«Althea, isn’t Beatrice home? Strange. We talked on the phone yesterday. She was planning to tend to the flowers in the greenhouse today, said she hadn’t taken care of the roses in a long time.»
«Thank you, Mrs. Valentina. If she happens to call you, please let me know immediately.»
«Of course, child, you’re scaring me. Is Beatrice okay?»
«Yes, we just missed each other,» Althea lied again and disconnected.
Suddenly, it hit her. The cemetery. Her mother often went there, especially when she was upset or wanted to be in silence. Maybe after yesterday’s fight, she went to her husband’s grave.
Althea turned the car around and headed toward the cemetery. The drive took 20 minutes, which felt like an eternity. Anxious thoughts swarmed in her head. What if Mama felt unwell? What if something happened to her?
I shouldn’t have spoken to her like that yesterday, Althea thought bitterly. I shouldn’t have snapped. She’s 79. She has a heart condition.
The cemetery met her with silence and the rustle of autumn leaves. Althea practically ran along the familiar paths to her father’s grave. Her heels clicked on the asphalt, her breathing ragged.
The grave was well kept. Fresh flowers lay on the black marble. Apparently, her mother had visited recently, but no one was there now.
Althea sank onto the bench next to the grave. Tears rolled down her cheeks on their own.
«Daddy, how could she do this?» she whispered, looking at her father’s photo on the monument. «Where could Mama have gone? I didn’t mean to hurt her. I’m just tired. Tired of pretending everything is fine.»
Langston Vance looked out from the photo, stern and calm. Althea remembered how he always knew how to soothe her with one look, how he found the right words in a difficult moment.
«What do I do?» she asked quietly.
But no answer followed, of course. She sat for a few more minutes, wiped her tears, and stood up. She needed to act, not sit and cry.
On the way home, Althea began calling hospitals. She was shaking at the thought that her mother might have been in an accident or had a heart attack.
«Good afternoon. Did you have any women admitted today, approximately 79 years old? Beatrice Vance.»
«One minute, let me check. No, we don’t have such a patient.»
She called four hospitals. No results. Then Althea drove to the police station. The desk sergeant met her without enthusiasm, clearly busy with his own affairs.
«I want to report a missing person,» Althea said firmly.
«Have a seat. When did the person go missing? This morning? Or possibly during the night? You don’t know for sure?» The officer looked up at her.
«This morning. I understand that legally you might wait, but she is 79,» Althea’s voice trembled. «She has heart problems.»
«All right, let’s file a report.» The officer took out a form. «Name, age of the missing person.»
«Beatrice Vance, 79 years old.»
«Description?»
«Well-groomed black woman,» Althea tried to recall all details. «Average height, about five foot five. Gray hair, usually wears it in a bun. Brown eyes, wears reading glasses.»
«What was she wearing?»
«I… I don’t know. I left early in the morning, didn’t see her.»
«Does she have memory problems? A tendency to wander?»
«No.» Althea shook her head. «No, no memory problems. She was always of sound mind.»
«Maybe there was a conflict? A reason why she might have left?»
Althea fell silent. Yesterday’s fight floated up in memory in full color. «We had a disagreement last night, but that’s no reason to disappear.»
«I see.» The officer wrote something down. «Leave your contacts, we will look into it, but usually in such cases people return on their own. Perhaps your mother just wants to teach you a lesson.»
«Teach me a lesson?» Althea felt anger boiling inside. «She is 79, not 17.»
«Nevertheless, it happens,» the officer replied calmly. «Go home, wait. If she doesn’t appear in 24 hours, we will activate a wider search.»
Althea left the precinct feeling devastated and helpless. She returned home, where a worried Martha had already turned on all the lights as if bright light could help bring the missing mistress back.
«Nothing?» the housekeeper asked hopefully.
«Nothing.» Althea walked into the living room and sank onto the sofa.
«Maybe she went to one of the relatives?»
«She has no close relatives except me,» Althea answered wearily. «Martha, did you notice anything strange in her behavior lately?»
«No, Ms. Vance. Mrs. Beatrice was as usual. True, the last few days she seemed a bit thoughtful, but I didn’t attach any importance to it.»
Althea took out her phone and started calling hospitals, morgues, and urgent care centers again. With every negative answer, the panic grew.
In the evening, Elias called.
«Ms. Vance, how are things? Has your mother been found?»
«No.» Althea’s voice sounded hollow. «Elias, cancel all my meetings for tomorrow too. I can’t think about work when I don’t know where my mother is.»
«Of course. Maybe… maybe organize an announcement or hire private detectives?»
«Detectives? Yes, that’s a good thought. I’ll handle that first thing in the morning.»
Althea didn’t sleep all night. She sat in the armchair in the living room, wrapped in a blanket, staring at the phone, hoping it would ring, that her mother would call and say everything was fine, that she just wanted to be alone. But the phone was silent.
The same thoughts spun in her head. What if I never see her again? What if the last words we said to each other were full of anger and resentment? Althea closed her eyes, and tears flowed down her cheeks again. For the first time in many years, she felt so helpless. She could control the company, close deals, solve problems, but how to find a person who simply vanished?
Three days passed since Beatrice’s disappearance, and Althea felt like she was slowly losing her mind. The police were working, but without much enthusiasm. Too many missing people, too few resources. Every day she called the precinct, and every day she got the same answer: «Operational search measures are underway. Please wait.»
Althea sat in her office, staring out the window at the gray autumn sky. Untouched documents lay on the desk before her. The computer was on, but she couldn’t force herself to work. Every time she tried to focus on numbers and reports, her mother’s face floated before her eyes.
The door to the office opened quietly, and Elias entered with another folder of papers.
«Ms. Vance, you need to sign…»
«Elias,» Althea interrupted him without taking her eyes off the window. «Do you know any good private investigators?»
Her assistant froze in the doorway. «Private investigators? You want to hire a private eye?»
«The police work too slowly. I need a professional who will focus only on this case.» She finally turned to him.
Elias noticed the dark circles under her eyes, the pallor of her face.
«Do you have contacts?»
«There is one man,» Elias nodded. «Silas Grange. Used to work in homicide, then went into private practice. Very meticulous and reliable. My brother went to him a couple of years ago when tracking down a debtor. Found him in a week.»
«I need him, urgently.» Althea reached for her phone. «Give me his number.»
Half an hour later, Detective Silas Grange was sitting in her office. A man of about 50 with piercing gray eyes and calm manners, he inspired confidence. He took out a notepad and pen.
«Mr. Grange, I need your help,» Althea began, trying to speak confidently, though her voice betrayed a tremor. «My mother disappeared three days ago.»
«Tell me in detail. When did you see her last?»
«In the evening, the day before the disappearance. We argued.» It was hard for Althea to admit this aloud. «The next morning I left for work early, didn’t see her, and in the afternoon the housekeeper called and said Mama wasn’t home.»
«What was the cause of the argument?»
Althea clenched her fists. «I accused her of ruining my life. Said that because of her I have no family. It was stupid. I shouldn’t have…»
«Ms. Vance,» the detective interrupted gently. «I’m not judging you. I need facts to understand what might have happened. Could your mother have left under the influence of emotions?»
«I don’t know.» Althea ran a hand over her face. «She was offended, that’s for sure, but to just pick up and leave? She’s 79. She has a heart condition.»
«Does she have relatives, friends she could turn to?»
«I called everyone. No one has seen her. Friends say she didn’t call.»
Silas Grange wrote down every word.
«Money, documents. What did she take with her?»
«Nothing.» Althea felt a lump rising in her throat. «Passport is in place, phone is at home, money too. The housekeeper says she didn’t even take her favorite purse.»
«That is strange,» the detective frowned. «Usually people planning to leave take documents and money. Describe your mother to me in more detail. Habits. Places she liked to visit.»
Althea spent the next hour answering the detective’s questions. She talked about how her mother loved visiting the cemetery, how she sometimes met friends at a cafe, how on Tuesdays she always went to church.
«I will check all these places,» promised Silas. «I’ll also request surveillance footage in your neighborhood. Ms. Vance, I understand how hard this is for you, but try to remember, was there anything unusual in your mother’s behavior recently?»
Althea thought. «Martha, our housekeeper, said Mama was thoughtful the last few days, but I didn’t attach importance to it. We barely spoke. I’m constantly at work.»
«All right, I will start work immediately. I’ll keep you posted.» The detective stood up. «And one more thing, don’t lose hope. In my practice, there have been cases where people were found a month later, or even two.»
When Silas Grange left, Althea sank into her chair. She had hired the best detective. The police were working. Missing posters were pasted all over the city. What else could she do?
The following days turned into agonizing waiting. Silas called every evening with reports, but there were no results. He checked all the cafes and churches, interviewed her mother’s friends, and reviewed footage. Beatrice Vance seemed to have dissolved into thin air.
«I checked hospitals within a hundred-mile radius,» the detective said. «Also contacted colleagues in neighboring cities. Nothing.»
«How can a person just disappear?» Althea almost screamed into the receiver. «We live in the 21st century. There are cameras everywhere.»
«Unfortunately, not everywhere. There aren’t many cameras in your residential area. The last thing I managed to establish, your mother left the house early in the morning around six o’clock. Then the trail goes cold.»
Althea continued going to work because she didn’t know how else to occupy herself. Sitting at home and waiting was unbearable, but work brought no relief either. She conducted negotiations, signed papers, and met with partners, but all this happened as if underwater in some unreal fog.
«Ms. Vance, do you hear me?» The voice of a partner on the video call returned her to reality.
«Yes, sorry. What were you saying?»
«About the delivery deadlines. Do you agree with the proposed dates?»
Althea looked at the screen, but the numbers and charts blurred before her eyes.
«Yes, I agree. Elias will prepare the documents.»
When the connection cut off, she dropped her head into her hands. Her thoughts constantly returned to her mother. What if Beatrice left precisely because of their fight? What if the last words Althea said to her were so cruel that her mother decided no, she couldn’t even think about that?
«Ms. Vance.» Elias walked into the office with coffee. «Drink. You’ve eaten almost nothing all week.»
«Thank you.» She took the cup but didn’t even touch the drink. «How are the searches? Has anything moved forward?»
«No results.» Althea’s voice was lifeless. «Grange is working day and night, but nothing. I don’t know what to do anymore.»
Elias sat on the edge of the desk. «Maybe we should cancel the meeting with the investors or move it a few weeks later. You aren’t in a state to lead such serious negotiations.»
Althea sharply raised her head. «Meeting with investors.» She had completely forgotten. It was the most important deal of the year. The future of the company depended on it. «Right. The flight is today. Elias, what time is it?»
«2:30.»
«And the flight is at six,» the assistant reminded her.
«So the flight is in three hours.» Althea grabbed her head. «God, I haven’t even packed.»
«Ms. Vance,» Elias said gently. «I can go alone or we can reschedule. You don’t have to.»
«No.» She stood up abruptly. «I’m useless here anyway. The detective is working. The police are working. I’m just getting in the way, calling every two hours. The deal will happen. It’s too important for the company. But if anything happens, Martha will be at home. She’ll let me know if Mama shows up.»
Althea was already gathering documents into her bag. «I’ll leave her all the contacts and Silas Grange’s too.»
«Are you sure?» Elias looked at her with doubt. «Negotiations will last more than a week, maybe two.»
«I’m sure,» Althea said decisively, though inside everything clenched with fear.
To leave now when her mother was missing felt like betrayal. But the company—200 people worked there. 200 families depended on her decisions.
«Elias, order a car to the airport. I need to stop by the house, grab my things.»
«Okay, then see you at the airport.»
«Yes.» She nodded, and they exchanged tense glances.
At home, Althea packed a suitcase in a rush. Martha bustled nearby, helping fold clothes.
«Ms. Vance, what about Mrs. Beatrice?» the housekeeper asked with anxiety.
«Martha, I have a very important request for you.» Althea stopped and took the woman by the hands. «If Mama appears, if there is any news, call me immediately. Any time of day or night. Understood?»
«Of course, of course. Don’t worry, I will right away.»
«Here is the detective’s number. Here is the precinct number.» Althea wrote on a piece of paper. «If something happens and I’m not reachable, call them.»
«You will return, right?» A plea sounded in Martha’s voice.
«Of course, I’ll return. Maximum three months.» But even saying these words, Althea felt her heart constrict with pain.