Chapter 3
891 Words
I got up to leave Sam's office. I thanked him and stepped out, my head foggy from the information I had just received. I was already putting together strategies to end Maria's schemes with Jones Enterprise.
On my way out, Jenny greeted:
"Have a great day sir."
I recognized the voice and remembered Olivia's situation earlier amidst the fog of thoughts in my head.
I was curious about Olivia and why Sam had to fire her. I had seen her briefly when I entered the office, and I had been impressed by her beauty and intelligence. She had looked at me with curiosity and admiration, and I had felt a spark of interest. I wondered who she was and what she did.
I approached Jenny's desk. I smiled at her and introduced myself.
"Hi, I'm Henry Thompson. I'm a friend of Sam's."
"Hi, I'm Jenny Lee. I work for Sam."
"I know. I heard what happened."
Jenny looked sad and angry.
"Yeah, it was awful. He fired Olivia for no good reason."
"Olivia? Is that her name?"
"Yes. Olivia Moore. She's a great journalist and a great person."
"What did she do to deserve being fired?"
"She didn't do anything wrong. She was working on a big story that could have made a difference in the city. She was investigating Tony Russo, a crime boss who runs a drug trafficking ring."
"Tony Russo? I've heard of him. He's bad news."
"Yes, he is. Olivia had infiltrated his organisation as a waitress at his nightclub, using a fake identity and a hidden camera. She had gathered enough evidence to expose his crimes and bring him down, but she needed one more piece of information: the location of his warehouse, where he stored his drugs and weapons."
"How did she plan to get that information?"
"She had a date with one of his henchmen tonight, who might know something."
"A date? That sounds risky."
"It is, but she was willing to take the risk for the sake of the story and her mother."
"Her mother?"
"Yes, her mother has cancer and needs surgery to survive, but it's too expensive for them to afford. Olivia was hoping to earn enough money from the story to pay for it."
"That's terrible. How did Sam find out about her investigation?"
"He received a blackmail letter from someone who knew about it and threatened to expose it to Russo if he didn't fire Olivia and stop the story."
"Who sent the letter?"
"We don't know. It was anonymous."
"That's strange. Why would someone want to stop the story?"
"I don't know. Maybe they work for Russo or they have something to hide."
"Or maybe they have something else in mind."
"What do you mean?"
I shrugged.
"Nothing. Just a thought."
I looked at Jenny with interest.
"So, where is Olivia now?"
"She left the office in tears. She took her laptop bag and the folder that contained her severance pay and termination letter."
"Do you have her contact information and a photo of her?"
"Yes, I do. Why do you ask?"
I smiled.
"I'm just curious about her. I'd like to talk to her."
Jenny looked suspicious.
"Talk to her about what?"
I winked.
"About anything and everything."
I reached for my phone.
"Can you give me her number?"
Jenny hesitated.
"I don't know if that's a good idea. She's going through a lot right now. She doesn't need any more trouble or distractions. But, here's a photo of her," Jenny gestured at her laptop screen.
I chuckled.
"Don't worry, I won't cause any trouble or distractions for her. I just want to help her. She's beautiful by the way."
I gave Jenny a charming smile.
"Please, Jenny. Do me a favor."
Jenny sighed.
"Okay, fine. But don't say I didn't warn you."
She wrote down her number on a piece of paper and handed it to me.
"Here you go."
I took the paper and thanked her.
"You're welcome."
I put the paper in my pocket and said goodbye to Jenny.
I walked out of the office and headed towards my car.
I took out my phone again and called one of my men.
"Mike, it's me."
"Boss."
"I have a job for you."
"What is it?"
"I want you to do a background check on a woman named Olivia Moore. She works as a journalist for The Scoop."
"The Scoop? That rag that Alexander owns?"
"Yes."
"Why do you care about her?"
"I don't care about her. I care about something else."
"What?"
"Never mind that. Just do as I say."
"Okay."
"I want you to find out everything you can about her. Her family, her friends, her work, her hobbies, her secrets. Everything."
"Got it."
"Good. I'll be waiting for your report."
"Oh! Before I forget, we have a difficult situation on our hands. We need to keep a close eye on Ms. Walker."
"You mean Maria? Your secretary?"
"Yes. She's up to no good. I have her covered but keep an eye on every move she makes even if it is to use the restroom. Is that clear?"
"Yes boss. Got it."
I hung up the phone and smiled.
I was one step closer to my goal.
I was one step closer to my friend.
I got into my car and drove away.
- Writer
