I had no reason to be nervous. I wasn't in trouble for anything, nor was I guilty of anything. Yet, my palms were sweating, my stomach was turning and my mouth was bone dry. I guess that was the effect of these cops. This was their job. To try to break down people to get the truth. But I was telling the truth and honestly, I was uncomfortable with the reason the cops were here to begin with. "Okay Logan, a few more questions and you can get to work." I glanced up at the cop across the table from me, swallowed hard and nodded. "Why were you out of work yesterday?" I set my hands on my lap and remained staring in the cops eyes.
"I was purposed to the night before…when I came in yesterday, Mr. Stevens saw my ring and gave me the day off to spend with my fiancé." He nodded writing down more notes. "I'm sorry I'm just a little worried here…but is there any reason you would have to come here and question us? Is there any evidence of foul play?" He looked up slowly and smirked setting his notepad down.
"You watch a lot cop shows?" I chuckled and shrugged but got very serious quick. "Henry was reported missing this morning at 5, by his roommate. Henry didn't come home at all and his roommate is very worried. We usually wait for a full 24 hours but his roommate was insistent. The last known place Henry was known to be, was here, and after getting your boss's information, we know after Henry was fired, he left the building right at 4. His car is still in his parking spot." I sat back and nodded slowly. "One more question Logan if you don't mind…how was Henry with everyone here? I mean…did he make any enemies? Would there be any reason for someone to be angry with him?"
"Well yesterday when Louis called me, informing he fired Henry for stealing, I started to question the kid. He has always been so nice. Sweet kid, with a good head on his shoulders. Everyone in the office liked him. I have never heard of any problems." He smiled and closed his notebook standing up.
"Okay…thank you Mr. Mitchell. We will try to find him and if we need anything else we'll contact you." He reached in his jacket pulled out a business card and handed it over to me. I stood up quick and took it from him looking down at his name. John Steele, detective. "If you hear of anything, Logan, do not hesitate to call me, alright?" I looked up and slowly started to follow him out of the conference room staying quiet. When we walked back into the front of the office, I cringed seeing the three uniformed officers looking through Henry's desk in the front. "Mr. Stevens, if you hear from him at any time, just give me a call. If we find him, we'll let you know." I watched standing beside Louise who just walked out of my office with Carlos behind, as they shook hands. The detective turned to the other cops who told him they got as much as they would need and started to walk to the elevators. I looked over at Louis who actually looked really stressed out. Like, for the first time, since I had known him, this business savvy, smart, calm headed guy, looked worried. His tie was lose around his neck, he had bags under his eyes, his jacket was off, and his sleeves were rolled up to the elbows on his arms. I reached out gently and set a hand on his shoulder smiling small.
"You alright?"
"No not really…I know I fired the kid yesterday, but I'm worried about him missing. It isn't like him to not go home. And with his car still being here…I'm just worried is all." I smiled reassuringly and looked over at Carlos who was staring at the 4 cops still around Henry's, now Carlos's desk. He was looking at one, John, in particular like he knew him or something. Maybe it was the guy Kendall knew that worked in the LAPD. "You'll have to start showing Carlos the system on your computer for now. And while you were being questioned I had a little interview with him and if I wasn't convinced before, I am now. I like him…he's a fun kid." Carlos turned to Louis fast and blushed looking down. "He also knows his way around a joke so it will be fun working with him. Before the day is over, make sure Linda talks to him and gives him the packet." I nodded crossing my arms over my chest looking at Louis who pulled his cell phone out of his pocket read something on it and groaned. "Crap…I need to go to a meeting that has been moved from tomorrow to today. Damn-it…okay it should only take a few hours and it's going to be at the Bank of America building downtown. We should be getting that file from London today, so look out for that. While your training Mr. Garcia, if you can, just try to handle your job and his, unless he catches on fast, which I won't doubt. I'm so sorry to dump all this on you but…" I reached out again putting my hand on Louis's forearm making him stop and stare down at me.
"Hey…just go to your meeting and take your time coming back to work. I can handle this. It's going to be alright." He chuckled, slipped his one of his hands around my waist and pulled me into him. I smiled hugging around his torso and sighed softly. "It will be okay. They will find him."
"I hope so…I just feel so awful. I fired him, and now he's missing." I squeezed around him tighter and shook my head against his chest fast.
"Don't think like that alright. This isn't your fault. You did what you had to do." He breathed in hard over me and both his hands slowly moved up my back rubbing softly. I glanced to the side seeing Carlos giving us a weird look. I cleared my throat and pulled way slowly smiling at Louis. He laughed and turned quick walking into his office. I watched him grab his jacket and his briefcase, before he walked himself back out putting his keys in his pocket. "See you when you get back. Good luck." He laughed and nodded walking towards the elevator, just as the cops were. I waited, in silence, patiently as they detective talked to Louis quietly both smiling small waiting for the elevators to ding open. Once they did and all five men stepped inside, I waved and smiled one last time at them and turned to Carlos. "Okay buddy…I need to check something for Louis real quick in his office. I'm going to bring up the software for customer information and show you how to do it, and then let you try yourself. If the phone rings, just answer, hi this is Carlos for CbV Corp. Mr. Stevens isn't in today, can I leave a message. If they need to talk to someone, anyone, there is a piece of laminated paper by my phone that has the name and number of people in the different departments here." He frowned and nodded slowly as I lead him into my office. "If someone needs to be to talk to Louis now, I'll take the call." He nodded again as I sat him down in my desk. I pulled off the top file on my desk of a huge pile and opened it up.
Once I was sure Carlos could do it and he told me he was confident with it, I left him alone telling him to call me for anything and walked into Louis's office. I hurried to his desk, sat down behind it and turned his computer on. I drummed lightly on his huge desk and glanced around his office. Ever since James showed me the pictures last night and told me everything he did tell me, I had become a little confused. I hated that my mind wasn't letting me trust James right away. Why was it so hard for me to believe everything James was telling me, was the truth? And why, if I knew, rationally, Louis was obsessed with me could not be true, why was I snooping in his office now? As soon as the thought entered my head his computer screen popped up and I entered his password fast. I waited impatiently as his desktop came up and I saw his files saved on to his computer. I opened it up and groaned seeing more than a thousand files all marked with a name and number. They were all his private files on people's funds and their investments. None of that mattered to me however and I quickly went into the search section and typed in my name. I knew if that cop had found a file on his computer with those pictures of me, it would be under my name, like he said. And of course as soon as I put my name in, one folder came up. It was simply marked as my name. I swallowed hard, clicking on it twice and another file popped up. I first noticed the size of the file. There was literally 500 pictures in the file. I move in closer to the computer and clicked on the first one. It was of me, the first day I met Louis. My interview. I looked like a nervous wreck. But I felt like an even bigger one right now. I clicked the next button, and gasped quietly seeing me sitting on James's lap as we ate the dinner he made me the day of my interview. I could tell I was talking, and eating at the same time, while James stared up at me. I again clicked the next button and covered my mouth with my closed fist seeing me, in bed, with nothing but our dark blue sheet covering me. I was on my stomach with the sheet only covering form my butt down. I was fast asleep with James asleep next to me. Our legs were tangled and his hand was resting softly on the middle of my bare back. How he could have taken this kind of picture…scared me. He had to literally be in our house to do it. I sat back softly clicking the next button over and over. Every single picture, scared me more and more. Some of the pictures, he had to have been right in my face, and It made me wonder why I didn't even notice it. My brain kept telling me to stop looking at them, you're just going to make yourself sick, but I couldn't stop. Not until I heard a phone ring. I looked to the phone on Louis desk and after the second ring it was answered. I forced myself to look away from the screen and listen to Carlos's sweet soft voice as he answered. It was two minutes before his voice stopped, and I finally got the courage to look back the screen. For some reason, I didn't notice the last picture I stopped on. Probably because it wasn't a picture. It was a video. Of me in my office. The still frame of the video was of me, bent over my desk with James behind me, pounding the living hell out of me. I shakily pushed play with the mouse and sat back clutching around my stomach seeing the video start. I wanted so desperately to look away again, but I sat back letting one arm clutch around my stomach, and the other cover over my mouth. There was no sound, which I was grateful for, but I knew what conversation we were having as he fucked me against my desk. This was complete proof that James was right. About everything, and I had my doubts about believing him. "Oh hey Logan…" I jumped up and quickly closed the file window. I stood up seeing Carlos walk in slowly holding a piece of paper looking confused. "This one doesn't have a payment date. Did they not pay yet, or do they not have to pay yet?" I walked to him swallowing hard and took the paper clearing my head.
"Oh uhm…it was put in wrong. The date is right here." I pointed to it, noticing how shaky my hand was. We locked eyes and he nodded slowly before turning and walking out. I didn't hesitate to pull my phone out and dial James. I put the phone to my ear and closed my eyes sighing out.
"Hey baby." I forced a pained smile and walked back to his desk sitting down hard.
"Hey-hey babe." I brought the video back up and frowned seeing my office now empty. Not a second later, James came almost running in and fell down into a chair, looking awkward. The video stopped then.
"You okay…you sound…weird." I again started to click through the photos seeing more and more of me. At work, and a lot of me at home. "Does it have to do with that phone call you got this morning?"
"Oh uhm well…Henry, our receptionist didn't get home last night. He's missing."
"Oh wow…are you alright baby? You doing okay?" I felt my throat swell. There was another video, except this one wasn't of me at all. It was taken at Carlos and Kendall's house. It was early morning, and the guy holding the camera, as soon as I pushed play, he handed someone a bat. Two guys started to repeatedly beat my best friend. I know my phone dropped from my hand because I heard it smash to the ground. Carlos's was yelling. He was just crying. And probably screaming at them to stop. He covered his face and his head but it didn't matter. They kicked him, hit him with the bat. I am actually shocked, Carlos can walk. I watched all three minutes of them hit, and hurt my best friend. When the video was over I glanced over to the door, seeing Carlos walking in holding his phone up to his ear.
"No he's fine Ken…he's right here…Loges…you are freaking Kendall and James out….Loges…" He stopped short, a few feet from me and looked down at the computer. I closed the file even before he could look at it, making him frown. "I don't know…he seems sick. Kind of pale actually." I swallowed hard and yanked his phone out of his hand making him sigh in frustration.
"Kendall?"
"Yeah…hold on let me put on James."
"No!" Carlos jumped a little and I closed my eyes breathing out low and quietly.
"Logan? What's wrong?"
"Just…just when you and Kendall come in for lunch, I just need to talk to you, and only you, alright?"