Free Little Girl Gone by Brett Battles Page A

father’s lawyer.
    “We’re not calling anyone. Now come on.”
     

 
     
    13
     
    After retrieving the El Camino, Logan, the members of WAMO, and their auxiliary Marine arm drove over to a café on Main Street in Santa Monica, and found a couple of tables in the back, away from the other guests.
    The moment the waitress had taken their orders—coffees all around and fries for Jerry—Logan looked at Tooney, and said, “If you really want me to help, you need to tell me everything. I’ve just lied to the police for you, and nearly went to jail. That man I was running after? We both know who he was. So don’t tell me what happened yesterday’s got nothing to do with your granddaughter.”
    Tooney stared at the table, his head bowed. “I am sorry, Logan. I should have never let your father talk me into involving you. It was a mistake. It’s better to just leave things alone.”
    “Are you serious? Someone tried to kill you yesterday. And it’s pretty clear you were right about Elyse being missing, too. Those aren’t the kind of things that just go away if you ignore them.”
    “You misunderstand me,” he said. “It’s not that I don’t want to do something. I think it may be too late.”
     “You think she might already be dead?” Logan asked, not quite sure what Tooney meant.
    “No,” Tooney said quickly, shaking his head. “She is not dead. She would be no use to them dead.”
    Logan leaned across the table, and asked in a very low, steady voice, “Do you know who has her?”
    Tooney pressed his lips together and looked away.
    Harp touched his son’s arm. “Can we…?” He nodded sideways toward the front door.
    Logan glared at him, not moving.
    “Please,” his father said.
    Logan remained motionless for a few more seconds, then pushed himself up, and walked outside.
    There was a little patio area in front for customers who wanted to eat al fresco. Currently it was empty, so Logan took a seat at the table farthest from the door. His father exited a moment later, and joined him.
    Before Harp could open his mouth, Logan said, “I don’t know what the hell is going on, but I do know that Toony’s making a huge mistake. For God’s sake, his granddaughter is missing! If it was your grandchild, you’d do anything you could to find her.” He paused. “We both know how I feel about the FBI, but Tooney needs to call them now . You need to convince him of that.”
    His dad looked resigned as he shook his head. “He’ll never call them.”
    “Then you need to do it.”
    “I can’t.”
    “Why not?”
    “I…I promised him.”
    “So the hell what? This is a girl’s life we’re talking about.” Logan leaned back. “Dammit, I’ll call them myself, then.”
    “You can’t, either.”
    “Sure I can.”
    “No. I also promised him you wouldn’t.”
    “I don’t care. I didn’t promise.” Logan pushed up from his chair.
    “Logan, sit back down.”
    Logan looked at his father, but remained standing.
    Harp sighed. “If the people who have her get even a hint that the FBI, or the police, or any other organization for that matter is looking for them, they will kill her for sure.”
    “Do you know what’s going on, Dad? Did he tell you?”
    “Most of it.”
    “Then tell me.”
    “It’s not my place.”
    “Then I have no choice.”
    Logan pulled out his phone, and punched in the number for information. Once the connection was made, he hit the speaker button so his father could hear how serious he was. The first automated prompt asked him for the city. “Los Angeles.” Then the name. “Federal Bureau of Investigation.”
    Harp pleaded with his eyes for his son to hang up.
    The voice gave Logan the number, then asked if he’d like to be connected. “Yes.”
    Before the phone had even began to ring, his dad said, “Logan, please.”
    “Are you going to tell me?”
    It took two rings before his father finally nodded.
    “Federal Bureau of Investigation. How may I—”
    “I’m