The Way of the Wicked (Hope Street Church Mysteries Book 2) by Ellery Adams

short, stocky man swaggered into the restaurant dressed in a silver suit with a metallic sheen, an eggplant-colored shirt, and black shoes polished to a high shine. He wore more gold than Trish, including a gold watch, a gold link bracelet, and a gold pinkie ring.
    Unaware that he’d interrupted a romantic moment, Tobey pumped Nathan and Cooper’s hands in greeting, complained about the traffic on Broad Street, slipped off his jacket, and ordered a Jack and Coke from the bartender without pausing for breath.
    “What’s with all the Jesus fish on people’s cars in this town?” he asked Nathan while the bartender fixed his drink. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. Los Angeles is a different kind of city. It’s way bigger. Glitzier. Totally hip. And we have tons of gorgeous women. Kinda like you.” Tobey smiled warmly at Cooper.
    Cooper acknowledged the compliment with a slight nod, and then the hostess appeared to show them to their table. When they were seated, Tobey gestured at the heavy, leather-bound menus. “Order anything you’d like. The meal’s on me.”
    Cooper thanked him, silently noting that the cost of her meal would equal half a week’s grocery bill. When their waitress returned, all three of them ordered the shrimp cocktail. Nathan and Tobey also chose the cowboy-cut rib eye with Caesar salads and roasted mushrooms, while Cooper opted for the petite filet and the house salad.
    Digging into the breadbasket, Tobey turned to Nathan. “So here’s the rundown. I sell natural muscle-building vitamins and herbs called Big Man Products. I’d like a website called BigMan.com and I want a cool video showing before-and-after footage of a guy who used my stuff to build bulk. I have just the male model in mind, too. He’s pretty skinny, like I used to be, but I’m going to swap him free merchandise in exchange for his appearing in the video.”
    “Do your vitamins work fast?” Cooper asked as their shrimp cocktails were served.
    “Hey, I’m my own client!” Tobey held out an arm, unbuttoned his sleeve, and pushed the fabric toward his shoulder as far as it would go. He then performed a bicep curl. Cooper watched in repulsed fascination as branches of blue veins popped into relief against the bulge of his muscle.
    “Whoa!” Nathan was clearly impressed. “Didn’t you have to lift weights to get that kind of result?”
    Tobey shrugged. “Some, but not as much as I’d have to without my Big Man pills. I used to weigh one-twenty-eight and was as weak as a kitten.” He bit a piece of shrimp in half and chewed with gusto. “I want guys who look like total wimps to be able to hold their heads up high. They just need to know how to get their hands on my stuff and their lives could change forever.”
    “I didn’t realize that natural herbs and vitamins could really change someone’s muscular makeup,” Nathan said as their appetizer dishes were cleared and their salads were served. “Are they safe?”
    “I wouldn’t have used them if they weren’t. Believe me, there are tons of phony health-care products in L.A. That’s why I relocated. This is a fresh market. It’s not overloaded with merchandise that glitters like gold but won’t do a thing to change how you look.” Tobey skewered a stack of lettuce leaves and shoved them into his mouth until his cheek bulged like a chipmunk’s. “This is so good.”
    Nathan sprinkled black pepper onto his Caesar salad. “Who manufactures your products?”
    “I make them. Well, me and my girl, Sheila.” He crunched on a crouton. “We purchase the raw materials, grind the herbs, and fill the capsules in a lab so clean you could serve Thanksgiving dinner on the floor. The bottle labels are printed by a professional because packaging is really important. What I don’t have is a killer website.”
    Cooper studied Nathan. He seemed to be contemplating Tobey’s request. “What kind of features are you looking for?”
    The waitress appeared and silently