LARISSA

Chapter 13

LANCE

I need to do this. I have to. I need to prove my worth again. After my wife left me, I realized now that the world didn’t just stop there. I need to move on and focus on the things that might help me alleviate my stress. And not just that. I know my expertise is needed in this case.

Larissa Laurent’s case.

The young heiress is missing after her parent’s wedding anniversary.

And no one knew where she was. She just disappeared. There’s a lot of possible reason why she disappeared. And the strong possibility is that she has been abducted. But the police officer informed that it’d been days already, but the “possible abductors” are not yet calling the Laurent family for ransom.

And that becomes my biggest wonder… with the Laurents' wealth, the abductors may ask for money in exchange for Larissa’s safety.

After that, I concluded that Larissa had not been abducted. But she is definitely in danger right now.

So we need to move fast. We shouldn’t be wasting time—every second counts.

The police officers are doing their best to get any lead from Larissa. So I’m going my task too.

“Denver, do you have the names of the people of attended the Laurents’ wedding anniversary? I need to investigate them one by one,” I asked him.

Denver nodded and handed me folders and files. “There. I already separated them. It will be much easier for us to track them down. File A is the list of people who aren’t very much close to the Laurents. I mean, they are business partners, shareholders, their son, and daughters… just like that,”

I pouted at the other file. “And the other one?”

“This file B consists of the people who knew Larissa and are close to her, like her family, friends… I even included the file of her boyfriend even though he doesn’t attend the wedding anniversary,”

Didn’t he attend the wedding anniversary? To think he’s Larissa’s boyfriend? Hmmm…

“Alright, thanks for this, Denver. I’ll study them, and I need to think,”

“What’s your plan, anyway?”

“I’ll ask the help of police to help me ask questions for these people,”

“Just that?”

“Of course, that wasn’t my last move. I need to follow them, and privately, I need to investigate each one of them. Remember, each person who attended the party is a possible suspect. No exemption,”

Denver smiled at me and tapped my shoulders. “That’s the Lance Dixon that we are waiting for. I’m glad you totally find your way back home. This case will be your redemption. I hope you won’t disappoint me, Lance,”

“Thanks for the second chance, Denver. I promise you. I won’t break your trust again.”

“Alright, see you around,”

He left me in my small private office. I started reading each paper and documents about people who attended the party and their history and relationship with the Laurents.

In the next following days, I started my investigation with file A. But to my much great disappointment, everyone seems to be telling the truth, and they don’t have enough reason to abduct or plan something for Larissa. They are just acquaintances who happened to be invited to the wedding anniversary.

I have already followed each of them these past few weeks. Ask their neighborhood about what they can say about this person.

But no, everyone seems genuine.

I sighed. So I have to do file B this time, which is Larissa Laurent’s family, friends, and her close ones.

I wish I could get any hint or clue where Larissa Laurent is right now.

Larissa is the key to my redemption.

I think I’m going to start with her friends. I saw from the file that she has two best friends. I called Mr. Cipriano, the Police officer assigned to Larissa Laurent's case, to help me question her two best friends.

Mr. Cipriano agreed, and today, we’re going to Karina’s house.

I feel my blood is boiling due to unexplainable excitement. I hope I can get the lead this time.

We knocked on Karina’s door and saw two oldies greet us.

“Good day, is this Ms. Karina Sawyer’s house?” Mr. Cipriano asked the elders.

“U-Ugh… yes, Mr. Officer. What could we do for you?” they asked, looking nervous.

“You don’t have to be afraid of us, Ma’am. We’re here because we want to ask some questions to your daughter,”

They trembled in fear. “M-My daughter… did she do something…?”

“Oh no, ma’am. Please don’t take it wrong. We just want to ask some questions since she is Ms. Larissa Laurents’ best friend,” Mr. Cipriano explained to the elders.

“Mom? Dad? Who is that?”

As I saw the young lady, I confirmed that she was Karina Sawyer based on the pictures of the file. “Hello, good day. Are you Karina Sawyer?”

“Yes, I am, sir. What can I do for you?”

“We are here to ask some questions to help the case of Larissa Laurents. Do you have spare time you could give us?”

“Sure. Mr. Officer. Please come inside,” the young woman invited us in.

“Mom, please tell to our maids to give them snacks,”

“O-Oh yes, of course. How could I forget my manners?” the old woman grabbed her husband’s arm.

Karins smiled at us. She doesn’t look nervous at all. But I shouldn’t believe it right away. She might just playing it cool.

She allowed us to sit on their couch. She clears her throat. “You could ask questions now… sir,”

“We just need some information to find Ms. Laurent. And we will appreciate it if you can answer us,”

“Please go on,”

“Who was the last person or people you saw in the wedding anniversary?”

The young lady seems to think. “I can’t really remember it all…”

“What do you mean you can’t remember it at all?”

“W-Well… the truth is,” she nervously looked around for her parents. “We were so drunk that night. We tried different kinds of alcohol. I’m so wasted that night,” she whispered to us. “I… I just don’t want my parents to know that I’m drinking. They thought I don’t know how to drink,”

Denver and I looked at each other. I’m taking notes of everything she said.

“What happened before Larissa Laurent went missing?” I asked again.

“Larissa is very wild that night. Her parents can’t stop her since the couple is busy talking with their business partners. Besides, it’s a party, maybe that’s why they allowed her to drink. And our group is far from her parents, so they can’t see clearly what Larissa is doing. My mind is spinning around that time. All I heard is Larissa’s laugh, and she is not with herself anymore…”

I put it down on my notes. “What she is planning to do when she was last seen?”

“Hmmm… I think, playing truth or dare. I can’t really recall it, I’m sorry,”

I sighed and bobbed my head. “What kind of mood she is in and what she is thinking when she was last seen?”

“All I can sure is Larissa was so damn happy before she went missing. That’s all I can remember, Mr. Cipriano and Mr. Dixon,”

I sighed and offered her my hand. “Thank you for your time, Ms. Sawyer. We’ll go,”

“No worries. I just hope Larissa is safe, wherever she is right now,”