Page 37 of Cold Silence
“Not far.”
“I’ve heard there’s some great nightlife in this part of town,” Travis said, hoping to get Robb to divulge his whereabouts the night of the break-in.
“That there is. I can give you the names of the best clubs if you want.”
“Sounds like you go out a lot.”
“Not usually. My friends don’t like clubbing much. But I’ve been in a funk the last few weeks. Had to go out on my own to drown my sorrows. Been out every night lately.”
Which meant he might not have a concrete alibi unless a bartender or waitress could ID him. “Sounds like woman troubles.”
“Exactly, but I’m working on a plan to win her over.”
Plan? Like stealing her equipment and then pretending to be the hero who finds and returns it? But that wouldn’t explain the abduction attempt.
The desire for the answer almost made Travis rush ahead, but he counted a few beats until the urge passed. “I have a good ear if you want to talk about it.”
Robb glanced at his watch. “I’d take you up on it, but I have to get back to work.”
At the job you no longer have?
Robb pushed to his feet. Travis felt his opportunity slipping away, and yet he didn’t want to sound overeager and alert Robb to his real mission. “Maybe some other time then.”
Robb tilted his head, and Travis could almost see thoughts pinging through the guy’s brain. “I’m going bowling tonight with a couple of friends. If you don’t have plans you could stop by.”
Perfect.“I’m not sure I’ll be free,” Travis said, playing it cool. “But give me the details just in case.”
Robb rattled off the particulars for a nearby bowling alley as he tossed a meager tip onto the counter. “Maybe I’ll see you there.”
Robb departed, and Travis’s intuition screamed to follow the guy. First, Travis would pocket the plastic glass Robb used to send to Sierra to process the DNA. Travis slipped into the shirt-dampening humidity and waited until Robb climbed into a shiny red sedan before heading to his rental car. He eased into traffic and hung well back from Robb. Fortunately, the red car stuck out in the sea of white rentals populating the tourist capital of Florida, making it a breeze to follow.
Surprisingly, Robb took a direct route to the institute where he pulled to the curb well shy of the guard station. Travis stopped farther back and grabbed binoculars from his bag. He zoomed in on Robb, who’d perched a camera on his open window, aiming it at the institute.
Was he planning an attack here? Or maybe another theft?
Robb continued to snap photos. Time ticking slowly by. Tension mounting. Travis had the urge to march up to Robb and demand an explanation, but he employed the patience he’d learned on the job. That was, until Robb put his camera away. Then Travis gripped his weapon and sat at full alert.
Robb fired up his car and drove slowly past the building. At the corner, he whipped a U-turn and crept by in the other direction. After he cleared the building, and Travis knew Claire wasn’t in danger, he dropped down in his seat so Robb wouldn’t see him.
Despite the ongoing danger Robb posed to Claire, Travis smiled. Looked like Robb could indeed be their man and not Warren White. Now all Travis had to do was prove it. Starting with sending in the glass for DNA and then a clandestine search of Robb’s apartment while he was at the bowling alley.
“I’d hoped Nick’s report would tell us who stole the software.” Claire looked up from pouring over Nick’s report to Travis, where he sat across from her at her dining room table.
Travis leaned back in his chair. “And I’d hoped he could at least figure out who reactivated Robb’s credentials, but they covered their tracks. At least Nick confirmed the time of the hack and has the hacker’s IP address to track down.”
“Yeah,” Claire said, disappointment settling in. “But he said it was routed through so many different hubs, that he might not be able to get the actual location where the hack originated from.”
“Don’t give up hope, okay?” Travis smiled. “We know Nick has mad skills, and if it can be traced, he’s our guy to do it.”
“You’re right.” She lifted her shoulders. “While you were at lunch with him, I went to see Kent and Alan. I figured if I got a look at them, I might see if I bruised their faces.”
“And?”
She shook her head. “Kent was meeting with a supplier offsite, and Alan had no markings.”
“Neither did Robb. But that doesn’t mean anything. I’ve seen guys go through more than you put Robb through and come out without a mark.”
“So we keep them all as suspects. I hope your meeting with Mike might bring a lead.”
