"So, where do we start?"
Sam glanced at her phone, then back at the address Raymond Pierce had provided earlier that morning. It was barely 7 a.m., and she was already on her first coffee of the day. She didn't mind, cases like these never allowed for a good night's sleep anyway.
She stood outside a quiet, well-maintained apartment complex, the kind that screamed "upper-class comfort." This was the last place Lily had been seen, according to Pierce's notes. Sam had already memorized every detail she'd been given, but that didn't mean the truth wouldn't be buried somewhere outside the lines.
She made her way up to the apartment, knocking on the door labeled *4B*. After a few moments, the door swung open, and a woman with disheveled hair and tired eyes looked back at her.
"Are you Tara?" Sam asked, already knowing the answer.
"Yeah," the woman said, yawning. "Who are you?"
"Sam Reade, private investigator. I'm looking into the disappearance of Lily Pierce. I was told you're her best friend.
Tara's sleepy expression darkened. Best friend is a stretch. We were close, but... I didn't know her as well as people think. She stepped aside, motioning for Sam to come in. You're the second person to come asking about her. What's going on?
Sam's ears perked up. Second person? Who else was looking?
Tara frowned, crossing her arms as she leaned against the doorframe. Some guy in a suit. Slick-looking, kinda intense. He asked a lot of questions about Lily's recent... activities.
Sam's mind immediately went to the shadowy figure she had spotted the night before. "Did this guy say who he was?"
Tara shook her head. Nope. He didn't stick around long either. But he did leave me his number in case I remembered anything else.
"Do you have the number?"
Tara handed over a crumpled piece of paper. Sam glanced at it briefly before slipping it into her pocket. She would look into it later, right now, she had more important questions to ask.
What can you tell me about Lily's disappearance? When did you last see her?
Tara sighed and dropped onto the couch, rubbing her temples. It was about two weeks ago. We had plans to meet up, but she canceled at the last minute. Said she was meeting someone... a new guy. She'd been seeing him for a while, but she never told me much about him.
"Did she give you a name?"
No, she just called him Mr. X, like it was some kind of joke. Tara rolled her eyes. "I thought it was weird, but Lily's always been a bit... secretive."
Do you know anything about this guy? Where did they meet? What he does?"
Tara hesitated, biting her lip. I don't know much. Just that he had money. Lily mentioned once that he took her to some fancy club downtown. She didn't say the name, but she said it was exclusive.
Sam's eyebrows shot up. A club? Did she say what kind of place it was?
"Not really. Just that you had to know people to get in.
Sam nodded, her mind already working. An exclusive club, a rich mystery man, and a missing girl. It didn't take much to connect the dots.
"Did Lily seem... worried before she disappeared? Like something was wrong?
Tara shrugged. She didn't seem scared, if that's what you're asking. She was happy, actually. She said she was finally getting her life together. But then... she just stopped talking to me.
Sam stood up, pacing the small apartment. Do you think she ran off with this guy? Or do you think something else happened?
"I don't know," Tara admitted. But she wouldn't just disappear without telling me. She loved the attention so much.
Sam filed that last bit away, her instincts buzzing. Tara's information wasn't much, but it was enough to start digging deeper. The club was her next move. If Lily had been spending time there, that's where Sam would find answers.
"Thanks for your help," Sam said, moving toward the door. "If you think of anything else, call me."
Tara nodded, watching her leave. "I hope you find her," she said quietly as Sam stepped into the hallway.
An hour later, Sam was parked outside a high-end club called *Delirium*. The kind of place that oozed exclusivity, with tinted windows and no sign indicating it was even open. She had already checked, confirming it was the only place in the city that fit Tara's description.
"Only the wealthy and well-connected," she muttered to herself as she adjusted her rearview mirror. It was still early, but the club's bouncers were already at the door, scanning the street for anyone who didn't belong.
Sam watched from a distance as a group of well-dressed men and women exited a sleek black SUV. They were greeted with nods of recognition, the velvet rope parting to let them in without question.
Getting inside wasn't going to be easy, but it wasn't impossible. Sam had infiltrated places like this before. All she needed was a plan and a new outfit.
By the time the sun had set, Sam was back, but this time she looked the part. Her usual leather jacket and jeans were replaced with a sleek black dress and heels, her hair pulled back into a tight bun. She didn't do "glamorous" often, but when she did, she could pass for someone with money.
She approached the club's entrance with confidence, flashing a charming smile at the bouncer. I'm here with Mr. Jacob's, she said, using the name of one of the regulars she'd overheard earlier.
The bouncer glanced at her, then at the clipboard in his hands. After a brief moment, he nodded and stepped aside, allowing her to pass.
Inside, the club was a whirlwind of dim lights, expensive champagne, and people who all looked like they had something to hide. Sam's gaze swept over the room, her senses on high alert as she searched for anything that might lead her to Lily, or this mysterious Mr. X
She spotted a group of men in the far corner, all dressed in tailored suits, their conversation hushed as they leaned in close to one another. Her instincts told her this was where she needed to be.
As she made her way across the room, she felt a prickle of awareness at the back of her neck. Someone was watching her.
Sam turned slowly, scanning the crowd, and then her heart skipped a beat.
A man she thought she'd never see again stepped out of the shadows, his eyes locked onto hers.
It was her former partner, the one she thought was dead.