Chapter 2 Missing

Rowan swung his legs over the side of the bed, feeling the coolness of the floor against his bare feet. He spotted his clothes scattered across the room – his shirt draped over a chair, his pants lying in a heap near the foot of the bed. He frowned, trying to recall how they had ended up there. A meeting, he remembered dimly. Yes, he had a meeting with a client. They had drinks, discussed business... and then his memory went blank.

He stood up, wobbling slightly as he made his way to the bathroom. The reflection that greeted him in the mirror was disheveled, a stark contrast to his usual polished appearance. His hair was tousled, and there were dark circles under his eyes. He turned on the shower, letting the hot water run for a moment before stepping under the stream.

The water cascaded over him, washing away the remnants of sleep and the fog in his mind. As the steam enveloped him, he felt a small measure of clarity returning. He focused on the sensations, the warmth of the water, the scent of the hotel's complimentary soap, grounding himself in the present moment. Gradually, the headache began to ease, replaced by a lingering sense of unease.

After his shower, he felt slightly better. The fog had lifted enough for him to function, but the gap in his memory still troubled him. He dressed quickly, slipping into his clothes with practiced efficiency. His mind kept returning to the client meeting, trying to fill in the blanks, what had happened after the drinks?

Rowan walked back into the main room, his eyes scanning the space for any clues. The bed was rumpled, the sheets twisted and turned. There was no sign of anyone else, but he couldn't shake the feeling that he hadn't been alone. He frowned, trying to push through the mental haze.

He reached for his phone on the bedside table and dialed his assistant's number. The line rang twice before it was picked up.

"Kyle, it's Rowan. I'm at the Drizzle Hotel. Come over," he said, giving his room number before cutting the call. He needed answers, and Kyle might be able to help him piece together the missing fragments of the night.

Rowan paced the room, his thoughts a chaotic swirl. He could handle the aftermath of a night out; this wasn't the first time he had woken up with a hazy memory. But this felt different. There was a nagging sense of something important just out of reach, something he needed to remember.

The minutes dragged on as he waited for Kyle to arrive. He checked his phone, scrolling through his messages and call logs for any hints. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. No missed calls or texts that could shed light on the situation. He put the phone down with a sigh, frustration building.

Finally, a knock at the door broke the silence. Rowan moved quickly to open it, letting Kyle in. His assistant looked concerned, taking in Rowan's disheveled appearance with a raised eyebrow.

"Rough night Boss?" Kyle asked, stepping inside and closing the door behind him.

"You could say that," Rowan replied, running a hand through his damp hair. "I can't remember a damn thing after the meeting with the client. I woke up with a killer headache and no idea what happened."

Kyle nodded, his expression serious. "Let's sit down and figure this out. Do you remember who the client was?"

Rowan shook his head, frustration evident in his eyes. "No, that's not the problem right now. Everything that happened afterward is a blur. I remember we had drinks, and then... nothing."

Kyle pulled out his tablet, quickly accessing Rowan's schedule from the previous night. "You met with a potential investor, Michael Harper. You were supposed to discuss the details of the new project."

Rowan frowned, the name ringing a faint bell. "Right, Michael Harper. We had drinks in the hotel bar, but after that, it's all blank."

Kyle tapped on the screen, pulling up more details. "You checked in here around six, had the meeting at seven, and your last recorded activity was a room service order at ten. After that, there's nothing unusual."

Rowan rubbed his temples, trying to force his mind to cooperate. "There's something missing, Kyle. I have this feeling that something important happened, but I can't remember what."

Kyle looked thoughtful. "It's possible you were drugged. It would explain the memory loss and the headache."

Rowan nodded slowly. "I know. But why? And by whom?"

Kyle glanced around the room, his gaze sharp. "We can check the CCTV. Maybe there's footage that can help us piece together what happened."

Rowan's eyes lit up with a flicker of hope. "Good idea. Get the access to the recordings."

They headed downstairs to the front desk, where a polite yet wary receptionist greeted them. Kyle leaned forward, his tone urgent but composed. "Good morning. I need to speak with your security manager regarding the CCTV footage from last night. It's quite important."

The receptionist's eyes widened slightly but maintained professionalism. "Of course, sir. Let me call the security office for you." She picked up the phone and spoke in hushed tones, glancing up at Rowan and Kyle occasionally. After a moment, she nodded and hung up. "The security manager will be here shortly. Please have a seat."

Rowan paced the lobby, his mind racing. Kyle sat calmly, his fingers tapping on his tablet as he reviewed the notes he had gathered so far. Within a few minutes, a tall man in a dark suit approached them. He had a stern, no-nonsense demeanor and introduced himself as Mr. Harris, the hotel's head of security.

"Mr. Falcone, I understand you need to review some footage from last night?" Mr. Harris asked, his expression serious.

"Yes," Rowan replied. "I have a gap in my memory from last night, and I believe the CCTV footage might help me figure out what happened."

Mr. Harris nodded. "I understand. Follow me to the security office, and we'll see what we can find."

They followed him through a series of corridors until they reached a small, windowless room filled with monitors and recording equipment. Mr. Harris took a seat at the console and began typing, bringing up the footage from the previous night.

"What time frame are we looking at?" he asked, glancing at Rowan.

"From around seven in the evening to midnight," Rowan replied. "Focus on the bar area and the hallway leading to my room."

Mr. Harris nodded and started scrolling through the footage. They watched as the bar came into view, bustling with activity. Rowan and Michael Harper appeared on screen, sitting at a corner table with drinks in hand. They seemed engrossed in conversation, their gestures animated.

"Pause it there," Rowan said, pointing to the screen. "That's me and the client."

Mr. Harris paused the footage, then fast-forwarded to a later time. Rowan watched as he and Harper continued to drink, their movements becoming more relaxed and less controlled. Then, a woman approached their table. She was striking, with dark hair and an air of confidence. She seemed to engage briefly with Harper before turning her attention to Rowan.

"Who is she?" Rowan muttered, his brow furrowing.

Kyle leaned in closer to the screen. "I don't recognize her. Do you remember her at all?"

Rowan shook his head. "No. I don't."

They watched as the woman sat down with them, her demeanor flirtatious and engaging. She ordered more drinks, and the three of them continued to converse. As the night progressed, Rowan's movements became slower, his posture more relaxed, while the woman remained animated, occasionally glancing around the room.

Mr. Harris fast-forwarded the footage again. Rowan watched as the woman helped him stand, guiding him towards the elevators. Harper remained at the table, seemingly unaware or unconcerned about Rowan's departure.

"There," Rowan said, his finger tapping the screen. "That's when we left the bar."

The footage switched to the hallway outside the elevator, but the screen suddenly went blank. Mr. Harris frowned, typing furiously at the console. The seconds ticked by in tense silence as Rowan and Kyle watched the screen expectantly. But no new images appeared.

"What's going on?" Rowan asked, a note of frustration creeping into his voice.

Mr. Harris shook his head, his expression darkening. "This is strange. It looks like the footage from the hallway outside your room is missing."

"Missing?" Kyle echoed, leaning in to get a better look at the monitors. "How is that possible?"

Mr. Harris continued to work, his fingers flying over the keyboard. "It's not just the hallway footage. It looks like the entire database for last night is gone. Someone's deleted it."

Rowan's frustration turned to anger. "How does something like this happen in a hotel with supposedly top-notch security?"

Mr. Harris's face was grim. "I'm sorry, Mr. Falcone. This is highly unusual. We have backups, but it will take some time to retrieve and analyze them. This kind of tampering is a serious breach, and we might not be able to recover the lost data."

The gravity of the situation settled over them. Rowan's mind raced, trying to process the implications. The missing footage, combined with his memory loss, pointed to a deliberate and calculated effort to erase the events of the previous night.

Kyle broke the silence. "We need to consider all possibilities. This wasn't random. Someone planned this."

Rowan nodded, his jaw clenched. "We need to find out who and why. But without the footage, we're at a significant disadvantage."

Mr. Harris sighed, his frustration evident. "I wish I could do more. I'll continue to investigate from our end and alert the authorities about the breach. In the meantime, I suggest you stay cautious."

"Thank you, Mr. Harris," Rowan said, shaking the security manager's hand. "Please keep us updated on any developments."