in a selection from the Portland library in the fall, kind of like one of them bookmobiles. Mostly it’s for the kids, but I bet there are some mysteries in there. Or maybe you’re more interested in romance?”
Dex dragged his gaze off Maggie. Again. “No man is interested in romance. It’s practically hard-coded into our DNA.”
“Some of us are smart enough to pretend to be interested.”
“Some of us are dumb enough to get married.”
AJ grinned. “Marry the right woman, it’s not a bad deal.”
As a private investigator who’d started off, like many did, shadowing cheating spouses, Dex had begun to think there was no such thing as the right woman. Or the right man, for that matter. Having parents who’d loved each other without reservation had kept him from getting jaded—and given him an example of what he wanted in his own life. Years off, when he settled down. Somewhere far away from Windfall, he added, keeping his eyes firmly forward.
“Books are at the school if you’re interested—and if Mrs. Higgins will lend you one.”
“Mrs. Higgins? She married to the guy with the antique weapon fixation?”
“Yeah, but she doesn’t send him after the overdue books.”AJ picked up an order from the pass-through, stepped down the bar to set it in front of a customer who began to eat mechanically, his eyes glued to the television screen. “Mind you keep your fingers clear, Mort.”
Dex took a closer look at the kid sitting a couple of stools away from him. Once he got past the hunched shoulders, stringy hair, and sullen attitude, he realized it was the same kid he’d seen at the airport when he’d arrived. A dozen questions came to mind, but even if Mort’s body language had invited them, AJ plowed along in the conversation, and left Dex no choice but to tune back in.
“Boy’ll probably eat clear through the bar before he realizes the food’s gone,” AJ said. “But then, it’s just him and his mother, and she’s been poorly, so he’s entitled to be caught up in his own world.
“We got DVD players in the rooms, and old man MacDonald down at the general store keeps a couple smokers on hand, if you’re into that kind of thing.”
Not as a spectator
, but Dex kept that to himself. AJ had already noted the way his gaze kept straying to Maggie Solomon. Bring sex into the conversation and he’d probably get firsthand knowledge of whatever illegal weapon AJ kept under the counter.
Helen Appelman came around the end of the bar, pulled herself a tall glass of water and guzzled it down like she was dying. Way she moved around the place, Dex could see how she’d work up a thirst.
“You get his life story yet?” she asked her husband.
“I was working around to it.”
“Rate you move, we’ll all be dead first.” She pinned Dex with a look. “Why are you here?”
“Can’t tell you that.”
She plunked her empty glass on the bar. “Bullshit.”
“Actually, it’s the primary rule of my profession.” Both real and pretend.
“Like I said. Bullshit.”
Dex laughed. It was hard not to. “A lot of people think that about lawyers, and it’s true, there’s a component of bullshit in what I do. But I have a client—”
“By the name of…”
“—to consider, not to mention my reputation,” Dex continued, talking over her.
“Lawyer bullshit.”
Helen kept coming at him; Dex kept putting her off. AJ kept lining up longnecks he hadn’t ordered, but after a half hour it stopped being amusing. He’d expected the sheriff to present a problem, but George Boatwright had nothing on the Appelmans.
Dex finally gave up on manners and got to his feet. “You can charge my room for the meal and the beers, including the ones I didn’t drink,” he said to AJ.
“You aren’t wimping out on me.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Dex said to Helen, “I certainly am.”
She let loose a string of curses that would have made a sailor blush, peppered with the kind of insults Dex had only ever heard
Dex dragged his gaze off Maggie. Again. “No man is interested in romance. It’s practically hard-coded into our DNA.”
“Some of us are smart enough to pretend to be interested.”
“Some of us are dumb enough to get married.”
AJ grinned. “Marry the right woman, it’s not a bad deal.”
As a private investigator who’d started off, like many did, shadowing cheating spouses, Dex had begun to think there was no such thing as the right woman. Or the right man, for that matter. Having parents who’d loved each other without reservation had kept him from getting jaded—and given him an example of what he wanted in his own life. Years off, when he settled down. Somewhere far away from Windfall, he added, keeping his eyes firmly forward.
“Books are at the school if you’re interested—and if Mrs. Higgins will lend you one.”
“Mrs. Higgins? She married to the guy with the antique weapon fixation?”
“Yeah, but she doesn’t send him after the overdue books.”AJ picked up an order from the pass-through, stepped down the bar to set it in front of a customer who began to eat mechanically, his eyes glued to the television screen. “Mind you keep your fingers clear, Mort.”
Dex took a closer look at the kid sitting a couple of stools away from him. Once he got past the hunched shoulders, stringy hair, and sullen attitude, he realized it was the same kid he’d seen at the airport when he’d arrived. A dozen questions came to mind, but even if Mort’s body language had invited them, AJ plowed along in the conversation, and left Dex no choice but to tune back in.
“Boy’ll probably eat clear through the bar before he realizes the food’s gone,” AJ said. “But then, it’s just him and his mother, and she’s been poorly, so he’s entitled to be caught up in his own world.
“We got DVD players in the rooms, and old man MacDonald down at the general store keeps a couple smokers on hand, if you’re into that kind of thing.”
Not as a spectator
, but Dex kept that to himself. AJ had already noted the way his gaze kept straying to Maggie Solomon. Bring sex into the conversation and he’d probably get firsthand knowledge of whatever illegal weapon AJ kept under the counter.
Helen Appelman came around the end of the bar, pulled herself a tall glass of water and guzzled it down like she was dying. Way she moved around the place, Dex could see how she’d work up a thirst.
“You get his life story yet?” she asked her husband.
“I was working around to it.”
“Rate you move, we’ll all be dead first.” She pinned Dex with a look. “Why are you here?”
“Can’t tell you that.”
She plunked her empty glass on the bar. “Bullshit.”
“Actually, it’s the primary rule of my profession.” Both real and pretend.
“Like I said. Bullshit.”
Dex laughed. It was hard not to. “A lot of people think that about lawyers, and it’s true, there’s a component of bullshit in what I do. But I have a client—”
“By the name of…”
“—to consider, not to mention my reputation,” Dex continued, talking over her.
“Lawyer bullshit.”
Helen kept coming at him; Dex kept putting her off. AJ kept lining up longnecks he hadn’t ordered, but after a half hour it stopped being amusing. He’d expected the sheriff to present a problem, but George Boatwright had nothing on the Appelmans.
Dex finally gave up on manners and got to his feet. “You can charge my room for the meal and the beers, including the ones I didn’t drink,” he said to AJ.
“You aren’t wimping out on me.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Dex said to Helen, “I certainly am.”
She let loose a string of curses that would have made a sailor blush, peppered with the kind of insults Dex had only ever heard
Similar Books
