'Sir, signature..'

Treyton started, and looked up to see his personal assistant, Irma, looking down at him, pointing to some papers.
'Was hast du getan? What did you say?'

'Signature, sir!'
Irma was a bit startled at her boss's behaviour, but kept her thoughts to herself.
Treyton quickly signed the documents, while Irma frowned.
What's wrong with him? I've never seen him so absentminded before..
She really had no right to ask, but she was taken back by his odd behaviour.
Treyton Elrod had always been a sharp, and astute boss, and normally, he would scan any paper she put in front of him, before signing it. But this was the third time in a row, that he had done it. She knew he trusted her, but anyone else could take advantage of his inattentiveness.
'Herr Elrod..'
She addressed him, before she could think about it.
'Are you alright? You seem really distracted..'
Treyton looked up at her again, and suddenly she regretted having said anything.
'Uh..I'm sorry, sir.'
Irma moved back, at the look in his eyes.
'It's just that you didn't even ask what these papers were..I..'

'It's alright, Irma..'
Treyton leaned back in his chair.
'You needn't stress. You are right! I should have asked..'

'I'm so sorry..I didn't mean to..'
Irma looked horrified, that her boss was apologising to her.

'Relax! I won't hold it against you! I was just preoccupied with something, that's all.'
Treyton shrugged his shoulders underneath his expensive suit jacket.
'I'm sure you won't get a signature, signing away my properties, will you?'
He drawled, and Irma looked sheepish.

'I'm sorry, sir! I'll take your leave, sir!'
She turned around, and marched to the door, till he called her back.
She turned to him, in the act of opening the door.
'Yes?'

'Irma! I need you to do something for me..'
Irma immediately came back to stand in front of his desk. 'There is some information I'd like to get.'
Treyton had a pondering look on his face.
'I think, you are just the person to do it..'
He saw a look of curiosity on her face.

'Anything, sir..'

'You are friendly with all the main office staff, I believe. So, if I had to find out something about anyone, you could help?'
Irma had been cleared of any cheating, or sinister activity in the Huger case, and Treyton had been relieved. She was too good an assistant for him to let go.

'Ofcourse, sir. How can I help?'
Irma also wanted to know who had cheated her boss, and was ready to help in any way she could.

'I want you to find out about a friend of Julian Finn, someone named Erica..'

Irma was a bit taken aback. She had been expecting something to do with the investigation.
'His friend, sir?'

'Yes! She came to my party..maybe you saw her..'
Treyton was watching the play of expressions on his assistant's face.

Irma had been there, but she had been busy checking that the party went down smoothly.
'Maybe..do you remember what she looked like or what she was wearing?'

Explicitly!
'Yes! She had been dressed in black..from head to toe..with diamond studs in her ears.. brown hair, brown eyes..tall..gorgeous..'
A faraway look came in his eyes, and he didn't realise that Irma was now staring at him, like a wide eyed hawk, her mouth agape.

Irma had been working at Elrod Enterprises for the past three years, and in that time, she had made several date arrangements for her boss, and his current lady, even to the extent of buying gifts for them. But she had never, even remotely, heard him speak about any of the women this way, and she was stupefied. In fact, he had never spoken to her in any personal capacity before, always talking business, and nothing else.
It was true, that Irma had had a crush on her 'hot boss' (as the other women in the office called him), but she had never ever let him know, or let it come in the way of her work.
And now..to hear all this..
A small smile played on her lips.
My boss is a normal human being, after all.

'Irma! Are you listening?'
His voice startled her from her thoughts, and she straightened up, making a straight face.

'Yes, sir!'

'So you know who I'm talking about?'
Treyton frowned.

'I have the guest list, sir! I can check that for you..'

'Guest list?'
Treyton straightened in his chair.
'Now why didn't I think of that?'
He muttered, shaking his head, before looking at his assistant, who stood there, waiting for his instructions.
'Yes! That would be fine. In fact, I'd also like to see it.'

'Alright, sir!'
Irma nodded, before she turned and left.

Treyton watched her go, then swung his chair around, to face his picture window.
'Guest list..will I find out about her from there?'

Treyton had been curious enough about her since the party night, but ever since she had outwitted him on the Harley two nights ago, he couldn't seem to get her out of his head.
He had thought to go and meet her on the bridge that night. But she had looked like she had gone there to be alone, because she had stood there just looking out at the river. And Treyton had stood there, just watching her, till she had put on her helmet, and sat back on her bike.
What was it about her, that had him curious. He was unable to put a finger to it.
Her looks?
He had seen and had his share of beautiful women, so it wasn't just that.
The sudden jolt of attraction?
He had seen something flash in her eyes that night at the party too, he was sure of it.
Was it because she was still a mystery?
That was probably it. He wanted to know more.

He had watched her start her bike, and drive off again into the night, impressed by her driving skills as well. Not everyone could beat Treyton Elrod..
He couldn't follow her, she had been too fast, and he had lost her in the main city traffic. But adrenalin pumped, at the thought of catching up with her, and finding out all about her.

***************************

'Ist das dein Ernst?! Are you serious? Someone in my main office? Who?'
Treyton almost shot out of his chair, as the detective leaned forward to impart the information.

'As you know, Herr Elrod, that we had been following several leads, but most of them were dead ends..'
The detective gestured to the file, and laptop on the table.

'Yes..but there has finally been some clue..tell me..'
Treyton looked ready to ram the culprit's teeth down their throat.

'Well..the person was very clever in leaving no tracks..'
The detective saw an impatient look on Treyton's face, and hurried on.
'But we have finally cornered them!'
He lifted up a small pen drive, and connecting it to his laptop, pushed a few keys, before turning it to face Treyton.

Treyton quickly looked, as the detective came to stand next to him.
A video came on the screen, and Treyton recognised the place, as the exterior of one of the hotels owned by David Huber, his rival.
On the screen, Steve Huber, David's brother and partner, was seen talking to someone in a khaki trench coat, the face of whom, was obstructed by some trees.
Treyton watched closely. But here, only the back of the person in the coat could be seen, and a hat that covered  the head.
In the next minute, the person in the khaki coat could be seen shaking hands with Steve, and in another, they were walking towards a dark blue car, parked in the parking lot. The face of the other person was constantly hidden, as if the person was trying to hide it well.
As they watched, the coated person got into the backseat of the car, and then the car  drove away. But, Steve Huber stood there watching, before he seemed to realise something, and quickly looked one way and then the other, as if expecting someone to be watching them.
At one point he looked directly into the camera, but apparently not finding anything wrong, he put his hands in the pocket of his trousers, and hurried back into the hotel.
The video ended there, but left more questions unanswered.

'Who is this person?'
Treyton turned to the detective.

'Sir, I have people tracing the owner of the car..'

'What? You still have no culprit? Even the police can gain information faster than this! And it's been bloody two weeks! Lächerlich! Ridiculous!'
Treyton slapped a fist on his desk, causing things to shake, as well as the man standing next to it.

'Sir, I'm sorry for the delay, but believe me, every lead had been wiped out without a trace. It has taken this long for this person to contact the Hubers again, who we had been stalking since then.'

Treyton didn't know what to think anymore.
Irma's investigation of the guest list had not yielded any results either.
Julian Finn had been accompanied by just a 'guest', no name, nothing.
That had been frustrating enough for him, and now this.
He wanted to hit out at something, someone, anyone.
'I want to know the owner of the car before day end today, or consider yourself off of this case!'
Treyton was angry, and his words just confirmed it.

The detective straightened up, taking out the pen drive, and handing it to Treyton.
He promised to have some news in a couple of hours, and left.

Verdammt! Damn it!
Nothing seems to be going in my favour!
I can't just let it dally like this!

A new deal was doing the rounds in the office, and he knew people were already speculating about it.
But it was a decoy, that Treyton had set up himself. He had hoped for something to give after people knew about it, and so he had asked Irma to talk about it. She had been a bit hesitant, but when he had told her why, she had casually spread the word.
Treyton had known, there would be whispers about it, and true enough, it had seemed to trigger whoever was cheating him to contact the Hubers again.

I'll catch you this time..you can't be too smart for me!

***************************

'Sir, you have that meeting across town at four..'
Irma was telling Treyton, as he picked up his phone from his desk, ready to leave.

'I'll be there..'

'But before that, you have a lunch meeting with Miss Marissa..'

Treyton paused, in the act of putting his blazer on.
He had totally forgotten about that.
Marissa had been after him to meet, since it had been quite long, but Treyton had been making excuses. He knew he couldn't keep her hanging any more and so had decided to break it off, hence the lunch meeting.
'Alright..thankyou, Irma.'

Treyton left his office, nodding to several people as they greeted him. As he descended the elevator, his thoughts shifted to finishing it off with Marissa. She had been useful when he needed it, but now, he had lost interest.
Ever since he had met Erica?
His conscience reminded him, but he brushed that thought away.
He wasn't a man to beg or plead a woman for favours, had never needed to..and he didn't intend to let a woman muddle up his thoughts that way now either..

Treyton nodded to the chauffeur, as he opened the back door of the car for him. He glanced at the main road, and the cafè across it, before he got in, his mind distracted.
But then he stopped in the act.

His gaze focused on a lone woman seated at one of the tables in the open air.
It was Erica..he was sure of it.
And he couldn't miss a chance again.

'Herr Elrod..'
The driver questioned, and Treyton came to, but his gaze remained on the woman drinking coffee across the road.

Gesturing to his driver to wait, Treyton, without a second thought, crossed the road.

To be continued...