Novel - Drama Chapter 22: Efficient Secretary
Chapter 22: Efficient Secretary
Jason got to the office the next day earlier than usual because he wanted to see where he could place
Nancy and where she would not have to stress herself overmuch but he was surprised to find that his
most trusted and efficient secretary, Mrs Amos, who was always the first to arrive had still not arrived.
This was quite unlike her. He had decided as he drove to the office this morning that he was going to
get Nancy to assist Mrs. Amos. She was very efficient it was true and she had never given him cause
for complaints but it was also true that she was getting on in age and needed someone to assist her.
He had thought about this before but had not really been serious about implementing it because he had
been busy with other things which was quite unlike him because those he was a strict boss who likes
his employees to be disciplined, he was also not one to take the welfare of his staff lightly.
Now, there was no reason for him not to get Mrs. Amos an assistant. Nancy had said that she had a
knowledge of typing having gone for secretarial studies at one point in her life.
Mrs Amos could put her through and she could do some of the jobs till she was perfect.
Jason was happy. Now he was going to solve two problems with just one move.
Nancy would get the job she wanted and he would get an assistant for Mrs. Amos.
'Has Mrs. os still not reported for duty this morning?' Jason asked some of his staff.
'We have not seen her today'. they said.
'Has anyone been able to get her on the phone?'
'Still not available sir'.
This was not right. Something was terribly wrong. Even if Mrs. Amos was travelling or in trouble,she
would at least have called to inform him definitely.
He had assumed that it was an emergency yesterday and that was why she hadn't come to work nor
called to inform him but today again? It was just unlike her and he was determined to find out. When he
finds out exactly what kind of problem, his secretary was in, then he could get Nancy to get started at
work.
'But what if she was anxious to hear from him?' Jason thought.
He could not give her Mrs. Amos' job until he had found out what it was that had kept her away from
work.
'But I could at least ask her to come to the office and wait for me definitely? It would keep her hope
alive and she would also have people around she could chat with', he thought to himself. But that
would mean going to pick her up and he wanted to go and visit his secretary to assure himself that she
was okay.
'Why not do both at the same time? he thought. The way to Mrs. Amos's house was a different way
from that of Nancy but he would see how he could manage it.
He drove first to Mrs. Amos' apartment but found it locked. He asked the neighbours if they had seen
her or know anything about her but no one knew anything about her whereabouts.
'This is strange', Jason thought.
He tried the door and found that as opposed to what he had thought, the door was not locked from the
outside but the inside.
The implication was that someone was still inside.
He knocked on the door loudly several times but got no answer.
He was getting anxious. What if the old lady was inside incapacitated in any way?
How was he going to force the door open or was there a back door to the house? He went behind and
there was indeed a stairway because she lived on the first floor, he would have to climb the staircase.
He did but found that he could still not open the door to the apartment. It would seem that the door had
not been used for a very long time. It was rusted and looked jammed.
What to do now?
He went back to the front door and was able to insert something through an opening in the door and
pushed the bolt from the inside and the door gave way and opened. He heaved a sigh of relief. He had
wanted to break open the door. He had decided that he would do that as the last resort and pay for novelbin
damages layer because the life of his secretary was worth more than any charges that he may have to
pay.
He cautiously went inside the house. Thankfully he had come with two of his employees, He had
wanted them to take her back to the office if they found her in good condition while he went ahead to
get Nancy.
They walked in after him stealthily.
The apartment seemed empty but it could not be. How could it have been locked from the inside if
there was nobody home?
He walked further in and that was when he saw her.
Her body was twisted as though in pain. She was lying lifeless there between the settee and the table.
She must have tried to get up but could not. Her hands were clenched as though in a kind of struggle.
Her eyes were still open as though in shock and she was very dead.
Jason fell to his knees beside her and would have hugged her but his employees who had come with
him stopped him before he could do any such thing.
'You should be careful sir. This could be police affair and taking fingerprints, may show yours. Don't
tamper with the crime scene', Michael said.
'He is right sir. We should report the matter to the police immediately. Before taking any other action',
Sean supported.
'But this is not a crime and it is not a crime scene'. An old woman happened to go to bed or some such
thing but could not get up anymore, most probably because of a medical condition, she never let on'.
Jason said.
'Still, we have to notify the police. Then we can get in touch with her relatives', Michael said again.
'Okay then, call the police and give them directions to this place'.
Michael did as he was instructed and soon the police were there with their forensic crew.
They took snapshots of the scene and catered away her body for a post mortem.
Jason was dazed but he did not want to give himself the chance to dwell on that yet. There were things
that needed to be done. He still had to contact Mrs. Amos' relatives. Her husband had died about give
years previously and she had lived there alone.
Jason tried to remember if she ever mentioned any relative and rembered that she had said something
about a daughter resident in London. How to get her contact? He remembered that he had bought her
a cell phone so that he could get access to her whenever she was not at the office.
He went through her things but didn't have to look far because the phone was lying on the settee near
the place she must have fallen.