AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“So, you're here to make a splendid donation and make the media forget about whatever is going on in your company.”
“Yep, something like that.”
“You have your work cut out for you, then.”
“I know, I know.”
“How are you handling it?” She placed a hand on mine and her eyes looked so sincere.
“Just fine,” I lied.
“Is that why you're here to donate in front of cameras?”
“I wish there was another way, but, you got me.” I barked out a laugh.
Jolene and I dated in high school and practically knew everything about each other. She was a spoiled brat who had too many expectations for her emotionally unavailable boyfriend. It was torture at the time, but that didn’t stop us from making memories in the back of my Jeep.
Memories of how we did unholy things in her house clawed at the back of my mind. Her father owned the biggest news outlet in San Francisco and wasn’t a man to be messed with. He knew everything about everything, even his daughter’s boyfriend.
“Tell me about it,” she said.
“I'll tell you more, if you tell me about your work.”
“Typical Daniel,” she chuckled.
“Let’s talk after all of this,” I suggested, and she nodded her head, dark glossy hair shifting around her shoulders.
The presentation started, and I was invited on stage and thanked for my generous donation. Typical rich people crap, and I was happy when the show was done and I was back at the table talking with Jolene.
“You know, as a private investigator, I have to travel a lot. I specialize in dealing with major clients and have worked with so many high-profile people. I had an unresolved case in New York. My client was murdered and I was, in a way, trying to avenge his death since our contract was now void. The trail of his killer had gone cold until I discovered a new lead that brought me to San Francisco.”
“Wow,” I said with a worried look.
“Anyway,” she continued. “My client was a data analyst in a huge telecommunications firm. He told me that he had done something he wasn’t supposed to have done. I hoped he would be more specific, but that was all he told me. He wanted me to find whoever was trying to kill him, but unfortunately, they found him first. On the day he died, we met in a restaurant where gave me a hard drive and told me to keep it safe no matter what. His lifeless body was found in an alley later that day. He was stabbed to death. The hard drive was locked, and I needed to be able to see the contents to be able to crack this case. I looked him up and found out he had a close colleague named Simon Richards, an IT expert for Ardvent, a huge technology company in San Francisco.”
“Yeah, I know Ardvent. We’ve partnered with them a lot.”
“Then perhaps you can help me with this case,” she smiled as we walked toward the exit of the hotel.
“What do you need?”
“I came here tonight to find Simon Richards. He handles this sort of events for Ardvent but he’s not here.”
“You need me to find out who he is?” I asked.
She nodded her head.
“Done, I have some connections there. I should be able to get his contact before the end of the day.”
“Thank you, Daniel. That would help a lot."
“Yeah, don't sweat it."
“It’s probably the most dangerous case I've gotten myself involved in.”
“Yeah, it sounds awfully terrifying,” I added. “Good luck, Jolene. If there is anything else you need, let me know and if I can help, I will.”
“Thanks, Daniel,” she said as we made our way to the bottom of the stairs where a black Mercedes was parked by the valet. It was definitely hers. She walked to her car and drove off.
