Page 14 of Cross & Crown

Detective Hagan and a uniform are going to stay with you

tonight,” Nick answered as he led JD out of the room.

“Is this going to be your case, Detective? I mean . . . you’re

the one who’ll be working it?”

“That’s right, me and my partner.” Nick stopped and

turned to face JD. They were almost the same height, but

JD was thinner and more compact. He took a tiny step back

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when Nick faced him, like he was intimidated. Nick tried to

give him a reassuring smile, but he knew himself well enough

to know that when he smiled, it rarely reassured anyone. “I’ll

figure this out, man. I promise.”

JD sat with his hands on the table, folded over each other.

He played with his fingers as he took in his surroundings.

Nick got the feeling that he was used to having something on

or in his hands to mess with. A ring, maybe. There was no

mark, though, no cal uses to give evidence of anything being

worn there recently.

JD’s eyes strayed to the memorabilia along the brick

walls of the pub as he continued to fidget. Nick tried not to

watch him too closely. He knew the scrutiny would make him

nervous, and JD already had enough nervous energy to power

a small appliance.

Nick supposed he couldn’t blame the guy, though. He

looked away, trying to find something else to focus on for a

while.

His eyes followed a waitress as she walked by, and his gaze

landed right back on JD once she was gone. He had stopped

moving, and his narrowed eyes were raking over the wall next

to him. The lines around his mouth had relaxed.

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