Interlude #3
Alex felt her chest tightening even more, and she wanted to run.
What did he mean? Was he stalking her? She had to get out of there, but where would she go?
He owned the place, and she didn’t have a ride.
Plus, he said he owned a private military company.
She was sure he could get at her no matter what she did.
Miles raised his hand.
“Hold on. I can see the panic in your eyes. Please, let me finish. If you don’t want to talk to me again, I’ll understand and leave you alone. I want you to hear me out because it could benefit you.”
“Okay,” she agreed, though she had no idea why.
She should leave. These were red flags, weren’t they? Her parents had yelled at her about how oblivious she had been when walking alone. She knew it was victim-blaming, yet it still stung.
You should have known better. Didn’t you realize what was going on? You should have been more careful.
Alex squeezed her eyes shut. Damn them. She was going to sit here and listen to Miles just to spite how horrible her parents had been to her after everything had happened.
“About a year ago, a guy I know from Bethesda PD came to me for help searching for a missing woman,” Miles began.
Alex swallowed heavily, knowing who he was talking about.
“My company has a wide range of resources, and the search was hitting roadblocks. I was about to send a few of my people when you were suddenly found. The whole thing felt off to me. I wanted to investigate it further, but I was told to drop it. You were fine. They would look for the perp, but he hasn’t been found, has he? ”
She shook her head.
“They said it’s a cold case. They have DNA evidence, but nothing that matches anything on file. They don’t know where he took me, and they haven’t found any other cases like it. I don’t think they want to try.”
“That was my impression as well.”
“You’ve…followed my case?” she questioned. “But…why?”
“I had initially done a routine follow-up with my contact,” Miles said, shrugging. “When I saw that nothing was being done, I got mad. I discovered some powerful people were stonewalling your case. Someone’s covering it up.”
Alex gasped.
“Why? I’m no one special. I…”
She shook her head, trying to will away tears.
“I don’t know why. The only thing I can think of is that the perpetrator is connected so high up that even I can’t touch him. I’ve been keeping an eye on you to make sure you’re safe.”
Alex’s heart sank when she realized her case would never get solved. She would be in limbo forever, always looking over her shoulder.
“Thank you for telling me. At least I know now not to keep my hopes up.” She realized how sweet it was that a busy man like Miles took time out of his day to make sure she was okay.
It didn’t seem creepy anymore. “And I appreciate you looking out for me. It never felt like anyone in my life has been in my corner.”
“Your parents?”
She cringed and said, “They only care about themselves and how they look. I’m about to get kicked out of the house if I don’t enroll in college. But I…can’t go back on campus. I’m going to be homeless.”
Miles shook his head.
“How about this: I fix the problems I can, and you get to reclaim your life.”
“How are you going to do that?”
“Would you like to come work for my company?”
She froze, her eyes widening.
“I’m only twenty, and I have exactly eighteen college credit hours to my name. “I’m not what you want.”
“I will find a position for you,” he promised. “And if you want to continue with college, I’ll pay for that.”
“But…what? You can’t…Why?”
“I can’t fix what happened to my daughter, but I can make your life better. I can make a difference in other ways. That’s why I created this company.”
“So, I’m a pet project?” she asked, folding her arms over her chest.
What are you doing, idiot? Take the job offer, she scolded herself.
Miles chuckled.
“Would it make you feel better if I told you that you’re not the only one I’m helping?” That did make her feel better. “If you accept, you’ll meet Jack. He’s an interesting case, but he’s flourishing.”
Alex took a deep breath. She had to take this chance.
“Okay,” she said softly. “I’ll take it.”
Miles smiled and said, “Good. How much do you need to move from your parents’ house?”
“Uh…” she floundered. “Just what’s in my room? Why?”
“We need to get you moved out.”
“But I can’t afford an apartment right now, and I don’t have furniture. I’d need a deposit.”
She began panicking.
“I have a secure, furnished apartment waiting for you. No rent. It comes with the job. You’ll have full benefits, starting as soon as you sign the paperwork.
Oh, and the salary. He took out a sleek business card and a fancy pen and wrote down a number.
When he gave it to Alex, she gasped. There were six figures.
“You don’t even know if I’m worth it,” she whispered.
“I have a hunch. I’ll have some people stop by your house to get your things. You don’t need to see your parents again unless you want to. They seem toxic.”
“They are,” she agreed, sighing. She looked up at Miles, tears in her eyes, and said, “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, Alex.”