Ninovan (Hypernaturals 10)

You Are An Eff'ing Genius

At breakfast, we ordered Vampire omelets, which are regular omelets with lots of added meat.

When the waitress left after delivering the order Jessica pulled three avocados out of her bag and handed them out, to go on inside or on top of, whichever. Jessica only tells us how to eat avocados when they are on her. We covered our updated omelets with Salsa and started in.

Morgan kept looking at me, but I am eating so I paid no attention. She would tell me what is on her mind sooner or later.

Jessica asked Morgan questions about the contents of the book. "I know you have not read the thing cover to cover yet, but anything new and interesting? Anything that might tell us where we are going next?"

"I need to do an image search on that symbol they found with her when she was a baby. They did not know what it meant, but we do, and what we need now is just to ascertain if it has turned up in other places. That design is distinctive and almost as nice as the Saint Sagis one you did for me."

"You are sweet. Also, a bit ornery." Jessica told Morgan, happy she had liked her Saint design.

"I was feeling inspired by Adrian's self-control in the shower. Also, the loving going on over on the foldout."

I missed a lot by not paying attention. Morgan was 'ornery' to Jessica?

Morgan continued. "The man that was found with Angel had been stabbed. I read the police report, and there was no knife left behind. No blood trail away. The wounds indicate a large knife: Something like a Bowie. Broad blade. Long. I should also mention the knives' entry point was in the back. The authorities found the body face up, and they think after he died, rather quickly since it pierced his heart, that the man's body was flipped over after death, and Angel-as-a-baby arranged in his arms. They assume therefore that the murderer did it, not that it was someone who came along later. No identification of any kind on either of them. No forensic technology back then to do a symbol search on the icon. No one knew what the symbol meant. Police felt like the killer was a professional since it was one stroke, and not something done out of anger, because, again, only one killing blow. Their best guess is that it was a message meant for someone, but they did not know who. There is also a theory that he was killed, and then Angel added to the crime scene after the fact, because while there was a fairly good size blood puddle, her swaddling was largely blood-free. This is largely deemed unlikely by investigating officers. The wound being in the back, and the body rolled would have the effect of insulating infant Angel from the blood. The police canvas of the area turned up nothing. No one saw it or admitted to seeing it. Given where the body was found, it is unlikely that if someone did see anything they would come forward. There is a well known historical antipathy for authorities, especially there and then."

Morgan ate some food while we digested her summary.

Another glance from Morgan at me.

"OK. Spill, my favorite PI. Why do you keep looking at me?" I asked, now curious.

"Interesting you do not know." Morgan told me as if I should know, and that it is so obvious.

I decided it is not worth knowing, sipped my coffee, and made a face. One of the many pleasurable things about our RV is that my coffee-making gear is there, including beans that are not over-roasted. Not to mention in New Orleans they want to add Chicory to everything.

I am a coffee snob. I admit it. Chicory is OK, but if I am going to add something to my coffee, it will be unsweet or only mildly sweet chocolate. I find the flavor of Cocoa far more complimentary to coffee. I did not grow up in this region learning to love this flavor though. It could be worse. It could be bright as hell, meaning tons of chlorogenic acid. I know that's supposed to be healthy, but I dislike too much of it.

"Should we split up the material after breakfast to speed it up?" I asked. "It is a thick binder."

"You will not ask me now?" Morgan inquired.

"It has to be three or four inches. I have not held it yet to get a good feel for it." I replied. "I just hope we will not be interviewing every single family and sibling Angel got into a fight with. We'll be here forever." I stayed firmly on my new topic.

Jessica intervened. "You know him better than that, Morgan. Once you said he is unobservant, he decided it is not worth knowing."

"Yes. You are right. Perhaps I observed it because of my relationship to it."

"Indubitably." Jessica agreed.

"OK. Adrian. I observed that Angel and Vera's newly developed amorous relationship does not bother you at all. This is interesting to me, and as near as I can tell, you are not feigning lack of interest."

"Why would that be interesting to me?" I asked, with absolute sincerity. "I am not involved in it. OK. I lie. I am interested in the fact that Vera is affected by a Siren presence. As far as I am aware, Vera has never gone in for a direct girl-on-girl setup. Historically speaking when she has been with women in the past she was also with men, at the same time, or at least during the same event. However, I also observed that while she left the shower last night ready to fuck the bellboy if that hotel had one to offer, she behaved. Perfect gentlewoman. Also in unrelated news, I enjoyed getting reacquainted with her topology. Did you know girls are not all the same shape? You're not, you know."

Morgan said to Jessica, "I will be damned. He is so in love with us he literally has no envy at all that his ex is getting exquisitely laid in the next bed over. Not just any old getting laid. Angel made Vera insane before her release."

"I heard her come. I thought it was the helpmate in action, because of how she left the shower." I said. "Other than that, I was in my happy place, IE, with you and Jessica. You could have set off a bomb in the hall and I would not have noticed. Let me think. Yeah. I was trying to take Jessica to the same place when that happened. All I cared about in that moment was getting Jessica to Shangri-La."

"Boy, were you! Focused on it." Jessica agreed.

Morgan took a small, quick bite of food. "I need to work on that level of Amoré tunnel vision. Your entire world was our pleasure, and I was letting all the things going on elsewhere distract me."

"We could tell them to come to get their own breakfast and practice your focus back in the room." Jessica suggested.

"It will take us a while to read that book. How about this? We take them their food, then we leave for the RV. Just us three." Morgan countered.

Jessica touched the back of Morgan's hand lightly. "You, my darling, are a fucking genius."

"Literally." I inserted.