Page 35 of The Burnt
“Understood,” she said. “Charlie, do you have a photo of him you can pass on to me?”
“You bet.”
“Good,” she replied.
Declan sat for a moment looking at the two of them before Mrs B broke the silence.
“Aren’t you going to say ‘Dismissed’?”
“Why? You already did,” Declan said.
Mrs B walked out of the room, but Charlie lingered. “Will you have time to call Simon this morning?”
“I promise,” Declan said, raising three fingers in a Boy Scout salute. “I’ll do it right now.”
“Great.”
Charlie left the office, closing the door behind him.
Declan dialled Simon’s number. After a few rings it was answered. “Griffin residence. How may I help you?”
“May I speak to Simon Griffin, please? My name is Declan Hunt and Mr Griffin is expecting my call.”
“One moment, please.”
“Mr Hunt,” a voice said over the phone. “Simon Griffin here. Thank you for getting back to me.”
“I’m sorry it took a few days,” Declan replied. “I’ve been a bit tied up.”
“A man in demand is exactly who I’m looking for. It confirms your reputation as someone who knows what he’s doing.”
“Thank you,” Declan said. “Now, I’ve looked over the file and Declan Hunt Investigations is interested in working with you to find your missing son. I’ve assigned the case to Charlie Watts. He handled your intake interview.”
“He’s quite young, isn’t he?”
“Exactly, and that’s the kind of person you need. Mr Watts can track people through even the faintest presence on the internet. He can also access police records in ways that most people cannot and he’s not afraid to get his hands dirty. In short, Charlie is a tech and research genius and those are the types of skills you’re going to need to find Milo. How do you feel about that?”
After a brief pause, Simon responded, “Yes. I quite liked Mr Watts. A bright young fellow. I think you’re right. That’s the best kind of man to go with in this digital age. So, what’s the next step?”
“My secretary will email you a digital contract to sign. Once that’s done, Charlie will be in touch.”
“Excellent. I look forward to his call.”
Declan disconnected and headed out to Charlie’s desk. “It’s all set.”
“Great,” Charlie said as his cell phone started to ring. “Mrs B, I’ll give you Simon Griffin’s contact information. Would you please prepare a contract and send it to him as soon as you can?”
She nodded.
Charlie looked at his phone’s caller ID, smiled, and answered, “Declan Hunt Investigations. Charlie Watts speaking.”
The person on the other end of the line spoke at length and Charlie’s hands began to shake.
“Okay… Can I call you back?” Charlie clumsily disconnected from the call. The colour had drained from his face.
“What’s wrong?” Declan asked.
“That was Carrie. Gran’s in the hospital. She fell. She’s…unconscious.”
