"What I asked was, did you end up with the woman you truly loved?" Nick calmly repeated his question.
"You! What nonsense are you talking about?" Old John made to stand up, but when his gaze landed on Nick's waist, he slumped back down. There was not only a PPB badge there, but also a P226.
Although this was Washington State, Nick was still legally carrying his service weapon.
That was because the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act (LEOSA), passed by the United States Congress in 2004, had officially taken effect, allowing qualified active or retired law enforcement officers to carry concealed firearms nationwide, including across state lines, without having to comply with different state firearm licensing requirements.
Of course, since Nick had not notified the local police in advance to request assistance, he might get nitpicked or even hassled if he ran into a county sheriff who was a little off in the head or simply happened to be in a bad mood that day. But in that case, he could simply put anything that others should not see into his pocket dimension.
"Constance was the most beautiful girl I've ever seen, the love of my life. I never fell in love with any other woman," Old John said, enunciating every word through gritted teeth.
"Then do you know the story of the White Lady? I can tell it to you..." Nick poured him a little more whiskey and, without waiting for his agreement, began telling the ghost story Sam had told him earlier.
"...From then on, those women's souls were cursed, wandering along highways or rivers day after day, looking for opportunities to kill unfaithful men."
Old John's hand shook uncontrollably around his glass, and his lips trembled too. Only after a long while did he squeeze out