Hello @tranquil3,
I applaud you for coming up with such a novel response to the prompt. This really is quite a tale, and you manage to tie it in with the character's distaste for shopping. That sort of works. You describe the different clues in a way that makes the reader (me) want to find out what's going on. Keeping reader's interest is the most challenging part of story craft.
There is a critique I would like to offer, something that structurally might make your story stronger. In a short short story (which this is, coming in at under 1000 words), it's really important to stay focused from beginning to end on the arc, on the motivation and story line. In this case you begin with the idea of her retreating because of her difficulties in her journalism job. That's a thread we expect you to follow as the story progresses. However, you then begin the thread of the mystery notes and her kidnapping. It's not a good idea to have two major threads floating about in a short story. While you resolve the second thread, there is still the first unresolved. It's a good idea to make her a journalist. That fits in with her curiosity and investigation about the notes. The business about the corruption investigation is merely a distraction.
Please note that I make this suggestion as one writer to another. You are free to dismiss my critique. If you find this suggestion useful, I hope it helps you to craft more structurally sound stories in the future.
Happy writing!
Thank you.