Chapter 2 - The Empty Car
Jessica dropped her glass of water onto the hardwood floor.
The glass shattered into a dozen glittering pieces.
She stared at me with her mouth slightly open.
The lead detective, a man named Miller, did not even look at the broken glass.
He kept his eyes locked respectfully on mine.
I had recruited Miller out of the academy fifteen years ago.
I had pinned the detective shield on his chest before I retired.
Miller asked me what the hell was going on here.
I told him it was a domestic assault and flight from the scene.
I pointed a finger at Jessica.
I told Miller she was tampering with evidence and interfering with a medical assessment.
Jessica finally found her voice.
She stammered and asked what Miller meant by calling me Chief.
Miller turned to her with eyes like cold steel.
He informed her that Arthur Vance was the former Chief of Police for this entire city.
All the color drained from Jessica's face.
She suddenly realized her wealth and status meant absolutely nothing in this room.
I ignored her panic and focused on Miller.
I asked him to put a bulletin out for Michael's vehicle immediately.
Miller nodded and lifted his shoulder radio.
He broadcasted the make, model, and license plate of Michael's car to every unit in the county.
The paramedics finally lifted Emily onto a stretcher.
I walked beside her and held her trembling hand.
I promised her that she was safe now.
They rolled her out the front door and into the flashing lights of the ambulance.
I turned back to Miller and told him to secure the house.
I told him to make sure Jessica did not flush anything down the toilets.
Miller agreed and ordered the younger officers to detain Jessica in the kitchen.
Jessica began shouting about her lawyers and her civil rights.
I walked out the front door and let the cold rain wash over my face.
I climbed into my battered pickup truck and followed the ambulance toward the hospital.
My phone rang loudly over the sound of the windshield wipers.
It was Miller calling from the crime scene.
I answered and asked if they found the husband.
Miller's voice was tense and tight.
He told me a highway patrol unit had just located Michael's car.
It was abandoned under a dark overpass ten miles outside the city limits.
I asked if Michael was inside the vehicle.
Miller said the car was completely empty.
He took a deep breath before finishing his report.
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Miller said there was no sign of Michael anywhere in the area.
But he said the steering wheel and dashboard were completely covered in fresh blood.
