Daniel changed lanes and drove back the way he'd been going. His mind remained uneasy. For two consecutive days his assistant Mary, hadn't shown up at work.
Her line hadn't been answered throughout the previous day and she'd only sent him a text message with no further explanations of her absence or when she'd be returning to work. The message had read 'I'm indisposed. Will call you later'. Just that.
In the two years Mary had worked for him, he'd never known her to be abrupt. She liked to explain things in details even when texting. She was simply a chatterbox, it was one of the things he loved about her. His office building came into view, he got out and went up to his office. If he couldn't contact Mary, he could at the very least check for another person who'd know her whereabouts. Maybe her fiance's details were somewhere in her desk.
***********
Daniel pressed the knocker and waited for the door to be opened. Last night he'd been lucky to find Mary's daybook in her bottom drawer and going through it he'd seen some contacts. One of them had been Stacey's. Stacey was Mary's buxom friend and she sometimes came by the office to see her.
He'd called her last night to ascertain if she knew her friends whereabouts but Stacey had said that mary hadn't picked her calls the few times she'd called. Since it had been late he'd suggested they both get some rest and if Mary still didn't show up at work today, they'd both come check on her.
He raised his hand to knock again just as the door opened. A young man in his early thirties-probably her fiance asked what they wanted. 'we've come to see Mary' Daniel replied
'She's not around' the young man said and hurriedly tried to close the door. Daniel immediately grew suspicious and held on to the door. The man looked nervously from Daniel to Stacey and said he'd tell Mary when she returned that they'd come looking for her.
Daniel didn't believe him and Stacey obviously didn't too because she told Ken - the young man, to allow them in that they'd wait for Mary to return. Ken refused. The door became a tug of war between Ken and Daniel until he pushed Ken out of the way and stepped in. Stacey followed immediately.
There was no one in the living room. Stacey called out to Mary but there was no reply. Ken continued insisting Mary wasn't home and that they should leave. They both ignored him.
Daniel held onto Ken when he tried to stop Stacey who was already climbing the stairs.
A few minutes later Stacey called down to Daniel to come up. She'd found Mary.
Daniel shot a questioning look at Ken who in the last few minutes had started sweating profusely and then went in the direction Stacey's voice had come from.
Mary was lying on the bed, groaning and trying to find a comfortable position that wouldn't hurt so much. Her body was full of injuries and her right wrist was bound up in bandages. She had a terrible cut across her left cheek and lips and her left eye was swollen shut.
.........to be continued
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