Page 89 of Diluted Truths

What was happening?

I couldn’t breathe. Jackie was gone. She was missing. She wouldn’t go anywhere without her purse or shoes.MyJackie was missing. I needed to find her. How could I find her? The police, of course. The police would help, had to help. With that thought, I grabbed her phone off of the wall and dialed 911.

“911, what’s your emergency?” the operator asked with a shockingly calm voice.

“Jackie…” My voice wavered, this couldn’t be real. “My Jackie is missing, she isn’t… I can’t…” My voice broke in a sob as I looked around the empty apartment hoping she would appear, she had to. I couldn’t voice it out loud that she was missing, it would make it real. Was this it? What Griffin was talking about?

“Sir, take a deep breath in…. Very good… and out… very good. Try and explain again.”

“My girlfriend, Ophelia James, is missing. All of her stuff is here, her purse, keys, wallet, they are all here and she isn’t. She’s… she’s just gone.”

“Sir, what’s the address and I will send law enforcement personnel to investigate.”

I rambled off Jackie's address, still in shock at her disappearance. I hung up the phone. The police would be here in five minutes. My hand clasped over my mouth, as I tried to physically hold in the sob that would break free any second. I needed to find her. Five minutes and people would be here to help. The police would help.

I needed a plan but I could barely think, I could barely breathe. Where was she? What was happening to her? Was she hurt? Scared? Alone?

I couldn’t entertain those questions, which would lead to places that would be unproductive. All I needed to do was find her.

As I began to pace in Jackie’s kitchen and waited for the police, I saw the picture of her and Fai on her fridge. God, she was beautiful. Her smile lit up every room she was in and the picture captured it perfectly. Her relationship with Fai was the most important relationship in her life, yet I watched it crumble to dust last night. I knew he was her rock. He would do anything for her. That couldn’t have changed.

Could it?

“Oh my god, Fai. I need to call Fai.”

I ran back to the phone and dialed his number. The three rings it took for someone to answer were too long.

“Pick up, god, please pick up.” I mumbled into the receiver.

“Hi, this is Sarah. How can I help you?”

Sarah could help, she could get Fai. Fai could find Jackie. That was all that mattered. Finding Jackie. “Sarah, it’s Will. I need Fai.” My voice was still shaking. I needed to breathe but I couldn’t while she was still missing.

“William? Are you okay?” Sarah asked, the concern clearly present in her voice. “What’s going on?’

“I need Fai!” I screamed into the phone, my body pulsating with fear. I know I should have been nicer, but Jackie was missing and that was all that mattered.

“Okay, okay, let me grab him…. Faizal, the phone is for you… It’s William… I don’t know, but something’s wrong… You need to talk to him… He asked for you…I don’t care if you don’t want to… God, just talk to him.”

“What do you want, Will?” Fai asked through the phone, his tone biting.

I forced the dreadful words out. “She’s missing.”

“What? Who’s missing?” The anger in his voice slipped away, concern replacing it.

“Jackie. She’s missing, Fai. I…”

This can’t be real.

“She’s gone, Fai. I need your help.”

“Sir, you need to calm down,” the police officer said to me, as if hearing it again would make it finally happen.

“Calm down? You want me to calm down? My girlfriend is missing! You’re the police, you’re supposed to help find her! Instead you’re waiting seventy-two fucking hours to even start looking! She could be dead by then! She could be dead now and you’re going to do nothing?” I screamed at the man in front of me. Jackie was missing and he was doing nothing to help. He was supposed to help.

“Mr. Bly, you need…”

“Dr. Bly,” I interrupted.