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The shrug was eloquent. “The point is there could have been a massacre and I would’ve been too blitzed to have known about it.”
They were quiet a minute. Ray seemed to be contemplating his hands on the lawn chair. “Was there something else you wanted to talk about?”
He seemed to have a homing device when it came to stuff like this. “I wanted to ask you a question.” Alex’s nerves revved some more. Ray was Deborah’s partner. He was also her chief defender, despite having suffered through her worst alcoholic episodes. He had nearly died in a car accident, chasing a murderer, before she had checked herself into rehab.
“Ask away.”
“Deborah.”
“What about Deborah?” Ray leaned back so his face was in a shadow, but his tone conveyed steel.
“Well, I wanted—I tried—I mean—I went over—”
“Did you do something or say something to her?” Ray’s tone had turned downright unfriendly. “She’s a lot more fragile than she looks.”
“Whoa. Whoa!” Alex threw up both hands. “Why does everyone assume I’m some kind of lady killer or something?”
“Sorry.” Ray’s tone tapped down a notch. “I didn’t mean to jump to conclusions. I know a little bit about reputations and how they’re acquired. In your case, the rumors fly.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know, but every time your name comes up it’s in connection with a jilted woman.”
“Don’t believe everything you hear.”
“I don’t. I just wonder if maybe you have some commitment problems.”
Alex snorted. “I don’t think so. I’m ready to have myself committed over Deborah.”
Ray laughed, a deep full-blown chuckle. “Kind of grows on you, doesn’t she?”
“Yeah, like a rattlesnake.” Alex didn’t find it all that funny.
“So what happened? Did she give you the tough girl routine?”
“Sort of. Only she freaked out on me a little. I touched—”
“Did you hit on her?” Ray sat forward in the chair, as if poised to stand.
“Let me finish, will you?” Alex rushed on. “We were arguing about why I showed up there, and I put my hands on her shoulders to make my point. She freaked.”
Ray didn’t say anything. He leaned back again, fingers tight around the metal arms of the chair.
“What happened to her?” Alex couldn’t read Ray’s expression. “She wouldn’t tell me. I need to know.”
“Why?”
“What do you mean why?”
“Why do you need to know? Is the physical thing what you’re looking for?”
“No, man. What kind of person do you think I am?” Alex tried to put the hurt feelings aside. Somehow he had to overcome this perception. “I’m trying to get to know her.”
“Good luck on that. If you want to know what her deal is, you’ll have to ask her.”
“I did. She said it didn’t matter.”
“It does matter.”
