“And all regarding a non-violent, essentially victimless crime!”
Her voice was getting louder and louder, a Tabby tactic for cutting arguments off at the knees—be louder than your opponents, and they shall give up out of embarrassment.
Home sweet home, Sam thought, sizing Tabby’s bags. “Let’s just go, everyone. Come on!”
She’d been so excited about seeing her sisters, she hadn’t thought about what having them under one roof would mean. They weren’t kids anymore. There was years of change to work through. Still, she couldn’t help smiling to herself. Her sisters were back where they belonged. Surely everything would take care of itself from here.
That sense of contentment was rattled when they arrived at the building. Both Tabby and Nicole insisted on going straight inside Silver Daughters, as though their dad might have left clues regarding his disappearance hitherto uncovered by Sam. Noah was standing behind the counter reading a cracked copy of Fool’s Fate. He didn’t look up when they burst in, Nicole and Tabby debating the likelihood their dad had gone to Tampa at the top of their lungs.
“Hey,” Sam said apologetically. “Any customers?”
Noah shook his head, licking his thumb and turning another page.
Tabby let out a pointy-hat and broomstick cackle. “Whoa, who’s this tall muscly drink of water?”
She was taking the piss. She’d met Noah when she came to visit last year and took perverse pleasure in giving him shit and getting only the mildest of looks in return.
Noah didn’t so much as glance up, which was probably why Tabby practically vaulted the counter and flung her arms around him. “Big brother, it’s me! Tabby! Do you have not a single kind word for your baby sister?”
Noah held up his book and continued to read over Tabby’s head, a faint smile creasing the corners of his cheeks.
Sam grinned, and turned to explain the situation to Nicole, only to find her twin staring at Noah. Her expression suggested the final clues in a mystery novel had just fallen into place and the killer was unmistakably Sam’s second in command.
“Who,” she whispered, her gaze fixed on Noah’s face, “is that?”
“Uh, Noah Newcomb? Tattoo artist? The big guy dad loves?”
Nicole didn’t respond, just continued staring at Noah as though he was the Zodiac killer. Perhaps aware that he was being mentally framed for crimes he didn’t commit, Noah looked up. When he met Nicole’s gaze, his expression hardened and her apprehension became fifty times more valid. The guy was six-four and fucking huge, with bloodthirsty tattoos blocking out both arms and his meaty neck. It didn’t take much to make him look dodgy as hell.
Sam clapped her hands. “Noah, this is my twin, Nicole. Nix, this is Noah, my most valuable employee. Your most valuable employee, too, since you’ll be working here on a semi-professional basis.”
She was rambling but no one seemed to notice. Nicole and Noah were locked in a stare-off and Tabby was gazing at both of them open-mouthed, as though they were performing a stage play.
“How’s it going?” Noah growled.
“Very good, thank you.” Nicole’s smile brimmed with unwarranted primness. “If you’re working, do you think you should be reading behind the counter?”
Noah’s gaze darkened and Sam almost groaned out loud—could her twin not be a killjoy even once? She was always frosty with big tattooed guys, but Noah wasn’t some lughead idiot. He was her friend, not to mention, working at a reduced salary to take some financial heat off the business.
“Drop it, Nix,” Sam said, taking her sister’s hand. “Let’s just get some food and head upstairs, you can critique all of dad’s new frog sculptures. Wont that be fun?”
“Fine,” Nicole said in that same snotty tone. “See you later, Noah.”
He grunted, returning his gaze to Fool’s Fate and didn’t remove it again.
“Don’t be such a snob,” Sam chided as they headed around the back to the apartment. “Noah’s a good guy.”
Nicole sniffed, turning her head up to stare at the sky. “He’s got a spider’s web on his elbow, has he been to jail?”
“Uh…” It occurred to Sam that she’d never asked. No one ever asked Noah anything about himself and with good reason—you got no response. “Look, dad likes him, how bad could he be?”
“To be fair, dad married mum,” Tabby piped up. “His judgement has some pretty serious holes. By the way, Yosemite Sam, don’t worry about dinner for me. I’m meeting Ando and the boys in fifteen.”
“Oh, come on! You just got here! We should have group dinner at least?”
Nicole glanced up at the sky. “Well, I was thinking of going to Monica’s and seeing her baby. Now I know Tabby’s leaving, I’ll just have a shower and head out.”
Tabby scowled. “I’m having the first shower.”