How could he refuse anything? Easily. By saying ‘no’, like he never said to Zechariah … before the letters. He had called him a treasure, and yet avoided him when he had called to him. Did he know? Did he know that ‘tomorrow’ had become a roadside prayer on his way to the post office? Did he know the torture of being let down gently, again and again?

Did he know that Zechariah was still holding court? Still filing an appeal to Elijah’s decision? He was here, and he was declaring himself ‘easy’.

Hm, hm, hm. How did Zechariah navigate this boat? How did he keep from ending up that sword-riddled mermaid again? And what on earth had changed Elijah’s tune so quickly from turning him away to offering himself up with the appetizers?

Zechariah smirked. Perhaps he had not believed him when he had told him he was handsome enough for two.

“I sent him away so we could have some privacy,” Zechariah nonchalantly answered.

The heart shaped candle’s light danced, casting shadows over the whip in the shifting sun.

Was he nervous? Of course he was nervous. He was hardly about to let that stop him, but here was Not-Richard in the flesh! Easy! Possibly down to the flesh! Zechariah kept the glass of wine to his lips as Crane spoke, steadily draining it.

Wait. No … no reason to be nervous? Had he misunderstood him? Oh-oh God. Was Crane about to … uh, cry? He drained the glass with slightly widened eyes.

“Oh,” he answered, staring. “No, the vodka is there to drink.”

In fact: excellent choice, Crane. Zechariah filled his glass with mostly vodka and dashed a bit of vermouth over it.

“Case?” Zechariah said with an uncomprehending look.

Oh, right. Why he had been there in the first place.

“The case,” he said, more confidently.

Shit. The thing was still sitting unopened in his office.

“… Yes.”

He inhaled half the cup of burning vodka without so much as a blink, as though it were just one step up from bitter water.

“Have you had any luck with … your … cases?”

He had not brought Crane here to talk about work of all things. God.