Neil said, “I mean, it’s Monday. Shouldn’t you be closed?”
“I’m getting my money’s worth on the rent.”
“Holiday rush,” Calvin answered for me.
Neil stared at me while jutting a thumb at Calvin. “See how difficult it was to give a straight answer?”
“I’m anything but straight,” I replied.
Neil let out a breath, made a motion with his hand, likeI already can’t with you, and started up the steps beside the register. He set his kit down, bent down beside it, and removed a pair of latex gloves. Neil put them on as he stood.
Quinn pointed at the box. She said something about the head, but too quietly for me to hear. I squinted and watched her lips.
Bit—more. Bit more. Bit more toe.
Bit more than a toe.
Calvin shifted to the right and loomed over me. “Nice try.”
“What?” I asked quickly—innocently.
“I know you read lips, Sebastian.”
“Oh.”
Calvin frowned.
I shoved my hands into my pockets and briefly looked over my shoulder toward the book corner. Max had gotten to his feet. He’d wisely put Dillon on a leash so the dog didn’t run through our surprise crime scene in order to greet his human. “You shutting me down, Detective?” I asked, turning back to Calvin.
“I know it’s your busiest time of year.”
“What’s money matter? Now I have time to pick up our Christmas tree. It may end up being a Charlie Brown, though.”
“It wasn’t that long ago I threatened to arrest you for being a smartass,” Calvin warned.
“And instead you put a ring on it,” I said, raising my left hand and tapping the matte tungsten band with the tip of my thumb.
Calvin grunted. “Come with me.” He walked across the floor, up the farther set of stairs, and into my office.
Crap.
I reluctantly followed, then pulled the door shut behind me as I entered the cramped, closet-sized space. “I’m sorry for—”
Calvin put a hand on the doorframe and leaned in close. “I need you to think carefully.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Okay….”
“In the past week, have you had any unusual customers?”
“You’ve seen my clientele, Calvin.”
Wrong answer.
“Baby. I’m serious,” Calvin said in a borderline exasperated tone. “Has anyone stood out as… overtly strange? Any requests that made you do a double take? Business transactions that went south?”
“Why?” I countered. “Am I actually in some kind of trouble?”
“Sebastian, answer the question.”
