Ch 63: What the hell was in the envelope?

He palmed the ring and turned toward the older woman, "Did she get a phone call? A visitor, anything like that while I was gone?" He pulled out his phone as Hanna answered him.

"No, sir. She called her friend a couple of times. But that was it." "Something happened while I was gone." He scanned the room and saw an envelope on a chair by the window.

He strode over to it and picked it up. It was empty. There was no return address but it was addressed to Abigail. Something was in it. Something that sent Abigail running. He flipped his phone opened and dialed a familiar number while worry and dread swirled around in his mind.

Where the hell was she? Was she okay?

***

Several hours later, Owen was sitting at his desk in his study staring out over the skyline of the city. His head rested in his hand and he was still feeling the riveting effects of panic over and over again. Abigail. Something horrible must've come in that envelope.

Something that made her run from him.

He'd already filed a missing person report but he knew the outcome of that. So he had a detective agency looking into her disappearance and the envelope was sent to a forensics lab thanks to a friend of his in the Private Police Sect.

The only problem there, as they had a cartload of cases, and his friend told him he'd try his best but it may be months before he finds anything out. He sat back and ran his hand through his hair in frustration and fear. What if she was kidnapped—or worse? His poor precious Abigail.

It was the not knowing that was tearing him apart. He tried her cell phone a half a dozen times and left messages until her voice box was full and he couldn't leave anymore. At least she took that with her. He was hoping the agency could run a trace on it if she turns it on. For now, he was pretty sure she had it off.

What the hell was in the envelope? Molly knew nothing. He'd already talked to her. She said that Abigail had put the house up for sale the day before, but didn't' let on that anything was wrong, but she remembered that she sounded like she was crying.

When she asked her about it, she told her she was only coming down with a cold. Owen's concern expounded over that piece of information.

Crying? Over what? Didn't she know that he would do anything within his power to help her? He loved her—Oh Lord, did he love her! He released an anguished noise and fell his face in his hand. What the hell happened Abigail? Where are you?

***

Alice cried for two days, but not in front of her brother. She wanted to know what was going on but he seemed so withdrawn and utterly miserable.

The only thing he told her was that she had left them and he was trying his best to find out why. She could only fathom that it was something horrible that chased her away, but to her, Owen was perfect and crazy in love with Abigail, so what could be that bad?