Page 48 of He Doesn't Deserve You

Gabriel shook his head. “I don’t know where she is. I swear.”

Dr. Lucas studied Gabriel for a moment, trying to discern if he was being truthful. “All right,” he finally said. “If you happen to hear from her, please let me know. In the meantime, I’ll contact the police to request a wellness check on her. That’s all,” Dr. Lucas concluded, dismissing Gabriel.

As Gabriel reached the door, Dr. Lucas called out, “Oh, and Gabriel, get some rest. You look like hell.”

25

Detective Martin returned to the station after his lunch break to the sound of his desk phone ringing. He hurried to pick it up before it went to voicemail.

“Hello,” he answered.

The receptionist from the front desk was on the line. “I have a caller who wants to report a possible missing person. He’s requesting a wellness check.”

Martin sighed, slightly annoyed. “Okay,” he said. “Assign it to one of the rookies.”

“I was going to,” the receptionist replied, “but when the caller gave me the person’s name, I thought you might want to handle it yourself.”

“Who’s it for?”

“Maggie Culliver.”

“Put the call through,” Detective Martin said.

The receptionist put the call through, “Hudson County Police Department, Detective Martin speaking.”

“Hello, my name is Dr. Samuel Lucas from the Hudson County Health Clinic. I’m calling regarding one of our employees, Maggie Culliver. She hasn’t shown up for work, and no one has seen or heard from her in three days. This is highly unusual for her, as she’s nevermissed a day without calling. I’m becoming quite concerned and was hoping someone could conduct a wellness check on her.”

“Thank you for contacting us, Dr. Lucas. I will conduct a wellness check on her residence today and let you know of any findings. If you receive any updates about her whereabouts in the meantime, please notify us immediately.”

“I will, thank you.”

“Goodbye.”

“Wait, don’t you need her address?”

“We’ve got it,” Detective Martin said, placing the receiver back on its base.

Detective Johnson, seated at the desk across from Martin, overheard the conversation and raised an eyebrow. “You’re doing a wellness check?”

“It’s for Maggie Culliver,” Martin replied.

Johnson’s eyes widened. “Don’t you believe she’s on the run?”

Martin nodded. “I do. Maybe a clue in her house can tell us where she went.”

Johnson stood up, grabbing his jacket. “Can I come with you?”

“Sure,” Martin said, heading towards the door. “Let’s go.”

In no time at all, Detective Martin and Detective Johnson arrived at Maggie’s apartment and knocked loudly on the door.

“Maggie, it’s Detective Martin from the Hudson County Police Department,” he called out. “We’re here to conduct a wellness check. Is anyone home?”

After receiving no response, Martin said, “We’re concerned for your safety. If you can hear us, please respond.”

Receiving no answer, Martin reached for the doorknob and slowly turned it. The door was unlocked. He carefully pushed it open and stepped inside.

“Maggie are you here?” he called out, his voice echoing through the silent apartment.

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