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"Oh, that's not what I was hearing."
Chris poured himself a glass of water from the jug and leaned forward.
"Well, I don't know what you heard, but I've got nothing to tell."
"I get you. Nothing to tell. Right."
The expression on his face was less one of believing than consisting of little more than a wink and a nudge, and Chris's smile slipped a little.
"You talk too much, you know that Jim?" He leaned forward. "If something happened, I wouldn't tell you about it, but nothing happened. I learned exactly one good thing in my life back home, and I thought I'd do some good with it. Then she got involved in something got nothing to do with her as far as I'm concerned."
"So you're telling me you weren't in her hotel room until the early hours?"
"I was keeping an eye on Jamie Pearson."
Jim's eyes slide over. "What have you got to do with little Jamie Pearson?"
"I owe his parents a favor, and they're not around to collect, and I'd rather not say more."
"Is this about whatever happened five years ago?"
Chris's face twisted up. "I told you I didn't want to talk about it, and that ain't going to change."
Jim pushed himself away from the bar. "You ain't gotta be touchy about it, man."
"Then listen to me when I talk, yeah?"
"Sorry to have stepped on your toes, jeez. Ain't gotta make a big thing about it."
Chris thought about that for a second. "Yeah. Sorry about that, you're right I guess. On edge."
"So if you weren't, you know, then—"
"I told you. Nothing. Watching the kid. Making sure he was being taken care of."
Jim shrugged. "Yeah, I guess I get that."
"I don't know what the hell I'm supposed to be doing for him. The teacher seems to be skiddish as hell about it. I guess, her age, no husband, no kids, she's got something going on there."
"Well, hell. No husband, and now she's watching a kid?"
"I don't know how else I ought to be dealing with it," Chris answered. "There ain't a place for him here."
"You know Sarah could talk to you about it. I don't think she's got any clients."
Chris's lips pinched together. "Yeah, I don't know. Why not. She's as much help as you are. You want to go fetch her, I'll keep watch. Ain't nobody coming in anyways."
"Yeah."
The big guy stood up and walked away. A minute later, a woman who looked better than many her age walks up. It sets Chris on edge whenever she's around, and she seems to know it. If he didn't know any better, he'd say that she liked it.
"You called?"
"Just here to chat, if you got some action goin' on…"
"Don't worry about it, Chris, darling."
Chris shut his eyes for a moment to gather his calm. "You know I hate it when you call me that."
