Author's Note: Okay guys - I'm back from a semi-relaxing vacation. Two more
days until I have to go back to work. Hope you all didn't forget about my
story! I'm going to try to get 2 parts out today, to make up for being gone
for a week. Please continue to review! I want to know what you guys think
of the developments :) And on with the story...
Nancy paid the cab driver and stepped up to the entrance of the Alliance building. She saw Amy waiting for her on the steps. She rushed up to the young woman and said sincerely, "Thanks for meeting me."
Amy stuffed her hands deep into her heavy coat. She shrugged her shoulders and said, "No problem. Nancy," she continued, "I'll do whatever it is you need me to do. I just want to get Paul if he did hurt Ned."
Nancy's breath was visible in the cold evening air as she responded. "I know," she answered quietly. "I do, too."
"I know you guys were together for a long time," Amy began. "And if you wanted to work things out with him, I.... I wouldn't blame you. I'd remove myself from the situation."
Nancy looked sympathetically at the young girl in front of her. She really did care for Ned, but she was gracious enough of a person to allow Nancy and Ned the opportunity to work things out. Simply amazing. "It's okay," Nancy reassured her. "Ned and I had a heart to heart and well, we're not going to try. It's really for the best. He cares about you and I have someone I've known just as long as Ned that I care for a lot, too."
"Are you sure?" Amy questioned.
"Positive. He really is a good guy, Amy - despite everything that's happened. I hope things work out for you two," Nancy said graciously.
Amy smile tentatively and said, "Thank you."
Nancy smiled back and motioned to the front doors of the building. "C'mon. We've got a mystery to solve."
Hurriedly, the two young women marched up the front steps and into the towering office building. Neither noticed a lone figure standing across the street watching the exchange.
Amy opened up the door to the outer office and turned on the lights. Nancy's eyes swept across the ordinary looking office. She had never been in this particular one before, but it looked just like Ned's office did, only a little larger. Simple light blue colored walls, paired with cream colored carpet. A small desk with a computer, phone, and fax machine sat in the middle of the room. There were two doors besides the one they had just entered through. One was situated right behind the desk and the other was on the right hand side of the room.
Amy sat her purse on her desk and pointed to the door off to the right of the small room. "His office is in there," she pointed.
Nancy nodded and walked towards the door. When she reached the doorway, she paused with her hand on the doorknob. "I shouldn't be long," she stated. "Keep an eye out and yell if you see or hear anything out of the ordinary," she instructed.
Amy nodded and bit her lip nervously. "Good luck," she told Nancy.
Nancy gave Amy a grim smile and quickly walked into the office. She located the light switch and the over head lights whirred to life. Paul's office was about twice the size as the outer office where Amy spent her day. Same color scheme, but unlike the front space, this one was decorated with several of Paul's personal possessions. Photos lined the shelves of the bookcases and Nancy paused to look at the snapshots. Paul and his new sports car. Paul and someone Nancy assumed to be his brother Gerry on a boat in the middle of the lake. It was obvious that Paul had money. It was up to Nancy to uncover where he was getting it from.
Making her way around Paul's desk Nancy pulled out several blank cds she had purchased on her way to meet Amy. She powered on the computer and sat in the plush office chair and waited impatiently for the computer to come to life.
Frank might have been the resident expert, but Nancy was no slouch herself. As soon as the terminal was up and running Nancy began searching the titles of documents saved to the hard drive. She pulled up several files and then quickly closed them once she realized they didn't have the information she was looking for. Sighing Nancy realized she wasn't exactly sure what she was supposed to find. 'Not likely to be titled 'Embezzlement' she thought to herself wryly.
Nancy exited the application she was currently engrossed in and decided to do a file search by name. She typed in the word Claims and was rewarded with several books of Excel files. Deciding it would be in her best interest to take everything with her to decipher later, she loaded the first cd into the tray and began copying the information.
As the computer began buzzing with the familiar sounds of writing a cd Nancy heard what sounded like a faint thump outside the closed door. She jumped to her feet and cautiously made her way to the door. She paused and listened for any sounds coming from the front office. Before she could open the door and call out to Amy, the door flew open and Nancy was knocked to the ground full force.
"Excuse me," Frank said, as he pushed past travelers exiting the arrival terminal. There had been a major pile up on the way to the airport, and Frank had sat at a standstill on the road for almost an hour until traffic had let up. 'This is the one time I want a flight to be late,' he thought as she made his way through the throngs of people.
"United Flight 456 from LaGuardia is now arriving at Gate C29," announced the voice over the loudspeaker.
Frank heard the message as he sprinted through the lobby of O'Hare International Airport. He made his way to the security checkpoint and sighed as when saw the line was interminably long. He picked what seemed to be the shortest line and began waiting impatiently. He was in a foul mood and having to wait, only made his mood worse.
Frank pulled out his cell phone and tried to call Nancy once again. This would be the fifth time that he tried to reach her since finding her note earlier. He hoped he would get through to her this time. If she didn't answer, he was going to call Amy. He thought that surely, between the two of them one of the women must have their phone turned on. Frank groaned as his call once again went to voice mail. "What's the point of having one if you're not going to turn the damn thing on!" he muttered to himself as he stared at the phone, willing it to ring.
He reached into his leather jacket and found the scrap of paper with Amy's phone number. As he slowly shuffled forward in line he dialed Amy's number and crossed his fingers. After four rings her phone also directed him to a voice mailbox. 'This can't be good,' he thought as he heard Amy's outgoing message playing.
"Amy, this is Frank," he spoke into the phone. "I know Nancy went with you to Alliance. I can't get a hold of her and I'm worried about you two. Please, call me as soon as you get this message." Frank left his number and then slammed his cell phone shut. Why couldn't she have just waited until the morning?
Nancy paid the cab driver and stepped up to the entrance of the Alliance building. She saw Amy waiting for her on the steps. She rushed up to the young woman and said sincerely, "Thanks for meeting me."
Amy stuffed her hands deep into her heavy coat. She shrugged her shoulders and said, "No problem. Nancy," she continued, "I'll do whatever it is you need me to do. I just want to get Paul if he did hurt Ned."
Nancy's breath was visible in the cold evening air as she responded. "I know," she answered quietly. "I do, too."
"I know you guys were together for a long time," Amy began. "And if you wanted to work things out with him, I.... I wouldn't blame you. I'd remove myself from the situation."
Nancy looked sympathetically at the young girl in front of her. She really did care for Ned, but she was gracious enough of a person to allow Nancy and Ned the opportunity to work things out. Simply amazing. "It's okay," Nancy reassured her. "Ned and I had a heart to heart and well, we're not going to try. It's really for the best. He cares about you and I have someone I've known just as long as Ned that I care for a lot, too."
"Are you sure?" Amy questioned.
"Positive. He really is a good guy, Amy - despite everything that's happened. I hope things work out for you two," Nancy said graciously.
Amy smile tentatively and said, "Thank you."
Nancy smiled back and motioned to the front doors of the building. "C'mon. We've got a mystery to solve."
Hurriedly, the two young women marched up the front steps and into the towering office building. Neither noticed a lone figure standing across the street watching the exchange.
Amy opened up the door to the outer office and turned on the lights. Nancy's eyes swept across the ordinary looking office. She had never been in this particular one before, but it looked just like Ned's office did, only a little larger. Simple light blue colored walls, paired with cream colored carpet. A small desk with a computer, phone, and fax machine sat in the middle of the room. There were two doors besides the one they had just entered through. One was situated right behind the desk and the other was on the right hand side of the room.
Amy sat her purse on her desk and pointed to the door off to the right of the small room. "His office is in there," she pointed.
Nancy nodded and walked towards the door. When she reached the doorway, she paused with her hand on the doorknob. "I shouldn't be long," she stated. "Keep an eye out and yell if you see or hear anything out of the ordinary," she instructed.
Amy nodded and bit her lip nervously. "Good luck," she told Nancy.
Nancy gave Amy a grim smile and quickly walked into the office. She located the light switch and the over head lights whirred to life. Paul's office was about twice the size as the outer office where Amy spent her day. Same color scheme, but unlike the front space, this one was decorated with several of Paul's personal possessions. Photos lined the shelves of the bookcases and Nancy paused to look at the snapshots. Paul and his new sports car. Paul and someone Nancy assumed to be his brother Gerry on a boat in the middle of the lake. It was obvious that Paul had money. It was up to Nancy to uncover where he was getting it from.
Making her way around Paul's desk Nancy pulled out several blank cds she had purchased on her way to meet Amy. She powered on the computer and sat in the plush office chair and waited impatiently for the computer to come to life.
Frank might have been the resident expert, but Nancy was no slouch herself. As soon as the terminal was up and running Nancy began searching the titles of documents saved to the hard drive. She pulled up several files and then quickly closed them once she realized they didn't have the information she was looking for. Sighing Nancy realized she wasn't exactly sure what she was supposed to find. 'Not likely to be titled 'Embezzlement' she thought to herself wryly.
Nancy exited the application she was currently engrossed in and decided to do a file search by name. She typed in the word Claims and was rewarded with several books of Excel files. Deciding it would be in her best interest to take everything with her to decipher later, she loaded the first cd into the tray and began copying the information.
As the computer began buzzing with the familiar sounds of writing a cd Nancy heard what sounded like a faint thump outside the closed door. She jumped to her feet and cautiously made her way to the door. She paused and listened for any sounds coming from the front office. Before she could open the door and call out to Amy, the door flew open and Nancy was knocked to the ground full force.
"Excuse me," Frank said, as he pushed past travelers exiting the arrival terminal. There had been a major pile up on the way to the airport, and Frank had sat at a standstill on the road for almost an hour until traffic had let up. 'This is the one time I want a flight to be late,' he thought as she made his way through the throngs of people.
"United Flight 456 from LaGuardia is now arriving at Gate C29," announced the voice over the loudspeaker.
Frank heard the message as he sprinted through the lobby of O'Hare International Airport. He made his way to the security checkpoint and sighed as when saw the line was interminably long. He picked what seemed to be the shortest line and began waiting impatiently. He was in a foul mood and having to wait, only made his mood worse.
Frank pulled out his cell phone and tried to call Nancy once again. This would be the fifth time that he tried to reach her since finding her note earlier. He hoped he would get through to her this time. If she didn't answer, he was going to call Amy. He thought that surely, between the two of them one of the women must have their phone turned on. Frank groaned as his call once again went to voice mail. "What's the point of having one if you're not going to turn the damn thing on!" he muttered to himself as he stared at the phone, willing it to ring.
He reached into his leather jacket and found the scrap of paper with Amy's phone number. As he slowly shuffled forward in line he dialed Amy's number and crossed his fingers. After four rings her phone also directed him to a voice mailbox. 'This can't be good,' he thought as he heard Amy's outgoing message playing.
"Amy, this is Frank," he spoke into the phone. "I know Nancy went with you to Alliance. I can't get a hold of her and I'm worried about you two. Please, call me as soon as you get this message." Frank left his number and then slammed his cell phone shut. Why couldn't she have just waited until the morning?