Page 20 of Hidden Chance

“If you don’t want to do it, I can send in one of the others.”

“Funny. But I didn’t think you wanted me going in.”

“I didn’t want you breaking and entering, but if you already have a security pass, you’re all set.”

“And if I’m discovered?”

“You mean in a highly secure facility under false pretenses?”

“Yeah.”

“Don’t be. But if you are, I have some connections to smooth it over. My biggest concern right now is that TreadCraft is not directly involved in this Burma mess and we’re not forthcoming with information to protect them. It’s been days since you saw that guy enter. I don’t want to withhold that for much longer.”

“Then I’ll get in there and find out what’s going on.”

“Good. But I’m keeping you on a short leash. I shouldn’t have to tell you what is permissible.”

“No, sir.”

“And you only have until the end of next week.”

“What if that’s not enough time?”

“Make sure it is.”

“Yes, sir.”

“By the way, how are your typing skills?”

“Terrible. Why?”

“You better brush up.”

“What exactly is the position I’m stepping into?”

“It’s temp work. Something to do with data entry, I believe.”

“Sounds riveting. When do I start?”

“Day after tomorrow. And Robby, try not to be too terrible at your job.”

“If all else fails, I can make a decent coffee.”

“Hopefully that will be enough to impress Hannah. Green will be in touch.”

“I’ll be ready.”

Robby hung up the phone and tossed it on the passenger seat when he got in his car. The opportunity to get inside TreadCraft was unexpected, but it would open up possibilities he hadn’t had before. It wasn’t only getting close to Hannah that was important. It was also seeing who she interacted with so he could figure out others who might be involved.

He slid down in his seat when Hannah came out of the store with a bag hanging off her arm. He watched her until she left the parking lot, then left himself. The others might not believe it, but trying to pick up a mark wasn’t how he preferred to operate. He did what was necessary for a job, but he didn’t like pretending to likesomeone. What he was good at pretending was that he was interested in working with them, and that was exactly what he could do with Hannah. Being on the inside of the same company meant he could approach her about her connection to Burma and make it clear he was interested in turning a profit and would do whatever was needed. Best-case scenario was she put him onto whoever it was pulling the strings.

He pulled to the side of the road a block away from her brick row house. He hadn’t meant to follow her home, but he wanted to see where she lived and see if it offered any more clues about the type of person she was. Anything would help, but there wasn’t much to see.

His phone dinged a message, and he saw that a new report had been emailed to him about further information they’d gathered from Burma. Hannah would have to wait. Burma was his priority tonight.

He pulled back onto the street, and, once he had passed Hannah’s place, he noticed another car parked on the side of the road half a block farther along. A figure was visible in the driver’s seat, his face lit up from the glow off his phone. It was a man. Probably Caucasian and somewhere around his forties or fifties. He was most likely waiting for someone in a house nearby. No one on a stakeout would allow themselves to be exposed by the light from their phone, and he didn’t have the build to match the man Robby had seen enter with Hannah the other day.

He pushed the details from his mind. He had enough to go on without adding extra scenarios to the pot.

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