Where was she?!

Tony sighed as he looked out the living room window for the tenth time for her car. Everytime he heard a car drive down the street he raced to the window in the hopes of seeing her jag pull into the driveway. But it was always someone else. He looked over at the table that he had set. The food was now cold and the candles had burned out. He couldn't believe she hadn't come home yet. Was she trying to teach him a lesson? He never thought she could be this petty but it was becoming painfully obvious that was what she was doing.

'Well you're no one to throw stones pal! You stayed out all night in a childish attempt to get even!'

It was true. He had done exactly that.

"So I guess you thought making her a romantic dinner would help make up for being such a wienie the last few days?" Mona asked.

Tony turned from the window . Mona was standing by the staircase with her arms crossed.

He shrugged. "I was hoping it would."

"Tony, sit down. We need to talk." She pointed to the couch. He looked out the window again-hoping to see her jag-but no such luck. He walked over to the couch and sat down. She followed and sat down beside him.

"Tony, you know I'm not one to lecture people."

He nodded. "Yeah, I know."

"But, I am blunt with people. "

He chuckled. "That's for sure."

"So, I'm going to be blunt with you now. You have been acting like an ass the last few days."

Tony sighed. She was right. It was pointless to even deny it.

"You're right, Mone. And I just wanted to say how sorry I am for lying to you earlier. "

She nodded. "I figured something was up when you left in the same clothes you had been wearing yesterday. But although I appreciate the apology it isn't me you have to apologize to."

"I know."

"You really hurt her Tony."

"Yeah, I know."

"So tell me Tony what is going on with you? You have never let your friends get to you like this. And yes I know I tease and give the two of you a hard time and they have too. But usually you just laugh and brush it off. But for some reason you let Vinnie, Tiny, and Ernie convince you that Angela was controlling you. You have always been so self assured and confident. But this Tony-she waved her hand at him- well I don't know who the hell he is. When I was telling the Shamu in a tutu story you didn't say one word in defense of Angela. There was a time you would have. You would have either given me a dirty look or growled; "MONA!" But you didn't. Instead you just laughed.

Once again she was right. In the past if Mona or anyone else had given Angela a hard time he would be right there defending her. But lately he hadn't been. Instead he either ignored it or joined in. Mona was right, he really was an ass.

He groaned and put his head in his hands.

"Mona, how am I going to fix this?"

"I don't know. "

Tony looked at her. "Are you saying there isn't anything I can do?"

Mona shrugged. "You can grovel at her feet. But, it's going to take some time. When she left here she was so angry. I had never seen her that angry."

"She was really upset huh?"

"Well considering she said she wanted to strangle you with her bare hands I would say that is a pretty accurate statement.'

Tony thought back to his first night of employment. She had said she wanted to strangle him then too after he had interrupted a private moment between Grant and her. But that had been a simple misunderstanding. This time however was completely different.

"I really screwed things up haven't I?"

'That's an understatement."

He stood up and walked over to the window and looked out.

"If only she would come home. Then we could talk and get everything out in the open."

He turned back around. "Did she say she was going anywhere else?"

"No, but my guess is that she is either over at Isabelle's or Wendy's."

He walked over to the phone. "Maybe I should call."

"Actually, I think the best thing for now is to wait. Give her time to cool off. She's probably with Isabelle or Wendy or maybe both of them bitching about what an insensitive jerk you have been. In the morning when she comes home the two of you can sit down and get this whole stupid matter settled." She stood up.

"After all I didn't get the two of you together just so you could mess it up!" She walked over to the patio door, "Have a good night!" She opened and shut the door.

"Good night Mona."

He picked the phone up and started dialing Isabelle's number. But then he replaced the receiver. Maybe Mona was right and he should just let Angela cool off. In the morning when she came home they could get everything out in the open.

THE NEXT MORNING:

"Good morning Tony."

Tony turned away from the stove where he had been making pancakes .

"Morning Pal." He placed a couple of pancakes on a plate and set it in front of him.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome. So, is your Mom up yet?"

"I haven't heard her."

"Oh. Ok." He had hoped she had come home in the middle of the night.

Jonathan eyed him. "Is everything okay?"

"Oh yeah. Everything is fine."

Jonathan shrugged and started eating.

"Good morning!" Mona walked into the kitchen.

"Morning Grandma!"

"Morning Mona."

"Oh good pancakes. " She sat down.

Tony placed a few pancakes on a plate and set it in front of her.

"Well I better get going. See you later." Jonathan stood up and left via the swinging door

"So has she come home yet?"

"I asked Jonathan if he had seen her but he said he hadn't."

"Well I'm sure any moment she'll come walking through the door all ready to rip your heart out."

"GEE thanks!" He said sarcastically.

"Hey, no problem!"

Tony rolled his eyes and fixed himself a few of the pancakes and sat down.

After a few minutes Tony slammed his fork down. 'Okay, I can't stand this anymore. I'm going to call Isabelle." He got up and picked up the phone and dialed her number.

RING! RING!

"Hello?"

Isabelle? It's Tony."

"Hey Tony. Good morning. Is there something I can help you with?"

"Uh yeah. Is Angela there by any chance?"

"No. Why would she be?"

"Well I…okay I'm going to give it to you straight. We had a huge argument and she hasn't been home all night. I was hoping she spent the night with you or Wendy."

"No, I haven't talked to Angela for a few days. "

Tony sighed. 'Okay. If you do hear from her please call me. "

"I will."

"Thanks. Bye Isabelle."

"Goodbye Tony."

They hung up.

"Well she isn't at Isabelle's. I'm calling Wendy next. " He dialed the number.

RING! RING!

"Hello?!"

"Hey Wendy, it's Tony."

"Tony? What can I do for you?"

"Is Angela with you?"

"No, she isn't. Why? "

"We had an argument."

"Oh, and you thought she came over here to cool off?"

"Yeah, I was hoping she was with you or Isabelle. I just got off the phone with her and she said she hasn't talked to Angela for a few days."

"I haven't either."

Tony rubbed his hand over his face.

"Okay. If you do hear from her please let me know."

"Will do!"

"Thanks Wendy! Bye!"

"Bye Tony!"

They hung up.

"Damn it! She isn't with either one of them!"

Mona felt a strange chill go through her body. Angela should have been home by now. Even if she had stayed out all night to give Tony a taste of his own medicine she wouldn't have let it go on this long.

"Hey, you know what? She may have stayed at the agency."

"You think?"

"Yeah, there is a couch in one of the conference rooms. Jack should be there. I'll call and ask."

She got up and picked the phone up and dialed the agency.

RING! RING!

"Good morning Bower Agency. This is Jack."

"Hey Jack. It's Mona! "

"Mona? Are you and Angela on your way? We have that new client, remember?"

The chill intensified . No matter how angry Angela was she would never miss an important meeting.

"UMMMM actually we're not."

"You're not? Is everything okay?"

Mona pinched the space between her eyebrows. "No, it isn't. Look, do you think you can handle things by yourself today?"

"Sure. "

"Thanks Jack. "

"Hey Mona?"

"Yeah?"

"Whatever is going on I'm sure it will blow over."

"I hope so. Bye Jack."

"Bye Mona."

Mona hung the phone up and looked at Tony. They both had identical expressions of fear and worry.

"Tony, I don't like this. Angela would never miss an important meeting."

"You're right. Oh my God Mona! What if she's hurt? She could have been in a serious accident. I have to go look for her. "

"Good morning!" Sam walked through the back door. She looked from Mona to Tony and back again. Something was wrong. They usually would be all jovial but instead they were very somber.

"What's going on? "

"It's Angela." Mona informed her

"What about her?"

"She never came home last night."

'Wait a minute. What do you mean?"

"We- I did something incredibly stupid. "

"Dad, what did you do?"

"Well after I left your place and came home we had it out. "

"Yeah? Go on."

"Well we talked and we got a few things settled and I told her that I would do whatever she wanted to do."

"Okay, that sounds okay. So what is the problem?"

"She wanted to go shopping. And when she left the kitchen to go change I ran out the door to go golfing."

"DAD! You told Angela you would spend the day with her and then you just left?!"

"Yes."

"How could you?"

"Well because I didn't want to spend the whole day trailing after her holding her purse and packages like a good little puppy dog."

Sam rolled her eyes. "Dad, you have really screwed up!"

"I know. "

"So, I'm assuming you called Isabelle and Wendy?"

"Yeah and the agency. She wasn't anywhere." Mona collapsed in her chair.

"Okay, look I'll take my car and go look."

"I'll do the same. Mona, you stay here in case she calls or comes home."

Mona nodded, to worried to argue.

They all headed into the living room.

"Okay Sam. I'll handle the…."

DING DONG! DING DONG!

"I wonder who it is?"

Tony opened the door.

Two police officers were standing on the doorstep.

"Good morning. Is this the home of Angela Bower?"

Tony looked back at Mona and Sam. Sam had her arm around Mona.

Tony cleared his throat. "Uh yes it is. Please come in."

"Thank you." They entered the house.

"I am Officer Arthur and this is my partner Officer Warner. Are you Mr. Bower?"

"No, my name is Tony Micelli."

"Are any of you related to Ms. Bower?" Officer Warner asked.

"Yes, I am her Mother." Mona said, her voice shaking.

"Is there some place private we could talk?"

Mona shook her head. "Whatever you have to say you can say it in front of them."

The two officers looked at each other. This was the hardest part about being a police officer.

"I'm very sorry I have to tell you this but your daughter is.." Officer Arthur took a deep breath.

'She's what?" Tony demanded.

"She's dead." Officer Warner said softly.