Page 39 of Hidden Chance

He’d wanted to save it for later, but he was getting nowhere. Usually when he turned people in circles like he had been doing, the suspects couldn’t keep their facts straight, and something would slip out, but not with Hannah. “Tell me about the gentleman you invited in the backdoor of TreadCraft a couple weeks ago.”

She paled.

There we go. Finally, he’d hit on something.

“How do you know about that?”

He’d expected her to deny it. If he’d known it would move things along, he would have mentioned it at the beginning. “I watched you let him in.”

“What? Where? What?”

“I was watching from a nearby building.”

“You were watching me?” Her voice had lost volume.

“I was watching the building. I saw you let that guy in the back. Who is he?”

She closed her eyes, and her head sagged. “I was so worried about someone finding out. But after getting away with it for two weeks…” She shook it off and looked at him. “Of all the people, you’re the one who saw? Just my luck. Have you told anyone?”

He was surprised by how genuinely concerned she looked. The man must mean something to her if she tried so hard to protect him. Robby could use that to get her on his side. “Not yet. And I might not need to if you tell me who he is and how he’s connected.”

“You have to swear to me that you won’t hurt him.”

“I can’t make a promise like that.”

“He hasn’t done anything wrong. I’m the one at fault. I was the one who initiated it.”

“Okay.” He’d finally found the key he needed. Now she’d tell him everything he needed to know. “What’s his connection to you and Burma?”

She frowned. “Uh, he’s helped me in the past. But I don’t see what difference that makes.”

“This isn’t the first time you two have worked together?”

“I wouldn’t call it working together.”

“Call it whatever you want.”

“I’m helping him.”

It sounded like this guy had her wrapped around his finger. Either that or she was an evil mastermind who knew exactly what to say.

“Right,” Robby said, playing along just in case. “Great. All you have to do is tell me everything, and I’ll make sure he doesn’t carry the brunt of the fallout.”

“It’s not his fault. Please.”

“I told you, I’ll do what I can to protect him. Now, tell me everything.”

She let out a slow unsteady breath, then said, “His name’s Sal Abernathy. He’s an old friend of the family who’s down on his luck and needed some help.”

Chapter 11

“That’s a good start,”Robby said as he sat across from Hannah. He was still undecided if she was the one being played by this Sal Abernathy or if she was attempting to play him. He pulled out his phone and sent the name off to Green to look it up.

“What are you doing?” Hannah said.

“Nothing.”

“You typed something into your phone.”

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