Read Online Hot Stuff by Don Bruns - Free Book Online

working homicide, and I’m the lead on the Amanda Wright murder. And you’re supposedly still a good friend of hers. Or you were.”
    Conway took his hand off the Jaguar and stood up straight. A good sign for him, and good sign for us.
    â€œI’m looking you up because I’ve dealt with the two of you before and because Amanda’s mother told me that you referred a private investigation agency to the restaurant. Lessor and Moore?”
    I glanced at James who was shaking his head. The cover was blown in less than twenty-four hours.
    â€œIs that against the law?”
    â€œNo. By law they can solve this damned case if they want to, but if they get in my way, if they interfere in any way with the investigation, it
will
be against the law, and I’ll come down on them like a ton of bricks.” His voice had an edge. “Do you understand?” Tough guy attitude.
    â€œAnd you’re telling me this because?”
    â€œBecause I can’t find this agency in the phone book, online or—”
    â€œThey’re licensed with the state,” Em said. “How hard can it be? Is this another case you can’t solve?” My girlfriend, sticking up for us. She sounded very frustrated.
    We were licensed. With the Florida Department of Agriculture. Yeah, I know, what is FDOA doing licensing private detectives? I have no idea. This is Florida and Florida does some strange things. However, when they licensed us they misspelled James’s name and we never bothered to correct it. Their letter said that “Moore or Less Investigations” had been approved as a private investigation firm, but James’s name was spelled
Leser
on the official form. Not even close to the real spelling.
    â€œCouldn’t find them. This Lessor and Moore.” He rubbed his head again. “I came to the restaurant to talk to the owner, and as luck would have it, they’re closed. It was a long shot that you would be here, but since you recommended these guys I thought maybe you were involved.”
    Em said nothing.
    â€œAnyway, I’m asking you to tell them for me—don’t interfere. We’ll find whoever did this and we don’t need a couple of amateurs getting in the way. It usually makes things a lot harder. Okay.”
    He moved from the Jag, walked over to me a little wobbly on his feet, and grabbed the flashlight from my hand. Heading away from us, he looked back over his shoulder.
    â€œI mean it. Those guys get in my way, I’ll put them away.”
    â€œDetective, what if they could put someone in the kitchen? Someone who was a cook. Undercover?”
    I was stunned.
    He stopped and turned, the beam hitting James square in the face. The prominent frown on his face told me my partner was not happy.
    â€œWho? This Lessor and Moore?”
    â€œIf they had someone who worked the kitchen, they could talk to the employees, get a feel for the inside of the operation. Would that help the investigation?”
    The light was off James, but I knew he was pissed. There was no way he wanted to work with cops.
    â€œThey could do this?”
    â€œMaybe.” She was being coy, a little hesitant after his threat to shut us down. “This would be someone who has a culinary degree. Someone who knows his way around a kitchen.”
    â€œIt’s not something that we normally do. Asking someone who isn’t in law enforcement to go undercover. I may have a hard time getting this approved.”
    â€œDetective,” she said, using her most persuasive voice, “the one undercover has a culinary arts major. He’s made a living working in restaurants, and he’s a very good cook.”
    Conway seemed to weigh it for a moment.
    â€œYou think they could go under and make it believable?”
    â€œI do.”
    â€œIf they go under, they go under my supervision.”
    â€œI don’t think it would work like that. A team effort maybe. These guys