Depths of Depravity Read Online Free PDF Page B

could find on Landon Schrader but there wasn ’t much. His company had a generic blank statement on its website. He dealt mostly with technology revolving around robotics and cybernetics. It wasn’t particularly interesting since there was always something being written about in the tech sector. I’m sure that aspect of his company had been covered multiple times.
    After gathering all of the basic information I could, I decided to get in contact with the company. I called the phone number on the website. I was greeted with an automated message asking me if I wanted a brochure to learn more about investing in their products. I was already at a dead end.
    It was only the first day I started this assignment but I was getting frustrated. I leaned back in my chair and spun around in it. I looked up at the ceiling of my loft while I tried to get an idea to pop into my head. The only thing I could think of was to wait for Roy to get in contact with me and hope that he found out something interesting.
    I sighed as I leaned back over my desk. I searched the scarce amou nt of notes over and over again to see if there was any way I could get in contact with him. I reached into my pockets and something poked my hand. I pulled it out and looked at it. On the card was the phone number Lily gave to me. I stared at the phone number and squinted my eyes at it.
    “ Wait a minute…”
    I looked through all of my notes in search of the business phone number I just called. I held the card next to it and compared the two.
    “The numbers are different…”
    Could it be? Maybe this is just an old nu mber…
    I wasn ’t sure whether or not I should trust Lily’s sources but she had this number down for a reason. I picked up my phone and called it, not completely sure I was going to get an answer. After two rings, somebody picked up.
    “ Hello?” a man said.
    “ Um, yes… I’m trying to get in touch with Landon Schrader.”
    “ Who is this?”
    I started to panic. I wasn ’t sure if it was a good idea to tell him who I really was or not. I decided that I would try the direct approach.
    “ Who is this?” he repeated.
    “ Hi, my name is Victoria Hill. I—”
    “ Why do you want to talk to Mr. Schrader?”
    “ W-well, I’d like to sit down for an interview with Mr. Schrader and—”
    “ Mr. Schrader doesn’t do interviews.”
    “ But—”
    “ Goodbye.”
    Before I could say anything else the man hung up on me. I tried cal ling again but nobody picked up.
    Shit. My one chance and I blew it.
    I stared at the phone number on the card, trying to put together something from the few seconds I spoke to the man. I closed my eyes and tried to figure out who he was.
    Security guard? Pub licist? Maybe an attorney?
    There was no way I would figure it out without asking him directly. It was my one lead and I had lost it just as quickly as I had found it.
    “There was music,” I said to myself. “There was music playing in the background. Maybe he was having a party. Or maybe he was driving with the radio on. Oh, Victoria. You’re an idiot…”
    I sighed as I failed to put anything together. My last article was about a member of City Council doing drugs . I guess the truth about that piece was still lingering in me. Maybe this was all too much. Maybe I was just expecting Landon Schrader to have a secret because every high-profile man in the city had one. But it didn’t matter if he weren’t going to slip. Nobody around him was talking. This wasn’t going to be easy. I was beginning to consider looking elsewhere for something to write about.
    “ Maybe Jennifer’s right,” I said to myself. “Maybe he’s just some rich guy. You’re an investigative reporter, Victoria. There’s nothing to investigate here. He’s just a billionaire who likes his privacy.”
    I had never been so disappointed with myself. I saw the photo of a good-looking man in a suit and let my imagination run away with itself. I guess part of me just wanted t