Chapter 6: Chapter 5

The police were searching everywhere in San Francisco and checked all the flights that had left the state at all major and minor air strips, but it was as if Malik had disappeared into thin air.

While Elena had taken it up on herself to visit the Midway International airport there in Chicago to see if she could find anything.

She found out that Malik missed his original fight to San Francisco and purchased a return ticket for only three days after. But he never checked in for his returning flight, occurring to them in San Francisco, he never showed up at the airport.

She also learnt that Malik had reported a female at a check in counter for trying to scam him out of a big some of money.

She wanted to speak with the woman but learnt that she was fired, and they refused to give out her personal information.

Elena took those two details back to the police station, no matter how small they seemed to her, she was hoping that it was something.

‘’Mrs. Fran- Perry. Please go home and let us do our jobs,’’ Harrison had told her.

Elena frowned at him and wanted to tell him off.

‘’I understand that you are a reporter and all, but please allow us to do our job.’’

‘’But I just need to find something.’’

‘’Tell you what, know that. Maybe you can take our advice and do a segment for your husband, since this is only between you and us. Putting it out there can help aid us in finding him quicker.’’

Elena never wanted to do that; she was in deep denial that Malik was missing.

‘’Also, get some rest. It seemed as if you haven’t had a good night sleep in a while.’’

Elena took Harrison’s advice, thinking that maybe someone had in fact seen what happened to Malik.

So, she headed for the news station and had to tell them the truth about why police officers had asked them questions and have been fishing around so much lately.

It wasn’t something she wanted to say out loud, but she had to if she wanted to make a formal news report about it.

Belinda came over the evening after seeing the news of Malik being missing, Elena had reported it herself.

Breaking down with her every word.

“Hey girl, how are you holding up?” Belinda asked, she gave Elena a big hug, she brought over an apple pie hoping it would help her friend in some way.

Belinda thought that Elena was a strong woman because if Andre ever went missing she would die, she doubted she could even go on live tv and told the entire state that she was seeking information on the where abouts of her husband.

Elena shook her head, she looked a mess, but was trying to keep it together.

Leading Belinda into the kitchen, she broke down again.

“I am still in denial, I know that Malik is out there somewhere, maybe he got mixed up into something, you know like mistaken identity.” Elena didn’t even believe her own words.

She shook her head, knowing that she wasn’t fooling anyone but herself.

“We will find something soon Elena, I’m sure that he is out there too.” Belinda said, trying to comfort her.

“Would you like some tea to go with the pie?” Elena asked.

‘’Sure, thanks.’’

“How are the girls?” Elena asked, trying to get her mind off things.

“Oh, they are just fine, Ashley lost her first tooth, Allie is now in her terrible 2s. While Abby is still on honor roll.” Belinda beamed with pride. ‘’And again, thank you for stopping that man from what he was doing to my child.’’

Belinda’s phone went off.

‘’And that’s my cue to leave.’’

She got up and hugged Elena.

‘’Call me if you need anything.’’

After Belinda left, Elena thought that maybe if she went through Malik’s things, she would find some clue as to what happened to him, but as she got to it, Mr. Franco called. Saying that his wife just had a heart attack.

‘’Oh my God, I’m coming to you right now.’’

Elena drove like a mad woman, trying to get to the hospital.

‘’Hi, I’m here for Gloria Franco. She is my mother-in-law; I was told she had a heart attack.’’

‘’Yes, she is in room 305. All you need to do is take the elevator up to the third floor and she will be in the room at the end of the hall.’’

Elena smiled her thanks to the woman and followed her instructions.

When she got to the room, Robert was there, half asleep in the chair beside his wife.

He cleared his throat after Elena entered the room and stood up.

‘’I’m glad you are here.’’

‘’How is she doing?’’ Elena asked.

‘’Better that I thought, the doctors said she had a minor heart attack and she be ok by tomorrow.’’

Elena let out a breath.

‘’I guess that’s the only good news for the week.’’

‘’We never really got to do much talking about the situation, all you and the wife did was cry.’’

‘’There was nothing else to do, I feel broken Robert. Malik is my everything and I can’t believe he’s gone just like that.’’

Robert rested his hand on her shoulder.

‘’I’m sure something will come up soon.’’

But Elena wasn’t, she was slowly accepting the fact that Malik might be dead.

It was coming into the second week since he left home, and they still hadn’t found or heard a thing about him.

After staying for another hour or so just talking to her father-in-law, Elena told him to call her.

When she got home, Elena went through Malik’s things. First she searched through his drawers, but all she found were old receipts, birthday cards and Christmas cards, parking tickets, flight tickets and that was it.

Elena sighed out, just as she was about to search through their separate closet the doorbell rang, and she made her way down the stairs.

“Detective,” Elena greeted stepping aside.

Harrison let out a heavy sigh and Elena knew that she would be getting some bad news.

“I am sorry to tell you this Mrs. Fra-- Perry, but they found Mr. Franco’s body near North Dakota-‘’

‘’What?’’ She cut him off.

’’I’m sorry to tell you this ma’am, but he was found at a truck stop. Whoever… he was forced into a drain. He had his neck broken and multiple stab wounds, his wrist was also slashed and a few of his ribs broken.” Harrison said. ‘’They suspect he was robbed before beaten.’’

Elena looked at him in shock.

“His body will be arriving tomorrow, and we would like it if you could come in to identify it and to make sure that it really is him.” He finished.

Elena let out a cry then fell forward; Harrison caught her then walked her to the sofa.

“This can’t be happening.” Elena cried shaking her head.

“That’s not Malik, he can’t be dead.” She sobbed, hugging her body.

‘’I’m sorry Mrs. Perry.’’

‘’Are you?’’

Elena shook her head.

‘’You came in here with this news, you… get out of my house.’’

‘’I’m sorry again. I never liked delivering these type of news to people but-‘’

‘’I said to get out!’’ Elena yelled at him.

Harrison didn’t seem to know what to do with his hands, but he left before things could escalate.

Elena curled herself into a ball and cried, trying to accept the fact that her husband was dead.

She didn’t want to break this news to his parents, afraid that Robert might be the one to go into cardiac arrest this time.

‘’Why?’’ Elena cried and stared blankly at the ceiling.