Scottsdale Squeeze: a romantic light-hearted murder mystery (Laura Black Mysteries Book 2) Read Free Page B

missing persons.”
    Gina was Gina Rondinelli. She works as the firm’s senior investigator and has been my mentor since I started here. As an investigator, she’s a combination of Sherlock Holmes and Wonder Woman. Before working for Lenny, Gina worked with Reno as a detective for the Scottsdale police. One of Lenny’s former partners once implied he would make it worth her while if she would change her testimony in an embezzlement case. When she turned the bribe down and threatened to arrest the guy, Lenny was amazed. He’d never seen anyone so honest. After the case was over, he hired her for twice what she made with the department. Gina knows Lenny is slime, of course. But she says this way she still gets to be an investigator and she gets to keep a close eye on Lenny.
    “I don’t know,” Sophie said. “Lenny dropped the folder off and said to give it to you. You should ask him. Maybe he thinks you’re getting better at missing persons.”
    I looked over and saw the door to Lenny’s office was closed.
    “Client?” I asked.
    “He’s interviewing a candidate,” Sophie said.
    “A candidate for what? Is he trying to hire an intern again? The last one was a disaster.”
    “Nope. Lenny had me put an ad on the internet. He’s been getting resumes in for a week. He said with the workload, he‘d need me full-time on the paralegal side. He’s getting someone new in to handle the admin. He has this interview now and another one scheduled for this afternoon.”
    “Well, he’s right. You do need someone to help. Work’s been nuts lately. Does she seem nice?”
    “Didn’t get much of a chance to talk to her, she seems a bit timid. Dresses OK, but a little on the boney side. She’s also kind of pale for someone who lives in Arizona, if you ask me. But she does have a degree in criminal justice.”
    “A degree? Lenny wants a degree for an admin?” I asked. “You do that part in your sleep.”
    “Lenny had me put in a bunch of qualifications. I think it’s just his way of getting somebody good on the cheap.”
    “How long’s she been in there?”
    Sophie looked at her watch.
    “About twenty minutes. She must be made of some pretty strong stuff. Lenny always has a way of showing his worst side when he’s interviewing.”
    “You mean the Simon Cowell crossed with Lord Voldemort side?”
    “That’s the one.”
    The door to Lenny’s office was flung open and a nicely dressed woman in her mid-twenties stepped out. She had on a red pants suit, a cream blouse, and matching red flats. Unfortunately, her face was also red and she didn’t look happy. She marched to the door to the street, wrenched the door open, and stomped out into the street.
    “Huh, guess I was wrong,” Sophie said.
    I walked into Lenny’s office. He was sitting behind his desk, writing on a yellow legal pad. He looked up as I came in.
    Physically, Lenny is short and looks sort of like the actor Danny DeVito back when he played the Penguin in Batman Returns . His hairline has started to recede and he’s starting to get a little pudgy. He has poor interpersonal skills and he’s usually in a bad mood. The only time I’ve seen him smile is when he gets a wealthy new client or when he’s gets a big settlement check.
    He was married once but the divorce was several years ago. Lenny doesn’t seem to have much of an outward interest in women. He doesn’t date and, with the exception of always trying to look down Sophie’s top, he’s never shown the slightest interest in any of us. Gina says unless it’s in a strictly business setting, Lenny is painfully shy around women.
    “Interviewing for a new admin?” I asked.
    “Yeah, but she wasn’t qualified.”
    “Don’t you think you’ll get in trouble upsetting people like that?”
    “Hey, I know employment law. I never ask anything out of bounds. If they infer something, that’s not my problem. I want someone good who won’t get pissed-off every time I try to talk with them. I’ve