Tattered Love

Chapter 20

It has been a week since my beautiful wife has disappeared. It's like she vanished off the face of the Earth. If I haven't destroyed my office by the afternoon, I destroyed my bedroom by evening. In the middle of the night I'm always found wondering through her room. Her scent still lingers in her area. It's slowly fading with time but I find comfort with her scent. The garden, I visit everyday. Everyday, I sit in that Garden and try to collect what thoughts I might have running in my brain. I haven't really came into the gardens that much before she went missing but sitting on this bench she sat everyday on, I can see why she loves it out here. As I glance around the garden, I realize she still hadn't bought the flowers I told her she could. She still hadn't ordered the statues she wanted months ago. Few things I need to add to my home life list. In reality, there's a bucket list of shit I need to do on my home life list. Like this garden, she wanted the design of the garden itself changed. The curvy pathways, she wanted differently. I told her she could have it changed however she wanted. But, given my short answers, she probably thought against it. With an idea planted into my skull, I exit the gardens and head up to her room; doing my usual nighttime routine. Even when she was still here. I would always open her door and check on her when she was asleep. Now I open the door to an empty bed. I go to her desk and pull out her drawing book. Flipping the pages, I finally land on the one I've been searching for.... Her garden design. It has a list of flowers, plants, trees, and other greenery to the side. Along with the guardian statues she wanted and the archways. Her layout of the pathway reminds me of a Japanese Garden. I pull my phone out and take a quick picture. Technically, I take a few pictures, roughly ten if I'm going to be honest. I place her drawing book back into it's correct spot. I glance around to make sure I haven't disturbed anything else and exit her room. I walk back down to the bottom floor where my family is.

"Have we found anything?" I question everyone in the reception area.

"Have you calmed down any first?" Arcangelo asks as he cowards in the back of the group.

"Just answer the question?" My voice is raspy and ready to crack at any given moment.

"No. But I believe we might have found one of the culprits." Father answers for everyone.

"Who?" I fire my question right back.

"Arcabald." Is the only name that is said.

"Why do you believe that? What proof do we have?" I ask right back.

"Because Arcangelo was able to recover the missing footage." Antonio answers with a smug look.

"Explain." I order.

"I done my hacking and technology knowledge and recovered most the missing footage. The cameras weren't cut off, the footage was erased to make it look as it they were cut off." He starts to explain. "The footage I was able to recover, you'll need to sit down for this." He suggests as he motions for us to go to the office.

"Not yours! We haven't had anyone come clean it up." Adriano yells out as he walks into Alexander's office. So, we're going into that office. I walk in as Arcangelo turns the laptop around and the footage begins to play. I watch as Arcabald comes up behind Issy as she's almost to the garden door. His hand over her mouth, he shoves a needle into her neck. I watch as her eyes roll back into the back of her head as she falls limp in his arms. Her house shoe is pulled of her feet by him dragging her down the concrete. Her book fell from her hands when she went limp. Her phone was stomped on as it fell from her back pocket. The footage ends when he rounds the corner of the house.

The footage of her being drugged causes my veins to grow cold. Fire is storming through my eyes as I storm out the office.

Oh Doc! Where are you?