“Yep. You’ve earned it, hero,” Rachel replied. Did you ask Tina to join us, Gus?”
Gus looked uncomfortable for a moment until he realized Nick the human lie detector was grinning at him. “I asked her, but she’s hesitant involving herself with our little group since Nick did his Ninja breakfast act at my house.”
Rachel gasped. “You did what? Oh no you didn’t! My God… what the hell is wrong with you? Gus is our best friend, and you did a Ninja breakfast on them?”
Nick took a deeper gulp from his boilermaker. The three with him new exactly what the hell was wrong with him – he had no conscience. Sometimes they forgot that, but he never did. He usually was more in tune with his human companions; but unfortunately, opportunity and the rotten side of his soul came knocking. “I plead the Fifth.”
“You don’t get to plead the Fifth!” Rachel was getting worked up. “What you did is wrong in so many ways. You apologize right now!”
Nick took another big gulp from his drink. He smiled at Gus. “I am so sorry… you rat! What happened to what goes on between partners, stays between partners?”
“That only counts for partners with a conscience. Did you really think I wouldn’t out you for pulling that crap on me when you least expected it?”
By that time both Rachel and Jean were enjoying the exchange.
Nick shrugged. “Okay… but don’t think I’ll forget this. Partners don’t out partners. I’m glad I have my laptop ready with ‘Assassin’s Folly’. Say goodbye to Jed. I pictured the perfect ending for him.”
“Don’t you dare,” Rachel warned, seeing Nick’s fingers moving rapidly over the keyboard. “That is so small minded, and mean, killing off Gus’s avatar in your book to get back at him for expressing outrage at your invasion of his privacy.”
“Well… hell… if you’re putting it like that, then fine, I’ll save Jed’s death scene for later when calmer minds prevail. The publisher, editor, and agent all want someone close to Diego to die. Guess who is close to Diego. That’s right, folks. It’s Jed.” Nick began humming the funeral dirge.
“There goes the image of the great indie author, writing the way he wants,” Rachel remarked. “The publisher, editor, and agent want deaths, so you go belly up, and take out Jed. For shame.”
“I’m not an indie author. I’m a bought and paid for author. I am getting tired of that editor they have me debating my writing style with. Linda sends me orders every book to change this too violent plot thread, and add more of something else, and blah, blah, blah. It’s not the line edits for typos and word overuse, which I have nearly eliminated over the years. I have to call her every time I send in a new manuscript. We argue back and forth until I tell her there’s no way I’m changing the part she’s complaining about, and if she doesn’t like it, I’ll shop the new Diego novel somewhere else. Then she gives me the spiel how she’s only carrying out the publisher’s wishes. I then tell her I’ll call the publisher directly, and tell him I’m heading elsewhere. Linda sighs… which I hate… and acquiesces for my sake. Maybe I should go indie.”
“Without Jed, your novel will be a flop,” Gus said. “You’ll need Jed with Diego, if you’re going to make a go of it on your own, Boss.”
“My initial offering under the new Nick McCarty Publishing Banner will have to be controversial. Nothing does that better than the death of a beloved character.” Nick again did his funeral dirge hum.
“You’ll be sorry if you do it, Dad,” Jean said. “Jed is Diego’s conscience.”
“Jed’s holding Diego back. It’s a return to Diego’s old killer moves in this novel.”
“Then you have the title right,” Rachel said. “Folly, it is.”
Nick cast a look of fake outrage at his mate. “Okay… let’s get to the reality part of this show. Did you three get a look at the news while making this delicious repast?”
“Gus pointed the bitch out to me who did all the bullshit questions. I wanted to go right through the TV screen and wring her neck.” Rachel sipped some more wine, followed by a deep breath. “Her name’s Florence Gutierrez. I’ve read about her. She’s Channel 10’s new raven haired beauty, street smart, and hard hitting. Oh barf!”
“So you think she’s just trying to make a name for herself then?”
“Maybe,” Rachel replied. “Not that you have money worries, but she could damage your author cover. What I don’t understand is Gutierrez exposing herself to your verbal onslaught. You ate her lunch. The crowd was laughing at her, and she still came after you at the end.”
“That was my take on it too,” Nick said.