Secrets of Amelia

by Andrea Anderson

  “She told me she was going to the farm for a visit,” said Shelly.

  “Yes, that was the last email I got from her. My mom said she left there and cut her visit short. When I got here, I found this letter. At first, I thought it was a Dear John letter, but, well, let me read it to you.

  My Dearest, Darling, Sweetheart…. Babe,

  I’m writing to tell you that I’m sorry. I want you to know I how very much I love you and you will always be in my heart.

  I left you the checkbook and saving accounts so that you will have something to start your new job with. I also left my engagement ring maybe you get some money for it, I couldn’t leave my wedding band, because I couldn’t make myself take it off, I never want to take it off.

  Honey, I don’t know how to tell you this…. then Chad began crying and choked reading the letter with sobs and spurts …we can never be together again.

  I’m sorry I’m trying to find a way to explain everything to you, but I’m not there yet. Please know that I love you with all my heart and soul and always will.

  I love you very much,

  Amelia.

  Chad was really sobbing uncontrollably now and put his hands over his face holding on to the letter.

  As if by instinct both Darrell and Wilson came and sat on each side of Chad, just as his brothers in his squad would if he were wounded, they each put an arm on his shoulders and tried to comfort him as he cried.

  He said through his tears, “the worse thing is how she signed it, it’s our little Secret message to each other to always sign off as your husband, or wife and she didn’t do that. She is in some kind of big trouble and so am I. We need all your help,” he said, “because I think you all know how much I love her and she still loves me to, there is something that has gone terribly wrong. I’m scared and worried about her.”

  The girls were in tears too, Shelly moved to the loveseat next to Betty, they were hugging each other, and crying, the men tried to calm Chad down.

  “When things calmed down a little, Wilson said, we can’t just sit here being sad and wondering what happened. Let’s form a plan and get the facts, when was the last time anybody heard from her. After they all thought a moment, Shelly said, I think it was 8 days ago for me.”

  “I haven’t had email from her for almost two weeks,” said Chad.

  “That’s more than enough to file a missing person report. We won’t say she left you a letter, only that you can’t find her. That will start the ball rolling and allow me to begin investigating officially. Chad and I will go down to the station and get the paperwork started. Betty you make calls to everybody you can think of that know Amelia and ask when they last saw or talked to her. Darrell you call all the construction companies in the area to see if she is working at any of them, she will have to support herself somehow since she left all her assets here. Shelly you get on the phone and call all the city’s Emergency Departments and walk-in clinics see if she has been admitted anywhere. I will check all the crime reports. The only problem with all of this is that Amelia is smart and knows we will look in all these places, try to think of what else she might want to do or anywhere she would go that is not obvious. After we file the paperwork tonight, tomorrow first thing Chad and I will go to the lab and see when she was at work last. We should also call her family at the farm Chad, and see exactly when she left there and find out anything else, they know. Chad, this will be a group effort if you all agree,” Wilson said looking around. They all nodded yes, “you know how much we all love you and Amelia, and we will find her and figure this out. Try and pull yourself together and I think you know she still loves you, there’s some crazy thing that must have happened to spook her that was bad enough to make her panic and run. Now if you agree, let’s call her family at the farm and see when they saw her last and if anything happened. If you want to, let’s call now and you could put the phone on speaker all of us will listen together and see, we might get some ideas.”

  Chad called the farm, Roger answered.

  “Roger this is Chad, how are you?”

  “I’m OK Chad, what’s wrong you sound upset.”

  “I am upset Roger; I was crying because I can’t find Amelia, I don’t know where she is. I have you on speaker. I’m at the apartment, and our friends are here trying to help. When did you see her last?”

  “My God, Amelia missing! She came here about two weeks ago. Wait a minute,” he said excitedly, “Deana, Matt come quick Chad is on the phone and he can’t find Amelia.”

  “Chad do you know Lynn showed up here at the farm and asked Deana to call to see if Amelia would come out to see her? I think she was reluctant to come because she asked Deana to have Lynn call her. Lynn called her and then she waited for a few days before she came.”

  Chad said, “She emailed me about that, she was upset and didn’t know what to do, she thought it was something she had an obligation to do. We didn’t talk about it because I was in the field with no communications.”

  Roger said, “Lynn tried to make up with her just as she did with Matt and me. Imagine that after all these years. Amelia was cordial but stayed distant. Lynn praised all of us and said that the place looked so nice and the addition was great and went on and on. Amelia went over to your mom’s the first night she was here and came back the next morning. Then the strangest thing happened, Jerry showed up. I knew something was wrong in my gut then and there, Amelia knew it too. She couldn’t stand Jerry ever since he tried to take the farm away from us. After one day, they laid it on us. Jerry tried to say that the farm belonged to Lynn because her name was on the deed and she was never reported missing or declared dead, so it was still hers. I told them that wouldn’t fly because it isn’t Lynn’s anymore. She abandoned the farm and her family. The deed is in all three of our names not hers. They wanted Amelia, Matt and me to give them what they called “settlement money of $25,000,” calling it Jerry’s share of the property. Amelia looked at them with contempt and said that we had to talk all this over and we would give them an answer the next day, you know how she gets when she has her mind made up, Chad.

  “Was Amelia upset?” Asked Chad.

  “Yeah, sure we were all upset, she wasn’t hysterical or anything, just more or less sickened by the whole fiasco. I’ll tell you that when Jerry heard that you and Amelia were married, he got enraged.”

  He said, “of all the men in the world you would have to go and marry the very one that I hate the most.”

  “Amelia got really jerked out of shape at that and defended you like a mama bear would its cub. Then she told Jerry and Lynn that we would have to talk everything over and would let them know what our decision was in the morning. After we talked it over, we pretty much decided that we wouldn’t give them anything and the next day I would give them the bums rush. Then we all went to bed and Amelia stayed up working on something on her computer.”

  “That must have been the last email I got from her, she told me about Lynn and Jerry’s asking for money and she was furious.”

  She wrote, I can’t tell you how angry I am at Lynn and Jerry. I’m livid, the nerve of them showing up here. He showed up and started making demands of us as he did before. It’s too complicated to go into now I will fill you in when you come home my sweet darling, I love you so much. Your wife, Mellie.”

  Roger asked, “did you call the police?”

  “Our friend Wilson is here he’s a detective and we are going down to make a missing person report as soon as we get off the phone.”

  “Good I forgot about Wilson being a cop, when we got up the next morning, we found a note from Amelia and she was gone, I thought that was not like her to go with saying goodbye and kissing the babies. I knew how upset she was then.”

  “What did the note say?”

  “It just said that she just had to go sooner than she expected and would go along with whatever Matt, Deana and I decide
d to do about Jerry and Lynn. She said how much she loved us and didn’t know when she would see us again. I thought maybe something was wrong and I tried to call her a couple of nights but didn’t get any answer. We were concerned so I called your mom and she said she talked to you and you would call her back and let us know if anything was wrong.”

  “What’s wrong Roger is that I don’t know where she is or what happened to make her go crazy. It sounds like something went on between her, Jerry and Lynn after you all went to bed, do you have any idea what it was?”

  “No, I don’t know what happened, come to think of it I thought I heard some shouting and then the screen door banging, I didn’t think anything of it. I will tell you that we told Jerry and Lynn we weren’t going to sign anything over and there would be no cash settlement, can you imagine he wanted $25,000? Anyway, I told them they could stay a few more days and then they would have to go. The next day Deana caught Jerry in our bedroom going through our closet. That was it for me that knocked my hat in the creek. I beat the snot out of him and kicked them both out. They didn’t say that they met up before they came here, but they sure were in cahoots. They left here together, I don’t know where they went, I didn’t care as long as they’re gone. Don’t worry Chad I got a couple of good punches in for you. I told them never to come back here again.”

  “Roger, I appreciate that, thanks for telling me all that, and thanks for the punches. I’ll call you the minute I find her, and I will find her.”

  “Let me know Chad if there’s anything we can do out here, you know how much we all love my sister. If it wasn’t for her working so hard and being so good to us, we would be one family member short. Deana is nervous about her too. Then they hear Roger say, “Don’t cry Deana, honey Chad will find her, you know how much he loves her too.” Call me as soon as you know something, we are all upset here too and Chad we love you to man.”

  “Thanks, I love you all.”

  “There it is,” said Chad, “that rotten fucker, Jerry did or said something to her and that’s what made her go crazy. If I knew he did this on purpose, when I find him, I’m going to do something very bad to him.”

  The group all agreed, Jerry with the help of Lynn were the culprits, what could it be? No one could come up with any ideas.

  “It’s getting late, Chad, we better go and file that report,” Said Wilson.

  “Yeah, one thing everybody, let’s all keep in touch with each other with group email. Update if you think of something or hear anything. Then at the end of the day I’ll do a summary of what we found out and a plan for the next day, said Wilson. “Honey,” said Wilson, “Do you want to come with us?”

  Betty stood up, Shel, Darrell and I will stay if you want us too.”

  “I think that will work, Wilson, I’ll call you later cutie,” and Shelly gave him a kiss and hugged Chad.

  Chad hugged and thanked all of them for being there and helping. They told him how much they loved him and Amelia. Chad and Wilson left for the station.

  [ Chapter 46 ]

  Wilson dropped Chad off at the apartment after they filled out the report it was late by that time. Chad didn’t bother undressing, he lay on the bed and held Amelia’s pillow close to him inhaling her scent and going over every minute of the last time they were together. He didn’t sleep very much.

  Wilson told his boss about the missing person report and asked if he could follow up on it, his boss agreed.

  Wilson picked up Chad the next morning and they were going to the lab first.

  “You look a little rough,” said Wilson, “are you OK?”

  “I didn’t sleep very well, Hell, I probably didn’t sleep at all. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her beautiful face and wondered where she is and what kind of trouble, she’s in, and I tried to think how to find her and help her.”

  “We’re heading to the lab to talk to Dr. Cosgrove. I have dealt with him on some murder cases and I like him. He is a straight shooter and doesn’t usually pull any punches.”

  At the lab, Wilson introduced Chad to Dr. Cosgrove. Wilson said he was there in an official capacity to help Chad look for Amelia.

  “Please call me Buzz everybody does. Let’s go in my office. I’m glad to meet you Chad, I feel as though I know you, Amelia talked about you all the time. Is everything alright?”

  “No, it’s not. I can’t find her.”

  “What happened?”

  “We don’t know,” said Wilson, “that’s why the police are trying to find her. When was the last time you saw her?”

  “She left work about 3 weeks ago. She came in and said she had to take a leave of absence because of a family emergency. I hated to see her go she was the best lab assistant I ever had; she did the work of two people. Always here on time and always cheerful. I miss her.”

  “Did she seem upset when she talked to you?”

  “Yes, she was upset, and I thought she might have been crying when she came out of the ladies room that day?”

  “Do you know if she had any arguments or disagreements with anyone?”

  “Not that I know of, the other lab assistant that works here always criticized her and accused her of brown nosing me when she worked hard, but I don’t think they had words.”

  “Could I talk to him, said Wilson?”

  “They are both out today, gone to a seminar on lab procedures.”

  “Buzz, anything else you remember her talking about?”

  “No, nothing unusual, she left early that day, she said was not feeling well.”

  “Thank you for taking the time to talk to us,” said Chad, “please if you hear anything or think of anything please call Wilson or me you must have the number at the apartment and here is my cell number.”

  “I will,” said Buzz, “I hope you find her soon I would love to have her back.”

  “So would I, Buzz, so would I.”

  “Buzz,” said Wilson, “call me when your lab assistants are both in and we will come back and talk with them.”

  After they left Buzz thought to himself, I’m so amazed that Chad doesn’t look anything at all like Amelia. He’s a fine-looking man although his hair, eyes or skin tone, are nothing at all like hers. He’s so tall and the bone structure of his face is so different. I must think about this.

  The next place they went was to talk with Amelia’s professors. They were all concerned about Amelia’s family emergency and asked if everything turned out all right. They wanted to know if she was coming back soon and commented on what a nice person and good student, she was but offered no clues as to where she might be.

  Chad called Mr. Grant and explained that he had a family emergency and asked if he could postpone starting work. Mr. Grant told him he understood and to keep in touch.

  Wilson dropped Chad off at the apartment and they checked his email to see if there was a message from Amelia. Chad’s cell phone rang and when he answered it and said hello, hello, no one was there. It was Amelia calling. She purchased a pre-paid cell phone and had the number blocked. She called because she was so desperate to hear his voice. When he answered she knew he returned from the mission and was probably home or on his way home. That made her nervous. I think I’m slowly losing my mind I can’t seem to think of anything or anybody except Chad.

  Amelia was working in Elaine’s flower shop mostly behind the scenes, unwrapping flower shipments, watering the plants and covering the front of the shop only when Elaine needed to go out. She froze each time she saw a man enter and usually kept her head down as if working on something. She was anxious and depressed and kept trying to think of a way to tell Chad everything with as little pain for him as possible. It was exhausting, when she wasn’t at work she went to her room at Elaine’s and cried herself to sleep.

  Roger called to see if there was any news. Chad told him he and Wilson spent the day questioning the people Amelia worked
with but did not get any clues. Two of the people she works with weren’t there, so we will go back tomorrow to see them.

  Wilson sent out a group email and told everything he and Chad discovered that day, it was not much. They each reported with replying emails that not all the leads they had were fruitful and although they knew now exactly when Amelia was last seen they still had no idea where she was.

  The next day Buzz called Wilson to say that his lab assistants would both be in if Wilson wanted to talk with them.

  Chad and Wilson went to the lab again, first they talked with Barbara. She said she had not seen Amelia for a while now because the day after Amelia got back from her emergency leave, Barbara went on vacation.

  When they questioned Philip he seemed on edge, he didn’t maintain eye contact and fidgeted in his seat. When Wilson flashed his badge and deepened his tone of voice, Philip’s face turned red. Wilson introduced Chad as Amelia’s husband, Philip looked at him and his eyes got big. Philip told them he thought Amelia was not feeling well that’s why she didn’t do her work and went home early. He said, “After I did her work and cleaned up, I went home, I don’t know anything more.”

  Wilson and Chad talked to Buzz after questioning the lab assistants. Wilson asked what kind of working relationship Amelia had with Philip.

  “He was intimidated with her knowledge, although she never worked in a lab before, she knew a lot, and he treated her as a competitor. I think he resented the fact the she was working on her master’s degree. Amelia herself, never said a word about any of that, Barbara told me on several occasions that Philip was always asking her questions and sometimes told her the incorrect way to do procedures.”

  Wilson and Chad went to see Mr. Evans at the construction company next. He was pleasant and told Chad it was nice to see him again. He looked worried when they told him why they were there.

  “We miss her here a lot she was one of the best operators I’ve ever seen. Of course, you know she saved the company thousands of dollars and actually saved a man’s life. I haven’t seen her since she stopped working for us. I’ll ask around and see if any of my employees know anything. If they do, I’ll call you immediately. I hope you find her. I really admire the woman.”