“Archie lies about a lot of things.”
“Good point,” she admitted.
“Making sure you keep your job at the Dreamland, if and when it reopens, might risk my partnership with Archie.”
She bristled. “You don’t have to make it sound ridiculous or impossible. You owe me.”
He pressed his lips together to hide a small smile.
“What’s so funny? You better not be laughing at me. You don’t have the right.”
“I was not laughing at you.” The whisper of a smile disappeared. “I do owe you, and I’ll do what I can. It might take some time. With all the ruckus over the barkeep’s death, I can’t promise to get it done right away. But I will do what I can.”
Should she tell him his time may be short? If the coppers put him away for killing Houdini. “The cops think you had something to do with Houdini’s death,” she blurted.
“What do you mean?”
“The other day, the cops asked me questions about Houdini’s murder. They also asked if I knew you were back in town.”
Ezekiel took his hands out of his pockets and folded his arms across his chest. “I knew Houdini, but knowing a dead man is not a crime. Don’t worry about the cops.” He smiled with one side of his mouth. “And don’t worry about me. I can take care of myself.”
“I’m not worried. February is a long ways off, and I wouldn’t want—”
“Me to end up in the hoosegow before I fix this trouble you’re having with Archie and Mr. Buttons?” He chuckled. “I understand, Honoree.”
“And you’ll square things with Trudy, too?”
He moved in closer, his breath warm on her face smelling of cigarettes and Wonder Bread. “Don’t you believe me?”
The scent of his soap, clean and fresh, mixed with his sweat was intoxicating. She shivered and looked into his eyes. The glint of humor helped get rid of the chill, but there was also something else, something dark and unexpected, and she didn’t like how it made her feel. She shoved him in the chest. “How dare you!”
Of his own volition, he took a step back. Honoree couldn’t have moved him otherwise. The smile on his lips, however, was still not right, and the suddenness of his desire caught her unprepared. What was going on with him?
She shoved him again. “I can’t believe you.”
“You thought I wanted to hurt you.”
“You were going to kiss me!” She pointed a finger. “I do not exchange favors, Ezekiel. This is about repaying a debt. You. Owe. Me.”
“Jesus Christ.” He grabbed her shoulders, holding her firmly so that she couldn’t run. Not that she planned on running. She intended to stand her ground.
“Yes, Honoree. I wanted to kiss you. Being around you is more challenging than I thought it would be.”
“Let go. We made a deal. The new you and the new me. A deal. Can we stick to that?”
“Get your hands off her! Right now. Or I swear!”
Honoree turned. The loud girlish voice had come from the kitchen door, and Bessie was rushing toward them, waving a long stick. Her eyes were wild and trained on Ezekiel.
“Hold on, little girl.” He released Honoree’s shoulders and retreated, his hands up, palms out.
Honoree edged in between him and Bessie, searching the girl’s face for a sign of common sense. “He wasn’t hurting me. We were talking. Only talking.”
Bessie stopped her charge, but the wild look in her eyes kept Honoree rooted in front of Ezekiel.
“Bessie, listen. I’m fine. Ezekiel didn’t want to hurt me.”
Honoree clapped her hands in front of Bessie’s face, making sure the girl’s rage hadn’t made her deaf and blind. “Do you hear me?”
