Chapter 20

Smiling broadly, Alan asks, “Same bat time, same bat channel?”

Jim’s chuckle warms him up inside. “If you don’t mind. Believe it or not, I’ve had a better time tonight, talking to you, than I have in a long while.”

“Me, too,” Alan admits. “Talk to you tomorrow, then. Sleep tight.” 10

It turns into a nightly ritual, one Alan looks forward to all day long. After Brooks heads up to bed, Jim calls and Alan easily loses three or four hours chatting with the detective. They talk about any- and everything, from how work was to what they dreamed of the night before. Often they end up all talked out; when that happens, Alan simply listens to the sound of Jim’s breath in his ear, enjoying the comfortable silence between them.