Chapter one
Samantha was broken. She was forced to pick up the pieces of her heart alone. Two and a half months later, she still hadn't figured out how to put the pieces of her broken heart in a well structured puzzle. Instead of breaking, the pieces continued to crumble.
Martin. There was no other name that could make Samantha's heart flutter. Every time she heard that name she would shake with excitement. And when she saw him, she lost her breath. He was compassionate, affectionate, polite, endowed, and so much more. He made her feel; it was beautiful.
And now, they were friends. Just friends. It was the hardest thing that Samantha heard from Martin's mouth. She loved him. She gave Martin her heart, and he crushed it. It was hard working with Martin. Being around the man she loved wasn't easy especially since they had to make constant contact. To Samantha, it was as if Martin was rubbing it in her face. He made her fall in love with him only for it to be thrown in her face.
Samantha felt a tear roll down her cheek. It was stubborn. It wouldn't stay in its safe haven: her eyes. Thinking about Martin was painful. She had too many fantastic memories of all sorts with him. Everything reminded her of him. She hated it. She was annoyed by it. Why couldn't she just move on?
But she wasn't going to tell Martin or anybody else her love for him. It would make her seem desperate and needy. It would make her seem weak and vulnerable. She couldn't have that. She was supposed to be a rock. She was supposed to be indestructible instead of giving away to a rock slide.
Martin felt like Samantha was ashamed of him. He felt insecure and loathed. He knew what love felt like. He knew that as soon as a woman called his name his heart ached to be with her. He knew that when his mind was blessed with constant memories about a particular woman he was in trouble. He knew that the smell of a particular woman made him weak in the knees. He knew he was in love with Samantha Spade, or at least really cared for her. And he also knew that being in love with a woman who was embarrassed of him was heart breaking. He had to end it.
It hurt but being with Samantha hurt just as much. He was confused. He knew that Samantha felt the same way. He knew. It hurt him that he broke her heart. He knew that she had taken a big leap in love. But he couldn't live the lie that she had so unfairly asked him to live. He just couldn't; he wouldn't.
He looked up at Samantha as he exited the bullpen. He watched as she scanned the paper for any clues that could potentially be a break in finding Kelly. She was so beautiful. He would always get lost in her eyes. He still found himself in a trance. He still found himself drawn to her. His love for her had begun to fade, not enough though. He cared for her deeply, and he was doing everything that he could to show her that.
Samantha looked up and caught Martin staring at her as he exited. He was ordered to visit Kelly's husband Richard. She smiled at him. Boy, she wished that he didn't do that. She adored his smile. She adored everything about him. She felt herself blush, so she was forced to turn her chair around. She picked up her paper and focused. It was all she could do.
***
It had been too long.
Samantha stared at the phone. Then she darted her eyes to the clock. Her gaze fell on her phone. Her eyes fixed on the clock.
She didn't have a good feeling about this at all. Martin was supposed to go to Richard's house. It was twenty minutes away. Questioning would only take about a half an hour. In a city with eight million people, Samantha understood that he could be running late. That part would only slow him down ten minutes at this time of day. That would add up to an hour and twenty minutes.
Martin had been gone for almost three hours. At first, Samantha was just wondering where he went. But when he didn't answer anybody's phone calls, her butterflies began to escalate into nerves. She knew that she shouldn't be as worried as she was. Martin was a man; he knew how to take care of himself.
"Viv, I want you and Danny to check out Kelly's ex. I'm going to dig deeper on her job." Jack paused and turned to Samantha. "I want you to go to Richard's and find out if Martin was there. And when you find him, kick his ass."
Samantha laughed at Jack's comment. But she didn't have time to dwell on his comment. She grabbed her things and walked out of the building with a little bit more sped and stamina than she should have.
Samantha noted that Martin's car wasn't parked in front of Richard and Kelly's house. She slowly walked up the stairs as if she was postponing her dread. She knocked lightly. She waited outside trying to calm the little nerves had plagued her body. She was in control of her body. She would only let fear wash over her if she knew something for certain.
Richard answered the door. His was itching his stubble, something that he didn't have twenty hours ago when his wife disappeared. His eyes radiated fear and hope. "What did you find?"
Samantha felt bad. She was coming here with nothing to do with his wife. She was coming here to see if Martin had been here. She didn't really want to ask him anymore. It was inconsiderate to ask him, but she had to know.
Samantha dropped her eyes. She didn't want to see his eyes. She played with her fingers. She looked back up at him averting his eyes. "No," she said apologetically, "this has nothing to do with Kelly. I was just wondering if Martin was here in the past three hours."
Richard looked stunned, but he wasn't offended. He shook his head. "Martin?" He stopped to think. "No. No, I don't think so. Last time I saw him, you were with him."
Samantha's heart dropped. Fear flooded her veins. This was certain: Martin hadn't made it here. Where the hell is he?
Samantha gave Richard a tight smile. "Thank you," she said sweetly. It was more to mask her guilt and anxiety. She turned around and began to descend down the stairs. She stopped and turned around to face Richard. "We're doing everything we can to find your wife. I promise." She shot a sad smile at him before turning around.
She had no idea what was going on. She swore that she felt bile rise in her throat. How could Martin beā¦missing?
***
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