"Then I guess it's a good thing I left mine at home," I answer with a grin.
I pull into the parking garage, keeping Jack dry from the snow falling
outside. "I'll see you this afternoon," I remind him as he slips out of
the car.
"Be careful," he warns me before shutting the door, and I head out of the garage towards the Collins' residence.
******
The drive over isn't too horrendous just yet. The roads are lightly dusted in snow but traffic seems to be moving fairly well, given the circumstances.
I make my way to the Collins' front door and moments later Margaret Collins answers it. "Mrs. Collins, I'm Agent Spade with the FBI." I show her my badge as she opens the door to me.
"Have you heard anything?"
"Not yet," I answer. "We're looking into it. Would you mind if I take a look around your place?"
"Go right ahead. I don't know what you're hoping to find."
"Thank you." I glance around at the photos in the living room, recognizing Kent's face as the missing person. "When was this taken?" I eye Margaret, pointing to the photo of Kent and his two children.
"Last July. We went camping together at Shenandoah National Park. It's the most beautiful place," she reminisces as I hear footsteps pounding down the stairs.
"Mom?" I hear a young boy's voice as he makes his way into the living room, glancing towards me and then his mother.
"I'm busy right now, Billy. What is it?"
"I found something," he states, chewing on his lower lip. Billy isn't much older than seven, and I realize he's holding something behind his back.
"What'd you find?" My eyes meet his as he hands over the tiny silver hoop earring. "Is this yours?" I eye the mother as she shakes her head 'no' in disbelief. Her hand covers her mouth and she lets out a breath. "Where'd you find this?" I question, following the boy upstairs, as I slip the earring into a small plastic bag and place it in my coat pocket.
"It was in here," he states, showing me into his parents' bathroom. "I know mom tells me not to come in here, but Taylor was in our bathroom." He glances towards his mom as she nods her head. Clearly this is all new information to her. "It was on the floor," he tells me.
"Thank you, Billy."
"Why don't you go back to your room," she tells him as she eyes me with confusion. "I had no idea--" her voice trails off. "Could he have run off with some other woman?" She shakes her head no. "He wouldn't do that."
"Is there anyone you can think of whom this might belong to?"
"No," she shakes her head. "Our marriage has been perfect. There's no reason I can think that he'd even be with another woman." Is she in denial? I let that thought linger in my mind as I eye the cabinets, searching for any other clues.
"Perfect?" My eyes meet hers as we leave the bathroom and I glance around the bedroom.
"You're not going to find anything. He doesn't have time for an affair. His hours aren't exceptionally late and he's rarely, if ever, out of town. He loves me," she whispers, reminding herself of those words.
"I'm sure he does," I answer with a polite smile, heading down the stairs. "Is there anyone you can think of who might help or know where your husband is?"
"I would have tried that already," she eyes me. "I know Kent. He didn't run off with another woman." Her voice is insistent and I nod, letting out a soft breath. I glance around the bedroom, noticing a date book.
"Is this yours?"
"No, it's Kent's. He always takes that with him to work. He must have forgotten it this morning," she shrugs, as I finger through the dates. There isn't anything that stands out, but I take it with me anyhow.
"We'll be in touch," I tell her, heading out the front door and dropping the notebook into the car. I glance around at the neighbor's house, figuring I'll give it another shot.
"I'm Agent Spade," I greet the young woman as she smiles back at me.
"Becky," she introduces herself. "One of your colleagues came by earlier. I told him all I knew." She opens the door, letting me inside from the cold.
"I have a few more questions," I tell her. "It should only be a couple of minutes."
"Take a seat," she offers, showing me to her sofa. "We've known the Collins since we've moved in."
"You're pretty close with the family, I take it?"
"Yes, our daughters are best friends."
"Maybe you could help me out." I pull out the small plastic bag, containing a single earring. "Do you recognize this?"
Becky retrieves the bag from my hold and eyes it intently. "It looks like one of Ally's." Becky stands up, heading for the stairs. "Ally!" She calls her daughter down, and moments later I hear footsteps.
"What, Mom?"
"Is this the other earring you lost?" She hands Ally the bag as she eyes it. "Yeah, where'd you find it?"
"In the Collins' master bathroom. Can you tell me what you were doing in there?"
"I was hanging out with Taylor. We were rollerblading outside and I sprained my wrist," she eyes her mother. "Mr. Collins had some medical supplies in his bathroom, so I went in with Taylor while he fixed up my wrist. You can ask her," Ally tells me.
"I need to hold on to that for a little while." I open my hand to receive the tiny bag with the earring inside. "Ally, did you ever see anyone that didn't belong? Maybe someone who was watching the house, an old girlfriend- -" I suggest.
"Just Mr. Collins' sister, Alyssa. She was over last Tuesday."
"Thank you, Ally." I head towards the door. "I appreciate your help," I tell both of them before walking outside. The snow has picked up and there are a few inches lying on the ground. I wrap my arms around my body, quickly walking back towards the Collins home.
"Agent Spade?" she eyes me reluctantly. "I've told you all that I know."
"I appreciate your help," I remind her with a tight-lipped smile. "Ally mentioned Kent has a sister, Alyssa?"
"No. Do you think this is whom he was having the affair with?" Her mouth widens in shock.
"We're not sure," I answer. I head out to the car, start it up, and brush the snow off. I shiver from the cold, wishing summer would be here all ready.
I slip into the car and dial Jack's number before heading out into traffic.
"Malone," he answers. "I've got a first name for you to look into-Alyssa."
"That really narrows it down," he mocks.
"The neighbor's daughter remembers an Alyssa hanging around; she claimed to be his sister."
"Kent Collins doesn't have any siblings," Jack points out. "Where are you?"
"I just got into the car. I'm heading back to the office as soon as I hang up. It's snowing pretty bad."
"No kidding. I'll have Vivian look into it. Make your way back here, but be careful. The roads aren't looking too good."
"I noticed," I answer and hang up. I let out a breath, still curious why Van Doren called Jack into a meeting. I figure he'll tell me later, hopefully.
"Be careful," he warns me before shutting the door, and I head out of the garage towards the Collins' residence.
******
The drive over isn't too horrendous just yet. The roads are lightly dusted in snow but traffic seems to be moving fairly well, given the circumstances.
I make my way to the Collins' front door and moments later Margaret Collins answers it. "Mrs. Collins, I'm Agent Spade with the FBI." I show her my badge as she opens the door to me.
"Have you heard anything?"
"Not yet," I answer. "We're looking into it. Would you mind if I take a look around your place?"
"Go right ahead. I don't know what you're hoping to find."
"Thank you." I glance around at the photos in the living room, recognizing Kent's face as the missing person. "When was this taken?" I eye Margaret, pointing to the photo of Kent and his two children.
"Last July. We went camping together at Shenandoah National Park. It's the most beautiful place," she reminisces as I hear footsteps pounding down the stairs.
"Mom?" I hear a young boy's voice as he makes his way into the living room, glancing towards me and then his mother.
"I'm busy right now, Billy. What is it?"
"I found something," he states, chewing on his lower lip. Billy isn't much older than seven, and I realize he's holding something behind his back.
"What'd you find?" My eyes meet his as he hands over the tiny silver hoop earring. "Is this yours?" I eye the mother as she shakes her head 'no' in disbelief. Her hand covers her mouth and she lets out a breath. "Where'd you find this?" I question, following the boy upstairs, as I slip the earring into a small plastic bag and place it in my coat pocket.
"It was in here," he states, showing me into his parents' bathroom. "I know mom tells me not to come in here, but Taylor was in our bathroom." He glances towards his mom as she nods her head. Clearly this is all new information to her. "It was on the floor," he tells me.
"Thank you, Billy."
"Why don't you go back to your room," she tells him as she eyes me with confusion. "I had no idea--" her voice trails off. "Could he have run off with some other woman?" She shakes her head no. "He wouldn't do that."
"Is there anyone you can think of whom this might belong to?"
"No," she shakes her head. "Our marriage has been perfect. There's no reason I can think that he'd even be with another woman." Is she in denial? I let that thought linger in my mind as I eye the cabinets, searching for any other clues.
"Perfect?" My eyes meet hers as we leave the bathroom and I glance around the bedroom.
"You're not going to find anything. He doesn't have time for an affair. His hours aren't exceptionally late and he's rarely, if ever, out of town. He loves me," she whispers, reminding herself of those words.
"I'm sure he does," I answer with a polite smile, heading down the stairs. "Is there anyone you can think of who might help or know where your husband is?"
"I would have tried that already," she eyes me. "I know Kent. He didn't run off with another woman." Her voice is insistent and I nod, letting out a soft breath. I glance around the bedroom, noticing a date book.
"Is this yours?"
"No, it's Kent's. He always takes that with him to work. He must have forgotten it this morning," she shrugs, as I finger through the dates. There isn't anything that stands out, but I take it with me anyhow.
"We'll be in touch," I tell her, heading out the front door and dropping the notebook into the car. I glance around at the neighbor's house, figuring I'll give it another shot.
"I'm Agent Spade," I greet the young woman as she smiles back at me.
"Becky," she introduces herself. "One of your colleagues came by earlier. I told him all I knew." She opens the door, letting me inside from the cold.
"I have a few more questions," I tell her. "It should only be a couple of minutes."
"Take a seat," she offers, showing me to her sofa. "We've known the Collins since we've moved in."
"You're pretty close with the family, I take it?"
"Yes, our daughters are best friends."
"Maybe you could help me out." I pull out the small plastic bag, containing a single earring. "Do you recognize this?"
Becky retrieves the bag from my hold and eyes it intently. "It looks like one of Ally's." Becky stands up, heading for the stairs. "Ally!" She calls her daughter down, and moments later I hear footsteps.
"What, Mom?"
"Is this the other earring you lost?" She hands Ally the bag as she eyes it. "Yeah, where'd you find it?"
"In the Collins' master bathroom. Can you tell me what you were doing in there?"
"I was hanging out with Taylor. We were rollerblading outside and I sprained my wrist," she eyes her mother. "Mr. Collins had some medical supplies in his bathroom, so I went in with Taylor while he fixed up my wrist. You can ask her," Ally tells me.
"I need to hold on to that for a little while." I open my hand to receive the tiny bag with the earring inside. "Ally, did you ever see anyone that didn't belong? Maybe someone who was watching the house, an old girlfriend- -" I suggest.
"Just Mr. Collins' sister, Alyssa. She was over last Tuesday."
"Thank you, Ally." I head towards the door. "I appreciate your help," I tell both of them before walking outside. The snow has picked up and there are a few inches lying on the ground. I wrap my arms around my body, quickly walking back towards the Collins home.
"Agent Spade?" she eyes me reluctantly. "I've told you all that I know."
"I appreciate your help," I remind her with a tight-lipped smile. "Ally mentioned Kent has a sister, Alyssa?"
"No. Do you think this is whom he was having the affair with?" Her mouth widens in shock.
"We're not sure," I answer. I head out to the car, start it up, and brush the snow off. I shiver from the cold, wishing summer would be here all ready.
I slip into the car and dial Jack's number before heading out into traffic.
"Malone," he answers. "I've got a first name for you to look into-Alyssa."
"That really narrows it down," he mocks.
"The neighbor's daughter remembers an Alyssa hanging around; she claimed to be his sister."
"Kent Collins doesn't have any siblings," Jack points out. "Where are you?"
"I just got into the car. I'm heading back to the office as soon as I hang up. It's snowing pretty bad."
"No kidding. I'll have Vivian look into it. Make your way back here, but be careful. The roads aren't looking too good."
"I noticed," I answer and hang up. I let out a breath, still curious why Van Doren called Jack into a meeting. I figure he'll tell me later, hopefully.
