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said.
    “I’m going to start you two out with Barney’s special, Thai grilled shrimp,” she said.  “Can I get your drink orders?”
    I thought about ordering the obligatory white wine, but I needed courage, so I ordered, “A Manhattan on the rocks.”
    Vicki nodded and then looked at her cousin.
    “Beer, whatever’s on tap.  I’ve got a concert tonight,” he explained to her.
    She smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder tenderly.  “So glad you’re back at it, Sid.”
    I had a feeling she wasn’t talking about the concert.
    “Manhattan?  That’s an old man’s drink,” he observed.
    “And my old man was the first one to serve me one. After my first sip, I was hooked for life.”
    “Are we talking Daddy or ex?”
    “My father.  He uses cheap whiskey, but there’s nothing like it.  Glad you broke the ex ice.  Have you always been single?”
    “Never made it to the altar.  Two close calls.  One ex?”
    “Yes, divorced, and with the exception that we still share the house, he’s pretty much just a memory at this point.”
    “Good… Wait, that sounded bad.”
    “No, it sounded fine.”
    Vicki arrived with our drinks.  She pulled up a chair and sat down.  “How’s it going?”
    “Honestly! Go away, Vicki. I’m not doing too bad,” Sidney said.
    Vicki raised an eyebrow.  She turned to me.  “The chef is going to make a special crab linguini. It’s not on the menu.  I’ve had it, and I think it’s great.  Of course, you’re going to have to navigate the noodles.  Consider this a test by noodle.”
    I laughed.  “I’m a slurper, so I guess I’ll fail.  It sounds marvelous though.”
    She smiled.
    “Vicki, how do you expect me to make small talk if you’re sitting here?” Sidney asked.
    “How’s he doing?”
    “Fine.  We’ve covered exes, and I think we’re moving on to deeper subjects,” I said.
    Vicki smiled, got up and returned the chair to the other table.
    “She’s a piece of work, but she means well.  I called her today, asking where I should take you.  She insisted we come here, so if I bombed, she could beat you up.”
    “Well, you better not bomb. I’m not sure I can take her,” I warned.
    “She’s a scrapper, used to beat me up when we were kids.  I come from a close family.  My mother and Vicki’s mother are sisters.”
    We talked about siblings, parents and my children before we moved on to music.  We had just started on how we got into music when our shrimp arrived.  Vicki placed the plates before us and left without a word.
    “Do you think she’s mad at us?” I teased.
    “Too early to tell,” he said.
    I took a bite of the appetizer and nodded my appreciation.
    “Do you play an instrument?” I asked after I swallowed.
    Sidney grinned.  “I used to play piano but was nothing great.  I love mixing music though.  I had this great mentor who cut his teeth in Motown.  He took me under his wing, and soon I was ready to leave the nest.  I used to follow the big groups from venue to venue, but when I got ill, I kept to south Florida.”
    “There are a lot of opportunities here for a good sound engineer,” I said.
    “I’m surviving.  Speaking of surviving, Cin, I want you to know that I have a rare blood cancer.  I’ve been in remission for a year now, but there’s no guarantee.”
    “I appreciate you being honest with me.  Let’s take it one date at a time,” I suggested.
    He reached across the table and asked, “Is there going to a second date?”
    “Most certainly,” I said.  “I don’t know my schedule yet.  This investigation is just starting, but I’ll make time for you, I promise.”
    He squeezed my hand and sat back down.  “I hope that didn’t look too desperate.  It’s just that I like you. I really like you, Cin.”
    “I like you too, Sidney.”
    “I understand I have competition.”
    My mind went in a whirl.  Did Harry talk to Sidney?  Does he know about Father Michael? Can this guy read minds?