“Coffee. I could smell coffee. Coffee would make everything better.”

“See, this was why I liked coffee. You couldn’t screw up making coffee. Even the bad stuff was good.”

“You cannot thrash the person who makes you coffee. It's a rule somewhere.”

“Put a scoop of ice cream on it?” she asked. “And coffee. Everyone want coffee?” She looked inquiringly at us, smiling in a way that made me decidedly nervous, especially after that “I can get us a body” remark, and I nodded.Coffee? Why not?”

“I was having coffee with my bodyguard. I didn't expect to be hunting bad guys until later. Leather before sundown is tacky.”

“My office is trashed,” he grumped as he squished across his damp carpet and took the coffee that I was holding out to him. “Why are you smiling? My fish are dead.”

“My fingers tightened on my waxed paper cup, sure now I knew why Minias was sitting at a table sipping coffee with me. I had a password. I had a reason to trade. I had a major problem.”