DEPUTY RICO BROUGHT Bobby’s clothes and took over guard duty, so Duke felt he could go home for food and a little rest. Everyone seemed convinced that Rico could hold the fort, even Newman, though he said quietly to me, “Whatever I think of him as a person, he can handle guarding Bobby for a couple of hours.”
“I thought you didn’t like him back at the house,” I said.
“He’s one of Haley’s ex-boyfriends.”
“Oh,” I said, because I couldn’t think of anything else to say.
“He cheated on her. He cheats on all of them, but he never seems to run out of women to date.”
“Fresh meat,” I said.
Olaf spoke from too far away to have heard our conversation. I’d forgotten about his new supersecret hearing. “I will bet that it is not just women who do not know his reputation.”
Newman looked startled but didn’t ask how Olaf had heard us. He knew that Otto Jeffries had popped positive for lycanthropy after the case in Washington State. “You’re right, but I don’t understand it. I mean, he’s good-looking, but not that good.”
“No one is that good-looking,” I said.
Olaf stalked toward us on those long legs that just seemed to eat up distance. “Most women will believe a handsome man when he lies.”
“Most men do the same thing for beautiful women, and the same thing goes for the gay community on both sides of the aisle,” I said.
Olaf nodded as he towered over both of us. “I will concede that beauty distracts everyone.”
“Thank you,” I said, and meant it. When we’d first met, he’d have been pissed if I’d tried to bring men down to the same level that he thought women deserved.
“You’re both right. I saw it enough when I was a regular cop. Women believe that they will be the one that a bad man will reform for, that he’ll never beat me like he did his ex-wife or cheat on me like he did on the last girlfriend. The women believe that it’s the other woman’s fault and not the man’s. He just needs the right woman in his life, and that will be them,” Newman said. “No matter how many times he has cheated on others, he will not cheat on them, because their love is true.”
“Just like some men want to be a white knight for every damsel in distress they meet, because they believe they’ll be the one that can save them from their terrible lives. They will be strong enough to succeed where all the other boyfriends failed,” I said.
Olaf nodded. “The women take advantage of the men’s good intentions.”
“And men like Rico use the women they date,” I said.
Kaitlin came up behind us and said, “Amen to that.”
We turned to her. “I didn’t know you were one of his exes,” Newman said.
“It’s all right. He’s charmed most of the dating-age females in the county by now.” She grinned and shook her head, managing to look both embarrassed and genuinely amused.
“I’ve always believed that if someone was too good at charming me, he’d had a lot of practice, and when he got tired of me, he’d be just as charming to the next one,” I said.
“Well, you’re right about that.” Kaitlin frowned. “I’ve seen your Jean-Claude being interviewed on TV. He looks pretty darn charming.”
It was my turn to grin. “It was one of the reasons I refused to date him at first. He’d had six hundred years of practice at being a ladies’ man. He was so smooth that I instantly distrusted his motives.”
“You were right to distrust him,” Olaf said.
I frowned up at him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You should distrust everyone.”
“Including you?” I asked.
He nodded, face solemn. “Everyone, Anita. Distrust them all.”
“Well, that’s a grim way of going through life,” Kaitlin said.
Olaf gazed down at her. “It is the truth.”
She shivered as she looked up at him, as if at some level she’d seen something to make her afraid. Good. Even though she wasn’t his type, I didn’t really want any women too close to Olaf. His idea of fun was just too frightening.
“I think there are people you can trust,” Kaitlin said, but she looked away from him as she spoke.
“And that is why you dated Deputy Rico when you knew better,” he said.
“I guess so, but no regrets. It was totally worth it.”
“Why?” Newman asked.
Kaitlin grinned. “The sex was great.”
That made me laugh out loud. Newman frowned, looking angry, and Olaf just looked neutral. Ordinary sex really didn’t move him much.
“Great but not great enough,” I said, still laughing.
“The sex was like the dating,” Kaitlin said. “He had a few great moves that swept you off your feet, but once you’d seen all the tricks, he didn’t have anything to back it up.”
“A lot of serial daters are like that,” I said.
“Serial daters—what are those?” Newman asked.
“It’s like serial monogamy, except you don’t marry them.”
“I’ve never heard of serial monogamy either,” he said.
I think it surprised us all when Olaf answered, “The ones who marry and divorce repeatedly.”
“Yeah,” I said, surprised he knew the term or cared enough to define it out loud.
“And shit like that is why I’ve never been married,” Kaitlin said. Her phone pinged, and she checked the text. “Livingston texted that he’s got us a table.”
“I’m surprised he’s the one saving the table,” Newman said.
“You mean instead of sending me,” she said, smiling.
“I didn’t mean just you, Kaitlin. There are plenty of other state cops in town. Captain Livingston has a lot of lesser rank to send on errands right now.”
“Livingston and the owner are good friends. If he’d sent anyone else in to get a table for this many people during their breakfast rush, we’d be lucky to get seated by lunch.”
“I take it this is Sugar Creek,” I said.
“Best breakfast in three counties,” Kaitlin said.
“I wonder if the waitress that’s dating the handyman at the Marchand place is working today,” I said.
“You thinking of doing a little police work over breakfast?” Newman asked.
“I was thinking about it,” I said.
Kaitlin took a deep breath of the air for effect and said, “I smell clues.”
“I didn’t think about Hazel Phillips being there this morning. I was just thinking about bacon,” Newman said.
“And that is why you called Anita to help you,” Olaf said.
“Would you have thought to question the waitress?” Newman asked.
“That’s not fair. He doesn’t know about her dating the man of all jobs at the Marchand home,” I said.
“That is true, but it doesn’t matter,” Olaf said. “I would not have questioned her anyway.”
“Why not? You just implied that you think it’s a good idea,” Newman said.
“I would have already completed the warrant of execution.”
“So no reason to question anyone,” I said.
Olaf nodded.
Newman looked at me. “Told you.”
“Told her what?” Kaitlin asked.
“If Newman had passed on the warrant, it turns out that Otto here was the next closest marshal.”
“Oh,” Kaitlin said, and looked up at the big man, then back at Newman, and then finally at me. She smiled and put her arm through mine as if we were friends. “Well, then, you would be missing the best pancakes I’ve ever had.”
“Pancakes, huh?” I said, letting her keep my arm, because women get weird about it when they try to be all huggy-feely and you don’t want to be.
“Please tell me you’re not one of those people that doesn’t eat carbs,” Kaitlin said, damn near hugging me.
“I eat carbs.”
“Great. Pancakes for everyone!”
“I do not like pancakes,” Olaf said from behind us as Kaitlin moved us to the door.
She called back, “Then you can have waffles.”
“I do not like them either,” he said, but he was following us out the door.
“What do you like for breakfast?” she asked.
I resisted saying, “The blood of his enemies,” because it wasn’t true. That was Edward’s style and mine. Olaf was much more a blood-of-the-innocents kind of guy.