Page 74 (1/2)

“Hey, RJ,” she tossed the absent greeting over her shoulder Doris was about the only one who called him RJ; to everyone else he was just Bannon Doris put a document from the pile beside her into a scanner and closed the lid A thin bar of light moved from one end of the machine to another as the scanner emitted a faint hum She looked into her e fit a for, she flashed hiy nose “It’s been a while How are you?”

Bannon shot a glance around the area “Fine Are you alone?” he asked

Eyes dancing, she peered at hilasses “What the hell do you have in mind, kid?”

He winked at her “Just wanted to know Who’s handling evidence now?”

“Hoebel’s son-in-law Petey leaves early”

Bannon nodded, then waved a hand at the tall stacks of file folders “So what’s all this?”

“We’re going paperless I’ave me a month I’ll never finish in time”

RJ looked over his shoulder, then turned back to her “I was supposed to ainst the rules?”

“Sure He doesn’t have to know” One shoulder lifted in an uncaring shrug “Hardly anyone coeon”

“Good Hey, I forgot to say congratulations on your proesture and caught her faint smile of pride

“I guess it’s worth the extra work” She pushed aside the pepper-and-salt bangs that fell into her eyes when she leaned forward to peer closely at the docu to be shared with the new national databanks”

“State and federal, right?” He crumpled up his takeout coffee cup and tossed it in the nearest wastebasket, then looked over the files spread out in irregular rows

“That’s the idea Connect the dots, catch the criminals”

“About tied or cleared”

“The chief thought so For once I agreed with hi to swivel her chair and actually look at hiet around all the way Doris was slis you here?” she asked