Page 7 of Cross & Crown

Nick didn’t drink coffee.

Hagan set the cup down in front of him, steaming and

giving off a sickeningly strong smell.

“Throw that away,” Nick ordered.

“Whatever. You’re welcome.” Hagan sat and chucked his

feet up on the desk opposite Nick’s. They were set up facing

each other. Nick glared at the coffee cup, then his partner.

Hagan gave him a toothy smile. “What else we got working?”

“Prints are going through the system for the other victim,

and the amnesiac witness.” Nick held up a photograph from

the crime scene. “Aside from the fact that the perps apparently riffled the bookshelves and made a damn mess of everything,

the only things that seem to be missing were in this display

cabinet.” He set it down and slid it across to Hagan. “Don’t

get your coffee near that.”

“Yes, Mother.” Hagan picked it up, sipping his coffee as

he studied the photo of the display case. The glass doors were

intact, the wood unscathed. Whatever had been inside hadn’t

been under lock and key. “I mean, what else does a bookstore

display besides books?”

Nick shrugged. “I’ve seen some where they have antiques

on show. They’re usually just for atmosphere, though, nothing

worth a motherfuckingheist.”

Hagan raised an eyebrow from behind the rim of his

coffee cup.

“Yeah. Heist. Everything we have here is looking like a

pro job. The security was disabled, there’s no sign of forced

entry, and since the shopkeeper bled out where he fell on the

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sidewalk, it’s probable he wasn’t supposed to be there and the

robbers literally ran into him on their way out and panicked.”