Andrea Speed

“I'm always going to be with you, you know. As long as you remember me, I will exist. Memory is a form of existence, life after death.”

“When was the last time you were with a man? In the Biblical sense.""I thought the Bible frowned on that."That made him chuckle. "You're talking to a preacher's son here. The Bible frowns on many things, and yet seems good on slavery and selling your daughters, so I'm thinking it's schizophrenic at best.”

“Have you had unprotected gay sex?"This time he got a snort and a laugh. "I ain‘t no butt pirate."Roan felt the urge to say, " Arr matey, prepare to be boarded," but somehow managed to repress it.”

“You can't isolate yourself, because that's the worst thing you can do. There's no healing if there's no movement, and isolation is the same as standing still.”

“Cold case or not, the case was technically still open, never closed. These files should have been totally off limits to him. Gabe was risking his job by giving him this. “Wow, I had no idea you’d give me the keys to the kingdom. Thank you.”“If you can find anything new about this case, I will kiss you in front of the squad room. On the lips. Hell, find something actionable and I just may give you a hand job.”“Not a blow job?”“Don’t push it.”

“I got over shy a really long time ago. I'm queer, I'm feline, get used to it.”

“This was how the world ended. Not with a bang, but with a whimper.”

“A spa?""Yeah, Avalon Spa, you know the place near the mall?""Oh, right. What do you do there?"Again, the nervous glance at the floor, and the small flush of color rising up his neck. "I'm a masseur. Which I know sounds phony as hell, but I'm licensed and everything. Also, my clients are women- the only men at Avalon are the ones on staff. And while I've got nothing against women at all- I'd have no friends in high school if it weren't for women- I find them as sexually attractive as roadkill possum."Roan had to swallow back a laugh. "Don't tell them that.""Oh, God no! I'd never get any tips then.”