by Diane Kelly
The government turned Gallery Nico over to a new artist’s co-op formed by Mallory Sisko and Emily Raggio. The place not only gave both emerging and established artists a venue to show off their work, but the gallery was making money hand over fist and generating a nice amount of tax revenue for Uncle Sam, the state of Texas, and the city of Dallas. It was a win-win-win-win-win.
All in all, it was a good resolution to a trying case. Team Operation Italian Takeout had a lot to be proud of. A lot to hope for, too. With any luck, nailing Tino and his goon squad would result in a nice raise come time for our performance reviews. And speaking of performance reviews, I’d earned Tori Holland an A+ on her Cost Accounting final and an A- in Global Marketing. Unfortunately, I’d left her with an F in Linguistics. A little embarrassing, that one. But that’s what happens when a student ditches the final exam for a road trip to an Oklahoma casino.
After all the hard work I’d put in, and all of the tips and extra income I’d earned working at Benedetta’s, I decided I’d earned those ridiculously expensive Sarah Jessica Parker slingbacks. I was sitting with my feet propped on my desk and placing an order online when Lu walked into my office, her arms loaded with a fresh stack of files. Sheesh. I’d just come up for air, both figuratively and literally. Couldn’t she let me slack off for a day or two?
But no.
Lu had high expectations of her agents.
She plunked the stack down on my desk.
“What’s in there?” I asked, after hitting the button to place my order for the shoes.
“Couple of catfishing cases, for starters.”
“Catfish?” I said. “That sounds more like something Nick would enjoy. He’s the one with the bass boat.”
Lu rolled her blue-lidded eyes. “It doesn’t involve actual fish. Catfishing is where an unscrupulous person hooks someone online and promises them love in return for money.”
I sat up and pulled the stack of files toward me. “I’ve heard of it. That’s a sorry thing to do. Preying on someone’s loneliness and gullibility.”
Lu plucked the top file off the stack and waved it at me. “This is a good one, too.”
I reached for the file and set it down on my desk. I opened the file to find a color picture cut from a newspaper. The woman depicted was fiftyish, with dark curly hair and a turned-up nose, on top of which rested stylish rectangular-framed glasses. She was wearing headphones and speaking into a microphone with the call letters KCSH. I was familiar with the local talk radio station, which was known as K-Cash to locals. The station was owned and operated by Florence “Flo” Cash, a media magnate who came from a long line of successful radio broadcasters and station owners.
KCSH’s most popular show was the Cash Flow Show, hosted by Flo Cash herself. Flo Cash was radio’s answer to Suze Orman. She doled out financial advice, recommended or advised against particular investments, and made predictions about the future of the economy. Viewers were invited to call in and she’d answer their financial questions on the air.
I held up the photograph. “Is this Flo Cash?”
Lu nodded. “Flo Cash might help people with their money problems, but she’s got a cash-flow problem of her own.”
“How’s that?”
“None of her cash has flowed to the U.S. Treasury.”
Now Flo Cash had another problem. And its name was Tara Holloway.
Don’t miss Diane Kelly’s K-9 mystery series
LAYING DOWN THE PAW
UPHOLDING THE PAW
(an e-original novella)
PAW ENFORCEMENT
PAW AND ORDER
From St. Martin’s Paperbacks
About the Author
DIANE KELLY is a former assistant state attorney general and tax advisor, who had many brushes with white-collar criminals during her career. When she realized her experiences made excellent fodder for novels, her fingers hit the keyboard and thus began her Special Agent Tara Holloway romantic mystery series. Diane is also a proud graduate of her hometown’s Citizen Police Academy. Diane lives in Nashville, Tennessee with her own romantic hero and a houseful of spoiled-rotten cats and dogs.
For more information, visit her Web site at www.dianekelly.com. You can also find her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/dianekellybooks, or follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/dianekellybooks. Or sign up for email updates here.
ST. MARTIN’S PAPERBACKS TITLES
BY DIANE KELLY
Death, Taxes, and a French Manicure
Death, Taxes, and a Skinny No-Whip Latte
Death, Taxes, and Extra-Hold Hairspray
Death, Taxes, and a Sequined Clutch (an e-original novella)
Death, Taxes, and Peach Sangria
Death, Taxes, and Hot Pink Leg Warmers
Death, Taxes, and Green Tea Ice Cream
Death, Taxes, and Mistletoe Mayhem (an e-original novella)
Death, Taxes, and Silver Spurs
Death, Taxes, and Cheap Sunglasses
Death, Taxes, and a Chocolate Cannoli
Paw Enforcement
Paw and Order
Upholding the Paw (an e-original novella)
Laying Down the Paw
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Contents
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
About the Author
Also by Diane Kelly
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
DEATH, TAXES, AND A CHOCOLATE CANNOLI
Copyright © 2015 by Diane Kelly.
All rights reserved.
For information address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.
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eISBN: 9781466849143
St. Martin’s Paperbacks edition / October 2015
St. Martin’s Paperbacks are published by St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.
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