(eng) Nicole Peeler - Trueniverse 02 by The Ryu Morgue

Author:The Ryu Morgue [Morgue, The Ryu]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

NINE

“Bummer about the shawl not being magic.”

Ryu’s eyes flicked up from the menu to rest on Maeve. She was fiddling nervously with her wine glass, sitting bolt upright like they were in class and about to get yelled at by the teacher. Would she ever relax?

“Yeah. But I only did perfunctory tests. I’ll do more later. And while it would have been nice to wrap up the case that quickly…” He decided on what they needed now and a Merlot for later, then put aside the wine list. “I’m not exactly torn up about spending an extra night or two in Napa.”

“I really thought I had something,” said Maeve.

“Hey,” Ryu said, leaving over the table to touch her hand, “you did good. I hadn’t even noticed the chevron pattern. And we haven’t ruled Pai out yet. Maybe she knew who we were and gave us a dud shawl, trying to throw us off the scent.”

“I know. I just keep thinking about all those poor people...” To Ryu’s ears, Maeve didn’t sound maudlin. He could tell she meant it.

“And that’s why you’re good at what you do,” he said, adjusting his touch on her hand so that he held it. She didn’t pull it back, but she didn’t exactly reciprocate. “You care. And you’re smart. And you’re a bulldog. We’ll find whoever is doing this, Maeve.” He let go of her hand, leaning back in his chair. She hadn’t looked at him throughout his little speech, but she looked at him now.

“I know,” she said, her chest rising and falling with a deep breath. “And thank you.”

“I didn’t say anything that wasn’t true,” he said, right when the waiter returned to their table. Ryu ordered a red flight and a white flight and a sampling of charcuterie, while Maeve watched with an amused expression.

“Rather abusing the expense account, aren’t we?” she said when the waiter left.

“Nonsense,” said Ryu. “We will be conducting important research. If you’re willing, that is.”

“Research? Is that why you asked to sit out here?”

They were in the mostly empty courtyard of Napa Vineyards, one of the most famous wineries. They had no proof any of the victims had gone there, but nearly everyone did if they were in Napa. At least, that had been Ryu’s excuse when Maeve had balked at going out for dinner.

Ryu looked around at their charming surroundings. The courtyard was all stone, with a large fountain set in the center. It was turned off for the season, but had been draped with a riotous array of greenery. Twinkling fairy lights were woven around everything, casting an ethereal glow, while heat lamps set in strategic places kept the mostly sheltered courtyard quite warm for the dinner hour. But still, most people had opted to sit inside the restaurant, and Ryu had asked for the table furthest from the smattering of brave souls who had also chosen to sit outside.

“It is, yes,” Ryu said. “I want to try something, but I understand if you don’t trust me.

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