase, clearly needing a male opinion.
“I agree, Melody,” he concurred quietly.
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