Chapter 3 Unknown Pov

• Rich got down from the car and rushed to the scene of the
• accident with Arianna tagging behind.
• “Mr. Rich, you are here” a police officer walked up to him.
• “Yes, I got the news this morning and I immediately rushed
• down here” Rich replied. “So can I see them, how bad was the accident, I hope
• there are no casualties?” he asked.
• “How did the accident happen?” Arianna enquired.
• “It is a brake failure,” one of the officers said.
• She left with the officer that had replied to her to have
• some discussion with him. She is a highranking Police officer and would like
• to find out everything about the accident.
• Rich walked around the car and he inspected it to know how
• damaged that it looked. He started to pray silently as he does not want to lose
• any of them.
• “Where are they, are they in the ambulance or have they been
• taken to the hospital already? I hope they are all responding to treatment”
• Rich inquired.
• Rich was in great panic. In the condition that the car was
• in, he was sure that there was no way anyone would have survived in it but he
• was been hopeful.
• “We lost them, Mr. Rich” the officer responded.
• “What” Rich exclaimed and ran to the ambulance.
• He saw the bodies of the parents and the son but that of the
• daughter was not there. Tears flowed down his face.
• “Where is she” he requested. “Where is Annabel? She was with
• them but her body is not here”
• “These are the bodies that we saw when we arrived. However,
• we noticed that the car door was open and it seemed as if she jumped out of the
• car” the officer replied.
• “So she is not dead, where is her body?” Rich asked.
• “We did not see anybody. But her blood was on the floor. She
• is dead” he replied.
• “But if her body is nowhere around, then she must be alive.
• Someone must have rescued her” Rich said.
• He does not want to believe the narrative of the officer. If
• Annabel had jumped out of the car and her body is not here then she should be
• alive and all they need do is to go in search of her.
• “We don’t think so, Mr. Rich. There is no record of any car
• passing this route after the accident. We fear that she might have been
• consumed by a wild beast” he replied.
• Arianna arrived and stood by his side.
• “No, I don’t believe that. I must look for her. We must all
• search for her everywhere. You have to run a test on the blood and some
• autopsy. I don’t mind what it is going to cost, I will spend everything” Rich
• said.
• “I will lead the team, Rich. I will make sure that we get to
• the root of this” Arianna said.
• Rich inhaled. “Thanks, Arianna. I believe Annabel is alive
• somewhere. We have to find her and take care of her. I will not stop until I
• find her even if it takes me forever”
• “If she is out there we would find her and bring her back to
• us soon” she replied.
• ………………………………………….
• “I think you just have to give up, Rich,” Williams said.
• Rich was pacing around the room and has a bottle of gin in
• his hand.
• “No, I will never do that, Williams. Until I see her alive or
• dead, I will never stop looking for her” Rich replied.
• “But what more can you do. The autopsy, forensic reports
• everything, they all point to the fact that she is dead” Williams asked.
• “I will continue to do the search myself” Rich responded.
• “Arianna led the team, Rich. She did her best. You know if
• there was something that could be done to bring back Annabel, Arianna would
• have done that” Williams said.
• “I know she did. I will go in search of her every damn place.
• I will not rest until I get her” Rich replied.
• “You have searched everywhere already. The orphanages,
• schools, hospitals, just name it. Now, where more can you look? You have been
• on this for months now and you even canceled your engagement to Arianna. You know
• Mr. Macpherson would not be happy that you are doing this to yourself. Just how
• long will you continue to search?” Williams asked.
• “Even if it takes me forever, I will not stop” Rich replied.
• “Even at the detriment of your life? What about Arianna, do you
• stop to think about her feelings?” Williams asked.
• “I have relieved her from her bond with me. She can continue
• her life with someone else” Rich replied.
• “Just like that, Rich. Things are not done that way. Don’t
• you care about the fact that she loves you?” Williams asked.
• “See, Williams, Mr. Macpherson, and his family did not just
• die. They died on their way to my place. And now, Annabel is out there
• somewhere with no one to care for her. What sort of her friend will I be if I
• should just ignore the lost daughter of my late friend and act as if she was
• never here?” Rich yelled.
• “But you have done enough. It is almost a year now and your
• life has practically been on hold” Williams said.
• “My life has not been on hold, I have been doing all I can to
• get Annabel. What else can be more important than that?” Rich retorted.
• “And how sure are you that Annabel actually survived that
• day. What proof do you have that she is still alive? You have done enough,
• please let it go” Williams appealed.
• “I am the only one with valid proof here. The absence of her
• body is enough proof. And until it is proven otherwise, I will continue to
• look” Rich responded.
• Williams exhaled. He had been going back and front on this
• issue with Rich almost every day. And with each passing day, his friend’s
• conviction increases. He honestly wished that there was something that he could
• do to assist him.
• “You are never going to give up, are you?” Williams asked.
• “No, Williams. You should know me better than to give up”
• Rich replied.
• “And when do you intend to stop searching?” Williams asked.
• “The day I see Annabel smiling at me as she always does” Rich
• responded.