Chapter 25
Irang the video doorbell at the courtyard gate.
A moment later, Mrs. Pearson’s voice crackled through the speaker. “What is it now? Another false complaint?”
“No,” I said. “We’re here to talk about Riley Reynolds.”
That hung there for a moment.
“Is she okay?” Julie asked. “I’m starting to get worried about her. I haven’t heard from her. I tried calling her cell phone a few times, but she didn’t answer. This is really unusual for her.”
“Her roommate reported her missing.”
Julie gasped. “My God. I hope she’s okay.”
I shared a look with Jack, then said, “Can you come to the door?”
“Certainly. I’ll be right there.”
She buzzed us in, and we walked to the front porch.
Julie came to the door a moment later. She pulled it open, and her concerned eyes flicked between the two of us. “You don’t think something bad has happened to her, do you?”
“I’m sure she’s fine. Maybe she met someone. Took an impromptu vacation.” It was unlikely at this point.
Julie exhaled, somewhat relieved. “I hope so.” After an awkward pause, she said, “It’s just kind of weird. Someone makes these false allegations, then Riley goes missing. Do you think they could be related?”
“It is concerning,” I said, dancing around the issue. “When was the last time you saw Riley?”
“She was here yesterday. She left in the early evening around 6:00 PM.”
“Is that typical for her?”
“Yes.”
“What does she do, actually?”
Julie sighed. “A little bit of everything. She helps cook, clean, manage the house. It’s a full-time job. She looks after James, my son, when need be. She’s like my little clone. I do hope she’s okay.”
“Is your husband home?”
“No,” he’s at the office.
“What about your eldest son?”
“Sean’s sleeping. He had a late one last night.”
“You said Riley left around 6:00 PM. What did you do after she left?”
“I had dinner with my husband. Then I hit a spin class at the gym from 8-9:00 PM. Afterward, I met a girlfriend for a drink at Keys, then I came home.”
“What time was that?”
“I was probably home by 10 or 10:30 PM. Then you stopped by and interrupted a personal moment.”
“So Riley could have been here at the house while you were at the gym and out for drinks.”
Her eyes narrowed. “No. Riley couldn’t have been at my house during that time.”
“How do you know that?”
“Because there was no reason for her to be here.”
“A witness claimed to see your husband strangle a blonde woman.”
She huffed with exasperation. “People can say anything they want. Your witness is delusional.”
“You mind if we take a look around the property?” I asked.
Her brow wrinkled. “What on earth do you hope to find?”
I shrugged.
“Absolutely not.”
“We can get a warrant,” I said, knowing we didn’t have enough.
“Then get one. I’m tired of this harassment. Neither I nor my husband had anything to do with Riley’s disappearance. Like you said, it’s quite possible she ran off with someone. Young girls in love do that kind of thing.”
“I heard she recently broke up with her boyfriend.”
“I didn’t ask her about her private life.”
“You ladies didn’t gossip?”
Julie glared at me. “Not with the help. I like to maintain a professional distance with my employees. Otherwise, they start disrespecting you.”
“I’d like to talk to your son.”
She laughed. “I can assure you, James has nothing to say about the matter.”
“No. Your other son.”
“Like I said. Sean’s asleep. Now, if you’ll excuse me. I’m not going to answer any more questions without an attorney.”
She stepped back, closed the door, and latched it.
I shared another look with JD.
We strolled the walkway toward the van.
“If Riley came over here last night, and she didn’t leave, how’d she get here?” JD asked.
Riley’s car wasn’t parked at the curb or in the driveway.
“Rideshare,” I said.
“Have Isabella check records.”
I gave her a call and filled her in on the situation.
With a few taps of the keys, she told me, “Riley’s phone is off the grid and has been since last night.
According to the history, she left the Pearsons at 6:03 PM and returned to her apartment.
The phone stays there until a little after midnight when it stops pinging the tower. ”
Confusion wrinkled my brow. “After midnight?”
“I’m just telling you what the data says. Maybe she left the phone at the apartment. Maybe the battery died.”
I thanked her for the info and ended the call.
JD and I banged on neighboring doors and ended up talking to the woman who lived directly across the street.
“Yes, I saw Riley yesterday,” Constance said. “Such a sweet girl. She seems very dedicated. Rides her bike over every day.”
“Her bicycle?”
Constance was mid-30s, with wavy blonde hair, a round face, and coffee eyes.
“She said she didn’t have much time to get to the gym, so the ride over and back was her cardio. Not that she needs it. She’s skinny as a rail.”
Constance had put on a few extra pounds.
“Did you happen to see her leave yesterday?”
“No. Can’t say that I did.” Then she added in a concerned tone. “Is she really missing?”
I shrugged. “Did you know her well?”
“She sat for my boy once or twice. Dylan is 11, and I’m not comfortable leaving him on his own. I know some parents are hands off, but there’s too much trouble for them to get into. And God forbid something happens.”
“Have you ever noticed anything unusual at the Pearsons?”
“What do you mean by unusual?”
“How’s their relationship? Happy couple?”
“Oh. Well, I think so. I mean, who really knows, right? She’s gorgeous, and he’s so handsome. I don’t believe what anybody else says.”
“What do they say?”