LITMIR.BIZ

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every step of the way. She felt his gaze on her back, hips and legs. Every time she moved she remembered what it was like to have his lips all over her. She shrugged off her shoulder bag and entered a small conference room that resembled a comfortable living room.

      “Rob, at the Young Entrepreneurs meeting you gave a lot of tips for working your business. I took a lot of your suggestions to heart, and my business tripled. That could be why I’m having the trouble I am today.”

      “Not to worry. Hood Investigations doesn’t have a near-perfect record for nothing. Some refreshments,” Rob suggested.

      Zoe helped herself to water. “Near perfect?” she queried, sitting down, crossing her legs. “That’s impressive. One got away?” She looked between the two men and a sliver of darkness passed between them that was at once hot and cold and deadly.

      “There’s always one that we’d like to have done better. But that’s it. One,” Rob said. Danger and safety commingled then retreated to their respective corners.

      “What’s going on, Zoe?” Ben asked. “I read the report and wondered why the last three break-ins hadn’t been reported to the police.”

      She put her water on the coaster and pulled out her computer. “I’m planning an expansion worth millions. I’ve been warned by the mall owner that if my loss numbers, which are theft or shrinkage numbers, don’t decrease, I’ll lose all the money I’ve invested. The owner of the mall has stated that his insurance rates increase the more incident reports the police respond to. He will not bear a greater liability because I can’t control theft in my store. If I can’t resolve this theft issue, he’ll drop my bids for future business in his malls, and I’ll lose my investment.”

      “That hardly seems fair,” Rob said. “Who is this?”

      “Mitch Turner of MT Worldwide Development.”

      “I’ve heard of them. I thought they were a reputable outfit, but this sounds questionable. Let’s back up.” Ben said. “How much have you invested already?”

      “A million and a half dollars. That’s for two additional stores. I have two now. Zoe’s Diamonds on Peachtree, and Zoe’s Diamonds at the Galleria.”

      Ben nodded. “Do you have any idea who might be breaking into your stores?”

      “No.”

      “You’ve done background checks on everyone? Staff, workmen, and the like?”

      Zoe smoothed a wide curl behind her ear. “Staff only. If we’re remodeling, then it’s the company’s responsibility to do a background check on all their employees and provide the paperwork to me. For me to do it would be cost prohibitive.”

      “That could be how you’re getting robbed.”

      “Excuse me?” Zoe turned to Ben. “If they’re going to be there five days or more, I do a background check.”

      “That’s your criteria?” Ben drummed his fingers on the edge of the table.

      “I do a standard criminal background check. A more in-depth check is counterproductive for a retail outfit. At fifty dollars a pop, I can’t afford to do a more expensive check on someone who might quit after two days.”

      “Has that happened?”

      “It happens all the time.”

      Zoe realized he was asking typical questions and reined in her defensive responses. Ben was just doing his job.

      “What’s the average salary for sales associates?” Ben asked.

      “They start at ten an hour and the highest is fifteen plus commission.”

      The room was quiet for a while and her defenses slid up again. “These people make a decent hourly wage. With expansion plans, I can’t afford to pay more right now, but we’re competitive.”

      “Zoe, you don’t have to defend your salaries.”

      “Thank you, Rob. I want to add that the bad guys seem to be one step ahead of me. A few weeks ago I forgot my purse at work and since I was only twenty minutes away I turned around and went back. In that short amount of time they’d been in and out of the store.”

      “How’d they get in?”

      “I’m not sure, but the front gate was unlocked when I got there. I’m positive I locked it before I left. It’s the last thing I do.”

      “Who has keys?” Ben asked.

      “The three opening and closing managers. I do. My father. That’s a total of five people.”

      Ben’s look was skeptical. “Your father?”

      “That’s right. Captain Anthony McKnight of the Fulton County PD. As far as I’m concerned, his gun is as good as any to shoot a bad guy. But he’s currently on disability.”

      “Of course,” Rob said. “I know your father. When I was a detective, we worked on a joint task force for a case. I visited him when he was hit by the driver who didn’t stop on I285. Quite a heroic officer to put his life before his rookies. I hope he’s getting better.”

      Zoe smiled. “Wow, Rob. I had no idea. Dad has had so many visitors, it’s hard to keep up. He’s on the mend, thanks for asking. I’ve got my dad’s keys on me. I picked them up last week because I knew I was going to have an appointment with you and I thought you might ask for them.” Zoe kept her focus on Rob. “Can you help me?”

      “We can. I want to reassure you that you’re in the right place. Whoever is doing this is going to be sorry. Ben will be the lead investigator on your case. He’s good. In fact, my brother is the best.”

      “I see.” She slid the wild curl that refused to be tamed behind her ear and ignored it when it popped out again. “Is there anyone else?”

      Ben laughed and closed Zoe’s folder. “You heard the lady, Rob. Is there anyone better than me?”

      “That wasn’t her question.”

      “No, it wasn’t. This isn’t personal, Ben,” she told him, knowing she was lying.

      “Why would you want second best?” Ben’s demand was so gentle she nearly apologized for being foolish.

      The probing question was both personal and professional and she couldn’t deal with answering him now. Not in front of Rob who didn’t need to be dragged through the murk of her failed one-night stand.

      Eventually, the memories of their encounter would fade like all memories did.

      “I don’t want second best. But if we’re going to work together, I want a guarantee. Two weeks is what you have to get this mystery solved.”

      “That’s not how we work, Zoe. It’s unrealistic to put a time frame on something of this nature,” Rob told her in a kind but frank manner. “This has been going on for over four weeks. We may break this case in a week or a month, but we can’t work with that time frame until we can do an in-depth assessment.”

      “Deal.” Ben sounded both strong and confident. “But, if at any time your safety is endangered, or we find evidence of something big, we reserve the right to adjust the time frame.”

      “Ben,” his brother warned. “That might be a little unrealistic, but I’ll defer to your judgment.”

      “We’ll start with two weeks, and let Zoe decide if she wants to walk away at the end of that time.”

      Silence gripped the room.

      “That’s fair,” Rob agreed.

      “We’re talking petty crimes here,” Zoe objected. “Probably the work of the smash-and-grab ATM thieves who have graduated to jewelry. I don’t want this blown out of proportion, Ben.”

      “I wouldn’t count sixty-five thousand dollars

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