I said to Aswan, “Anything you can say to me, you can say in front of my bouncer.”

“We got a 911 call from Hunter Enterprises in the Guardian Building,” Aswan said. “Somebody fitting your description going by the name of Elwood ‘Lockjaw’ Singer was intimidating Mr. Bronson.”

“Tha’d be me.” I took a sip of coffee. “Though I’d hardly call it ‘intimidating.’ Exactly how do you intimidate a billionaire with a three-man security detail equipped to meet the zombie apocalypse head-on?”

“Lockjaw?” Aswan was unable to conceal his amusement. “Really?”

“The only known Black associate of the Purple Gang,” I said. “Cops tried to drown him in a toilet. Didn’t know he was a marathon swimmer who could hold his breath for three minutes.”

“I was asked—commanded by my boss to pay you a visit,” Aswan said.

“And your boss is?”

“Captain Leo Cowling.”

“What exactly did Captain Cowling say, Detective?”

“You sure you wanna hear, sir?” His cheeks flushed as he glanced at Tatina. “I’m not sure this is language fit for your, uh, ‘bouncer’. Bottom line is I’m here because he’s afraid if he were here, he’d hurt you.”

“Unlikely,” I said. “Have you seen his hands? Like creepy little doll hands!”

“Those are the hands that fork over my check, Mr. Snow,” the newly minted detective said, presenting me with a warrant.

I escorted Detective Aswan upstairs to my small gun safe, spun the combination dial and gave him my other Glock 17 and my father’s service weapon, which I’d cleaned but never fired. He put both into an evidence bag and apologized profusely.

“Thank you very much, ma’am, for the chili, corn bread and coffee,” Detective Aswan said to Tatina. “I hope you enjoy your stay.” Then he pointed to the painting of Octavio Paz. “Mind if I ask who did that painting? It’s beautiful.”

“You have good taste, Detective,” I said. “My mother painted that.”

“She’s very good.”

“She’s gone now.”

“I’m sorry,” he said, instantly making me believe he was sincerely sorry. “My mother’s a fabric artist. Mostly pieces based on Persian myths, music and folklore. She’s good. Shows in a couple local galleries.”

“‘She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes,’” I quoted. “‘She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.’”

“Proverbs 31,” Aswan said.

“Does everyone in this city know every verse from the Bible, Buddhavacana, Koran and Torah?” Tatina said.

“If we didn’t,” I said, “we’d probably be in deeper shit than we already are.”

“Maybe you could add your constitution to the reading list?” she said.