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Seriously?

“Marcus.”

“That’s done through district court.”

“Oh. Okay.”

“What about the breaking and entering?”

Andy hesitated. “I’m not sure.”

Millard’s frown deepened. “What aren’t you sure of?”

“Whether that might actually aggravate the situation.”

Millard opened his mouth, and Andy said, “Marcus is a former police officer. He’s very experienced at negotiating the legal system.”

Millard’s expression altered ever so slightly. He made ahmmmsound. “Police officer, you say? I see. If that’s the case, I guess we can cut him a little slack this one time.”

This attitude didn’t surprise Andy. For all he knew, Millard’s hesitation would be shared right down the line. He nodded.

“I could maybe talk to him.” Millard sounded reluctant, and Andy didn’t blame him.

It’s not like Marcus would take kindly to a fatherly word from someone he would regard as a lard-ass hick cop.

“Thanks, but I don’t think it would help.”

Millard considered and seemed to agree. “Any word on Cutty?” Once again, his gaze traveled suspiciously around the shop as though expecting Quinn to pop out of the woodwork.

Andy shook his head. “I’m going to phone the hospital in a bit.”

It was later than he’d realized. Night was fading. Across the road, the boats in the harbor slowly materialized, rising and falling on a ghostly tide. Cheery lights winked on inside the little row of shops down Main Street. An occasional pair of headlights traveled down the empty street.

“Okay. Well, keep me posted.”

“Will do.”

The chief touched two fingers to the brim of his baseball cap and turned away. He threw one final, skeptical look over his shoulder.

“Well, that wasn’t helpful,” Andy muttered. He closed the door, locked it. The snow was falling a little more heavily, sliding down the windows, sticking to the roofs and benches and flower pots. He had the weird feeling of being trapped inside a snow globe.

The illusion shattered as someone tapped urgently on the door’s glass panes.

Not Millard. Now Quinn stood on the other side of the door. He peered in at Andy.

Andy expelled a breath, unlocked the door, and opened it.

Quinn, carrying the chilly scents of ocean and snow, stepped inside. “What did Millard want?”

“He saw the lights on, saw you and Marcus walking away from the shop, and thought something was up.”

Quinn said sardonically, “What do you know? Even Millard gets it right once in a while.”

Andy drew his robe tighter. “What happened with Marcus?”

“Marcus is not happy.”

“Yeah. Well. Tell me something I don’t know.”