Page 33 of A Matter of Time

He stopped suddenly, and I had to tilt my head back to see his face. The man was very tall.

“I can’t decide whether you’re stupid or just⁠—”

“Thank you for saving me from that guy,” I interrupted, staring up into his gray-blue eyes. “He was being a total dick.”

“Why?”

I shrugged. “He just didn’t want to take no for an answer.”

“Seems like maybe that happens to you a lot.”

“Maybe.”

He nodded slowly. “What is that salad?”

I chuckled. “From the sneer of contempt, I’m gonna assume you don’t eat much salad.”

“You would be right.”

I glanced into the shopping basket he was carrying and couldn’t contain my gasp.

“What?”

“Jesus.” I looked at all the frozen food. “You’re not gonna eat that, are you?”

“Yeah, why?”

I picked up one of the frozen appetizers. “Do you have any idea the kind of preservatives that are in this?”

“And I should care, why?”

I looked back up into his eyes. “Detective, do you have any idea what this shit will do to your arteries?”

He grunted.

“And your cholesterol and your⁠—”

“I don’t eat salad.”

“You don’t hafta eat salad,” I assured him. “But you could eat⁠—”

He put up a hand. “I’m due at my buddy’s house, and he said to bring stuff.”

“So you’re planning to kill everyone?”

He rolled his eyes. “You know what, why don’t you just mind your own goddamn business, buy your rabbit food, and I’ll drop you at your place on my way.”

I shrugged and turned to walk toward the cashier.

“Wait.”

I looked at him over my shoulder.

He scowled at me for several seconds. “Shit. Show me what to get.”

“What?”

“Don’t be an ass, just show me.”