Chapter 2

The next day there were posters of Esty around town, it seemed her husband called in her disappearance. Iris decided she would do some digging herself so she went to Esty's and knocked on the door, Alex answered looking a bit disgruntled.

"Can I help you?" He asked, looking quite annoyed.

"I was wondering if I could look through the boxes in the garage." Iris replied, giving the same look back to him.

"Why?"

"I have a feeling it's Esty's things and I want to see if she left a clue on her whereabouts."

"Go for it." Alex said, huffing out a breath.

"It seems you know something we don't." Iris caught onto the look that flashed in his eyes.

"All I know is that my wife went to Olive Garden with her so-called friend and then disappeared without a trace." Alex pried her foot from the door and shut it.

Iris set off to the garage, she in fact knew something Alex didn't, Esty kept a diary. That diary would bring light to the situation and maybe even clues. Once at the garage Iris opened the side door and was met with the dark outlines of many boxes, she turned on the light and saw that not only was Esty's car in there, it seemed like all her stuff was contained in these boxes and not just a few things.

"Somebody's gotta catch him out." She muttered to herself, opening the first box she saw. In this box were clothes that Esty had never got to wear, and even shoes she had just bought with the tags still on them. She opened another box and saw Esty's wedding attire. Esty was so happy in this dress, Iris lightly moved it back into the box and set it aside.

The next box was something she was dreading to see, once it was opened she was met with a gruesome sight. There were clothes covered in blood and a heavy ax with blood splattering it, Iris took out her phone and snapped a picture. The fourth box was the one she was looking for, inside was Esty's diary along with other sentimental things that belonged to Esty.

Iris took the box and left, noticing that she was being watched from the window by a blonde woman. Once safely back in her apartment Iris took the diary out of the box and sat back on the couch, ready to read whatever Esty had written in it. Every entry she did started out with the date and then a long paragraph, but some of them didn't seem right, there would be pages with just on line written on it. The first entry she read was dated for October.

October 5th, 2019

Alex is as loving as ever, he got me this diary. He knows how stressed I can get and that writing helps me. He told me writing down my feelings would help me let go when he's not here. He should be getting home soon, he says he's got another surprise for me.

The first few entries were normal, almost loving as she described the gifts Alex would present to her when he got home from work. But things took a turn in the January months.

January 10th, 2020

Alex hasn't been able to control his anger lately, sometimes he comes home from work so angry that I just can't help him. He's taken to hitting me when he can't calm down, but he only hits me where people won't be able to see the bruises. He says if someone does see them he'll know I've been cheating on him. But it's ok right? He's just doing this because it makes him feel better, it's normal right?

This entry was marked with dried tears on the pages, Iris felt helpless, if only Esty had told her what was going on. If only. A few pages down was an entry on valentines day, this page was marked with not only tears but what looked to be dried blood.

February 14th, 2020

Alex isn't home yet, he told me he'd be home late minutes before he got home. I had our Valentine's dinner cooked already and it was getting colder by the hour. Why do I let him do this? He won't let me leave, why was I smitten with him again? Does he even love me still?

As Iris kept reading tears would stain her face, the tales of the gruesome things Alex would do to Esty left Iris speechless. Just as she thought she couldn't take anymore, Iris flipped to a page marked a few days before their evening out.

June 5th, 2020

Alex is acting differently, I think he might be cheating. I found a shirt with a wine stain on it, he doesn't drink wine and I don't remember spilling on his fancy work shirt. I can't wait for my evening out with Iris, even if I can't tell her about him hurting me she needs to know he might be cheating.

Iris's breath caught in her throat reading the last line, why couldn't Esty trust her with the story of abuse she was enduring? Iris remembered the time Esty came into work mid-spring wearing a heaving scarf around her throat and a large coat. She should have known at that moment. There was another entry she found two days before Esty went missing.

June 7th, 2020

I feel dirty. Why did he do this? He took it too far, he raped me.

This was the one that made Iris's emotions bubble over the surface, this was the Sunday before Esty disappeared. Alex most definitely committed a crime.