The Emerald Heist : An Irish Heist and Murder Mystery (A Sadie Stewart Cozy Mystery Book 5) by L.B. Dayton

Author:L.B. Dayton [Dayton, L.B.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: anonymous
Published: 2025-03-08T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter eleven

Chapter 8: The Claddagh

"Why don't we start off by declaring any self-defense weapons," Nolan Barron says with a faint glint of humor in his red-rimmed, irritated eyes. "And while you're at it, why don't you hand over your phone to Devon here, just to make sure you're not going to do something silly like call the cops on us."

Sadie grits her teeth. She stares down the man in front of her, whose size is not diminished in the least bit despite being sat down. In fact, the little booth just makes him seem all the more bulky. His shoulder brushes against the brick wall, which is covered in already faded and currently fading stickers from passersby marking their attendance through this space.

"I don't think that's really the best way to win my trust if you want to talk," Sadie says as she obediently hands over her handbag containing all of her valuables, raising her hands to signify that she has nothing else on her.

Devon gives her a nod as he takes it and stashes it behind the bar, not too far from the booth in the small pub space.

Slow, rolling rock plays over the speakers in a non-intrusive addition to the laid-back nature of the place.

"We don't need to win your trust," Nolan clarifies. "Knowing the story Lex must have told you, I can see how that might as well be impossible to expect from you. What needs to happen here, is for us to feel safe."

Sadie narrows her eyes. She looks between the two men, with an appraising purse of her lips. "You two look more than capable of making yourselves safe. Especially here on your home turf."

Devon snorts and delicately raises his fingers to his bruised nose, almost like he hopes to remind Sadie how hazardous she has been for them so far.

Nolan tilts his head like he is deferring to Devon's point, even though he never said a word.

There isn't much of a different way out of this situation, Sadie realizes. So, she lays her hands flat on the worn wood of the table, relaxes her shoulder and looks deep into Nolan's observant eyes. "You said we have things to discuss. I'm all ears."

"Good. Then, we can all be friends. Which only makes sense, since we're all on Lex's payroll," Nolan says. His voice is clear and resonant, like a pilot's or a school principal's. Sadie doesn't like a criminal speaking with as much of a commanding air as he does. It implies he can easily get what he wants out of you.

"Lex hasn't paid me a cent. He wanted to, don't get me wrong. But whatever commitment you think I might have towards him it definitely is not monetary."

Nolan raises a thick eyebrow. "You're in a relationship with Lex?"

"Ew! No!" Sadie says before she can stop herself. "I mean... No, gosh—I didn't mean it like that."

A faint snicker emanates from Devon's direction, as he hides his hand behind a fist.

Nolan, himself, can't help but crack a smile either.

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