Free Veiled Threat by Alice Loweecey

I’ll be happy to go undercover at the resort.” I’ll put off buying that used Saturn for a couple of weeks, but that’s fine. Cars are replaceable. People aren’t.
    “Terrific,” Jimmy said. “The resort owner will send a courier over this afternoon—wait, what time is it? One forty already. Damn. Giulia, can you get there by three? I’ll call and have her cancel the courier. She was going to photocopy the relevant information and get you everything you need to know, but she can hand you the packet in person now. She’s mostly in our corner on this. I know you’ll win her over completely. Frank, I owe you one.” His phone rang again. “Dammit, I forgot to make up a name for you. Sorry. I’ll call you if there’s anything else. Thanks again.”
    Giulia jumped out of her chair and opened the door.
    “Sidney, could you do me a huge favor and call Rent-A-Wreck? I need something small. An Escort or a Cavalier, maybe, and I’ll need it through the end of the week.”
    “I’m on it.” Sidney was already typing into a search window.
    Giulia closed herself in with Frank again. They stared at each other across the desk.
    “What the hell, Giulia?”
    “I told you why I needed to help Laurel and Anya. Like I said to Captain Jimmy, I know you agreed to call him just so I’d stop bugging you.” She leaned back against the door, trying to look like she didn’t want to shake him. “I know Sidney’s kind of useless this week because of the wedding, but I also know that none of our current projects are rush jobs.”
    “That doesn’t give you the right to bail on me.” His voice was dead level.
    Giulia didn’t like that voice. “I am not bailing on you. What are you afraid of—that I’m going to choose to answer phones and paint my nails all day? Or go back to cleaning toilets for a living?” When the corner of his mouth twitched, she pressed her point. “Didn’t you wonder why I insisted we hire a cleaning service for the office? We have a toilet out there, you know.” She relaxed a fraction. “You agreed to help.”
    “I did not agree to split this company in half.”
    “You agreed to the possibility that Driscoll Investigations resources could be used to help find Katie. This is an assignment for Driscoll Investigations. In which I am your partner.” She kept her voice quiet, persuasive—a counterweight to Frank’s.
    He banged his fist against the desk, the staccato thumps falling dead on her ears. Don’t think of dead. Katie’s not dead. We are going to bring her back.
    Wait.
    She wrenched her attention away from her “rescue Katie” obsession and onto Frank’s body language.
    “Hey.” She pushed away from the door. “What’s really the problem?”
    His jaw clenched. She walked around the desk until she was staring down at the top of his head.
    “Look at me. Stop pretending you’re angry about me going undercover.” She covered his hand and the noise stopped. She waited.
    “You’ll laugh,” he said.
    “Excuse me?”
    He looked up at that. “You’re right. I’m talking to the born listener.” He nudged her hand off and planted his elbows on the desk, leaning his forehead on his hands. “I’m a victim of youngest-child syndrome.”
    Giulia blinked. “What?”
    “You’re the oldest. You wouldn’t understand, but I’ve got the sick feeling that I’m about to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.”
    She sat on the corner of the desk. “May I have that in words of one syllable, please?’
    He grimaced. “Fine. Here goes any kind of respect you’ve gained for me. Driscoll Investigations is finally legit. We’ve got almost too much work to handle. We’re gaining a positive reputation. Word of mouth is bringing in new clients.”
    Giulia tilted her head. “And?”
    “You’re leaving. Sidney’s leaving. I’m screwed. Who am I going to get on this kind of notice? I’ll have to back out of commissions and trash my company’s reputation with my own hands.”
    “But