Smith Investigation Series Box Set 1 Read Online Free Page B

gesture.
    If the rest of the team was like them, I knew I would have a hard time dealing with the intimacy.
    “Nice to meet you. Rob Walsh, consultant.”
    Smith patted my shoulder. “Let’s go into Operations,” he suggested.
    “Rob’s already in there. Well, I guess we'll call him by his Christian name from now on,” said Dylan.
    “Robert is our computer guy,” Smith explained. “He’s… He’s his own type, if you know what I mean.”
    I nodded and followed him next door.
    The room was larger than Smith’s office, and it had far less windows. On one side, there were three desks, all equipped with a Mac and all facing the center of the room. On the same wall with the door was another desk, larger and much more technologically endowed than the others.
    At this particular desk sat a young man, looking not much older than the teens I had seen fooling around on North Ave.
    He didn’t look up from his many screens as we walked in, and it required both Spike and Dylan to get his attention.
    “Yeah, hi. Sorry,” he mumbled, semi-distracted by whatever was happening on the monitors in front of him.
    “Rob. Robert!” Spike called him again. “Behave yourself and greet our consultant. Properly, ” she emphasized the last word.
    “What? Oh, yeah.”
    He stood, scratching his slender frame and approached me, looking like he already missed his computers.
    “Hi, my name is Robert White, but you can call me Rob. Nice to meet you.” He looked dead serious, not a trace of mockery in his voice, which told me he really listened to Spike.
    “Hi. Rob Walsh. Likewise.”
    He seemed oblivious to the fact that we shared the same nickname. I shook his hand, which was surprisingly strong, and he turned on his heels almost immediately. I saw the rest of the team shake their heads simultaneously, and it made me chuckle.
    “Well, that's it for now. DeMarco is on his way to the State Penitentiary to talk to Gold. You’ll meet him tonight.”
    “OK,” I replied, not sure whether to be excited or bummed that the greeting phase wasn’t over yet.
    “I got it!” Robert shouted and bumped a fist in the air. “I found Mrs. Gold.”
    “Good job, Rob. Robert,” Smith stuttered. “Then, let’s get to work, people!”
    We all gathered around him and waited for instructions.
    “Dylan, get the address from Robert and pay Mrs. Gold a visit. Rob, you’re in the field today. I’ve called Gold’s employees and told them you’re coming to talk to them. Take Spike with you. She’ll benefit from spending the day with her idol. Who knows, maybe she’ll even learn something.”
    “Yay!” Spike rejoiced, doing a little dance around us.
    “Robert, be a dear and send the employee list to their phones. Would you?”
    “Done, boss.”
    “OK, then. Let’s go,” I said, glancing uncomfortably at Spike, who looked much more excited than I would’ve liked her to be.
    Smith nodded and pulled his ringing phone out of his pocket. I turned for the door but remembered something.
    “Dylan?”
    “Yes, Ma’am?”
    “Ask about the gang Gold was in. If she knows about their business, if they ever killed people, you know. And call me Rob.”
    “Will do, Rob.”

Chapter 6
    I had spoken with three of Gold’s former employees and had one more left on the list. Spike had left to buy us some coffee. While I waited, I decided to look over my notes so far.
    All of the men seemed to say the same thing. They came into work in the morning, opened the shed door and discovered the body. From what I understood, they had gone in the shed all at once. Not all that believable, if you asked me. It sounded like they had discussed what to say beforehand.
    What surprised me more was their attitudes. The three men had been employed by Gold for close to a year, and yet they seemed very detached. I didn’t see any trace of loyalty in the way they had told their stories.
    I leaned back and rubbed my eyes. Just when I was about to stretch my tired bones, I heard