mind, it was a surprise."
"A surprise?" Ewyn snorted. "Being a detective, I would have thought you should have known," he mocked. "Have a seat. Are you off duty? Would you like something to drink?"
"Yes, to both questions. I'll take a beer, if you have it." Patterson sat on the edge of the sofa looking uncomfortable as he continued to peer around the room.
"Heineken work for you?"
"Yes, thanks. Nice place," Patterson added. "I understand the owner of record is Devin Piers Nilsson. Occupation…sales rep for Expiation, Inc. Are you renting?"
"Been doing your homework, Detective?" Ewyn chuckled. "Then save us both some time. You know damn well who Devin is, you know we live here together, and you know my relationship to him."
"Right. Is he home? I have a few questions for him."
"Would you give it a rest? As a sales rep, Devin travels quite a bit, but you know that. And before you ask, let me verify," Ewyn remarked. "I'm the IS manager at the same company." He sighed. "I know you've already checked, so…shall we can the bullshit and move on to the real reason you're here?"
Ewyn came out of the kitchen carrying two beer bottles in one hand and a baby bottle in the other. "Don't worry, you'll meet Devin soon enough. I can assure you, after I tell him about you, he won't require an appointment." He grinned. "Do you need a glass?"
"No," Patterson snapped. "And you're right. I had both of you checked out, and it didn't do much good. I didn't learn any more than what you've just told me.
"Maybe it's because we're law-abiding citizens?"
"Yeah, right. With connections to the Calderones," Patterson scoffed. "Nobody at the Sheriff's department has ever heard of your company."
"Why would they? Unless they're looking for the type of services we provide." Ewyn handed one beer to Patterson then bent and opened a little chrome box on the table. He pulled out two coasters, set his beer on one, and handed the other to Patterson before going to the playpen.
"And just what are those services. Your company isn't listed in the phone book."
Ewyn stopped moving and looked at the detective with obvious feigned surprise. "Are you serious? I'm shocked. Must be word-of-mouth keeping us in business, huh."
"What exactly does Expiation, Inc. sell?"
"Uh…solutions?"
"I'm asking you," the detective growled. "Solutions to what?"
"Listen, Detective. Our company is U.S. G-O-V-T contracted, so you should take your questions to the current administration." Ewyn smiled. "Enough said?"
He picked up Kiera, tossed a burp cloth across his shoulder, and settled back on the sofa with her tucked in the crook of one arm. He touched the bottle's nipple to her lips and she latched on. Ewyn then turned to Patterson and caught him staring as if he'd never seen a baby drinking from a bottle. "Is there a problem?"
"No. It's…I thought…um…she's a pretty little thing."
Ewyn's gaze strafed Kiera's features. "She is."
"About the accident. There are a few facts I need clarified." Patterson cleared his throat. "If Gregorio is your brother, why the different last names? Are you stepbrothers? Kelley was your mother's maiden name."
"Yeah, so what. Is it relevant to this matter, Detective?"
"I don't know. I'm asking just to cover all the bases," Patterson replied. "There's no record of you being part of the Calderone group? Where do you fit into the family? How come no one knows about you?"
Ewyn gave Patterson a sidelong glance. "Who says no one knows? Are you keeping tabs on the Calderones? I thought racketeering came under the auspices of the FBI," he remarked. "Must be a lot of work for you local boys."
"That's not an answer."
"It's my answer," Ewyn countered. "As I said, my relationship to Gregorio Calderone isn't germane to the accident or anything else. All you need to know is we're related. I say I'm his brother, and I'm head of the Calderone family in his absence. Leave it alone, Detective. You do not want to go there."
"Is that supposed to be some
"A surprise?" Ewyn snorted. "Being a detective, I would have thought you should have known," he mocked. "Have a seat. Are you off duty? Would you like something to drink?"
"Yes, to both questions. I'll take a beer, if you have it." Patterson sat on the edge of the sofa looking uncomfortable as he continued to peer around the room.
"Heineken work for you?"
"Yes, thanks. Nice place," Patterson added. "I understand the owner of record is Devin Piers Nilsson. Occupation…sales rep for Expiation, Inc. Are you renting?"
"Been doing your homework, Detective?" Ewyn chuckled. "Then save us both some time. You know damn well who Devin is, you know we live here together, and you know my relationship to him."
"Right. Is he home? I have a few questions for him."
"Would you give it a rest? As a sales rep, Devin travels quite a bit, but you know that. And before you ask, let me verify," Ewyn remarked. "I'm the IS manager at the same company." He sighed. "I know you've already checked, so…shall we can the bullshit and move on to the real reason you're here?"
Ewyn came out of the kitchen carrying two beer bottles in one hand and a baby bottle in the other. "Don't worry, you'll meet Devin soon enough. I can assure you, after I tell him about you, he won't require an appointment." He grinned. "Do you need a glass?"
"No," Patterson snapped. "And you're right. I had both of you checked out, and it didn't do much good. I didn't learn any more than what you've just told me.
"Maybe it's because we're law-abiding citizens?"
"Yeah, right. With connections to the Calderones," Patterson scoffed. "Nobody at the Sheriff's department has ever heard of your company."
"Why would they? Unless they're looking for the type of services we provide." Ewyn handed one beer to Patterson then bent and opened a little chrome box on the table. He pulled out two coasters, set his beer on one, and handed the other to Patterson before going to the playpen.
"And just what are those services. Your company isn't listed in the phone book."
Ewyn stopped moving and looked at the detective with obvious feigned surprise. "Are you serious? I'm shocked. Must be word-of-mouth keeping us in business, huh."
"What exactly does Expiation, Inc. sell?"
"Uh…solutions?"
"I'm asking you," the detective growled. "Solutions to what?"
"Listen, Detective. Our company is U.S. G-O-V-T contracted, so you should take your questions to the current administration." Ewyn smiled. "Enough said?"
He picked up Kiera, tossed a burp cloth across his shoulder, and settled back on the sofa with her tucked in the crook of one arm. He touched the bottle's nipple to her lips and she latched on. Ewyn then turned to Patterson and caught him staring as if he'd never seen a baby drinking from a bottle. "Is there a problem?"
"No. It's…I thought…um…she's a pretty little thing."
Ewyn's gaze strafed Kiera's features. "She is."
"About the accident. There are a few facts I need clarified." Patterson cleared his throat. "If Gregorio is your brother, why the different last names? Are you stepbrothers? Kelley was your mother's maiden name."
"Yeah, so what. Is it relevant to this matter, Detective?"
"I don't know. I'm asking just to cover all the bases," Patterson replied. "There's no record of you being part of the Calderone group? Where do you fit into the family? How come no one knows about you?"
Ewyn gave Patterson a sidelong glance. "Who says no one knows? Are you keeping tabs on the Calderones? I thought racketeering came under the auspices of the FBI," he remarked. "Must be a lot of work for you local boys."
"That's not an answer."
"It's my answer," Ewyn countered. "As I said, my relationship to Gregorio Calderone isn't germane to the accident or anything else. All you need to know is we're related. I say I'm his brother, and I'm head of the Calderone family in his absence. Leave it alone, Detective. You do not want to go there."
"Is that supposed to be some
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