Mona Lisa Eyes (Danny Logan Mystery #4) Read Online Free PDF Page A

was—the Toni Blair direct, in-your-face approach. No problem. I knew this approach too. I could deal with this.
    I leaned across the desk until my face was inches from hers. “You’re sure about that, are you?”
    She nodded. “Yes, I am. It’ d be good for our rep.” She glanced at my computer screen and played her trump card. “And besides, think of the business. We sure could use the money.”
    Ouch— not fair. Toni knew my soft spot and she went right for it. We hadn’t had a decent paying job in over a month and, if we didn’t get one soon, I’d be forced to dip into my “rainy day” fund—something I loathe doing. I equate it to going backward, and I’m a “going forward” kind of guy. Besides, I’d already had to tap the rainy day fund twice this year and it wasn’ t all that healthy to begin with. This case could certainly be helpful, money-wise.
    “And even aside from the money? Here’s something else,” she said.
    “There’s more?”
    “ Yeah. There’s more.” She paused. “I like them.”
    “You—” I started to say before she cut me off.
    “I like them.” She enunciated each word slowly and distinctly. “I like the Wards. I know—Cecilia’s a little pushy, but that’s just who she is. Underneath all that, they seem like honest, sincere people.” She stood up. “Their niece has been murdered, and they need our help. The police seem to be stuck in the mud. Maybe we can make a difference.”
    I shook my head. “Geez, Toni,” I said, speaking sincerely now. “It’s been three months. You really think we’re going to be able to do anything?”
    She shrugged. “I don’t know. But we’ ll never know until we give it a try, right? That’s all they’re asking.”
    I nodded, but I was skeptical.
    She looked at me and gave me a smile. “Besides, you know us. We can usually stir things up if we try. Bull in a china shop, right?”
    I thought about this for a few seconds, and then I shook my head. “Alright. Let’s bring it to the group.”
     

     
    The rest of the Logan PI crew was already in the office, so after Cecilia and Oliver left, I’d called a quick huddle-up in the conference room for an hour later at 11:00 a.m. When I walked in a couple minutes early, Toni was already there, talking to Richard Taylor. Richard’s a tall, white— haired seventy-something-year-old with bright blue eyes and a quick smile. After serving twenty-eight years on the Seattle PD and rising to the rank of lieutenant, he retired in 1988 and started Taylor Investigations. Twenty years later, he was slowing down a little, having fun doing guest lectures at the University of Washington where, in the fall of 2007, he’d met a couple of enthusiastic criminal justice students—Toni and me. A few months later, Richard and I made a deal, and he sold me his company. A couple months after that, we changed the name to Logan Private Investigations. Although he’s not technically an employee (he works his own hours now and receives no salary), Richard still loves the detective business. He’s been involved in nearly every major case we’ve worked. If he’s in town, he shows up nearly every day, and he rarely fails to make a meeting. We get the benefit of his nearly fifty years of law enforcement wisdom in exchange for simply providing him an office and a desk. He’s happy; we’re happy.
    I walked over to my chair at the head of the conference table. “Morning, guys.”
    “Good morning,” Richard said. “I understand you’ ve got us a new case.”
    I smiled and glanced at Toni. “I see that someone’s already filled you in.” Toni stuck her tongue out at me.
    “No, no,” Richard said, sensitive to the game of office politics. “She just gave me a quick summary.”
    “I’ll bet she did.” I sat down and leaned back in the big leather chair.
    Richard continued. “But I have to say, from what I’ve heard, the case sounds excellent, Danny—a real high-profile job. Just what the