with my fingers. “It’s…not that simple.”
“Well, what could be the problem?” she asked. “What was his name? Griggs? Don’t tell me he’s un-retired.”
“He’s dead.”
“Oh, shit.” Jjade’s face fell. “Sorry to hear that. What happened?”
“He was murdered.”
Jjade blinked. “You’re…serious, aren’t you?”
“'Fraid so.”
Jjade took a deep breath and let it out with a puff. “Well, I can see why you turned down the beer. That’s not going to cut it.” She turned to the shelf behind her and selected a bottle. Then she pulled a pair of shot glasses from underneath the bar and set them before me.
She lifted the bottle to pour, but I held out my hand. “No, really. I’d rather not. I don’t want a reoccurrence of last time.”
Jjade paused, the bottle half tilted in her hand and the brown liquid within threatening to make a break for it. “Are you really giving up drinking?”
“I didn’t say that. But I do know I need to be more moderate in my consumption of the sauce, and I don’t trust myself to know when to stop tonight.”
The base of the bottle clapped as Jjade set it down. “That’s surprisingly mindful of you. But—” She lifted the bottle and poured a couple of shots. “—luckily for you, you don’t have to trust yourself tonight. You can trust an old friend. And I’m cutting you off after this one shot, no ifs, ands, or buts allowed, unless it’s a tight one in jeans.”
Jjade set the bottle aside and lifted her shot glass. I hesitated.
“Come on,” she said. “It’s not a drink. It’s a toast. To a miserable, curmudgeonly old dustbag who will nonetheless be summarily missed. To Griggs.”
I wrapped my fingers around the tumbler’s cool edge and lifted it. “To Griggs.”
Jjade and I clinked glasses, and I tossed it back. The whiskey burned as it washed over my throat. I set the glass back down. Jjade collected it and put it in the sink.
“So,” she said after a moment. “You want to talk about it?”
“I already did. With Steele,” I said. “But thanks for the offer.”
Jjade leaned in, setting her elbows on the counter and resting her chin on her intertwined fingers. “You know, with you never dropping by anymore, I haven’t gotten to hear how things are going between you two. You need to fill me in.”
I gave her the old guy with cataracts treatment. “Is this a ploy to get my mind off Griggs’ passing?”
“It’s not solely a ploy to get your mind off Griggs’ passing,” said Jjade. “Come on, it’s the least you can do in exchange for that free shot.”
“You’re not charging me?”
“Business isn’t quite as bad as I made it out to be,” said Jjade. “Besides, I’m still charging you for the burger, and I make a killing off fries. Speaking of which…”
She disappeared into the kitchen and returned with a platter piled high with meat and bread and toppings and fried potatoes, though not necessarily in that order. She moseyed around the counter and sat down next to me, and we chewed the fat, both figuratively and literally.
I stayed until long after the food had disappeared, and though my tongue longed for a sudsy beverage to wash down the salt of the fries, Jjade stuck true to her word. Instead, my tongue settled for a boatload of chatter, most of it tomfoolery, a good amount of it centered on me and Shay, and none of it about Griggs. I’d feel guilty about that later, but along with the food, it did help raise my spirits. Call her crafty, but I’d bet crowns to croissants Jjade knew that.
15
I woke up early the following morning, which was a tragedy in and of itself given the Captain’s directive to me regarding the Barrett case. I fought it for a while, tossing and turning in my bed, but despite my best efforts, a combination of unfinished thoughts, lingering emotions, and a clarity of mind that only came from not being drunk eventually forced me into a standing position.
After a quick visit to
“Well, what could be the problem?” she asked. “What was his name? Griggs? Don’t tell me he’s un-retired.”
“He’s dead.”
“Oh, shit.” Jjade’s face fell. “Sorry to hear that. What happened?”
“He was murdered.”
Jjade blinked. “You’re…serious, aren’t you?”
“'Fraid so.”
Jjade took a deep breath and let it out with a puff. “Well, I can see why you turned down the beer. That’s not going to cut it.” She turned to the shelf behind her and selected a bottle. Then she pulled a pair of shot glasses from underneath the bar and set them before me.
She lifted the bottle to pour, but I held out my hand. “No, really. I’d rather not. I don’t want a reoccurrence of last time.”
Jjade paused, the bottle half tilted in her hand and the brown liquid within threatening to make a break for it. “Are you really giving up drinking?”
“I didn’t say that. But I do know I need to be more moderate in my consumption of the sauce, and I don’t trust myself to know when to stop tonight.”
The base of the bottle clapped as Jjade set it down. “That’s surprisingly mindful of you. But—” She lifted the bottle and poured a couple of shots. “—luckily for you, you don’t have to trust yourself tonight. You can trust an old friend. And I’m cutting you off after this one shot, no ifs, ands, or buts allowed, unless it’s a tight one in jeans.”
Jjade set the bottle aside and lifted her shot glass. I hesitated.
“Come on,” she said. “It’s not a drink. It’s a toast. To a miserable, curmudgeonly old dustbag who will nonetheless be summarily missed. To Griggs.”
I wrapped my fingers around the tumbler’s cool edge and lifted it. “To Griggs.”
Jjade and I clinked glasses, and I tossed it back. The whiskey burned as it washed over my throat. I set the glass back down. Jjade collected it and put it in the sink.
“So,” she said after a moment. “You want to talk about it?”
“I already did. With Steele,” I said. “But thanks for the offer.”
Jjade leaned in, setting her elbows on the counter and resting her chin on her intertwined fingers. “You know, with you never dropping by anymore, I haven’t gotten to hear how things are going between you two. You need to fill me in.”
I gave her the old guy with cataracts treatment. “Is this a ploy to get my mind off Griggs’ passing?”
“It’s not solely a ploy to get your mind off Griggs’ passing,” said Jjade. “Come on, it’s the least you can do in exchange for that free shot.”
“You’re not charging me?”
“Business isn’t quite as bad as I made it out to be,” said Jjade. “Besides, I’m still charging you for the burger, and I make a killing off fries. Speaking of which…”
She disappeared into the kitchen and returned with a platter piled high with meat and bread and toppings and fried potatoes, though not necessarily in that order. She moseyed around the counter and sat down next to me, and we chewed the fat, both figuratively and literally.
I stayed until long after the food had disappeared, and though my tongue longed for a sudsy beverage to wash down the salt of the fries, Jjade stuck true to her word. Instead, my tongue settled for a boatload of chatter, most of it tomfoolery, a good amount of it centered on me and Shay, and none of it about Griggs. I’d feel guilty about that later, but along with the food, it did help raise my spirits. Call her crafty, but I’d bet crowns to croissants Jjade knew that.
15
I woke up early the following morning, which was a tragedy in and of itself given the Captain’s directive to me regarding the Barrett case. I fought it for a while, tossing and turning in my bed, but despite my best efforts, a combination of unfinished thoughts, lingering emotions, and a clarity of mind that only came from not being drunk eventually forced me into a standing position.
After a quick visit to
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