Black Is Back (Quentin Black Mystery #4) by JC Andrijeski Page B

since you said a lot of this is new to you still. I’ve already floated the idea of bringing both of you in as possible consultants on this and the brass seemed okay with it. He’s a licensed P.I. with expertise in paid security, so it’s not completely out of bounds...”
    He hesitated again, looking at me.
    I could already feel the questions forming.
    “Jesus, Nick,” I said. “Not now, okay? Not here. We’ll talk about the rest of that stuff later, okay? This isn’t the time.”
    “When?” His frown returned, growing harder again. “The next time you and Black get dragged bodily out of his apartment after you decide to go all Tarzan and Jane again? Or should I just wait until one of you has another possible connection to a serial murderer?” Muttering, he massaged the back of his neck with a muscular hand. “...Not like that second one doesn’t happen to the two of you on a regular fucking basis.”
    Pressing my lips together, I didn’t answer at first. Then, looking up at his face, I sighed, realizing I wanted to clear the air too.
    “What about tonight?” I said.
    He jumped a little, looking at me in surprise. “Just you and me?”
    “Or you, me and Angel.”
    “But not Black,” Nick said, as if to clarify.
    Shaking my head in disbelief, I grunted, folding my arms. “You and Black don’t seem to play well together, Nick. I’d rather wait until you can be in the same room without threatening each other’s lives.”
    Nick didn’t even blink. “If you really want to go there, Miri, I might mention that you didn’t seem all that rational with Angel this morning, either. Or were you going to deny that you practically bit her head off just for laying a finger on your psychotic boy-toy?”
    I started to answer, then didn’t, biting my lip.
    Watching my face, Nick grunted, subduing his voice. “You hurt her feelings, you know.”
    Biting my lip harder, I nodded, not looking up.
    Nick just stared at me for a moment, as if trying to decide if he should press it. Then he seemed to think better of that, too. Sighing, he leaned back in the chair, adjusting his weight. He made his voice neutral, if not exactly friendly.
    “Forget it. Dinner tonight sounds good. It’d be good to trade notes too... on the case, I mean, since we’ll be talking to Mozar and his partner later, and I’d like you there for that as well. Maybe we can combine the two. I’ll talk to Angel.”
    Folding his hands on top of the table, he leaned towards me.
    “Look. Back to now. You probably know I want you here for more than just to ask about Norberg... or even because this douchebag was stalking you. I’m hoping you can help point us in the right direction here, doc. With our current bad guy. Can you... you know... do that thing you do? Give us a place to start?”
    Sighing as I let the stuff around Nick and Black go, I held out my hands, gesturing in a sweeping motion that I only realized afterwards mirrored one of Black’s odd gestures. I tried to cover it, clasping my fingers on top of the table, but I saw Nick’s eyes watch me do it.
    “How, Nick?” I said, pulling his gaze back to my face. “I can’t read a corpse. You don’t have any suspects. How is it you think this works exactly?”
    “What about Black?” Nick said, his voice gruffer. “Guy’s a P.I. How would he normally do this? I assume he’s a bit more ‘liberal’ with his gifts than you are, from what you’ve said.”
    I thought for a few beats, then shrugged.
    “No idea. Why don’t you ask him? You said you were going to try and hire him anyway.”
    Nick scowled, but I could tell by the way he did it that he’d already more or less resigned himself to doing just that. He was still staring off to the side when he spoke again.
    “He didn’t like this either, did he?” he grunted. “With Norberg.”
    Sighing, I once more combed my fingers through my long hair. “No,” I said.
    “You didn’t tell him about it?”
    “No,” I said, giving