I could see Calvin’s mind running a mile a minute now. “Do you have this book in your possession?”
I shook my head. “No. Max has been cataloging the books in the shop. He hasn’t come across anything by Poe.”
“Then Beth got it.”
“No, she got romance novels.Gayromance novels.”
Calvin put a firm hand on my shoulder and pushed me to the door. “I need you to go.”
“What? But—”
“Sebastian, I need to get on this right now.”
“You wouldn’t have put two and two together without me.”
“I’m the cop. I appreciate your help, but let me do my job.”
“What about the message from this morning?” I pointed at his desk.
“I’ll deal with it.”
“Calvin.”
“Baby,leave.”
To say I felt slighted was an understatement. I stormed out of the precinct while putting my sunglasses on. I shoved my hands into my pockets and walked toward the end of the block, away from the parked police cruisers and uniformed officers on break.
“Snow!”
I halted from crossing the street and turned around. Lancaster was leaning against the wall of a bakery, smoking a cigarillo away from where other officers would bother her. “Detective?”
“Where you off to in such a rush?”
I shrugged lamely.
She pushed away from the wall and walked toward me. “Mind walking around the block with me?” Lancaster didn’t give me a real choice because she put a firm hand on my elbow and directed me away from the street. “I guess I should have warned you.”
“About what, ma’am?”
She snorted and put the cigarillo to her lips briefly. “Calvin. He’s in a mood today.”
“I’ll say,” I muttered.
“He works hard,” she said, and I could hear the defense in her tone. “Sometimes he forgets to sleep, gets cranky is all.”
That wasn’t all. I knew it was more, but it would be selfish to think it was about me. It was something just out of my reach of understanding.
“Sure.”
Lancaster looked up and stopped walking. She puffed out smoke, and it smelled sort of like vanilla. “I know you’re interested in him,” she said, pointing at me with the cigarillo.
“Yes, apparently I keep a sign around my neck,” I answered shortly.
Lancaster shook her head and let the attitude slide. “And I think he’s got a hang-up about you too.”
Hang-up.
Lancaster wasn’t done, just sucking on the cigarillo again. “Seeing you in Mr. Rodriguez’s shop, covered in blood, I was ready to read you your rights then and there, but Calvin said no. It’snotyou, and heknowsit. He’s the senior detective—he calls the shots.”
