House of the Seven Sirons

Chapter 2

Jade is sitting behind the large mahogany desk. Her immaculately manicured red nails clicking on the keyboard as she types. She wears a low-cut black top with denim trousers and a pair of beige peep-toe V-shape cut ankle boots. She clicks with the mouse on the laptop, scrolling through various articles until she comes across one about a young woman who has been missing for a week. As she leans forward, she strokes the front of her foot beneath the desk. Relaxing back in the chair, with one leg crossed over the other. Her attention is caught by a woman who walks down the hall in her direction. She wears black dress pants with a simple white collared shirt and a pair of heeled boots.

"I'm Detective Carter. I'm here to speak to Mr Edwards about the missing woman," She flips her warrant card.

"He'll be in his office," replies Jade. Pointing towards the closed door.

Detective Carter strides away towards Mr Edwards' office. Stopping outside the door, she knocks loudly, and only once before pushing it open. She finds George sitting at his desk. "Mr Edwards, I need to ask you a couple of questions?" She shows him her ID and he nods.

"Please have a seat and ask anything you want," replies George, smiling without showing his teeth.

"Thank you," replies Detective Carter, sitting down on the chair opposite him and putting a notepad down on the table and opening it. "Did a woman called Erlyn work here?"

"Yes. Why? Asks George.

"When was the last time she worked here?" asks Detective Carter. "Can you remember what time she would have finished?"

"She should have worked until seven pm." George furrowed his brows. "When I left my office, she was gone."

"Roughly around what time?" She held her pen over the page and raised her eyes to watch his reaction.

"Must have been around 4 pm when I left, so I assume she had finished work and gone home," George's eyes flicked to his left, and she nodded, knowing that he was giving himself away as a liar.

"Have you seen anyone acting suspiciously around the spa?" Her eyes stayed focused on his face.

"No. I don't think so," George shakes his head slowly.

Detective Carters stares across the table at George, searching his face for answers. Something about his story makes no sense. The man expected his employee to work until seven, but was not at all upset to find that she was missing three hours early.

'Why would she have finished early? Did something happen?'

Leaning back into the chair, crossing one leg over the other, she takes a quick look around the office. Her keen eyes search the walls for surveillance cameras but there are none visible that has her wondering why

"I see you have a new secretary working at the front desk. How long has she been here for?" asks Detective Carter.

"Today is her first shift," George smiles directly at her.

"Let me get this straight. Your former secretary has been missing for a week and you've already replaced her with someone else. Can I ask why?" Demands Detective Carter, with eyes narrowed to slits and brows pushed together and furrowed, she stares deeply into his eyes, waiting for an answer.

"Well, I need...." George spreads his hands in front of him.

"I also notice that for such an expensive establishment, you have no cameras, which I find very odd and concerning," Interrupts Detective Carter. "Why is that?"

"They're too expensive to install," His eyes scanned the walls, avoiding hers.

Detective Carter leans in to write some notes in her notepad about what they have discussed, and although they are both aware that without a warrant, she can't search the premises, with the right authority, she could have the place closed while she investigates. Then again, she would need to provide some evidence that links the missing woman to the spa, but she has none. "You mention that she was supposed to finish at 7 pm or around that time, but when you left your office earlier that day, she wasn't there."