Read Online Family Business by Michael Z. Lewin - Free Book Online

she arrived in the office on Thursday morning, the first thing Gina did was check her tray. In it she found Angelo’s note about Charlie’s phone-call saying that the police had no information about either Jack Shayler or the firm of accountants, Whitfield, Hare and O’Shea.
    Once she read the note Gina did not file it. This was because in one of the many empty moments at the Crown Court the previous day she had asked the solicitors she was appearing for if they knew anything about Shayler or his employers. The response from the solicitors, too, was negative but Gina added this information to the original note and dropped it in Angelo’s tray. You could never tell what detail might be important later so it was the Lunghis’ policy to err on the side of thoroughness.
    However, Gina mused, once the new computers were installed these memos would—or at least could—be contained inside electronic ‘mail boxes’. She didn’t quite know what she felt about the prospect. Might be fun, might be a nuisance. Might be both.
    In her own tray Gina also found the material Adrian Boiling had left with Angelo. Gina thumbed the catalogue and leaflets. The array of gadgets was awesome, all ostensibly designed to assist surveillance work. The fun and nuisance that these implied were dark.
    With the catalogue Gina found a sheet of calculations headed, ‘I’ll pay for myself in no time!’ There was also a sheet headed, ‘Have a seven-day trial, on me!’
    What, indeed, had Rosetta got them into?
    A few minutes past ten Salvatore arrived. ‘Hello, gorgeous,’ he said. ‘Show us yer tits.’
    Gina made tea for herself and coffee for Salvatore as he reported on his search for the slimy detective. ‘There’s a lot about this guy that seems odd. He’s got copies of the woman’s photograph, but he doesn’t distribute them. And he seems to think he only needs to show her picture to other women.’
    â€˜She is a model,’ Gina said. ‘Models spend time with other women.’
    â€˜But why go to pubs? Why not model agencies?’
    â€˜We didn’t ask this Kit Bridges if she has an agency,’ Gina said. ‘We spent most of the time calming her down. But maybe he doesn’t know she’s a model.’
    â€˜He’s showing a fashion picture,’ Salvatore said.
    Gina wrinkled her face. ‘Something’s wrong about this. Something’s wrong. We’re missing something.’
    â€˜You want me to go and see this model?’ Salvatore said. ‘I could force myself.’
    â€˜Angelo’s out already and he’ll probably go.’
    â€˜What’s he on?’
    â€˜You remember the washing-up liquid?’
    â€˜The case of the century? Of course,’ Salvatore said.
    â€˜He’s following the husband to work. Then he’s got a bank stop but assuming the washing-up doesn’t throw anything up he’ll have plenty of time to see the model,’ Gina said. ‘Unless you want to see her.’
    â€˜Just trying to help,’ Salvatore said easily.
    â€˜So what’s with Muffin?’ Gina asked.
    â€˜What about her?’
    â€˜We thought you might take her along last night. She seemed interested in the business.’
    â€˜She had something else to do.’
    â€˜What?’ Gina asked.
    â€˜What do you mean, “what?”,’ Salvatore said.
    â€˜I thought she was here on holiday.’
    â€˜So?’
    â€˜So what else could she have to do?’
    Not long after Salvatore left, the telephone rang. ‘Gina Lunghi.’
    â€˜Have those computers been delivered yet?’ Angelo said.
    â€˜By a sweet little old man,’ Gina said. ‘It only took him ten minutes to hook everything up and explain how it works. He’s only just left.’
    â€˜Wives shouldn’t tell lies to their husbands.’
    â€˜We’d starve if they