Page 37 of Hidden Chance

Robby climbed the stairs behind Hannah, unsure of what to make of her. She was definitely hiding something, but she was doing a good job of playing innocent. If there hadn’t been so much evidence to the contrary, he may have been inclined to believe her delusions. He’d told Fletcher that he thought there might be some kind of psychological issue connected to her father’s death. It was possible she believed the lies she told herself. If that was the case, then she truly did believe that she wasn’t doing anything wrong. He could work with that. All he had to do was make her believe he was on her side.

“Through that door,” he said once they reached the third floor.

If all else failed and she refused to come clean about who she was working with to exploit those kids, he didn’t like it, but he’d have to force it out of her.

They entered a large room with a metal table in the middle and four chairs around it.

“Have a seat.”

“Is this for real?”

“What do you mean?”

She walked over to the table, pulling out a chair dramatically, and then fell into it. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“Is Robby your real name?”

“It is.”

“Why not Rob or Robert?”

“I like Robby.”

“All right.” She folded her hands on the table. “Tell me what you want to know.”

“I want to know everything.”

“Okay. I like cucumbers but not carrots. I barely watch TV, but when I do, I binge. I go to bed too late and wake up too early.” She tapped a finger on her lip. “Let me see…what else?”

“Tell me more about Burma.”

“What about it?”

“Who are you working with?”

“I told you, I don’t have anything to do with that directly.”

“You have nothing to do with Burma? Nothing at all?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“Now we’re getting somewhere. Tell me about your connection.”

“I work for a company that imports rubber from plantations over there.”

“What about your other connection?”

“You mean how my family lived there when I was a little girl?”

“That’s a good place to start.”

“Did you already know about that?”

“I’ll ask the questions if you don’t mind. Tell me about your family.”

“Why? Both my parents are dead, and I have no siblings.”