Chad knocked on the door to Lawrence's office, before peeking his head inside. "Hey, I'm back."
"Did you find out anything?"
"No. I went to see to R.J. He says he doesn't know anything about Audrey, but I don't believe him. Who else would have a reason to do something like this to her?"
Lawrence shook his head, "I don't know."
"There was a woman working in his office that was acting really strange. I'm going to go back there and try to talk to her when R.J.'s not around. I think she might know something."
"What woman?"
"I think she's a receptionist or something. I heard him call her Lauren."
"Lauren?" Lawrence repeated. "What did she look like?"
Chad shrugged. "Short dark hair, kind of petite. Why? Do you know her?"
"Maybe . . .I think I should go with you, just in case."
As they turned towards the door, Hector was on his way in. "Are you two leaving again? What's going on today? It seems like I'm the only one doing any work around here."
"Hector, don't start," Chad replied sternly. "Audrey's missing. Someone lured her into a trap and . . .we don't know what's happened to her."
Hector looked startled, "I'm sorry. Anything I can do?"
"Just take care of things around here. We'll be back when we can," Lawrence said as he and Chad left the office.
"Sure thing," Hector replied as he watched Chad and Lawrence leave.
"It's too bad about Audrey," he thought to himself as he walked back to his desk. He really did hope she was alright, but, on the bright side, the situation could work to his advantage. The board of directors weren't likely to elect a president who was out of the office most of the day with personal matters.
"What are you up to now?" Andrew asked as Hector walked past his desk.
"Me? Nothing," Hector said innocently, causing Andrew to snort in reply. "Just trying to figure out how I'm going to get everything done by closing time. You know, I'm filling in for Lawrence and Chad, since they've skipped out for the most of the day."
Andrew turned back to his work with disinterest and Hector walked on. He really did want to everything finished without staying over tonight. There was another matter he wanted to take care of after work.
Chad and Lawrence parked in the lot next to R.J.'s office building, watching the front door as they waited in the car. Shortly after 5:00, Lauren emerged from the building.
"That's her," Chad said, unbuckling his seat belt.
"I know," Lawrence replied. He motioned for Chad to stay where he was. "Let me talk to her."
"You know her?"
"Yes . . .in a way. Maybe you should stay out of sight," Lawrence said as he got out of the car.
"Lauren. Hello," he called out, intercepting her before she reached her car.
Lauren grinned and nervously fussed with her hair. "Hi. Long time no see, huh? What brings you by?"
"I was just in the neighborhood. I heard you're working for R.J."
"Working with R.J." she corrected proudly. "We're business partners now."
Lawrence was skeptical of her claim. "How did you and R.J. team up?"
Lauren laughed nervously as she tried to come up with a good story. "Don't tell me you're jealous."
"No," Lawrence replied a little too sharply for her liking. "You do know that he sabotaged my company and threatened my girlfriend?"
Lauren's eyes narrowed at the word, "girlfriend." "I-I wouldn't know anything about that," she replied coldly.
"I think you do . . .maybe even more than we thought," he added cryptically as he remembered something Audrey had said to him.
"We?" Lauren repeated, her voice raising higher as she began to feel panicked. "What's going on here?"
"What do you know about Audrey?"
"Nothing! Why would you even think that I would know anything?" she asked in a wounded voice. "You know, Lawrence, you aren't the guy I thought you were," she cried out. She waited for him to apologize or object, but instead he stared at her skeptically and said nothing. Infuriated she stomped her foot, "You- You just don't get it, do you? It's not supposed to go this way! Ugh, why am I even wasting my time on you?"
Lauren stormed to her car and jerked open the driver's side door.
"Lauren!" Lawrence called out sternly.
Lauren hesitated a moment, caught between her fury and her desire to give Lawrence another chance. Her fury won out. She jumped into the car and slammed the door behind her before backing out of the parking space.
Before Lawrence could react, Chad had pulled out of the parking lot and was driving after her.
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