Page 3 of Business or Pleasure

One

Baylen

Edinburgh, Scotland

Present day…

I gritted my teeth as the driver took a corner too fast, repressing the urge to snap at him. Better not distract him, considering the speed we were going. Besides, I was late. Then again, if he continued this reckless driving in the pouring rain, I might not reach my destination at all.

The office was in the heart of Edinburgh, and though my home wasn’t very far, it could take half an hour in traffic to get there. Finally pulling up to the curb, still alive, I hurried to pay. The driver handed me his card, and I slid it in my pocket without a promise to call. I’d already been thinking about staying at Angie’s tonight. This morning solidified my decision.

It had annoyed me she'd kept her flat after we’d gotten engaged rather than moving into my place. But today, I was grateful for the space.

With that in mind, I jogged up the steps to the entrance in much better spirits.

That immediately changed when I found the door locked and the lights off. Worried, I dug my key from my jacket pocket, thankful that I’d thought to bring it.

As I opened the door, I called, “Angie? Hello?”

No response. Nothing echoing from the shadows to warn that something had happened to Angie or the employees. I sniffed hesitantly, but all I smelled was the usual industrial scent that came with disinfectant.

No bleach or blood or…rot. I hated even to think that, but my mind automatically went there after watching a documentary on unsolved homicides.

I flipped the switch, and the lights flickered to life overhead, showing what my other senses had already told me. Empty.

Shutting the door behind me, I locked it. I didn’t want somebody to wander in while I attempted to figure out what was going on. I checked each nook and cranny, every cubicle, as I made my way to the back, where I tried the door to Angie’s office. Locked.

Grabbing my universal key, I hoped that I would find Angie at the desk when I opened the door, having fallen asleep because of the long hours she’d been working recently.

It was dark inside, and my stomach sank. Angie wasn’t here. Still, I turned on the light and confirmed it.

Exhaling a long breath, I sat behind the desk. What happened to her?

The schedule showed Sorley Duncan assigned to work today, and Alasdair Munroe, our receptionist, was always here on days we had meetings, even ones outside of regular working hours. It was two-thirty now, which meant I had three missing people and an appointment with a large distributor in half an hour.

I dug out my phone with one hand as I rummaged around the desk with the other, searching for any sort of note or calendar. A glance at my screen showed I had no waiting messages or missed calls. I didn’t know if that would be a bad or good thing, as I could think of dozens of reasons for the lack of communication, ranging from mere forgetfulness to a horrible bus crash.

I dictated a text rather than calling, not wanting to come across as overly concerned or annoyed. Over the past few weeks, things between Angie and me had hit a couple of bumps.

My parents hadn’t approved of me getting involved with someone whose business I’d invested money into, warning that it was unwise to mix business with pleasure. I knew the adage but believed that, when done well, with clear boundaries, the extra connection could even be a benefit.

“I just wanted to let you know that I’m at the office for the meeting…period…do you have an estimated time of arrival…question mark.”

As I waited for a reply, I finished searching the crowded desktop and found nothing that gave Angie’s plans for the day. What I found, however, made me frown. A stack of unopened envelopes, some of which were most likely worthless, but others that could have been important. Had all the postmarks been only from yesterday, I would have assumed that Angie had simply been too busy to have gone through the mail, but some of these were from as far back as the previous Wednesday, which made little sense.

I opened the middle drawer and found a giant planner that took up the entire space. Or rather, I discovered the size after I cleaned the debris from on top of it. I shook my head. Angie’s flat was always tidy, but now I wondered if it only happened when I came over. Perhaps that was one reason she’d balked at moving in with me.

Unfortunately, clearing off the planner didn’t offer any enlightenment. I was still at a loss for where Angie was right now.

I checked my phone. She hadn’t read my message yet, and enough time had passed that I felt the need to call. It went to voicemail.

“Angie, where are you? I’m at the office, and no one’s here. Give me a ring back. I’m a wee bit worried.”

As I waited, I continued exploring her desk, finding a list of employees’ contact information in a drawer. Sorley Duncan should have been here hours ago preparing notes for the meeting. I pictured the young man as I placed the call. Tall with a beaked nose and a rather unfortunate overbite. He answered on the second ring.

“Hello?”

“Sorley Duncan?”

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