Till Dark

When they arrived at the gate a frown creased his brow; his front gate didn't respond to his voice code so he had to manually open it with his key. "That's strange I never have to use my key unless the power is out." "Well maybe that's what it is. I mean it does look a lot like it's going to storm." He scanned the grounds. "I don't think that's the problem. Look." Jordan followed Andy's gaze and saw what he was looking at. A chill ran down her spine as a clap of thunder cracked and lightening sizzled through the night sky. The porch light was on and several rooms in the house were lit as well. Determined not to panic Jordan stated "I'm sure it's just a blown fuse or a problem with the gate's control box. Let's get inside before this storm hits." She stated with more bravado than she felt. Andy looked at Jordan's fearful expression and agreed immediately. "Let's get inside and I'll have Mrs. Sparks bring up some tea." She smiled slightly. "That sounds nice." With that they started a brisk walk up the drive toward the house.

Once inside Andy called for Mrs. Sparks to bring some tea to his office right away. Jordan watched the exchange between them and noticed the way she spoke to Andy in a motherly fashion. They really seemed to have a very relaxed relationship compared to most employer and employees. Mrs. Sparks scurried off to do Andy's bidding and he took Jordan by the elbow and led her up the stairs to his office. The office was the room next to the one she stayed in while she was there, Which explained why he was able to hear her leaving the room that day and why he seemed to appear out of nowhere. Jordan looked around the spacious office that resembled a library with bookshelves lining the walls. Floor to ceiling windows had navy blue velvet curtains hanging from them. The impressive antique desk with its mahogany finish polished to a shine, boasted carvings of intricate patterns. This beautiful piece of history was one of a kind for sure and it matched the room and its owner perfectly. Both the desk and Andy seemed priceless and indescribable. Her eyes followed him walking around his desk.

He pulled his keys from his pocket and sat down in the high-backed brown leather chair. Unlocking a set of draws to his right he pulled the top drawer open but to his shock the evidence was missing. "What in the world is going on here?" Jordan had started to sit on the large overstuffed leather couch adjacent to Andy's desk when he gasped. "What's wrong?" She walked toward him frowning. "I locked all the evidence up in this drawer and now it's gone." Andy looked up at Jordan with a probing look. "Gone? But if it was locked that can't be possible. Maybe you forgot to lock it?" He shook his head emphatically. "No definitely not. I checked it twice before I went to get you." Andy whirled around to look out the windows; his fingertips resting gently on his lips. He studied the storm outside and pondered quietly over the situation. "Oh this is not good." Jordan started pacing back and forth looking out the window every so often. A storm was brewing outside as well as inside the only thing she was not sure about was why and who was behind all of this. A knock at the door caused both of them to look up startled. "Andy? I have the tea you wanted." Jordan let out the breath she had not realized she held."Come in Mrs. Sparks." He said as he opened the door for her. "Set it over on the table please." Once she put the tray down she turned back to Andy. "Is there anything else I can get for you tonight Mr. Nichols?" "No Thank you. Mrs. Sparks, do you recall any one coming by the house this evening?" She wrinkled her pug nose and shook her head."No sir but I did find some items that I thought were a bit strange in one of the guest rooms." She told him pointing in the direction in which the room was located. "That's UH... Well I got that this afternoon; it will be gone tonight so just leave it where it is till then okay." Confused she leaned her sideways to look at him. "Of course, Mr. Nichols." Jordan watched the exchange her curiosity peaked. She was not sure about what he had but she knew that it was not something that he wanted Jordan to know about judging from his reaction to Mrs. Spark's statement. I have to see what she is referring to. She thought to herself. "Andy I need UH... Where is the bathroom? All this talk about what happened this afternoon has made me kind of nervous." She smiled shyly from Andy to Mrs. Sparks. "Mrs. Sparks, would you be kind enough to show Jordan where the bathroom is?" Mrs. Sparks turned and gave Jordan a warm smile."Yes Mr. Nichols. Come with me my dear." She turned on her narrow heel and stopped just outside the doorway to make certain that Jordan was close behind her. Jordan smiled a reassuring smile at the older woman and followed her down the hall. "This is a wonderful house." Jordan stated in awe trying to bring the woman into a conversation about the house and its present owner. "How long have you worked for Andy?" "I came here when Andy was a bit over a year old." She replied noncommittal. "That must have been wonderful to see him grow up to be such a successful businessman. Though it's a shame he isn't married." Mrs. Sparks stopped abruptly nearly causing Jordan to collide with her in the middle of the hallway. "Mr. Nichols personal life is none of my business." She stated firmly. "I'm sorry I was not trying to pry. It's just well... He just seems like he's quite a catch and I think it's a shame that he hasn't found someone who realizes that." She smiled at Jordan strangely. "Perhaps he has." She stated before continuing down the hall toward their destination. Jordan wondered just what she meant by that statement.