Martin awoke with a start, his head ached and his body was tight and ripped with pain. It was too dark for his eyes to focus but he could smell the sent of urine and blood. He tried to reposition himself when he realized he was in a very small confined space, like the trunk of a car. He stilled himself and listened, he couldn’t hear anything nor did it feel like he was moving. He kicked his legs but they were bound, together his feet hit the end of his confinement. It was then he appreciated that he was lying and likely he was in a coffin.
“Can I get you some coffee?” Vivian asked taking a seat next to Addison.
“Uh, no I’m alright thanks.” She answered looking stressed, her face wet with tears old and new.
“This isn’t the way we wanted to meet.” Lillian said to Addison trying to sound up beat.
“No.” Addison faked a smile “Not at all.”
“You and Martin are?” Vivian asked
“Engaged.” Addison said tears welling up again. Vivian tried to hide the look of shock on her face.
“Oh, I’m sorry I didn’t know Martin was engaged, I didn’t know Martin had a girlfriend.” Vivian apologized.
“He didn’t want to mix his work life with his private life. He said that it hadn’t gone well in the past and I wasn’t about to make that mistake again. I understood, I have the same kind of thing where I work. Different level of course.”
“Addison is an opera singer.” Lillian said to Vivian. “She’s one of the best.””I’m not one of the best.”
“Yes you are, Martin told me about your offer to have your own show.”
“Is there any chance the person who did this may have had a grudge against you?” Vivian asked pulling out her notebook.
“You mean a disgruntled opera singer?” Victor laughed re-entering the room from the hall, where he’d been on the phone.
“Maybe an old boyfriend, a rival singer?”
“Well there was a girl who was supposed to get the part I’m in now, but she’s in London singing for another company, so I doubt she cares anymore. No other singers have an issue with me. As for old boyfriends I don’t know. I haven’t talked to any of them in years. Except.” Addison trailed off.
“Except?”
“Well Jason said he saw one of my ex’s the other day just after I’d left. Jason said he looked mad but didn’t exactly go into detail.”
“Whose Jason?””He’s my music director, sorry. Yea it was last Thursday, he said that my ex showed up just after Martin and I had left for dinner. Jason told him we had left and he made a scene. Jason wouldn’t say what about but he was tempted to call the cops.””Where is Jason now?””Probably at home, in bed. I can give you his number.” Addison handed Vivian Jason’s number. Victor stopped her on her way out.
“Have you heard anything yet?” he asked her quietly. “Is there anything I can do? Strings that need pulling?””I’m sure we’re fine Mr. Fitzgerald, you being with your family is the most help you can be right now.” Vivian smiled at him reassuringly. Vivian went to her desk and dialed Jason’s number, she explained that she needed to speak to him and he agreed to come in as soon as he could. Danny and Elena returned carrying tapes from the airport.
“How’s it going?” Danny asked Vivian, handing her a cup of coffee.
“Not well. The family knows nothing, he left this morning and didn’t get to where he was going.””Whose the chick?” Danny pointed toward the office where Addison sat next to Lillian.
“That’s Addison Hamilton.””Should that mean something to me?”
“She’s an opera singer.” Elena answered.
“She’s Martin’s fiancé.” Vivian answered.
“What.” Elena and Danny replied in unison.
“Yes, apparently they’ve been engaged for a month or so, and were off to Washington for a huge party celebrating their engagement, Addison was supposed to leave tomorrow and Martin’s flight was this morning.” Vivian handed Danny the families statements.
“This is insane.” Danny said tossing the statements on the conference table. “Martin would have said something.””I guess not.” Vivian loaded the USB port onto her computer showing Danny the photo’s Addison had provided. “Remember a few weeks ago when Martin took the weekend off, well this is where he was off to. He was proposing to Miss Opera singer.” Vivian clicked through the pictures of the happy couple. Danny looked away, pain coursed through him. Martin was supposed to be his friend, why would he keep this from me Danny thought, from the group?
“How do we know she has nothing to do with this?” Danny asked sharply.
“Come on Danny, she reported him missing, she’s a mess.”
“What about old boyfriends or something like that?” Elena offered.
“Yes, an old boyfriend was at her studio last week, her music director had a fight with him, he’s on his way in.”
“Have we heard from Jack and Sam?” Danny asked trying to control himself.
“Not yet.” Vivian answered “They were interrogating someone.””Yea with no luck.” Samantha answered moving into the office. “His alibi checked out and he seemed a little to upset that he wasn’t the one who had Martin.”
“Ok what does that leave us?” Elena asked
“Let me work up this boyfriend issue, Sam you go sit with the family. Danny you come with me.” Vivian instructed “Elena, check over the tapes from the airport.”
“Sure Viv.” The trio echoed. Samantha moved into Jacks office, where the family was hold up.
“Agent Spade.” Victor greeted
“Mr. Fitzgerald.” Samantha smiled. “I’m so sorry about Martin, but we are doing everything we can to find him.”
“This is my wife Lillian.” Victor introduced. “And Martin’s fiancé Addison.” Samantha’s heart moved into her throat. Fiancé!
“Hi.” She shook Addison’s hand.
“Would you mind excusing us for a few minutes Victor, Lillian. I’d like to ask Addison some questions.””Of course.” Lillian stood and followed Vincent into the hall.
“Addison, were you and Martin having any relationship trouble?” Samantha asked following protocol.
“No. Samantha we were not.” Addison eyed her. “I know who you are, Martin has told me all about you. You needn’t tip toe around me. My fiancé is missing and I’m shattered but I’m not an idiot.” Samantha cleared her throat.
“Sorry.” she said uncomfortably.
“Did Vivian find anything out from Jase?”
“No, she’s just gone to meet him now.”
“Oh.”
Vivian stood in the small interrogation room. Jason was seated across from her, he didn’t take the news of Martins’ disappearance well. “Yea I saw Will last week, he came in looking for Addy.”
“When was this? Vivian asked taking notes
“Thursday last week. He came in just after seven. Martin had dropped by to watch Addison sing, after they went out for dinner. She was surprised to see him, since he’s not really a hang out at the studio kinda guy. But I guess he’d wrapped things up early here.” Vivian nodded, she remembered last Thursday they’d found their missing person in the river so the case ended a little pre-empted.
“What happened when Will arrived?”
“He asked where Addison was, I told him she and Martin had left.” Jason closed his eyes, he could remember the meeting as if it were yesterday
“Jason, how goes?” Will asked shoving the door to the studio closed behind him. “Where’s Addy?”
“She just left Will. Why?” I told him, I was putting sheets of music back into the binder.
“I need to see her, it’s really important.” He was still really calm at this point. It was like old times.
“She and the new man just left for dinner. I’m sure if you call her cell she can’t be too far.” his look went cold and he just stared at me. Then out of no where he started yelling at me “What boyfriend, Addison never mentioned a new boyfriend who is this guy.”
“He’s some kind of cop Will, they’re getting married. They’ve been together for like seven months.” he grabbed one of the music stands and threw it against the wall, then he came rushing toward me, I grabbed my cell phone and dialed 9-11 but I didn’t hit send. “Calm down Will, you don’t want the cops here.”I don’t know if he just felt like beating me wasn’t worth it or if the idea of the cops actually scared him but he backed off. He tossed a notepad at me and told me to give it to Addison that she would know exactly what it was about....
“Did you give her the note?” Vivian asked bringing Jason back from his memories
“No. I forgot about it, when I saw he next she was telling me about this gala event planned for this weekend. I told her I saw Will and the creeped me out and he’d left something for her but I’d stashed it someplace and forgot to get it for her.”
“Do you have it now?”
“Yea sure.” Jason pulled out a notepad from his bag. Vivian took it and read it over.
“I William Mason request 100% share in property marked at River Side Avenue.” They owned property together?” Vivian asked Jason
“William and Addison were together a long time.” Jason replied
“What ended the relationship?”
“Addison wanted a life, husband, kids the whole thing. William wanted to have his cake and eat it to if you know what I mean. He never really wanted to be tied down.”
“Then why buy a place together?”
“As far as I know, Addison bought the place because she wanted to live away from the city after her fathers accident. William fell in love with the place and when they split she said he could live there. Him asking for 100% share must mean he’s intent on buying it.”
“What happened to Addison’s father?”
“Well we all refer to it as the accident but he shot himself in the head.” Jason said matter of factly.
“Was their a suicide note?”
“Yea, Addison found him when she got home from rehearsal one afternoon. He was sitting in his favorite chair, gun in one hand bottle in the other. After that she sold her parents house and moved to River Side.”
“Where’s the mother?”
“Good question. No one has seen Victoria Hamilton in something like 30 years.”
“She’s a missing person?”
“Yes and no, she was a missing person for 10 years. But then the NYPD sent a message to Addisons father saying that it had been a cold case for too long and that he needed to collect any insurance money from her that he could and consider her deceased.”
To the End
