Dig

“I’ve been telling you that you should hire Warren.”

“Nat, I’m not going to hire Warren.”

“Why not?”

I opened my mouth to tell her exactly why not, but as I stared at her too-bright blue eyes and the way her chin was quivering, I chickened out.

“Because…because I promised Angus when he left that he could have his job back.”

“Adrien, he was involved in a murder.”

“But he was very good at alphabetizing.”
― Josh Lanyon, Death of a Pirate King

“A pause followed my greeting. Then “We’re watching you ” whispered the voice on the other end.
“Yeah? Did you see what I did with my keys? ”
Silence. Then dial tone.
These younger demons. So easily discouraged.”
― Josh Lanyon, The Hell You Say

“I thought again how odd it was to be on formal terms with someone you had once permitted to lick your ears.”
― Josh Lanyon, Death of a Pirate King

“Natalie said, “That detective in charge of the case: is he your Jake?”

My mouth dried. The words felt arid and dusty as I forced them out. “Who told you his name?” Like I had to ask.

“Lisa pointed him out on television the other night, and I recognized him as one of the cops who was in here the other day.”

I opened my mouth, and then shut it. Jake had to know he was fighting a rearguard action. And I was through lying to my own friends and family. “Yeah,” I said. “We used to be friends. A long time ago. He’s married now.”

“Bastard,” she said.

I shook my head. “Not really. He never lied to me. I just didn’t ask the questions I didn’t want to know the answers to.”
― Josh Lanyon, Death of a Pirate King