were brown and her skin tanned (the result of either genetics or a serious tanning bed, given that we live in Seattle). She was an inch or so shorter than Toni and equally shapely , which is saying something. She wore a black knit dress and black tights. She slid her phone back into her purse.
As Nicki reached to shake my hand, Cecilia said , “Nicki, Mr. Logan and his partner, Ms. Blair, are the private investigators I told you we’d engaged on behalf of the family.”
I smiled at her. “Hi, Nicki. I ’m glad to meet you. I wish it were for a different occasion.”
She quickly looked me over, still holding my hand, and then gave me a coy little flirty smile as she looked straight into my eyes. “Thanks.” She paused, then added, “Me too.” She held my hand just a moment too long, letting go just as I was starting to feel uncomfortable.
Good thing too. I wasn’t certain how Toni would react to Nicki giving me goo -goo eyes so blatantly, and I had no wish to find out, either. If we were going to take this case, I didn’t want to start out on the wrong foot. I turned and looked at Toni and immediately knew that I needn’t have been concerned. Toni smiled at Nicki—a smile that anyone else might interpret as friendly but that I recognized had strong undertones of amused in it as well.
She stepped up to Nicki and offered her hand. “Hi. I’m Toni.” She nodded toward me. “I’m his partner.” Nicki measured Toni up quickly , the shape of her eyes and mouth changing ever so slightly to a little amused look of her own. The two strikingly beautiful women shook hands politely. Nicki took a breath and was about to speak when Toni abruptly ended the confrontation by releasing her hand and turning to face Cecilia. “Well, Cecilia,” she said, “it looks like Sophie’s memorial fund is off to a rousing start.” I don ’t know if Toni’d cut Nicki off like that on purpose, or if she just hadn’t noticed Nicki about to say something. I have my suspicions. Either way , Nicki was left with a word frozen on the tip of her tongue and a slightly embarrassed look on her face—from which she quickly recovered.
Cecilia smiled, either unaware of the low-intensity sparks flying beside her or maybe just choosing to ignore them. “Let’s hope that’s the case.” She looked over the room. “Judging from the reception, though, I believe Sophie would be pleased.” She turned to me, staring at me hard for a moment. “Mr . Logan, you promised me an answer this morning. So what ’s it to be? Are you prepared to accept our case?”
“Fact is,” I said, “we were just about to go have a little conference with Lieutenant Bergstrom and Detective Hinari here. I’ll be able to give you an answer right after we’re done.”
Cecilia looked at Ron , then back at me. She looked a little miffed about being put off, but in the end, I guess she sensed there wasn’t anything she could do about it . She nodded. “Fine, then. I’ll expect your call later this afternoon. Let’s say, by three o’clock?”
I nodded. “That’ll work. If not sooner.”
“Splendid.” She broke into a smile, business apparently over. “That being the case , I know you’re busy—I don’t mean to take up too much of your time. But while you both are still here, I wanted to take the opportunity to formally introduce you to Nicki and Eric. I imagine you’ll want to speak to both of them as part of your investigation.”
I smiled. “We’d hoped to , assuming, of course, that all goes well with our conversation with Detectives Bergstrom and Hinari.” I turned to Gaston. “Mr . Gaston, if that turns out to be the case and we end up on the job, I’d like to give you a call in the next few days so that we can set up some time to chat. It ’s actually going to be important for us to schedule time with you and probably with the other employees at the Foundation. Will that work for you?”
“Call me Eric ,” he said, nodding.
As Nicki reached to shake my hand, Cecilia said , “Nicki, Mr. Logan and his partner, Ms. Blair, are the private investigators I told you we’d engaged on behalf of the family.”
I smiled at her. “Hi, Nicki. I ’m glad to meet you. I wish it were for a different occasion.”
She quickly looked me over, still holding my hand, and then gave me a coy little flirty smile as she looked straight into my eyes. “Thanks.” She paused, then added, “Me too.” She held my hand just a moment too long, letting go just as I was starting to feel uncomfortable.
Good thing too. I wasn’t certain how Toni would react to Nicki giving me goo -goo eyes so blatantly, and I had no wish to find out, either. If we were going to take this case, I didn’t want to start out on the wrong foot. I turned and looked at Toni and immediately knew that I needn’t have been concerned. Toni smiled at Nicki—a smile that anyone else might interpret as friendly but that I recognized had strong undertones of amused in it as well.
She stepped up to Nicki and offered her hand. “Hi. I’m Toni.” She nodded toward me. “I’m his partner.” Nicki measured Toni up quickly , the shape of her eyes and mouth changing ever so slightly to a little amused look of her own. The two strikingly beautiful women shook hands politely. Nicki took a breath and was about to speak when Toni abruptly ended the confrontation by releasing her hand and turning to face Cecilia. “Well, Cecilia,” she said, “it looks like Sophie’s memorial fund is off to a rousing start.” I don ’t know if Toni’d cut Nicki off like that on purpose, or if she just hadn’t noticed Nicki about to say something. I have my suspicions. Either way , Nicki was left with a word frozen on the tip of her tongue and a slightly embarrassed look on her face—from which she quickly recovered.
Cecilia smiled, either unaware of the low-intensity sparks flying beside her or maybe just choosing to ignore them. “Let’s hope that’s the case.” She looked over the room. “Judging from the reception, though, I believe Sophie would be pleased.” She turned to me, staring at me hard for a moment. “Mr . Logan, you promised me an answer this morning. So what ’s it to be? Are you prepared to accept our case?”
“Fact is,” I said, “we were just about to go have a little conference with Lieutenant Bergstrom and Detective Hinari here. I’ll be able to give you an answer right after we’re done.”
Cecilia looked at Ron , then back at me. She looked a little miffed about being put off, but in the end, I guess she sensed there wasn’t anything she could do about it . She nodded. “Fine, then. I’ll expect your call later this afternoon. Let’s say, by three o’clock?”
I nodded. “That’ll work. If not sooner.”
“Splendid.” She broke into a smile, business apparently over. “That being the case , I know you’re busy—I don’t mean to take up too much of your time. But while you both are still here, I wanted to take the opportunity to formally introduce you to Nicki and Eric. I imagine you’ll want to speak to both of them as part of your investigation.”
I smiled. “We’d hoped to , assuming, of course, that all goes well with our conversation with Detectives Bergstrom and Hinari.” I turned to Gaston. “Mr . Gaston, if that turns out to be the case and we end up on the job, I’d like to give you a call in the next few days so that we can set up some time to chat. It ’s actually going to be important for us to schedule time with you and probably with the other employees at the Foundation. Will that work for you?”
“Call me Eric ,” he said, nodding.
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