![New York Nights [Virex 01]](/res/aob/book1.jpg)
‘Hey, you weren’t going crazy, Hal.’
‘It’s good to know.’ He paused, considering. ‘Why do you think that guy wanted me dead, Barney?’
His partner shrugged, uncomfortable. ‘You were snooping around the Nigeria case,’ he said. He shook his head and looked at Hal. ‘You don’t think there’s any way this guy could trace you?’
Halliday felt a sudden nauseating fear at the thought. ‘No, no . . . I don’t think so. He didn’t know me from Adam, and anyway he left me for dead, didn’t he?’
Barney changed the subject. ‘Hey, are you going to tell Kim about the chu, or do you want me to break the news?’
Halliday stood up and stretched. ‘You know something? She wouldn’t believe me if I did tell her. She’d find the thought of evil spirits easier to believe in than capillary hologram units.’
He left Barney and made his way up to the loft. Kim was selecting a dress, holding it up against her body and looking at herself in the mirror, frowning.
Halliday showered, the hot water easing the aches and pains from tired muscles. When he stepped from the drier and crossed the loft to the closet where he hung his clothes, Kim was still trying to decide what to wear. She stood naked before a long rail of dresses and skirts, lower lip caught between her teeth, a picture of indecision. It forever amazed him that she could spend so long wondering what to wear, and then still regret her decision once the choice was made. No doubt his sister would have something to say about his lack of empathy.
‘What kind of place are you taking me to, Kim? Formal or informal?’
She wore a distracted air. ‘What? Oh, it doesn’t matter.’
He looked at her, slim as a boy, tiny breasts the only sign of fat on her well-defined ribcage, her stomach scooped and incurving.
He laughed. ‘What do you mean, it doesn’t matter?’
‘It doesn’t matter what we wear, Hal. We can go naked if we like.’
He grabbed black jeans and a white shirt and dressed quickly. He approached her from behind and entrapped her in his arms. ‘Sometimes I wonder which planet you’re inhabiting, Kim.’
He released her and she made her choice, a short red dress and a long black coat, matching the fall of her jet hair. She dressed distractedly, her gaze seemingly focused miles away.
At last she said, ‘Hal. . .?’
He was watching her. ‘What is it?’
‘Why do you think the shape-shifter wanted to kill you?’
He sighed. To explain what Jeff had told him would only frustrate and antagonise her. ‘Probably because I trespassed on its territory,’ he said, ‘and it didn’t like it.’
She buttoned her coat right up to her chin and regarded him seriously. ‘Promise me you won’t go near that place again, Hal. Say you won’t.’
‘I’ll promise, if you promise to cheer up.’
With the forefingers of each hand she pushed up the corners of her mouth. ‘Thut butter?’
He hugged her. ‘Twenty-five going on twelve,’ he said.
Outside, he grabbed an order of spare ribs and french fries from one of Kim’s stalls. A radio was playing full blast, and between the music Halliday heard a snatch of news. The war between Thailand and China had escalated; the fledgling European colony on Mars was expanding. He thought of life on Mars, people going about their everyday lives on another planet, and found it hard to believe.
They ate as they motored downtown in the Ford. Kim drove, even though it entailed her having to take off her coat and fold it into a cushion in order for her to see through the windshield. He watched her as she turned onto Park Avenue.
‘Now are you going to tell me where we’re going?’
Thin-lipped with concentration, she gave him a swift glance. ‘Be patient.’
‘Give me a clue. Have I been there before?’
She shook her head. ‘Nope.’
‘I’ve never been there before? Not ice
‘It’s good to know.’ He paused, considering. ‘Why do you think that guy wanted me dead, Barney?’
His partner shrugged, uncomfortable. ‘You were snooping around the Nigeria case,’ he said. He shook his head and looked at Hal. ‘You don’t think there’s any way this guy could trace you?’
Halliday felt a sudden nauseating fear at the thought. ‘No, no . . . I don’t think so. He didn’t know me from Adam, and anyway he left me for dead, didn’t he?’
Barney changed the subject. ‘Hey, are you going to tell Kim about the chu, or do you want me to break the news?’
Halliday stood up and stretched. ‘You know something? She wouldn’t believe me if I did tell her. She’d find the thought of evil spirits easier to believe in than capillary hologram units.’
He left Barney and made his way up to the loft. Kim was selecting a dress, holding it up against her body and looking at herself in the mirror, frowning.
Halliday showered, the hot water easing the aches and pains from tired muscles. When he stepped from the drier and crossed the loft to the closet where he hung his clothes, Kim was still trying to decide what to wear. She stood naked before a long rail of dresses and skirts, lower lip caught between her teeth, a picture of indecision. It forever amazed him that she could spend so long wondering what to wear, and then still regret her decision once the choice was made. No doubt his sister would have something to say about his lack of empathy.
‘What kind of place are you taking me to, Kim? Formal or informal?’
She wore a distracted air. ‘What? Oh, it doesn’t matter.’
He looked at her, slim as a boy, tiny breasts the only sign of fat on her well-defined ribcage, her stomach scooped and incurving.
He laughed. ‘What do you mean, it doesn’t matter?’
‘It doesn’t matter what we wear, Hal. We can go naked if we like.’
He grabbed black jeans and a white shirt and dressed quickly. He approached her from behind and entrapped her in his arms. ‘Sometimes I wonder which planet you’re inhabiting, Kim.’
He released her and she made her choice, a short red dress and a long black coat, matching the fall of her jet hair. She dressed distractedly, her gaze seemingly focused miles away.
At last she said, ‘Hal. . .?’
He was watching her. ‘What is it?’
‘Why do you think the shape-shifter wanted to kill you?’
He sighed. To explain what Jeff had told him would only frustrate and antagonise her. ‘Probably because I trespassed on its territory,’ he said, ‘and it didn’t like it.’
She buttoned her coat right up to her chin and regarded him seriously. ‘Promise me you won’t go near that place again, Hal. Say you won’t.’
‘I’ll promise, if you promise to cheer up.’
With the forefingers of each hand she pushed up the corners of her mouth. ‘Thut butter?’
He hugged her. ‘Twenty-five going on twelve,’ he said.
Outside, he grabbed an order of spare ribs and french fries from one of Kim’s stalls. A radio was playing full blast, and between the music Halliday heard a snatch of news. The war between Thailand and China had escalated; the fledgling European colony on Mars was expanding. He thought of life on Mars, people going about their everyday lives on another planet, and found it hard to believe.
They ate as they motored downtown in the Ford. Kim drove, even though it entailed her having to take off her coat and fold it into a cushion in order for her to see through the windshield. He watched her as she turned onto Park Avenue.
‘Now are you going to tell me where we’re going?’
Thin-lipped with concentration, she gave him a swift glance. ‘Be patient.’
‘Give me a clue. Have I been there before?’
She shook her head. ‘Nope.’
‘I’ve never been there before? Not ice
Similar Books
