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Virginia
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Virginia spent a little more time than usual on her appearance that morning. She tapped in an extra dab of plumping moisturizer around the corners of her eyes to minimize the fine lines there, and an added swipe or two of mascara to draw attention away from the dark circles the concealer couldn’t completely hide.
After some deliberation, she chose a lightweight, navy skirt and a silky, white blouse, completing the outfit with a fitted, navy blazer and low-heeled pumps. Taking one final look in the full-length mirror, she nodded appreciatively. Conservative, yet feminine. Professional, but approachable.
She didn’t know much about the man leading the investigation into Chris’s disappearance. She knew only that his name was Gabriel Michaels and that she could expect a visit from him at some point. Apparently, he wanted to talk to everyone who worked for Chris.
Gregory clearly wasn’t happy about having someone from outside the secret circle coming in and asking questions, but Virginia was glad for it. Hopefully, Mr. Michaels, whoever he was, was smart enough to see through Gregory’s bullshit and get some actual answers.
Maya was snapping orders in the kitchen when Virginia went in to get some coffee and her usual morning bagel and fruit. Other than a glare, Maya ignored her. That was just fine with her.
The housekeeping staff was also abuzz with activity, ensuring everything was up to snuff. The head of housekeeping, Phyllis Calligaris, hovered around with an eagle eye and a white glove, issuing commands in an odd mix of Greek and English. Once the visitors arrived, Virginia knew, they would disappear back into the woodwork like mythical brownies.
Once in her office, Virginia opened the French doors and welcomed the cool morning air. Despite the early hour, she could hear the sound of mowers traversing the manicured lawns and clippers ensuring the perfect symmetry of immaculately kept trees and shrubs.
To the wealthy and powerful, appearance was everything, and clearly, Gregory wanted it to appear as if he had everything under control. Appearances could be very deceiving, though.
She smiled to herself, thinking of her own careful preparations this morning. And who, Virginia, are you trying to deceive?
She started up her computer, then opened up an incognito search window. She liked knowing a little bit about who and what she was dealing with; research and vetting were part of her job as a personal assistant. She typed in “Gabriel Michaels” and got started.
A slew of results came up. She ignored the social media profiles. Something told her anyone coming to quietly investigate Chris’s disappearance wouldn’t advertise on Facebook. She worked her way through the white pages, narrowing her search and using a few information-gathering hacks she’d picked up over the years, concentrating on public, military, and government-issued sources.
“There you are,” she said softly hours later, her instincts telling her she’d found the right one after eliminating hundreds of possibilities. A handsome face stared back at her from a decades-old, grainy black and white photo. There wasn’t a lot of information available, but she did manage to sketch together a timeline. From what she could gather, he’d gone into the Navy right out of high-school, served six years, then took advantage of the GI Bill and went back as an officer at the age of twenty-eight, where he served for an additional twenty years and retired as a US Navy SEAL Commander.
Virginia sat back, thoughtful. Gabriel Michaels wasn’t a typical, black-suited Federal agent. He was a SEAL, and, if the list of commendations and medals he’d accumulated over the years was any indication, a damn good one at that.
Gregory was right to be concerned.
If nothing else, the next few days were going to prove very interesting, indeed.