Insane or not

Insane or not
Allan’s hands shook violently as he buried his face in his palms. His body quivered, as if the weight of his own grief threatened to crush him. When he finally lifted his head, his eyes were hollow, haunted by something Alisha couldn’t comprehend.

“She… she just vanished,” he croaked, voice barely more than a rasp. “One night… we were together, just like any other night, and she… she wasn’t there anymore. She disappeared. Gone. No note, no sign, no trace of where she went. I—I tried to find her. I searched every street, every alley, every hospital, every motel. Nothing.”

Alisha’s chest tightened, a cold pressure that made it hard to breathe. “But… what about her sister, Jessie? She must have tried—”

“Jessie,” Allan interrupted, voice breaking with desperation, “she doesn’t believe me. She doesn’t believe a word I say. She thinks I—” His hands clenched into fists, nails digging into his palms until they bled. “She thinks I killed her. That I… I silenced her. But I swear to God, I did not. I would never… I loved her. I still love her.”

Joel stepped forward, gripping the edge of the hospital bed. “Allan, you understand how this looks. She’s missing, and you were the last person to see her. People would assume—”

“They assume,” Allan said sharply, cutting him off. “But they’re wrong. They have no idea. You don’t understand what it’s like to love someone who disappears right from your life. You think I would just… let her vanish? I’ve been haunted every single night since she disappeared. Haunted by the thought that something—someone—took her.”

Alisha shivered, her hand clutching her coat tightly. “Who, Allan? Who could take her? Why?”

Allan’s gaze turned inward, as if he were staring at a memory too sharp, too painful to touch. “I don’t know. I tried to ask around, to find anyone who saw her… anyone who knew anything. But no one would talk. And Jessie… she refused to believe me. She cursed me, accused me, spat at me… and every night I hear her name in my dreams, hear her calling, begging me to find her, to bring her back. And I can’t.”

Sam swallowed hard, his throat dry. “Allan… you really didn’t know where she went?”

Allan’s face twisted into a grimace, tears streaking down his cheeks. “No. Nothing. One night, we met, we talked, we laughed… and the next, she was gone. Her bed empty, her apartment empty, her phone gone… like she was erased from existence. I checked every place she could be, and every clue led nowhere. It’s like… like she was swallowed by the night itself.”

Joel leaned closer, his voice low. “And Jessie… she believes you’re responsible?”

“Yes,” Allan said, voice breaking again. “She believes I silenced her, that I killed her. But it’s not true. I would never hurt her. I loved her too much for that. And I… I know someone is behind this. Someone who wanted to punish me, or… or use her as a pawn. That’s why I asked you to investigate. That’s why I had you search. I need to know who took her, or… or I’ll go mad.”

Alisha’s fingers tightened around her notebook. “Allan… do you have any idea who might be involved? Anyone who hated you, or wanted to control her?”

Allan’s lips pressed into a thin, grim line. His eyes darkened as he stared into nothing, lost in a memory that made his hands shake. “It could… it could be Lily,” he said finally, his voice low and bitter, almost trembling with fear and anger. “My wife… she’s capable of anything. She hated Adelia the moment she knew I cared for her. She hated every woman I ever spent time with. And when Adelia came into our lives… when she dared to smile at me, to laugh with me… I think… I think Lily snapped.”

Alisha’s notebook dropped slightly as she absorbed his words, the cold grip of dread curling around her stomach. “Lily… your wife? You really think she could have killed Adelia?”

Allan nodded, his lips barely moving. “Yes. I’ve known Lily for years… more than anyone. She’s clever, unpredictable, and ruthless when angered. And she hates being crossed. She always wants control. Adelia… she had something Lily could never have, something she couldn’t tolerate.” He swallowed hard. “I tried to warn Adelia, to protect her, but… I wasn’t fast enough. And now… she’s gone. I fear Lily… I fear what she might have done.”

Sam exchanged a glance with Joel, their expressions darkening as they considered the possibility. “You know… that actually could be true,” Sam said, his voice quiet but steady. “I’ve seen her… Lily, I mean. She’s always been a little… off. Unstable. But lately… after you were in the hospital, she’s been acting stranger. Cold. Calculating. Maybe this… maybe this isn’t the first time she’s crossed a line.”

Joel nodded slowly, his jaw tight. “Yeah. We all thought she was just angry at you, Allan. But… now it makes sense. The way she snapped at us at the hospital, the way she yelled… that wasn’t just fear or anger at you. That was warning us. Maybe she wanted to cover her tracks.”

Alisha’s fingers tightened around the notebook again. Her mind raced, connecting fragments of information like pieces of a dark puzzle. “So… you’re saying Lily could’ve planned this? That she might have taken Adelia herself?”

Allan’s eyes burned with a mixture of grief and fear. “Yes… I think she could have. She knows me too well… knows my weaknesses. And Adelia… she was always in the wrong place at the wrong time. Lily doesn’t forgive betrayal—real or imagined. She wants control, and anyone who dares to cross her… they disappear.”

Alisha looked at Joel and Sam, seeing the same unease reflected in their faces. Sam swallowed hard, glancing at Allan’s trembling hands. “We… we need to think carefully. If Lily is involved… we can’t let her know we’re investigating. She’s smart… and dangerous.”

Joel’s eyes narrowed. “Yeah… she’s unstable, but also precise. One wrong move, and she could destroy everything. Allan… if this is true, we need to be careful, and we need proof. Otherwise, no one will believe us.”

Alisha nodded slowly, her throat tight. “We have to be careful… and we have to keep searching for Adelia. If Lily really did this… she could be planning something else, something we can’t see coming.”

Allan buried his face in his hands again, his body shaking with quiet sobs. “I can’t stop thinking about her… about Adelia. And if Lily did this… I fear I might never see her again. I fear she’s… gone forever.”

Sam stepped closer, placing a steady hand on Allan’s shoulder. “We’ll help you, Allan. We’ll find Adelia. And if Lily did this… we’ll make sure she pays for what she’s done.”

Alisha’s eyes narrowed, her fingers tightening on her notebook. A new determination had taken hold of her. “We’ll uncover the truth. No matter how dangerous, no matter how far we have to go… we’ll find Adelia.”