Chapter 44

Upon hearing this news, I wanted to leave the hospital immediately.

Leonard, Zoey, and Benjamin were all like, "Nancy, you should really chill here for a couple more days and see how you're doing." After all, I had been out cold for a whole day and night, and if something went south with my health, the whole plan could go up in smoke.

After thinking it over, I figured I'd stay put for one more day and, if everything checked out, I'd bounce the next day.

But I couldn't just sit around doing nothing. Ruben told me Lally was missing-her phone was off, no one was home, and her packed bags were still there. No signs of a struggle, so it didn't look like a kidnapping.

Benjamin was heading out of Silverlight City tomorrow and had some stuff to handle at the police station. He left the job of finding Lally to Ruben, who'd keep me in the loop. After that, Benjamin took off in a hurry.

Leonard left not long after. Before he did, I told him to be careful at work. He was always super cautious and avoided social events, but when it came to business, he'd go all out, no matter who he was up against. I worried his fiery temper might get him into trouble.

I wanted Zoey to get back to work at the company, but she said she had already arranged to work remotely and that sticking with me for the case counted as work.

I couldn't help but smile. Zoey was sharp and always found a way to make things work.

Just then, Howard called. Zoey had told him about my hospital stay when she asked for leave. He was concerned and said he was cool with Zoey working with me, with her pay staying the same. He also mentioned the Alan case and said I shouldn't hesitate to ask for help if needed. He acknowledged my big contributions to the Silverlight City Legal Journal's success over the years and said he couldn't forget my efforts, or he'd feel guilty.

It didn't sound like something a boss would say; it felt more like a buddy looking out for me.

Zoey, listening in, smiled and said, "Our boss really gets it, huh?"

"Quit joking. Using my situation as an excuse to slack off, you haven't even started working, and you've already learned all the tricks. I didn't teach you that," I said, pretending to be mad.

Zoey hugged me and said playfully, "Mrs. Smith, can't I pick up a few things on my own? I'm worried about you. Even if I were at the office, I'd still be thinking about you. It's better to be here; I'll get more done."

Seeing Zoey's dark circles, my heart ached.

Benjamin had mentioned earlier that after I passed out, he and the others were at Lally's place for inquiries and rushed me to the hospital. The police were short-staffed and couldn't spare anyone to stay with me, so they called Zoey for help.

Zoey hadn't slept for a day and a night.

Feeling a wave of warmth, I hugged Zoey and said softly, "Why don't you take a nap? Let's rest up and then tackle this together."

Zoey nodded, chatted with me for a bit, then found a bed and crashed. She was wiped out.

I closed my eyes to rest and started planning our next moves.

With Lally's mysterious disappearance, I initially worried that Duke might have been kidnapped by someone he owed money to because of his drug habit. But Ruben said it didn't look like a kidnapping, and she might have left on her own. I felt a bit relieved, hoping no more bad luck would hit this troubled girl.

The more likely scenario was that she was hiding to dodge the investigation.

Could she have figured out who I am?

Nah, I doubt it. In court, she didn't even glance my way, and I was rocking sunglasses and different clothes that day. No way she recognized me. Even if she saw a photo, she wouldn't connect the dots. I remember, even though I was a mess emotionally, I gave a reason for leaving, and Lally saw me out the door.

I had a hunch someone tipped Lally off about who I was. This person must've known what I was up to and pieced together my identity.

So far, I'd interacted with Frank, Tammy, Lally, Duke, and Tony's wife, Anna.

Anna... It hit me that after Tony got home, Tammy and Anna probably told him about my visit, and I had left my business card. Tony could easily dig up who I was with a bit of effort!

Damn! I regretted trying to help Tony with the compensation case and handing my card to those two.

With Lally missing, I had forgotten to ask for the orphanage's name before leaving in my emotional state.

It looked like I needed to prioritize investigating Tony. Finding him could give me info about the orphanage and maybe even Lally's whereabouts.

But this was just a theory for now; I needed to confirm it.

With that in mind, I grabbed my phone, found Anna's number, and called her. The phone rang a few times before she picked up.

"Hey, Anna. It's Nancy from Silverlight City Legal Journal. Are you busy right now?" I asked.

"Oh, Nancy! Not at all. I was just thinking of calling you but didn't want to bother you." Anna sounded really happy on the other end.

"Is it about Tony working at Silverlight City Legal Journal?"

"Yes, Nancy. I'm so sorry to trouble you with this."

Anna was still hung up on this. I smiled a bit. She was good with words, making it seem like I was the one concerned, putting me in a spot where I couldn't back out.

"Yeah, I just talked to our HR. They said Tony's resume looks solid, and we're looking to expand into new media. We need someone reliable and experienced, so we'd like Tony to come in for an interview tomorrow. I'll be there too." I added that I'd be there, hinting that if Tony showed up, the job was pretty much his.

"Great, thank you so much, Nancy. I'll call Tony right away to make sure he's available."

A little while later, Anna called back, sounding apologetic. "Nancy, I'm really sorry, but could we push it back a couple of days?"

I had a feeling my suspicion was right. "What's up? Something going on at home?"

"Everything's fine at home. It's just that Tony said he's super busy at work lately. He can make time around noon tomorrow. Would that work for you?"

"As long as everything's good at home. What time does Tony leave for work and come back? I'll see if we can fit it in during his lunch break."

"He leaves around 9 AM and starts work at 10. He has an hour and a half for lunch, but it might be a bit tight."

"Yeah, I get it. Let me talk to HR and see if we can find another time this week." Then I hung up.

This was the second time setting up an interview with Tony. The first time might've been because he was busy, but the second time was definitely him dodging me!

After I left that day, Lally probably contacted Tony and told him what went down.

I was now sure Tony had figured out who I was.

I asked about Tony's work hours to tail him. If he wasn't going to work, what was he up to every day?

Could Lally be with him?

No more hiding; it was time to take charge!