know that, but the people who get all freaked out and call us for it don’t.”
“We try to tell them the truth, but they never believe us, and their money spends,” Susannah said. She was Eddie’s daughter and must have looked like her mom, because she was a little taller than me, still short, a little more muscled and less thin than when we’d met on her very first night on the job. She’d put on muscle so she could handle the equipment better, and because she’d asked me what I did to make the men respect me more. Easy answer is hit the gym and make sure you can handle yourself physically. Nothing screams weak like not being able to pull your weight on the job.
I smiled back. “I hear that.”
Eddie excused himself to go talk to the grave diggers about what would need to happen if they had to use the flamethrowers. They used what amounted to napalm, so that it burned and kept burning. You really didn’t want to take collateral damage.
Now that her dad was gone, Susannah’s eyes flicked up Nicky in that long sweep that goes from the feet to the top of the head like you’re wondering what the person would be like out of their clothes. She hadn’t seen him bend down for the kiss or she wouldn’t have done it. I’m not saying she wouldn’t have speculated, but she would have been polite enough not to let me see her doing it. It’s okay to look at someone’s boyfriend and wonder; you just keep it to yourself and don’t act on it, ever.
Once upon a time, I’d hidden how many men were in my life, partially out of embarrassment and a lack of comfort with my own lifestyle. The other part had been because cops treat women who sleep around differently than they treat those who don’t—unfair, but true. But my hiding my love life too well had led to Detective Jessica Arnett having a serious crush on Nathaniel and feeling like I’d let her make a fool of herself over my boyfriend. I didn’t work with Susannah all that often, but I still didn’t want a repeat of the issue.
I took Nicky’s hand and said, “Did Nicky introduce himself?”
She glanced down at the hand holding. “Got his name, and that he was with you, but not that he was ‘with’ you.” She made little quotes around with.
“Just wanted to make sure you don’t waste energy in Nicky’s direction, that’s all.”
“Good to know.” Then she frowned. “But I thought you were engaged to Jean-Claude?”
“I am.”
She looked at Nicky and then back at me, raising both her eyebrows in a question.
“Jean-Claude knows all about Nicky.”
“And he’s okay with it?”
“Yep.”
“Very understanding fiancé you have there,” she said.
“I’m one of Jean-Claude’s blood donors,” Nicky said.
I fought to keep my face blank and pleasant, because he’d just lied. He had a very serious rule that he didn’t donate body fluids to anyone. He fed the ardeur for me and only me, period. So why had he told Susannah otherwise?
“Ah,” she said, and you could just see her interest fade. His being my lover hadn’t really dimmed her speculation, but find out he gave blood to Jean-Claude and she was done. Again, why? I felt like I’d missed something important in the last few minutes, but I’d have to wait for alone time with Nicky to have him explain it to me. Weird having to have a sociopath explain social interaction, but I was lost and he wasn’t. He’d gotten the results he wanted out of the exchange, and I had no idea why, or what, but the way he stood next to me, hand in mine, let me know that he was satisfied with what had just happened. Nice someone was.
I held his hand and smiled and vowed to ask him later.
Domino motioned from near the grave. Nicky kissed me and then went off to help move the grave marker.
“Thanks for letting me not waste my time, Anita; I appreciate it.”
“Not a problem.”
She smiled then. “But if you know anyone else who’s built along the same lines and isn’t involved, let me know.”
“Aww, I’m not your type,” Zerbrowski said, making a fake pouty face exaggerated enough to show in the dim light.
“Sorry, Sergeant, but I don’t go for middle-age leches who are happily married.”
“Ouch, it’s the middle-aged comment that hurts; the rest of it is just true.” He grinned at her.
“I’ll keep my eyes peeled for