Re: [Antique store: Atticus and Louis]
"Expect you to 'sir' at me the whole time I'm here. Can't set expectations like that and not follow through." Red flags or no, Atticus made the comment with his usual laziness. Seemed like the words were too hard for him to speak with serious inflection, but that wasn't the case. Was just as lazy in his speech as he was in everything else. Had never visited a psychiatric, not since those days after the arrest. Had been a kid then. Seemed a world away. Thought about the island again, the one in the center of the lake. Had spoken to Ragnar about it. Was still thinking about it himself.
Pulled himself slowly from his thoughts and smiled his sluggish smile at the man behind the counter. His bottle was forgotten on the flat surface now. "Can sell me another mourning locket. Tell me it's Poe's. Won't realize it's not until I start researching." Was a truthful admission. Had curated literary letters and manuscripts for years, and had been sold his fair share of fakes during that time. Good fakes. Some cons were downright artistic. Deserved credit for doing their trade well.
Followed Louis. Atticus' step was long, but slow. Ambled. Most people would describe his manner of walking as ambling. Hands in his pockets, slowly turning his head this way and that to look at the items they passed, and he stopped when Louis opened the cabinet. Stepped closer. Pulled his reading glasses from his pocket and popped them on. Looked. Smiled, one corner of his mouth lifting slightly in a lazy smirk. Looked. "Think I came to bend you over the counter? Didn't have that planned. Just as likely to snarl and bite." Crouched. Smile still remained.
Was teasing. Reached past a row of baubles to something that caught his eye, and he held it up to the expert in the room.