Chapter Text
Robin arrived in the office to find Strike standing making his tea. "Tea?" he enquired looking round.
"Morning, yeah - that'd be great". Robin hung her coat up and slung her bag below the desk. She took the mug with a smile and thanks.
"I'll just be in here …" said Strike indicating to his office.
"Oh - yeah - just before you go, I chased some of those outstanding invoices yesterday" said Robin brightly, switching on the computer.
"What? What invoices?"
"You have people who owe you money?" reminded Robin wondering if she had misunderstood.
"Oh, those - yeah they won't pay and I can't afford to chase them legally. We got a job now though so should keep me from destitution!" Strike gave Robin a feeble smile. Lame attempt at a joke, he thought.
"Hmmm - well, people should pay what they owe" commented Robin, unable to ignore her innate value of fairness. "Two will have the money in the bank by the end of the week" she shouted to Strike's retreating back as he closed his office door. She rolled her eyes at her computer.
A moment later Strike reappeared, "what? How."
"I phoned them yesterday, told them our legal team were planning to sell their debt to a debt collecting agency which would affect their credit ratings, unless they paid up."
"You what?" answered Strike incredulously "what … debt collecting … what legal team?" He sat down heavily on the sofa which duly farted.
Robin observed Strike. She thought he was an intelligent man, but … She spoke slowly. "I phoned your debtors. I told them if they didn't pay up then we would ….."
"Yeah yeah - I got that. And it worked?"
Robin typed in her password then looked back up. "Seemed to. Just for good measure I typed up formal letters for your signature. They're on your desk."
"... and the credit rating?"
"Oh, I just made that bit up. Seemed to work though." She smiled encouraging at Strike hoping that he had cottoned-on.
Strike gazed at the Temporary Solutions temp wondering if it was they that had sent him Robin or the angels.
"Robin - thank you - that's very impressive. Remind me why you are a temp?" Strike heaved himself out of the sofa adding "I'm going to get you your lunch today Robin. I'll get us a takeaway later."
"No - no, it's a miso soup day today, but thanks. I actually have interviews in a week or two's time for permanent posts, so hopefully won't be a temp too much longer."
Strike retreated back to his office and shut the door quietly. He signed the letters, sighed and sat back in his chair pondering.