Brighton

 

There was a churning feeling in my gut that I hadn’t been able to rid all morning. Ryland had been gone for six hours, and I hadn’t heard from him. Not even a text.

It wasn’t like him.

There was something about this business trip that had me biting my nails, and it wasn’t just Robert and Alex Burton. I didn’t have a good feeling about any of this, and I wasn’t sure what to do about it.

I paced anxiously across the back porch, cell phone clutched in my hand as I waited for Ryland to respond to one of my many worried texts. He didn’t leave me hanging like this. Ever. I knew something was wrong.

My cell phone rang, and my heart swelled with relief. But then I saw that it was Nicole.

“Hello?” I answered.

“Brighton, have you seen the news?”

My hand trembled as I walked into the house and looked for the remote. “What news?”

“Turn on Channel 7,” she said.

I flipped through the channels and saw a photo of Ryland and Alex Burton plastered across the screen, along with a scrolling headline beneath.

Alex Burton and Ryland Bennett strike business partnership

What does this mean for the future of technology?

Rivals unite as one…

“No,” I whispered. “That isn’t right. Ryland would never make a deal with him.”

“That’s the same thing I thought,” Nicole murmured. “Something weird is going on.”

“I haven’t heard from him since he left this morning,” I croaked. “I’m really scared, Nicole.”

“I’m sure he’s just in flight, Brighton,” Nicole tried to reassure me. “He probably wanted to get back home to you as soon as possible.”

I accepted her words because I needed to believe them. But in my gut, I knew it wasn’t true. Ryland always texted me before his flight.

“Hey, look,” Nicole said. “Why don’t I grab some cupcakes and come over so we can work on the nursery until he gets home?”

“Okay,” I agreed.

I didn’t want to admit how much I needed her there. My nerves were completely shot, and I was grateful for the distraction.

“I’ll be there in an hour,” she said. “Just sit down and relax until I get there.”

 

 

Five o’ clock came and went. Then six, and seven, and nine. It was now eleven at night, and there was still no word from Ryland. Nicole and I had worked on the nursery and gorged on cupcakes and takeout. But I couldn’t hold back my fears any longer.

“I have to call the police,” I said. “There’s something wrong, Nicole. I can feel it.”

She bit her lip and nodded. “I think you’re right, Brighton. Maybe they can track his phone or something.”

The police arrived an hour later. The officer that showed up didn’t seem all that invested in Ryland’s whereabouts and even went as far to suggest he was probably just drunk in a bar somewhere.

I told him that wasn’t Ryland. That he never did anything like this. I told him about his meeting with Robert Burton and Alex’s threat from the charity gala months before. The officer jotted everything down on his notepad and explained the procedures. It hadn’t been long enough to officially declare him missing, but given who he was and the previous threat, they were going to look into it.

And then they just left me there. Alone and without my husband.

 

***

 

Three days had come and gone.

I was going out of my fucking mind. I couldn’t stop crying, and I couldn’t keep anything down. Matt, Nicole, Norma, and Ted all kept silent vigil in the living room, waiting for any shred of news.

Ryland had officially been declared missing. The police hadn’t told me anything, but they’d come and torn the house apart searching for clues. I’d been questioned a thousand times, things I didn’t even know. And I hated myself for not knowing more about Ryland’s company. Why didn’t I know these things? I should have known these things. I was supposed to be helping him, and I couldn’t even answer their questions.

I’d sent Mick to look for him, and he didn’t protest. He said Ryland could be pissed whenever he came back, but right now, he was his top priority. I was grateful and spent every waking second thinking of something else I could do. Something else that I’d missed.

I even tried to contact Alex Burton. I left him several hate filled messages, but he wouldn’t return my calls. All of the light that filled my life was suddenly turning bleak. My heart grew weak in my chest, and I felt like I wouldn’t be able to go on. I couldn’t lose him. There was just no way. We were meant to be together. It couldn’t end this way.

There was a knock at the door, and Norma got up to answer it while Nicole tried to get me to drink some water. Another detective came into the room, one I didn’t recognize.

“Brighton Bennett?” he asked.

“That’s me.” I stood up on shaky legs. “Do you have any news?”

“I’m going to need you to come with me,” he said.

Matt was at my side a moment later, glaring at the man and his tone of voice. “What’s this about?” he demanded.

“We have some questions for Mrs. Bennett,” the detective answered.

“You’ve already asked her questions,” Matt said. “Repeatedly. She doesn’t need to go anywhere. This is her home, and as you can see, she’s very pregnant.”

The detective didn’t seem to care. “She doesn’t have a choice at this point.”

“It’s okay, Matt,” I said. “I want to help. I’ll do whatever they ask.”

“I’m coming with you,” he stated.

Nicole gave me a quick hug and smoothed down my hair. “I’ll stay by the phone in case anyone calls,” she said. “I’ll let you know if I hear anything at all, okay?”

“Okay.”

I followed the detective out the door and into his car, grateful to have Matt by my side. Whatever was going on, I had a feeling it didn’t bode well for me.

 

***

 

“I told you he was in Chicago,” I said for the fifth time.

“That is what you said,” the detective agreed, leaning across the table to watch me carefully. “But that wasn’t true, Mrs. Bennett.”

“What are you talking about?” I hissed. “He had a business trip to Chicago that day. With Robert Burton. How many fucking times do I have to say it?”

I was losing my patience, but I didn’t care. They were wasting their time asking me these stupid questions over and over instead of looking for Ryland. I was beginning to hate them all.

“Ryland scheduled a flight that morning, but he never took it,” the detective answered in a neutral tone. “His driver dropped him off in front of his building, and that was the last time he was seen.”

Bile rose up in my throat as I clutched my arms around myself, shaking my head. “No, that’s not right,” I rasped. “You have to be mistaken. He went straight from our house. And then all that stuff was on the news, so I know he met with Alex Burton.”

“That meeting with Alex Burton took place two weeks ago,” the detective answered again.

I wanted to believe that he was lying to me. That he just misunderstood what was happening. But I could tell by his eyes he wasn’t. Which only meant one thing. Ryland had been backed into a corner by Alex Burton. But how? And why didn’t he say anything to me?

“I understand that you also signed off on a sizable life insurance policy on your husband the night before he went missing.”

I stared at him in shock as his words sunk in.

“Oh my God.” Disgust rolled through me. “You think I… you seriously think…”

I couldn’t even get the words out. They were too vile. Too horrible.

“I would never…” I shook my head adamantly, the tears flowing freely. “I love him so much. I just want him back. He’s everything to me. Please…” I sobbed. “You just have to get him back for me.”

The detective watched me have a complete mental breakdown as if it was some sort of a test before he nodded in conclusion.

“I know this is very upsetting, Mrs. Bennett,” he said in a gentle tone. “But you have to understand how it looks. You’re telling us he was threatened by Alex Burton, and yet he willingly entered into a business partnership with him two weeks ago. And then you just so happen to sign off on a life insurance policy the night before he goes missing. You have to understand how that looks.”

“How it looks is that Alex is setting this up,” I yelled. “And while you’re in here accusing me of things I would never do, my husband could be in danger…”

We didn’t get any further, because the next moment, there was a knock on the door of the room I was being held in.

“Mrs. Bennett.” A sharply dressed woman with shrewd eyes stepped into the room. “I don’t want you to say another word.”

“Who are you?” I asked as the detective gave a frustrated sigh.

“My name is Edith Rickard, and I’m your newly appointed attorney.”

I blinked in confusion. “Do I need an attorney?”

The detective folded his hands across the table and shrugged. “That’s up to you, Mrs. Bennett. But in the interest of helping your husband…”

“Don’t you play that card,” Edith barked. “You’ve been badgering my client. Correction…” Her eyes trailed over my body. “My very pregnant and obviously distraught client for two hours straight when she is clearly the victim in this case. Now, do you have anything to charge her with?”

“No,” the detective replied flatly.

“Very well, then come with me, Mrs. Bennett. We’re done here.”