Agreed....at the time, I could not understand why Chad was sitting around the house, not even on the phone, not having his men out searching, phone calls, etc. Why did he not call Laura, Abby's school friends, get people at the sanitarium questioned? And for heaven's sakes why would he believe Andre's stupid first story of finding the note from Abby under the drapes? What in heaven's name would it be doing there. And then, if he spotted her, why not send men after her?
Chad was just sitting there, doing absolutely nothing, and then the plane crash? So how did a penniless, Abby get the $$$$ to get plane fare out of the country? So many holes in the story. And Chad just stayed home, off the phone, moped.
When we see now that Dario, of all people, has managed to find that Brady had crossed over the border with Nicole & Holly, then there ARE people out there who are capable. (just was surprised Dario's men found this out before Deimos's thugs.)
Yes, Chad was upset, yes, he had a baby (and people to care for that baby), but he can always be on the phone, calling in his people, tracing, etc. Maybe Chad should be on the Salem police force, he seems to be as effective as they are.