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.”
