The Oaths We Keep

Chapter 26

They arrived at Erin's former office building just after lunch. Flashing their badges at the security personnel on duty, they made their way to the elevator. Taylor hit the button to take them to the top floor. When the elevator door opened, a desk sat in a small reception area with several chairs. To the rear of the desk were doors on the right and the left. The receptionist looked surprised to see them walking toward them. "May I help you?" the bespeckled, older lady with short gray hair asked.

"Yeah, I'm Detective Taylor, and this is Detective Barnes, and we need to speak with Mr. Daniels," he responded as he flashed his badge. "And tell him we're kind of in a hurry." As the receptionist picked up her phone to call Franklin Daniels, Barnes looked curious at Taylor. He subtly shrugged his shoulders back at her as the distracted receptionist spoke into the phone.

"Mr. Daniels will see you now. His office is at the end of the hallway," she said as she buzzed them into the door on the right. Taylor thanked her as the two detectives made their way through the door. As they walked down the hall, Taylor noticed several smaller offices on either side. The detectives saw another door that opened into a reception area. Inside, they spotted a woman sitting at a desk. "He's waiting for you inside," she said as she returned to whoever she was talking to on the phone.

A sizeable sprawling office with a desk space to match was on the other side of that door. Everything was well organized, with furnishings with a purpose and proper place. There were wooden bookshelves lining the walls and several paintings that Roger was sure were originals. The whole office design allowed whoever was inside to work comfortably and efficiently.

At the far end to their right was Franklin Daniels in the company of a young, slender woman with brown hair and a sharp nose holding several files. They were standing near a table, pouring over what Roger assumed was a presentation on a laptop screen. The young woman must have heard them enter because she turned around and whispered something to Daniels. "Ah, Detectives, please come in," Daniels said in a warm and welcoming voice. "Meredith, will you put the finishing touches on the presentation and send it to me once you're done." She said something that Roger assumed was an affirmative and left the room. "My apologies for keeping you waiting; please have a seat. Make yourselves comfortable."

"Looks pretty easy to do in an office like this," Taylor said as he sat across the enormous desk. "I'd ask if business is good, but I have my answer."

"Yes, well, it helps get the job done," Daniels said as he seated himself at his desk. "Now, what can I do to help you, Detective?"

"I'm Detective Taylor, and this is Detective Barnes. We're here to ask you a few questions about Erin Harper."

"Yes, how is she? I heard her husband is in the hospital, some accident?"

"Really? Who told you that?"

"I have a couple of friends who are doctors at the hospital. They probably shouldn't have told me, with doctor-patient confidentiality, but how is she doing?"

The detectives looked at each other. "Well, I would have hoped you could tell me that. We're looking for her ourselves. Any idea where she could be?"

"Well, no. I assumed that Erin was with her husband. Is that not the case?"

"Mr. Daniels," Barnes began, "we need to know about the files she took from your secured vault."

"Files?" he asked. "What files are those you're talking about?"

"Mr. Daniels, Erin Harper took about a dozen files from this building a few days ago. Are you trying to tell me you don't know anything about that?" Barnes asked him.

"Detective Barnes, it's not unusual for Erin to take files with her."

"According to her, these were protected files. What kind of information would you find on these files?" Barnes asked.