"May I help you?" a middle-aged receptionist asked Mindy the moment she stepped into Kutrate Kemical's lobby.
Mindy glanced around at the original artwork on the walls, the heavy Persian carpets that covered the floors. Kutrate Kemical clearly didn't cut any corners when it came to decorating its headquarters. "Yes," Mindy replied, "I'd like to speak to someone in charge."
The receptionist raised her eyebrows after looking Mindy up and down. "We aren't hiring at the moment," she said.
Mindy pulled herself upright. "I'm not looking for a job. I'm Mindy Cooper, reporter and editor of the Schuyler Square Times. I'm here on a story."
The receptionist didn't look impressed. "A story about what?"
Mindy stared at her. She wasn't used to people challenging her journalistic position. "Your company. This company. Since Kutrate Kemicals is new in town, I thought I'd do a profile piece on your CEO."
"He's not in. You'll have to come back some other time."
"When will he be in?"
"I don't know. He doesn't share his itinerary with me. You'd have to speak to his assistant."
Mindy waited a few moments before asking, "Do you suppose you could let me do that? Speak to his assistant."
"Sorry. She's not here either."
Mindy was starting to feel a little light headed. The scent of apple pie and the unknown chemical was even stronger inside Kutrate Kemical's headquarters and she wanted to get back outside into the fresh air. "When will she be here?"
"Maybe later. Maybe tomorrow. Why don't you leave your card and I'll have her call you?"
Mindy wasn't buying any of it. Thanks to her remarkable journalistic nose, she knew that the receptionist was lying to her. The CEO was most likely in his office watching the Golf Channel while his assistant was doing all the grunt work that kept the company going. "All right," Mindy agreed. "Do you suppose there's anyone around who could give me a tour?"
"A tour of what?"
"Of Kutrate Kemical."
"We don't give tours. It isn't safe."
"Not even to the press?"
A tiny smirk formed on the receptionist's face. "Not even to the New York Times let alone the Schuyler Square Times."
Mindy's eyes narrowed. It was obvious that something was going on at Kutrate Kemicals that needed to be made public. Well, she was the person to do it. She'd find out what the company was hiding and blow the whole place out of the water. She looked at the brass nameplate on the woman's desk. CATHY DEFORREST "Thanks, Cathy," she said as she dropped her business card on the receptionist's desk. "You've been remarkably unhelpful."
"Just doing my job." Cathy said.
"I'll be back," Mindy warned. Brother, she thought as she exited the building, time to buy a lottery ticket. Do I really need this kind of attitude from everyone?
No, she didn't.
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