“What’s this about the Ax!?!” the mobster demanded^ leaning forward so suddenly half the wine sloshed out of his glass.
“You know who the Ax is??”
“I know what he is! The question is, what does he have to do with you and Bunny?”
“We’re heard recently that someone’s hired the Ax to do a number on Skeeve,” Aahz supplied.
“… Right about the same time Bunny showed up,” I added.
“And that’s supposed to make her the Ax?”
“Well, there has been some trouble since she arrived.”
“Like what?”
“Well . . . Tananda left because of things that were said when she found out that Bunny was in my bedroom one morning.”
“Tananda? The same Tananda that said ‘Hi’ to me when I walked in here today?”
“She.. . ummm … came back.”
“I see. What else?”
“She scared off my girlfriend.”
“Girlfriend? You got a girlfriend?”
“Well, not exactly … but I might have had one if Bunny wasn’t here.”
“Uh-huh. Aahz, haven’t you ever told him the ‘bird in the hand’ story?”
“I try, but he isn’t big on listening.”
I can always count on my partner to rally to my defense in times of crisis.
“What else?”
“Ummm…”
“Tell him!” Aahz smiled.
“Tell me what?”
“My dragon doesn’t like her.”
“I’m not surprised. She’s never gotten along with animals … at least the four-footed kind. I don’t see where that makes her the Ax, though.”
“It’s . . . it’s just that on top of the other evidence …”
My voice trailed off in front of Don Bruce’s stony stare.
“You know, Skeeve,” he said at last. “As much as I like you, there are times, like now, I wish you was on the other side of the law. If the D.A.s put together a case like you do, we could cut our bribe budget by ninety percent, and our attorney’s fees by a hundred percent!”