Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 83961 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83961 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Still, I reach in, grope around.
And my fingers land on a small piece of paper. I pull it out.
It’s from the Chicago PD.
What the hell?
It got stuck to a piece of wayward metal at the top of the mailbox. If someone is emptying Maddox’s mailbox, they could have easily missed this.
Again, it’s a federal crime to open another person’s mail.
But Maddox would never press charges against his best buddy, would he?
If he’s truly on this protracted holiday, then I don’t know him anymore. It’s so out of character.
But again, I can defend myself as a concerned friend. I look over my shoulder and slip my fingers under the flap of the envelope, pull out the letter.
I widen my eyes as I read it. It’s from the city’s Traffic Enforcement Division.
Dear Mr. Hathaway,
Our records indicate that the citation issued to you on Monday, the ninth of February for speeding has not been paid. This ticket is now overdue.
Failure to resolve this matter promptly may result in further enforcement actions, including additional late penalties, referral to a collection agency, vehicle immobilization (booting), and/or initiation of driver's license suspension proceedings with the Illinois Secretary of State.
To avoid these consequences, please remit payment immediately or contact the Department of Finance to request a hearing if you wish to contest the citation.
I raise my eyebrows. February ninth? That’s the Monday before Maddox took off with Alissa.
Behind the letter is a copy of the citation Maddox received. Officer Toby Brillig was the cop who pulled him over.
Maddox is usually a safe driver. He’ll sometimes go five or so miles per hour over the speed limit, but as far as I know he’s never gotten a ticket.
I read the citation.
Wait…
What?
The ticket was issued at four thirty a.m.
The fuck?
What was he doing out so late at night?
I could go to the police station, see if I can meet with this Officer Brillig, find out if Maddox was acting suspiciously that night.
I’m about to Google directions to the police station where Brillig works when my phone starts ringing.
It’s Dinah.
Shit.
They need me at the hospital.
Just when I finally have a lead. Damn it!
I accept the call and bring the phone to my ear. “Hey, Dinah.”
“Doctor, I’m so sorry to call you on your day off.”
“No worries. Do you need me to come in?”
“No, it’s nothing like that. But I just learned something that I felt you should hear. It’s…about Maddox and Alissa.”
My pulse quickens. “What?”
“A friend of mine works in the box office at the symphony. Maddox and Alissa were there a few nights before they took off.”
“So? They went on a date there. Alissa loves the symphony. She goes there all the time. Doesn’t she take you sometimes?”
“Yeah. It’s not really my cup of tea, but she is my best friend. But that’s not the point, Doctor.”
“What is your point then?”
“While she was there, apparently she was approached by one of the assistant conductors. He invited her to audition for a part in the flute section.”
I nearly drop the phone. “Alissa plays the flute?”
“Yeah. She has two degrees in flute performance. She got them before she decided to switch to nursing. Apparently she had auditioned for the Chicago Symphony in the past, and they remembered her. They have an opening for a new flautist and were interested in hearing her again.”
“Okay…”
“She said she’d come to the audition. But never showed up.”
“When was the audition?”
“It would have been the week after she and Maddox skipped town. My friend in the box office overheard the assistant conductor talking about it in the lobby before a performance. They thought it was super unprofessional for her not to even give notice that she’d be missing the audition.”
I rub at my forehead. “That’s not like Alissa.”
“Exactly my point. Even if she had gone on some romantic vacation with Maddox, she would have at least emailed them to cancel the audition. Plus, playing for the CSO is a really big deal. They could have waited until after the audition to skip town.”
My heart thrums. “I don’t like this, Dinah. I don’t like this at all.”
“Me neither.” Dinah’s voice cracks. “Doctor, I’m scared that something terrible happened to her. I always got the feeling that she wasn’t a hundred percent in love with nursing. That part of her regretted not sticking to her musical career a little longer before giving up on it. I don’t think she would have let this opportunity slip by.”
“I think you’re right. And I know Maddox. He wouldn’t have let her allow the opportunity slip by. He would have insisted she give it a shot.” I look down at the overdue notice in my hand. “I just found something else that might be a clue.”
“What?”
“I’ll tell you about it later. Right now, you just focus on your job. But I’m on this, Dinah. Don’t you worry.”