"You'd think Chicago would be an exception," Shannon commented idly. His head tilted to the amusement and raised a brow high at the offer. One ear had curled back while the other swiveled halfway down in tolerant confusion. "You're willing to teach a language to a police-affiliated civilian because... what, work doesn't challenge you enough?"

"Found in a graveyard." Yeah, okay, that one was new. Who the hell dumped a child in the graveyard? Then again, after working with the police for so long, he could almost see the twisted logic in it. Not that it made up for anything, but damn. "Fascinated, in the might-find-you-chopping-up-bodies way or in the possible-career-in-the-morgue kind of way?"