Chapter 45
SNICKERS
The Plaza’s lobby hums with quiet luxury. Crystal chandeliers, polished marble, and staff gliding past with effortless grace.
But I don’t have time to admire any of it. Pip is missing. Every second that ticks by is a second too long.
I march up to the front desk with determined steps, my expression set and unyielding.
"I need to see your head of security. Now."
The concierge, caught off guard, blinks at me, eyes wide with surprise. But he quickly reaches for the phone with a slightly trembling hand.
A moment passes, and then a tall man with a commanding presence appears, clad in a crisp navy suit that accentuates his authoritative demeanor.
"I'm head of security. How can I—" His words falter and trail off as he recognizes me, his entire demeanor shifting.
"Oh, Mr. Woodward. What a pleasure."
"I don’t have time for protocol. A woman named Pip Fletcher arrived here for an interview. No one’s heard from her. I need you to help me find her. Where is your video room?”
Seeing my determination, he leads me through a maze of corridors adorned with security badges and emergency protocols.
Finally, we arrive at the security room.
Small and utilitarian, its walls are lined with monitors displaying countless camera angles. Each screen flickers with events captured in vivid detail.
I step in like I own the place.
"Pull up the last two hours of footage. Every entrance. Every hallway."
A guard hesitates momentarily, casting a questioning glance at the security head for approval.
His response is a terse nod, sharp and decisive. The footage begins to roll, flickering to life on the screens in a series of grainy images and muted colors.
I lean in closer, my eyes darting across the feeds. My pulse pounds like a relentless drum in my chest.
Then—there she is. Pip, appearing in the lobby with an air of determination as she makes her way toward the elevator bank.
But then—suddenly—the footage jumps to the next available angle, transitioning to an empty hallway that stretches beyond the elevators.
The screen flickers, shadows dancing across the walls.
Where has Pip disappeared to?
“What happened to the footage?”
“Due to a new privacy law, we were forced to remove the cameras inside the elevators,” he admits.
I grit my teeth and pull out my phone. I need more than hotel security. I need to pull in the big guns.
Starting now.