Inspired by Charlie’s taste in food, Jett dragged Hernandez to a nearby Thai restaurant. He had felt a little surprise when Rico had ordered his food without more than a cursory glance over the menu. Somehow, Jett had expected Rico wouldn’t know much about food outside of the most commonplace. As Jett ordered his own meal, he supposed there was probably more to Rico than Jett had originally given him credit for, even if the thought was a little begrudging.

As they sat at one of the small tables in the tiny restaurant, Jett watched Rico with an interested gaze. The detective didn’t seem to notice the scrutiny as he began to eat his food, chewing slowly.

“You know, for someone who was in the military, and then turned around and got himself a demanding, time-consuming job, you don’t eat like it,” Jett commented, jabbing his fork at Rico’s plate.

Rico followed Jett’s gesture and smirked. “It took a long time for me to adjust to being able to eat like everyone else. I always ate fast, even as a kid. The quicker I ate my food, the faster I could get out of the rathole apartment I was raised in. Worked out pretty well when I entered the military, I could eat faster than the other guys without getting sick in the process. I had to teach myself to eat a little slower once I got out, like, really slow. If you think I eat slow now, you should have seen me when I first started training myself to slow down. Old, old ladies eat faster than I did then.”

“Why teach yourself to eat slower?”

Rico shrugged. “Less awkward stares from people as they watch you wolf down a whole meal in seconds. But you know, the old joke about ‘Did you even taste it?’ has some merit. I enjoy my meals a lot more now than when I would inhale them.”

“You eat less too,” Jett pointed out.

Rico snorted. “I don’t actually, it just takes me longer to eat it all.”

Jett cocked his head. “What branch?”

“Navy, and before you ask, I was a SEAL,” Rico said, sounding almost uneasy.

Jett’s brow shot up with a whistle. “One of the best of the best. Explains some of that badass aura you’ve got about you, and why you’re such a grump half the time.”

Rico looked up with a frown. “I’m not grumpy.”

“Serious and all business then, whatever phrasing makes you feel better. So, what made you leave?”

Rico’s face darkened with a shadow. “I didn’t leave, I was left.”

Jett raised his head, opening his mouth, then forcing it closed. It wasn’t just the tone Rico had used when he’d answered, there was something foreboding in the man’s expression. Whatever had happened was obviously something Rico wasn’t willing to talk about, to the point where he looked almost dangerous as he glowered down at his food.

After a long moment Jett cleared his throat. “What’d you think of Dutch and Charlie?”

Rico looked up, still frowning heavily. “They seemed like they were a happy couple. I have no reason to believe Mr. Herrington was lying to us.”

It wasn’t what Jett had been gearing up to say, but he let the comment pass. “Yeah, they’re cute. Their story is pretty interesting, I got it out of them over dinner one time.”

Rico grunted, then sounding begrudging, asked, “What’s their story?”

Liking a good story, Jett opened his hands in an encouraging gesture. “Well, turns out Charlie had just gotten a job at the hotel as a maid. Dutch had come to the hotel because he was some bored rich dude who was really big on gambling, and Opulence is pretty famous for its casino. Apparently, on Charlie’s first day of work, he’d come into Dutch’s room on the bottom floor while the guy was working out, not knowing the room wasn’t empty.”

The first sign of interest from Rico came in the form of a confused frown. “Why would someone like Mr. Herrington be on the first floor? Someone with his sort of money would be more than able to afford the 83^rd floor suite.”

Jett shrugged. “I guess being the gambler he was, he wanted to be closer to the action. Anyway, apparently Charlie was dumbstruck upon seeing Dutch in all his half-naked glory, and Dutch, thought Charlie was an escort.”

Rico snorted. “An escort. Mr. Cooper doesn’t quite strike me as the type.”

“No one ever said intelligent people weren’t dense, and Dutch apparently fits the bill. Anyway, after Stephanie asked Charlie to play escort for a single night, Charlie spent the night with Dutch. From the sounds of it, their date, which was supposed to be basically platonic, turned into a whole lot more. Dutch even accepted the key to the 83^rd floor suite and took Charlie up there and magic happened,” Jett finished with a laugh.

“Your kind of magic or a different kind?”

Jett laughed again. “It was how Charlie described it, and then Dutch got this mushy look on his face and the story pretty much stopped. If I were to guess, they probably had sex and discovered they got along really well afterward. They’ve been together ever since. Dutch proposed to him a few months ago and convinced Charlie to go back to school rather than to work at the hotel anymore. I hear it was quite the uphill battle.”

“You sound like you’ve come to know them well.”

Jett shrugged. “I’ve been working at the hotel’s theater for several months now. Dutch is apparently a bigger fan of magic than he lets on and, since he’s co-owner, he’s had to deal with my people and me a few times. So I’ve become casual friends with them both, but I wouldn’t say we’re close.”

“They certainly were,” Rico noted with the return of his shadowed expression.

Jett hesitated, not sure what to say in the face of Rico’s recurring foul mood. He had been trying to bring the conversation to something a little more casual and less meaningful than whatever had happened between Rico and the military. Without intending to, Jett had found another sore spot in Rico’s psyche. Jett couldn’t decide if he should be annoyed that the man was apparently more sensitive than he had let on, or feel badly because he had managed to stumble over a sore spot and upset Rico twice.

Jett decided a change of topic was in order. “So, any ideas how our mystery murderer would have gotten away with not being noticed?”

Rico chewed his food until the dark look disappeared from his expression. “I’m more concerned about how our victim left his room on camera but was somehow able to come back without being seen by the very same.”

Relieved at the return of Rico’s normal demeanor, Jett nodded eagerly. “It’s certainly quite the trick.”

Rico eyed him warily. “You sound as if you’re impressed.”

Jett frowned, not liking the accusation hidden in the statement. “Think of it as a professional respect. My entire career is built around creating illusions to fool the senses. Whoever pulled this little maneuver with Oliver’s murder has us fooled for sure. Don’t worry, Detective, I fully intend on helping you catch whoever did this. As impressive of a trick as it is, I can’t stand the idea of someone using our trade to get away with murder.”

Rico cocked his head. “Is that so? I might have had you pegged wrong then, Jett.”

Jett snorted, grabbing his nearby drink and sipping it. “Why, because you’re finally starting to understand I didn’t do it?”

Rico shook his head. “I’m of two minds about it. Someone of your skill would be more than capable of pulling off this disappearing act, and you’re a good enough actor you could be playing me this entire time, no matter how good I am at reading people. However, I have to accept the very real possibility you didn’t do it, and I won’t waste my time being overly suspicious of you simply because it would be convenient to place the blame on your shoulders. Mr. Herrington made an excellent point about the waste of cutting corners. I apply the same logic to what I do.”

Jett raised a brow, still uneasy but a little impressed as well. “Alright, well, you officially have my attention. If you still haven’t let go of whether I’m guilty, what did you have wrong about me?”

Rico set his fork down, looking thoughtful. “Excluding the possibility you committed the murder, I believed you were helping because you were bored or because you wanted something new to add to your personal glamor.”

Jett snorted, trying to not be offended since his image was his own fault. “Okay, I can see where you might think that, but now?”

Rico swept a hand through the air toward Jett. “You just said it yourself. You want whoever is responsible for the murder caught because he or she is possibly using the tricks of your chosen trade to cover their tracks.”

“It’s a little insulting,” Jett said defensively.

Rico nodded, as if in understanding. “It’s a matter of honor, which is something I can understand.”

“Does this mean I’m finally beginning to get a little respect from you, Detective?” Jett asked with a leer.

Rico frowned at him. “And just when I think you’re capable of behaving like a well-mannered adult, you ruin the illusion.”

“What’s the illusion, Detective? My tendency to make jokes about simple things?” Jett asked neutrally.

Rico looked as if he were about to answer and then his features went still. Jett assumed the detective was mulling over his questions. Jett turned his attention back to his meal, a little embarrassed about his outburst. The questions had been meant to make Rico pause, to think about what he really knew about Jett and to consider the idea there was more to Jett than Rico might have originally thought. It wasn’t like Jett to care what someone else thought of him on a personal level, and it bothered him in a quiet way to think he had tried to defend himself to some man he barely knew.

“You have proven me wrong about my initial assumption about you twice now, Jett,” Rico finally said, his voice quiet and regretful.

Jett shrugged, swallowing a bite. “Don’t worry about it. I’m just running my mouth. In case you didn’t notice, I’m very good at it.”

Jett didn’t like how desperately he had tried to defend himself, but he liked the disbelieving and sympathetic look Rico shot him over their meal. There was no pity in Rico’s face but Jett would have almost preferred it. At least pity was something he could reject and cast aside. The look of what felt like understanding in Rico’s green eyes sent Jett’s stomach twisting, and he was forced to look away before he found himself lost in Rico’s gaze.

“What if we’re not thinking about this in the right light?” Jett asked slowly as he stared out a nearby window.

“How so?”

Jett looked at Rico, nodding to himself. “What if we’re too busy looking at our assumptions instead of focusing on the incorrect assumptions we could be making? What if we’re seeing something we didn’t actually see?”

Rico’s confusion only grew. “I’m not following you, Jett.”

Jett stood up suddenly. “Come with me and I’ll show you what I mean with a few tricks of the trade.”