Stitch by Jaime Lewis
Chapter Fifteen
Elijah sat behind his desk, staring at Detective Russ McDonnell from the NYPD as he tried to come to terms with what the detective just explained to him. He had to have misunderstood the detective, because there was no way Mia—his Mia—was considered a missing person. He cleared his throat before leaning forward in his chair.
“Detective, are you certain we’re talking about the same Mia Chambers? A doctor with this clinic.”
“I’m afraid so. She was due at her brother’s place Thanksgiving morning but never arrived on her scheduled flight. He and other family members tried contacting her but to no avail. After twenty-four hours of no contact, they contacted the NYPD, and officers were sent to her apartment, which they found empty. Because of the holiday, it’s been hard to contact her neighbors, friends, and coworkers. That is why I’m here so early today.”
He suddenly felt as if he could be considered a suspect. In Willow’s case, yes, but he honestly had no idea where Mia could be. It was upsetting.
“If she never arrived at her brother’s, that means she’s been missing for five days now.”
“That is why the police and her family are very concerned about her well-being.”
“Well, how can I help?”
“I am hoping I can ask you a few questions.”
Elijah knew he had to be careful. As much as he was concerned about Mia, he also had to be cautious while providing any information in case the detective would be looking to lure him into a trap. On the other hand, he also couldn’t blow the police off, as that would surely send a red flag up and make them take a closer look at him.
“Sure.”
“When was the last time you saw or spoke with Dr. Chambers?”
Elijah explained about seeing her at the Fur Ball, then at work the following day. He omitted the part about her showing up at the clinic after the gala because his cousin was an irresponsible idiot.
“So, you two were on a date?” The detective questioned with a raised eyebrow.
“No, I wouldn’t consider it a date. It was a work function. I had an extra ticket to the event, and I thought that with Mia being new to the practice that it would be a great networking opportunity for her to meet some clients and other City officials.”
“Did the two of you ride together to this work function?”
“To the event, yes. I hired a car service. I left before she did; however, after the car dropped me off, it was sent back to the hotel to pick her up and take her home.” He would need to confirm that Claus contacted his friend at the car service to make sure that was the story they used if they were ever questioned.
The detective scribbled notes in his notepad before asking, “Anyone, in particular, she was networking with who paid extra attention to her during the evening?”
Elijah shrugged his shoulders. “I’ll admit, detective, Dr. Chambers is a beautiful woman. She caught the eye of a lot of men that evening.” Including himself, but the detective didn’t need to know that. “I was around her most of the evening, but I can’t say that I noticed anything out of the ordinary.”
“I see. What time did she leave the office the next day? Did you have any contact with her that day?”
“I’m not sure I’m following Detective. Am I being investigated?”
Detective McDonnell smirked. “No, we’re just trying to create a timeline of Mia’s known whereabouts. Are you aware of any clients or other staff members from the clinic who may have had a problem with Dr. Chambers?”
“None that I’m aware of. Dr. Chambers is well-liked amongst the staff.”
“Would you mind if I questioned a couple of members of your staff?” He flipped a page in notepad then looked back at Elijah. “Specifically, a Danny Nichols and Willow Marshall. They are known friends of Dr. Chambers.”
Elijah instantly felt sick. He had already informed the staff that Willow had resigned over the holiday and wouldn’t be returning. He was preparing to tell the detective the same thing, but a knock at the door interrupted him.
Before he could get up out of the chair to see who it was, the door opened, and his cousin Marlon appeared, along with Oscar and Jules. He bit the inside of his cheek, trying not to reveal his displeasure, but these three were the last people he needed in this office right now while the NYPD was questioning him.
Marlon’s eyes landed on the gold badge hanging around the detective’s neck, and his eyes widened before he looked at Elijah.
“Sorry, we thought you were free. We’ll come back later,” Marlon told Elijah, but it was too late as Detective McDonnel stood, folded his notepad, and slid it into his pocket.
“Oscar Torres,” the detective called out and Elijah watched in horror as all the blood drained from his face. Could he look any more guilty?
Detective McDonnell eyed Oscar with a questionable look while resting his hand on the butt of his gun.
“Funny meeting you here. That nose injury looks painful. Who’d you piss off to get that?”
Shit! Elijah had heard all about how the missing woman who had escaped had headbutted Oscar breaking his nose. Oscar wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed. The way he just stood there staring at the detective wasn’t doing him any justice. His behavior screamed guilt.
Thinking quickly, Elijah stepped forward, “Marlon, this is Detective McDonnell. Detective McDonnell, these three men are employees of the clinic. They help with our clients who have larger animals that require house calls, like horses and such.” He chuckled, putting on an acting job that would have won him a bloody Oscar. “Oscar, unfortunately, met his match with a young colt he was helping move last week and caught a hoof to the face.”
The detective nodded his head, but his unreadable expression was what worried Elijah. He wasn’t confident that the detective bought it.
Detective McDonnell glanced back at Oscar. “You should be more careful, but then again, I’ve heard that animals have good instincts.” He turned back toward Elijah, and Elijah swallowed hard.
“Thank you for your time, Dr. Walters. If I have any other questions, I’ll give you a call.”
“Thank you, Detective. And, again, anything I can help with, please let me know. Dr. Chambers is a valued member of this clinic, and in any way we can assist, we will.”
“Your cooperation is appreciated.”
Elijah watched as the Detective showed himself out.
“What in the hell was that all about?” Marlon asked, and Elijah explained Mia being missing.
“Shit, are you being looked at as a suspect?”
Elijah sat down and leaned back in his chair. “No, they’re just building a timeline of when she was last seen.”
“What did you tell them?”
“The truth. That she and I were at the gala together, then I saw her briefly in the office the next day. I have no fucking idea where she is.”
Elijah couldn’t help the odd feeling he got in the pit of his stomach. It wasn’t a good feeling either. He needed to watch his back. He’d put a call into Vargas, his informant he had inside the NYPD, and ask him to keep an ear out for anything related to Mia’s case. He’d also have Claus ask around town if anyone had heard or seen anything. Jesus, he didn’t need this shit right now.
◆◆◆
Once Marlon and the others left to take care of some business, Elijah tried to occupy his mind with a backlog of paperwork, but it wasn’t working. He couldn’t come to grasps that Mia was missing. Knowing the type of criminal activities that took place around the city, he couldn’t help but be worried. Mia may be independent, but she was no match for the thugs that ruled the streets.
He threw down his pen and stood up. Maybe some caffeine would help him concentrate. He picked up his coffee mug and headed to the breakroom. On the way down the hallway, he saw Danny.
“Dr. Walters, is it true that Mia is missing?”
Elijah nodded his head. “I’m afraid so Danny. Did the detective speak with you?”
“Yeah.”
“Have you had any contact with her since work last Wednesday?”
Danny shook his head. “No, but I told the detective to talk to Willow. She and Mia were supposed to go out for drinks that evening. Willow said that there was something she wanted to talk to her about, but she didn’t want to do it here at the office.”
“Really?” Elijah suddenly wondered if his instincts were right. Had Willow caught on to his underground business? Has she planned on telling Mia? He then realized he was glad that Willow had been silenced.
“Mia and I were just talking about this last week, but have you noticed a change in Willow the last few weeks?” Danny asked Elijah.
Elijah lied, not wanting to draw any attention to himself for Willow’s sudden resignation or disappearance.
“No, but I haven’t really had much interaction with her. I will say that her sudden resignation caught me off guard over the weekend. She was a great employee.”
“Mia noticed a change in her too. Actually, now that I think of it, Willow had given Mia an envelope but instructed her not to open it until they spoke that night.”
Elijah’s hairs stood on end, and he wondered what had been in that envelope that was so important that Willow had to discuss it with Mia outside the office. Could the mystery envelope still be at Mia’s apartment?
Elijah played it off. “Who knows.”
“Well, maybe Willow can give the detective more information. I gave the detective her phone number since she no longer works here. He wanted to speak with her.”
He could only cover up Willow’s disappearance for so long before someone started questioning her whereabouts as well. At least where Willow was concerned, she didn’t have any family.
Elijah nodded his head. “Let’s hope for the best and that we hear some positive news about Mia.”
Once Elijah got back to his office, he closed the door, then picked up his phone and dialed Claus’ number. He needed to make sure that there was no way anyone could trace Willow’s disappearance back to him, and he needed to know what was in that envelope Willow gave to Mia.
“Hello.”
“We may have a situation. I need you to do some investigating.”
