35

Intentional End

Chapter 6

Friday

September 7

It was Bobby's weekend off and he wanted to go to Evanston to see what he could find out about Gleason's abduction. He went into work early and left after ten, taking a partial day's personal time and drove to Carmel Ridge to visit his mother.

Bobby arrived just as her morning snack arrived. "Mom?" he said as he entered.

"Bobby? Bobby!" Mrs. Goren seemed neither better nor worse than she had the previous two days. He tried to get his mother to eat something, but she refused. He insisted she at least drink her juice and she got angry and began to cough. Bobby hailed a nurse from the hallway; the nurse asked him to step out for a few minutes. His mother was in bed and seemed to be struggling to breathe when the nurse invited him back in.

"Is she ok?" he asked the nurse.

"She's getting old," was the reply.

Bobby sat with his mother for an hour; she dozed most of the time. He patted her arm and kissed her cheek, hoping to rouse her. "Oh, Bobby, when did you get here?" she asked weakly. Bobby looked at her and didn't want to leave; but he knew he had to.

"Mom, I have to go to Evanston for a few days. I'll see you on Sunday evening. Are you going to be ok until I get back?"

"Huh?" she asked. "You're going to find Frank? What's he doing in Edmonton?"

He did not want to leave. "I have to go, Mom. I'll call you tomorrow and on Sunday and then I'll see you Sunday evening. Ok?" Mrs. Goren nodded and went right back to sleep.

Before he left, he spoke to the nurses, wondering if he should leave town. "Go," they told him, "We'll call you if anything happens." He was reluctant to leave, but they assured him he should.

From Carmel Ridge, Bobby drove to JFK and caught a flight to Chicago. He took a cab from O'Hare to Gleason's apartment; he let himself in and looked around, treating the place like a crime scene. He didn't know if she had been taken from home or while at the university.

Nothing looked out of place. Her tiny worktable looked as though she had just gotten up and gone to class. The dish strainer held a single cup, plate, knife and the teapot. The dishcloth lay over the front edge of the sink as she leaves it and the tea towel sat folded on the counter top as is her way.

The bed was made and her green throw lay at the foot; she will be missing her blanket, he thought. All of her clothes were in place and her carpetbag sat in the bottom of the closet. Her toiletries were as they always were in the bathroom as were her heart pills and packet of birth control pills.

He noticed that her car was in her parking spot outside the apartment. She would have driven herself to campus as she did everyday. If she was taken from the university, someone brought back her car; or, she was taken from here.

Bobby went to get the extra set of car keys from the bowl on the end table, but they were gone. He walked to Gleason's car and again, he examined it as he would have had it been a part of a crime scene. It was locked, so he checked the rear passenger tire and, sure enough, the keys sat on top of it.

He carefully lifted them from the tire and wished he had latex and an evidence bag. He was tempted to call the Evanston police and have their CSU dust the vehicle for prints. However, he had no cause; and besides, he knew that if the government was involved in her abduction, the vehicle would reveal nothing.

Bobby drove to campus and parked in the faculty lot, using Gleason's swipe card and parking tag that she kept tucked in the visor. Then, he walked to Margrave Hall and Gleason's office but the receptionist stopped him.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Goren, but Dr. Wintermantle is away conducting research. I, I thought you knew that," the department secretary said. Two student workers and one faculty member stopped and watched Dr. Wintermantle's husband.

"I know what she is doing! I need to go into her office. Give me the key." Bobby was trying hard to remain calm.

"Oh, I, I, Mr. Goren, I cannot do that. Campus security has locked it and I don't have the key. Please, you'll need to speak with the Dean, Dr. Manlowe. He's over in Townsend Hall. I'm sorry."

Bobby wiped his hand over his face and straightened his shoulders. He wanted to wring this woman's neck. "Where is Townsend Hall?"

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"Oh gee whiz, I am so sorry you walked all the way over here. Dr. Manlowe has had a minor heart attack and will not be in for several weeks. The people in Margrave should have told you that. I am sorry."

Bobby was furious. "So, there's no one I can speak to about getting into my wife's office?"

"I am sorry, Mr. Wintermantle."

"Goren, my name is Detective Robert Goren. Who is in charge when the Dean is out?"

"Uh, that, that would be the Associate Dean, Dr. Berger."

"Is he in?"

"No, she's away at a conference. Look, sir, I am very sorry for your trouble, but, there is nothing I can do to help you."

Bobby stared at the slight man behind the desk. He wanted to wring this guy's neck, too. In fact, Bobby wanted to leave a string of bodies across this campus until he got some answers.

Without a word, Bobby turned and stormed out.

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Bobby pulled out of the parking lot and drove aimlessly. He couldn't think straight. Where is she? Where the fuck is she! He wanted to pound something; he hadn't felt this kind of rage in months. Jesus!

He knew he had to calm down. He glanced at the clock on the dash and decided to get something to eat. Most of the food in Gleason's refrigerator had spoilt, so he had tossed out just about everything.

Bobby stopped at a family style restaurant and had a good dinner. Then, he drove back to the apartment.

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"Hey! How are ya? Where's your wife been?" Gladys shouted, trotting toward Bobby as he walked from the car. Shit, he thought. "I ain't seen her around but a few days early on. She gone back to New York again?"

He put the key in the door and stepped inside, turning to reply. "No, she's abroad conducting research."

Gladys nodded and leaned on the wall beside the door, "She is one smart and good looking woman. You are a lucky guy, you know that?"

This woman disgusted Bobby and he wanted to be rid of her. Then he had a thought, "Say, have you noticed anyone going in or out of her apartment?"

Gladys' face took on a look of deep concentration, "Nope, not that I noticed. Something not right in there?" She straightened up and moved to enter, but Bobby stopped her with an arm to the door.

"Has anyone been asking about her?"

"No one asked me nothing about her. Everything ok?"

"Yeah, yeah, I was just wondering." Another thought, "Her mail, have you been collecting her mail?"

"Uh, no. She didn't say nothing to me about being away so she musta put a hold on it at the post office. Nothin's been delivered for her since she left."

Bobby nodded and started to shut the door, "Well, thanks for looking out for her. See you."

Gladys turned and walked off and thought, I wonder if I should tell him about those suits just sitting in their car out front on the street a coupla weeks back. Nah, he was asking about since Gleason has been gone. Wonder when she's coming back?

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Bobby sat on the sofa in the dark and thought of her, where she might be, what is she doing, how were they treating her, is she was cold or frightened? He thought of Malcolm, and wondered where they might be, what they might be doing. After nearly two hours of sitting in the dark, Bobby got up and went into the bathroom and then the bedroom. He stripped and slid into her side of the bed, clutching her pillow, inhaling her scent and fell asleep.

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