Adrien English Quotes

“A pause followed my greeting. Then “We’re watching you ” whispered the voice on the other end.
“Yeah? Did you see what I did with my keys? ”
Silence. Then dial tone.
These younger demons. So easily discouraged.”
― Josh Lanyon, The Hell You Say

“I love you," Jake whispered. "Are you strong enough for this?"
I made myself comfortable. Said over my shoulder, "Sure."
"Would you tell me if you weren't?"
I grinned. "Maybe. I can't think of a nicer way to commit suicide."
"That's good. I can't think of a more pleasant way to commit murder.”
― Josh Lanyon, The Dark Tide

“I thought again how odd it was to be on formal terms with someone you had once permitted to lick your ears.”
― Josh Lanyon, Death of a Pirate King

“Shrugging out of the damaged shirt, Jake said roughly, “I still dream about you.”

“I have nightmares about you.” I dragged my T-shirt over my head, threw it aside.”
― Josh Lanyon, Death of a Pirate King

“I noticed you right away.” She gave me an approving look. “I like quiet, polite men. And men who wear Hugo Boss. I was hoping you weren’t gay. Or that you were only half-gay. Like Paul.”

“Uh…sorry,” I said. “It’s pretty much full-time now. The pay’s not great, but the perks…”
― Josh Lanyon, Death of a Pirate King

“And I thought maybe I didn't need to worry about my heart anymore because it had stopped beating a couple of seconds earlier, and I was still sitting there living and breathing-though admittedly I wasn't feeling much of anything.”
― Josh Lanyon, Death of a Pirate King

“I know that asshole you were with in college --”
“Can we leave that asshole out of it?”
Please, gentlemen, one asshole at a time.”
― Josh Lanyon, The Hell You Say

“He was breathing, which is always a good sign.
As gently as I could I picked him up, placed him on the towel, wrapped it around him, and put him in my car. I drove to the emergency clinic, the cat purring on the seat beside me.

“What’s his name?” the young man at the front desk asked as my towel and cat were whisked to a back room.

“Uh…John Tomkins,” I said.

“That’s different,” the receptionist said, writing it down.

“He was a pirate,” I said. “I mean Tomkins. I don’t know about the cat.”
― Josh Lanyon, Death of a Pirate King

“The phone rang, picked up, and the same male voice announced, “Chris Powers."

"Hey there, Chris. Are you aware it's a felony to make threats over the phone?"
To give Powers his fair due, he got over his shock within a split second. “Try it, asshole. I dare you. My lawyers will have you for lunch.” He clicked off again.

I did what any red-blooded American male would do. I called my big, ex-cop ex-boyfriend.”
― Josh Lanyon, The Dark Tide

“It means I know you, Adrien with an e, and I know you get reckless when you're impatient. You're paying for this investigation, and I'll keep you apprised every step of the way, but if you even think about going rogue on this one, I'm turning in my fedora and you can hire some other dick."

I don't want any other dick. I closed my mouth on that one—metaphorically speaking—and said, “I don't know why the hell everyone seems to think I'm so reckless—”
― Josh Lanyon, The Dark Tide

“I turned back to the television. After a while what I was staring at registered. “Hey, this is The Long Goodbye."
Jake opened his eyes. “What?"
"This movie. It's Robert Altman's take on Chandler's The Long Goodbye. ‘Nothing says good-bye like a bullet.’”
"I don't know,” said Jake. “Sometimes the words are enough.”
― Josh Lanyon, The Dark Tide

“She shrugged another plump shoulder. “I never listened to Porter when he got going.”

Ah. At last. The secret to a successful marriage.”
― Josh Lanyon, Death of a Pirate King

“ 'You know what I thought the first time I saw you?'

'No.'

'Point of no return.' ”
― Josh Lanyon, The Dark Tide

“Peter is ... adjusting. He's back in school, and he's doing quite well. I wish you could find it in your heart to forgive him."

"I've got this funny resentful streak about people who try to kill me.”
― Josh Lanyon, The Dark Tide

“Natalie said, “That detective in charge of the case: is he your Jake?”

My mouth dried. The words felt arid and dusty as I forced them out. “Who told you his name?” Like I had to ask.

“Lisa pointed him out on television the other night, and I recognized him as one of the cops who was in here the other day.”

I opened my mouth, and then shut it. Jake had to know he was fighting a rearguard action. And I was through lying to my own friends and family. “Yeah,” I said. “We used to be friends. A long time ago. He’s married now.”

“Bastard,” she said.

I shook my head. “Not really. He never lied to me. I just didn’t ask the questions I didn’t want to know the answers to.”
― Josh Lanyon, Death of a Pirate King

“I’ve been telling you that you should hire Warren.”

“Nat, I’m not going to hire Warren.”

“Why not?”

I opened my mouth to tell her exactly why not, but as I stared at her too-bright blue eyes and the way her chin was quivering, I chickened out.

“Because…because I promised Angus when he left that he could have his job back.”

“Adrien, he was involved in a murder.”

“But he was very good at alphabetizing.”
― Josh Lanyon, Death of a Pirate King

“He said you were on the scene when that Laurel Canyon homicide went down.”

“I’m lucky that way,” I said.

“So are you two square again?”

I halted, mid-ripping open the cookies, and stared at him. “Well, he’s pretty square,” I said. “I’m just a rectangular guy.” With latent triangular tendencies.”
― Josh Lanyon, Death of a Pirate King

“Guy was saying, “What the hell is it about you that attracts murder and mayhem?"

"Something in my body language?"

He groaned. “That was bad—even for you.”
― Josh Lanyon, The Dark Tide

“Her back to me, she said, “I know what Paul thinks. Everyone thinks I didn’t love Porter, that I just married him for the money, but Porter and I --” She shrugged.
As avowals of lasting love go, I’ve sat through more professional presentations.
But I said, “No outsider can understand a relationship between two people.” Hell, sometimes even the people in the relationship couldn’t understand it.”
― Josh Lanyon, Death of a Pirate King

“I gave a helpless laugh. “Damned if I know. I think…we seem to have reached impasse.
I feel betrayed by your friendship with Verlane. I realize that’s not logical. I realize that if I’d made the mistakes Verlane has made, I’d want my friends to stand by me, hope that someone would help me when the time came. I just…”

“What?”

I met his eyes. “I just need to come first for someone, Guy.”
― Josh Lanyon, Death of a Pirate King

“ 'Adult life is a series of compromises, Adrien.'

'Yeah, only you're negotiating with the Devil.'

Still not looking at me, he growled, 'Oh, go to hell.'

I raised my water in a toast. 'Sure. I'll follow the trail of bread crumbs you're scattering.' ”
― Josh Lanyon, Death of a Pirate King

“ 'You remember asking me if I'd ever begged?'

I wiped the corner of my eyes, sniffed. 'Is this about to get kinky?' ”
― Josh Lanyon, The Dark Tide

“I do not want this cat. No, Nat. Not in a hat. Not in my flat. Not in the store, not anymore, just out the door. --if you please.”
― Josh Lanyon, Death of a Pirate King

“She went on, “Yes, Porter and I did discuss divorce, and we realized we loved each other too much to do anything so silly.”
“That’s got to be a comfort to you now,” I said. “I can imagine how painful it would be to have someone you care for die with a lot of unresolved --”
“Yes!” she exclaimed. “That is exactly right!” She gave me an approving lashless gaze.
“See, gay guys always understand these things!”
“We’re born with that understanding gene,” I said.”
― Josh Lanyon, Death of a Pirate King

“Look, Paul. I appreciate what you’re telling me, but I gave Jake my word. Not to mention the fact, he’d throw my ass in jail if he found out I tried to go around him.”

“He wouldn’t, you know,” he said. “Jake’s a pussycat.”

Yeah, just a big old saber-toothed tiger.”
― Josh Lanyon, Death of a Pirate King

“Emma sat up very straight in the saddle. Her eyes were huge, but she said bravely, “I could do it!”

“I know you can.”

“I wasn’t afraid.”

“There’s nothing wrong with being afraid,” I told her. “It’s how you handle it.”
― Josh Lanyon, Death of a Pirate King

“ 'Darling, you have to come home,' she started in as soon as I answered. 'You cannot possibly want to stay in that... that tomb with bodies falling out of the wall!'

'I don't know why not,' I replied. 'It's everything a ghoul could ask for.' ”
― Josh Lanyon, The Dark Tide

“He won't feel a fraction of what I do for you. You won't change his life. And you will always wonder about what could have been, always feel that funny little ache right here." He puts his hand over your heart.”
― Josh Lanyon, Stranger Things Have Happened: An Adrien English Write Your Own Damn Story

“See! He likes you,” Natalie said triumphantly.

I stared down at the scrawny scrap of fur cautiously sniffing my hand.
“He doesn’t like me. He thinks I’m going to feed him.”

“Now who’s being a cynic? Anyway, every bookstore should have a cat.”

The cat -- assuming it was a cat and not some beige bug-eyed refugee from outer space -- slunk uneasily down the counter, and flinched at the flutter of Mystery Scene pages as a gust of warm air blew in from the street.”
― Josh Lanyon, Death of a Pirate King

“So you're like a ... an amateur sleuth?"

"God no. I'm more like the hapless guys in those film-noir flicks we used to watch. I keep getting tangled up in bizarro events."

"Oh yes?” His eyes lit with enthusiasm. I was speaking his language now. “Guy Pearce in L.A. Confidential or William Hurt in Body Heat?"

"I was thinking more like Woody Allen in Play It Again, Sam.”
― Josh Lanyon, The Dark Tide