Page 61 of Nightcrawler

Mike Williams was more of a grandfather figure to me and the softer side of their partnership in every way. He was ten years older than Cassidy, almost fully gray now, and rounder in the middle by far. He joked about loving doughnuts and his wife, Carolyn’s, cooking all the time, so it was a good thing that he still sported those outdated double-knit slacks with the expandible waistband. He wore his detective’s uniform well and had fantastic law enforcement instincts just like Cassidy. They made a great partnership but that was only part of the reason they were the best of friends. They were men I could count on, and they’d been there the day I’d needed someone the most. I knew I’d never be able to repay them for their friendship or their support.

The server showed up a few minutes after Cassidy and Mike with our other friends following right behind. After greetings were exchanged with Jarrett and Thayne, everyone gave thewaitress beverage orders. Since Raven had forced a bowl of granola on me, I was happy with coffee. He ordered the same, and the waitress walked away to collect our drinks.

“Don’t even think about it, Jarrett,” Thayne said.

Jarrett was pointing to a menu picture of a stack of pancakes with strawberries and whipped cream.

“But I like pancakes,” Jarrett said. The whine in his voice was hilarious.

Thayne threaded his fingers together, laying them on the table as he faced his husband. “And what did I tell you when you pulled the pillow over your head at my mention of a morning run today?”

“That I was tired.”

“Try again.”

“Jeez, Thayne, we were up late watchin’ that movie,” Jarrett drawled. “It’s not my fault. It’s yours.”

Thayne looked like he could chew nails. “It wasn’t my fault! You could have gotten up and gone to bed but nooo…you stayed up to watch the whole thing.”

“That always happens,” Jarrett argued. “You pick a movie and after I watch for ten minutes, I end up wantin’ to finish it.”

“What movie did you watch?” Raven asked, effectively stopping the amusing bickering between husbands.

Jarrett turned to him, and I could tell by the way he was biting his lower lip, he wasn’t about to tell.

“Come on. Tell us,” Cassidy said.

Jarrett quickly mumbled something behind his hand.

I couldn’t make out what he’d said between his thick West Virginia drawl and the garbled response, so I asked this time. “What movie?”

Thayne grinned, and Jarrett sighed. He looked over at me with ice blue eyes. “Boogie Fuckin’ Nights.”

I exchanged a glance with Raven who was chuckling, and I knew exactly what he was thinking. It was the same thing I’d been thinking about…Gemma Monroe’s fake boobs and the fact that she’d been a porn star right around the time period the movie had been set, in the late 70s.

“You like Burt Reynolds,” Thayne argued. “That’s why I picked it.”

“Yeah…inSmokey and the Bandit…not as an agin’ producer of pornos!” Jarrett declared. “And you know I got that Playgirl with him as a centerfold in the garage, Thayne. I’m never gonna be able to look at that the same way again.”

“Look at your menu or I’ll order some granola with berries and yogurt for you,” Thayne said.

“The fuck you say,” Jarrett said, frowning down at his menu again. “Had to fall in love with a fuckin’ vegetarian,” he grumbled.

I laughed and glanced over at Raven who was barely holding back his own laugh.

The waitress came over and took everyone’s order, topping up our coffees and setting down juice. After she walked away, we finally got down to business.

RAVEN

“Before we get to your fugitive, Miguel, I wanted to talk toRaven about that asshole, Ned Jeffries.” He glanced over at me as I stopped my coffee halfway to my mouth. I set the mug back on the table and leaned forward.

“You talked to him?” I frowned. “When? You said you had dinner and a man waiting for you last night if I recall.”

“As it turned out, Zack had to work late, so Mike and I decided to pay Jeffries a call at home. He had a few guests with him,” Cassidy said.

“Who?”

“His accomplices in the lie he’d concocted about the assault he says he suffered at your hand, Raven.”