Dead and Disorderly (Behind the Blue Line Series Book 2) Read Online Free PDF Page B

the folder full of information would have to wait. Nico dialed Nahia’s number as he walked out to his car.
    “Well hello, Detective.”
    Her voice scrambled his brains. It was like shaking an Etch-A-Sketch and all cogent thought left his head when he heard it. She wasn’t trying to be sexy or purr seductively, of that he was damn near certain, but the effect was the same. “Um… Yeah, hi, Nahia. About tonight, I can’t make it.”
    “Oh, okay then. Change your mind?” Her immediate acceptance of his bad news didn’t mask the disappointment in her voice.
    He hit the siren as he pulled out of the lot, heading to his designated staging area for the SWAT callout. “Not at all.” His eyes fell briefly to the folder in the passenger seat of the Nissan. “Something came up.”
    Her little giggle before she answered was just too cute. Nico frowned at himself in the rearview mirror; he was just this side of fawning. “From the siren in the background, I’d say so. Give me a call when you’re done. If I’m up, I’ll answer. Sound good?”
    Nahia’s suggestion that he call her in the middle of the night with the possibility of her being in bed spun out an entire fantasy in his head in a matter of seconds. “Sounds perfect.”

 
    When she hung up the phone, Nahia actively fought against the wave of disappointment. As much as she told herself it was because it was a delay in her research for the mansion, she knew it was really because she’d wanted to see Nico. She’d been thinking about him all day, much to her dismay and annoyance. Well, actually, much to her curiosity and mild arousal, but that was where the annoyance came in.
    Why, oh why, did people who were in a relationship insist on thrusting all their single friends together? There was a happiness and peace that came from being alone, at least for her. She liked relying on herself and being the sole purveyor of her own happiness. Not that she was celibate, she just never saw the need to keep them around for very long. It worked out well for all involved.
    Nahia sighed as she locked the front door and turned the sign to ‘Closed’. Nothing left for her to do but her weekend cleansing of the business. She wasn’t a practicing witch anymore. Hadn’t really been in several years. She kept the holy days, and some useful rituals for both personal and professional use, but for the most part, it was just part of the store she ran and the life she’d led.
    In a cabinet under the register, she kept a box with sacred markings and seals, in which she kept her implements for keeping the store free from…well, everything. Ghost hunting came with risks, including the possibility of taking things back with her that she didn’t want or appreciate, and she had no way to tell what her customers were up to, so it was best to keep the protective gear on hand and to cleanse liberally, weekly.
    She went to each window, anointing it with an oil blend she’d whipped up herself and checking the imperceptible seals she’d written on each sill, making sure they were visible and intact. Then she anointed the doorways and marked them as well, leaving the thresholds and kickplates for last. She had just returned to pick up her chalk when her cell phone rang in her pocket.
    One look at the screen and she was confused. “I thought you had something to do.”
    “They just disregarded me. How are you? Are you still at the store? How do you feel about pizza and beer?” She could hear the road flying past him as he drove, what sounded like a spirited discussion of the Yankees offense on the radio in the background.
    “Um…yeah! I’m good. I’m still here.” The call and subsequent barrage of questions left her a bit stunned.
    He chuckled softly and turned down the radio. “And the pizza?”
    Nahia cringed at herself. She was acting like this was her first date. “Um, yeah. Sounds good.” She couldn’t stop saying ‘um!’ What was wrong with her?
    “Great. What do you