Page 16 of Cold Silence
“Dinner?” he asked.
She nodded.
“I’ll get it.” He motioned for Claire to stay put and headed for the door.
When they were seated at the table, food in front of them, he bit into the sandwich of slow-roasted pork, ham, Swiss cheese, then pickles, pressed on a grill. He groaned at the tangy sauces.As he swallowed, he searched for a safe topic. “Did you have any luck discovering alibis while I was having fun with CATS?”
She set down her sandwich and wiped her mouth, taking her time as if she didn’t want to talk about the theft. “Not a lot. Since my attacker obviously wasn’t a woman, I started with the guys on the team.”
“You can’t rule the women out. They could’ve hired a guy or teamed up with someone they know.” He took a huge bite of his sandwich and savored the tangy flavor.
She frowned. “I hadn’t thought of that. I’ll review the list again tomorrow and talk to any women I come up with.”
“What did the guys tell you?”
“Not much.” She grabbed her drink but held it away from her mouth. “You, of all people, know how men can be about engaging in small talk.”
“What, me?” He jabbed his thumb into his chest. “I can be social.”
She rolled her eyes and took a long swig of her drink. “Only when forced.”
“Okay, granted, I’m not big on small talk, but I speak when it’s important.”
“That you do.” She stared over his shoulder, maybe lost in their past.
He knew better than to pursue that and quickly moved on. “So, no luck at all then?”
“I talked to three guys and ruled them all out.” She lifted her sandwich.
“And your team’s what…thirty people, give or take? It would take too long to talk to them all, so we should prioritize a list of people with motives. It’s most likely about money but could be about revenge too. Either revenge on you or the Army.”
“I figured the same thing and made a short list of guys to talk to first. I have six suspects. Only three were in the building today, and those are the guys I talked with.”
“Good. Then let’s expand your list to include any other motive you can think of. They would also need the ability to disable the security system and cameras, or alter the footage, and download the software.”
“Doug and Hector fit that criteria, but they gave me solid alibies. They’ll need to be checked out though. As will Paxton’s alibi, though he’s a graphic designer, and I don’t know if he could disable the security system.”
“Then they stay on the list until we confirm the alibies. Anyone else who you think has money issues that you didn’t talk to?”
She grabbed a pen and legal pad and started writing names and alibies. He finished off his sandwich in a large bite and waited for her to finish.
“I don’t like adding this next one.” Her hand hovered over the yellow pad as she fidgeted with the pen, twisting it in and out of slender fingers. “Alan Babbit. His wife is undergoing experimental cancer treatments not covered by insurance, which means he’s short on cash. He’s a civilian hire. Hardware specialist and department manager. He’d be able to modify security. Plus, he fits my attacker’s physical build, and he wasn’t in the office at the time of my attack.”
“Good.” Travis tapped the notepad. “Put him on the list.”
“I don’t like questioning a guy who’s going through so much, but I agree he has to be on the list.” She jotted his name down and clicked the pen several times before adding Kent Norton to the page. “Kent’s a lieutenant who was passed over for my job. He’s on the team, but he still complains about having a civilian in charge. He was also out of the office this afternoon, and he’s the right size.”
“So revenge might fit him. Does he have any money issues?”
She shrugged. “He came into an inheritance not long ago and used it to purchase a condo by Lake Eola.”
“Whoa. He must’ve gotten a huge chunk of money,” Travis said as he recalled the expensive historic housing near Orlando’s famous Lake Eola fountain. “We’ll stick with revenge, then. He might want to get back at you and the Army.”
“Maybe me, but I don’t know about the Army. He seems like he lives for his career, but you never know, right?”
“Right.” Travis slurped the last of his drink. “Anyone else come to mind?”
Claire lifted her face to the ceiling. He should look away, but he couldn’t take his eyes off the sleek lines of her throat. He knew firsthand how soft her skin felt. He shoved his hands into his pockets. He didn’t care if keeping his hands in his pockets violated the uniform policy. The rule was so ingrained that it felt wrong and the discomfort distracted him from Claire.
