Jack silenced the alarm, sat up, threw his legs over the side of the bed, and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. His thoughts went immediately to Donna. He grabbed his cell and saw that he had eight missed calls and six messages. He quickly scrolled through the numbers. None were Donna. Assuming they were from his office, he decided to get cleaned up before he listened to the messages.
He quickly showered, dressed, and settled himself with his work journal and a ready pen as he played the first message, but it was not from the office.
"Jack, this is Shirley Knox from the University. I got your number from Donna's emergency contact list. Can you please call me when you get in? Donna didn’t come in again today, and we are wondering if everything was okay. It's not like Donna not to call. Please call me back. Thanks."
Didn’t come in again? What did Shirley mean by 'again'? He listened to the rest of the messages. All were from the office. The office could wait. He listened to Shirley's message again and then called Donna's cell. After six unanswered rings, it went to her voicemail. He hung up without leaving a message and immediately called Shirley at the University.
"Jack. What's going on? Is everything all right with Donna?" she asked.
"I don't know," he replied. “I'm in Vancouver, well Abbottsford, actually. I’ve been away since Sunday night. You said Donna didn’t come in yesterday?"
"That's right. She didn’t call in yesterday or today either. Where is she?"
"I honestly don't know. I've been unable to reach her. I left a few messages, but she never called me back. I'm real worried now… um… I'm not sure what to do."
"Oh my goodness. Could she be somewhere else maybe? At a friend's maybe?"
"No, not Donna. She called me when I was on the road Sunday night around ten. That was the last I heard from her. And you're saying she didn’t even show up Monday morning?"
"No, she didn't. Is there anything I can do, Jack?" Shirley asked.
"Can you maybe drop by the house on your way home? You know where the house is. It's just a few blocks..."
"I'll go right now. I know your house. Just let me sort a few things here, and I'll go right over. I'll call you as soon as I'm at the house."
"Thanks, Shirley. I really appreciate your help."
"I'm sure she's fine. I'll call you later."
"There's a key under the flower pot by the back door. If she doesn't answer the door, please go inside and check on things."
Shirley hung up, and Jack felt entirely alone in his hotel room. Things had suddenly changed.
He called the office and spoke to Reginald, his boss. He didn’t tell him anything about Donna but just said he might have to cut this trip short due to a family emergency. As he waited for the call from Shirley, he began to pack his things just in case he had to leave in a hurry.
Over an hour had passed, and Shirley still had not called back. He called Donna's cell once more, and it again went to voice mail. "Donna, honey, please call me. I'm worried now. Please call me."
Time passed slowly, and Jack thought through what to do next. For the first time in his life, he was not in full control of his immediate future. This was new, uncharted ground, and he knew when the phone call finally came, it would probably change his life forever.
He thought of Donna and all the time they spent together. He thought of how they had met and the short courting period they went through before tying the knot. He thought fondly on their honeymoon and the times they spent with her family and friends. His mind waded through the memories; each one was strong and clear. It felt like just yesterday that they purchased the home on Founders Road.
All the memories of the past two years rushed forward and left him swirling in the details of their life together. There were so many good memories: the trips away together, the mountain hikes, the long afternoon bike rides, and the evening jogs along the river path behind the house. His mind raced and extrapolated all that had occurred. The events of his life almost seemed to haunt him as he waded through each event. He could not stop the memories, and a chill crossed over his body. He could only fear the worst. All of the time they shared could not possibly be all for nothing. Though he only spent just over two years with Donna, it seemed a lifetime; it was as if they had always been sharing life together as one. His mind was tearing at the memories now, pulling them apart one by one, and analyzing the details.
He tried to shut the memories aside so he could gather his composure as he waited for the phone to ring. He knew he needed to be strong.
What was he expecting? Why was this waiting so difficult? Was hearing her voice in that last voice mail suddenly tearing him apart? Her voice was soft and gentle as it asked him to call her. He picked up his Blackberry and replayed the message she left him Sunday night. These were the last words he heard from Donna.
It was four thirty in the afternoon, nearly two hours after Jack talked to Shirley, when Jack's Blackberry finally rang. But it wasn't Shirley.
"Is this Jack Gardner?" the voice asked.
"Yes it is," Jack replied.
"Jack Gardner from 716 Founders Road, Bluffington?"
"Yes. Is this about Donna?"
"Jack, I am Constable Dave McMillan with the Bluffington RCMP. I have some difficult news. Are you alone?"
"Yes."
"I wish you had someone with you right now, but there's no easy way to say this. I have to tell you that your wife is deceased."
"Deceased?" Jack asked. "You mean dead? I don't understand."
"Jack, please listen very carefully. I hope you are sitting down."
"Uh, I am, but what are you saying? Dead? How?" Jack replied weakly and sat on the edge of the bed. It was suddenly all too real for him, and he felt dizzy.
"Shirley Knox from the University went to your house and let herself in through the back door. She found your wife Donna on the master bed deceased."
"No," Jack whispered into the phone. "No, it can't be true. Please tell me you’re lying. Please." Jack began to cry and dropped the phone away from his ear. The constable continued to speak, but Jack didn’t really hear him. Minutes passed before Jack once again put the phone up to his ear. He heard only silence as the officer waited for Jack to come back on the line.
The officer asked what hotel Jack was staying in. He told him to remain at the hotel while an officer from Abbottsford was dispatched to meet him.
Jack again asked what happened and how she died, but the officer ignored his questions. He told Jack to remain calm until the officer arrived. The officer offered to stay on the line with Jack until then, but Jack declined saying he was okay at the hotel alone until someone showed up.