Page 34 of Code Violation

“Don’t they say the first forty-eight hours are the most important? We’re just about in day three. I want answers.”

Forrest led the way inside. He hadn’t bothered to straighten up the house. Nero was just going to have to deal with Forrest’s bachelor mess. Stacks of unread books next to the couch, several empty coffee cups—he spotted one on the bookshelf in the corner—plants that needed watering. He was better at keeping them alive outside, but Lani was always giving them to him anyway.

“It’s the first seventy-two hours and it’s only been forty-eight, but I understand what you are saying. I’m pretty sure that Hollywood came up with twenty-four hours to justify their shitty plots.”

“Where do you want to set up, the kitchen or my office? The kitchen is probably better. I can sit at the table too.”

Nero raised one dark eyebrow. “So you can watch my every move? Make sure I don’t take too many coffee breaks? I’ll work wherever you want me to, but you can’t hang over my shoulder. If you do, I’m packing up and heading back to town.”

“I won’t hang over your shoulder,” Forrest said without meaning it. Nero shot him a glance that told him he wasn’t fooled, either.

“Alright, so. This is my living room, obviously.” He didn’t mention the mess. It wasn’t going anywhere. “The kitchen is through there.” Forrest pointed the other direction. “Bathroom’s that way if you need it.”

“So, it’s sit my ass down and get to work, Nero time?”

“Duh.”

Forrest led the way into the kitchen and pointed at the table. He liked working there as it was near the sliding door and got a lot of natural light.

“If you sit here, the light won’t glare off your laptop screen.”

Nero huffed and set his backpack on the table.

“Maybe you can get started on the aforementioned coffee? I don’t work well without it. And you can tell me about Ned Barker before I get started. What you tell me could help us find a direction. But remember, this could’ve just been something random, and those are harder to solve. I’ll need your Wi-Fi password.”

“WinstonSmithLives.”

“What? Is that a reference to 1984?” Nero looked impressed.

“Yes. Most people don’t get that.”

Not that he had guests over all the time who needed his password. Well, and Lani got it just fine. She claimed it was another moment of Forrest being ridiculous.

“Most people aren’t me.”

No, Forrest had to admit that Nero Vik was one of a kind. As shitty as Forrest had been since he’d come to town—and after Forrest had left abruptly Thursday night—Nero was here, in Forrest’s house, ignoring how much of an asshole Forrest could be.

The other man set up his laptop on the table and turned it on, then fished a notebook and a pen out of his bag to put next to the computer while it powered up. He watched Nero’s fingers fly over the keys as he typed in the password.

Forrest returned to the subject of Ned’s killer. “If this were Seattle or someplace big, I’d consider that maybe some random person is responsible for Ned’s death. But Cooper Springs is a small community. And maybe I’d feel different if it was July or August, when people start coming around for vacation, but there aren’t many strangers here at this time of year.”

“Except for me,” Nero pointed out.

“Lani told me they cleared you.” Nick had also, but Forrest wasn’t going to throw him under the bus. Lani could take care of herself.

“I didn’t kill your friend.” Nero sounded a tad pissed off that Forrest had even hinted at the possibility.

“I know that now,” Forrest huffed back. “Look, I’m not the most trusting person in the world. And you put me off-balance.”

There. That was the most he was going to admit about how Nero Vik had sent his insides reeling since the moment he’d turned up in Cooper Springs. How close he was to violating his own rules about men.

Nero paused his typing and assessed Forrest from over the laptop screen. Forrest felt the slightest bit uncomfortable but also as if maybe he’d passed a test of some kind.

“Coffee?” Nero finally asked. “Seriously, I’m not typing another letter without a huge cup of hot, steaming coffee within my reach.”

“One huge, steaming cup of coffee coming right up.” Forrest turned his attention to the assigned task, thankful the moment had broken. “Do you want anything else?”

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