Page 45 of The Hard Way

“Is there another Nancy?” Odin barked.

“A few,” Andy said.

Therewerea few other Nancys in Baylortown, actually. But that probably wasn’t helpful intel.

“You really want to tell us about this Nancy thing,” Zeus said, closing in on him.

“What? That I told Nancy? You want me to tell you even if it’s not true? Is that what you want?”

Zeus frowned. “You know what we don’t like? People fucking with us.”

Andy looked confused and little outraged. “This seems like it’s going beyond an insurance investigation.”

“Going beyond is ourjob description,” Odin said.

“Our insurance company takes this shitveryseriously,” Zeus added.

“I don’t think your job description includes threatening people. And the law might have something or other to say about that.”

“You can go ahead and try and sue us for that, and you know what our employers will do?” Odin said. “They’ll laugh. Because they’re afucking-ginsurance company and they run thefucking-gworld. And we’re very expensive investigators because we always get to the truth. Nobody hides anything from us.” He moved closer, and it was maybe a little bad that I was finding this whole thing utterly hot. Finding his power and darkness hot. “The information got around somehow. We’ll trace it either way. But if we have to trace it to you the hard way, we’ll make you pay.”

I could see Andy mouth something. It looked likewhat the fuck.

“Got something to share with the class?” Zeus demanded.

“Yeah. If Nancy or anyone found out about the tossed cheese, then one of the girls told. Because I swear, I told nobody.”

“Not even your mother?” I asked. Because it was the kind of thing a farmer would say around a dinner table—the Sunny girls had to toss eighty pounds of cheese todayor whatever. It’s news.

“Why? I barely talk to her.”

I nodded. It was all coming back to me—his shit relationship with his mother, his carelessness with women.

“You’re holding something back,” Zeus said.

I agreed—I could feel it. I guess their spy mojo had rubbed off on me, but also, I knew Andy. A player and a weasel.

“Bro, I’m answering your questions! With thetruth—”

Zeus grabbed his collar and pushed him up against the wall. “There’s something you’re not telling us.”

Odin looked over at me. They were enjoying fucking with Andy. Maybe I shouldn’t have filled them in on Andy’s shitty boyfriend escapades.

Andy just gaped. “What do you want?”

“We want what you’re not telling us. You know how we know you’re keeping something from us?”

Andy shook his head.

“Experience.”

“I swear,” Andy said.

“We’re waiting,” Odin said.

“There’s nothing. Ask me any question and I’ll tell you the gospel truth.”

“What are you holding back?”

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