Page 61 of Shadow Operative

He strode toward the couch, Nia and Austin following.

“I’d offer you something to drink or eat,” Gage started. “But all I have is what’s here in the hotel room.”

“I already ordered a pizza.” Austin offered a goofy grin. “It should be here any minute. Splurged and got some soda and a cookie pizza to go with it too.”

The man was fit and muscular. But no one should ever stand in the way of Austin and food.

“Perfect.” Gage sat on the couch but didn’t relax.

His thoughts still raced too fast. He had too much on his mind. Too many questions about Rob. About what Nia had told him.

He glanced at Nia as she gingerly lowered herself onto the couch. Questions brewed in her gaze, and Gage knew she was uncomfortable with Austin’s presence here. He needed to set her at ease.

“Austin and I work together, and I asked him to check out a few things for us,” Gage explained.

“A few things like what?” She rubbed her arms as if chilled.

“I checked out Brittany and Cormac.” Austin sat in a seat adjacent to them.

“And?” Gage asked.

“Brittany was out with her friends partying, just like you said.”

Nia’s gaze swerved toward Gage. “How did you know she was out partying?”

He filled her in on the conversation with Brittany’s mom.

At that update, Nia let out a quick puff of air. “Why would Brittany say she and Rob were dating and act so upset that he’d been killed if they hadn’t even dated that long and weren’t even still together?”

“That’s what we need to figure out.”

“I looked into Cormac also,” Austin said. “He’s not at his house.”

“I heard he was on a trip,” Nia said.

“That’s where this gets a little weird.” Austin shifted. “A neighbor said that he saw Cormac yesterday. He was acting strange. Came out from his house with a bag, glancing around everywhere like he was looking for someone.”

“So the neighbor talked to him?” Gage asked.

“Yeah, he said something like, where’s the fire? Cormac tried to laugh it off. Said he was late for a meeting and that’s why he was in such a hurry. But if you ask me, it sounds suspicious.”

“Considering everything that has happened, it sounds suspicious to me also,” Gage said. “We need to figure out where he went because he might just have theanswers we need.”

The pizza came a moment later. Nia grabbed a piece as she shared what she’d learned.

She wasn’t hungry but nibbled on a piece of pepperoni then sipped on a bottle of water that cost almost as much as an entire meal.

Then she told Gage and Austin about how she’d used a program her company had to search Rob’s phone records. She shared the printouts with the unknown caller’s number. Pointed out Cormac’s number. Hector’s number. Gage’s number.

Nia couldn’t be sure, but she thought she saw a spark of admiration in Gage’s gaze. He hadn’t expected her to take such a risk, had he?

She’d always liked surprising people.

Kind of like when she’d started her business in a male-dominated tech world. She’d gotten lots of skeptical looks. So many people had doubted her.

But she’d been determined to succeed anyway.

Now those very same people came to her asking for advice. One had even asked for a job.

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