Mark was a good distraction. He made us both laugh, and it was good to focus on someone else that wasn't us for a while. Mark declared it was pizza and beer for dinner, and while we ate, he asked all about the man who followed Isaac and came into the house uninvited. Isaac told him everything; from the incident itself to the morning at the police station when it was Brady growling at some stranger that gave the man away.
"As soon as the man spoke, I recognized his voice," Isaac told him. "But it was Brady who recognized him first."
"That must have been scary as hell," Mark said.
Isaac swallowed his mouthful, and nodded. "It was, yeah."
"I would've shat myself," Mark announced crudely.
I looked at the slice of pizza in my hand, then to Mark. "Nice, Mark," I said flatly. "Real nice."
Isaac chuckled. "Yeah, it wasn't that scary."
Then Mark asked me what Joshua meant when he said he was sorry for the loss of my friend yesterday.
I took a mouthful of beer and nodded. "You know Mrs Yeo, who I visited every other Thursday?"
"The one you both got the cat for when her old cat died?" he asked.
"Yeah, well she passed away," I told him. "I found out yesterday."
He frowned. "That's so sad."
"Yes, it was," I agreed. "She was a sweet little old dear."
Isaac snorted. "Well, she wasn't really," he said. Mark and I both stared at him and he smiled. "She was ninety-three and cranky. She hated the kids in the street, she'd yell at them, and would think it was funny if she made them cry. She ranted about technology, cars, the news, the state of the world. You name it, she hated it. She was hardly a sweet little old dear."
Mark put his hand to his mouth to cover his smile. "Really?"
I stared at Isaac with my mouth open. He put his arm around my shoulder and nuzzled his nose into the side of my face. "Except Carter. She adored him," Isaac said softly. "The one bright light in her life."
I smiled sadly at his words. "Well, me and Mr Tiddles."
"Ah, the cat that's giving both your dogs the evil eye," Mark said, pointing his beer bottle to the window sill.
I'd left the laundry door open this morning for the cat to venture out into the house. I put Missy out in the back yard for the day, so I figured it would give the cat some time to acclimate to a new house while it was free of inhabitants. The cat however, had ventured out to find the sun on the front window sill, and hadn't got much further.
Isaac took another mouthful of his beer. "Is it still on the window sill?"
"Yep, poor little guy," I told him. "I think he'll be fine, but if he doesn't get on with the dogs, then I can put a sign up at work to see if someone wants him." Then I realized I hadn't even really asked if it was okay with Isaac. "That's only if it's all right with you, Isaac?" I said, putting my hand on his leg. "I didn't even ask, I just brought him here."
Isaac shook his head. "It's okay," he said. "You didn't have much choice. It'll just take some getting used to. Cats are very quiet, and if I can't hear it, it might startle me if it's suddenly in front of me or something."
"I can get a collar with a bell on it," I said.
Isaac relaxed into my side, put his feet up on the coffee table and his hand on my thigh. He smiled and took another mouthful of beer. He rarely drank alcohol. He said the dulling of his other senses and loss of proper balance wasn't a good thing for him. But the way he smiled lazily and chuckled to himself was very cute.
"Oh, no," Mark said. "No, no, no. You two don't start acting all lovey-dovey on me now. No fondling in front of me." He got up off the other sofa and put one hand on Isaac's knee and took the beer bottle from his hand.
Isaac smiled. "Carter, what's he doing?"
Mark laughed. "You, Mr-Sexy-in-a-suit, are going to dance with me."
"I'm what?"
"Sexy in a suit," Mark repeated.
"No, not that," Isaac said with a laugh as Mark pulled him to his feet. "The other part."
Mark gently pulled him by both hands to the middle of the living room. "You're gonna get your groove on."
"I've only ever danced with Carter," Isaac told him. "And I can assure you, you and I are not dancing like that."
Mark threw his head back and laughed. "Give me the details, please," he said excitedly.
"Well," Isaac started. "We started out here, slow dancing, but we finished in bed-"
"Right," I called out, cutting him off. "No more beer for Isaac."
Both of them laughed, and Mark told me to go be Mr Maestro and play them some music. I got off the lounge and walked over to the iPod dock. "What kind of playlist?"
"Something funky," Mark answered.
I pressed play on Isaac's workout playlist. I figured it would help if he knew the songs, and I started to clean up after dinner. Putting the empty pizza boxes and beer bottles on the kitchen counter, I laughed as Mark tried to teach Isaac how to dance to fast music.
Mark was his usual flirtatious self, dancing with his hips and wandering hands, and Isaac was having a blast. I sat on the sofa with my bare feet on the coffee table, giving Missy a rub on the forehead while Mark and Isaac joked around and made me laugh.
Even as the music kept tempo, their dancing slowed down, and I still smiled at them. Isaac was still dressed in his work suit, sans the jacket, but he looked sharp in his gray pants and white shirt. He'd taken his tie off when he got home and undid the top button, and Mark undid the next button, and the next, then looked at me with a raised eyebrow. "Jesus, Carter. He's like sex in a suit."
I smiled, and Isaac stopped swaying his hips and pulled back his hands.
"No," Mark said, taking Isaac's hands and putting them back on his waist. "We're just getting to the good part."
"Um," Isaac stalled, and turned his face toward me. "Carter…"
"Carter's grinning like an idiot watching you," Mark reassured him, then slid his hand over Isaac's ass.
"Hands," I said lightly, knowing Mark only did it to get a reaction from me.
Mark laughed. "Right. Rules are… dancing is fine, groping of ass is not."
Isaac chuckled and slid his hand over Mark's ass and so I cleared my throat and called out, "Hands."
Isaac snorted. "Not just my ass. Yours too, apparently."
Mark wrapped his arms around Isaac and loudly smooched into his neck, tickling him, making him wriggle and laugh. Then Mark pulled away from Isaac, looked at me and grinned. "Your turn, Carter, baby," he said loudly. "I've warmed him up for you. Now show me how you two slow-dance."
I finished the last of my beer and stood up, quickly taking Mark's place. I stood in close to Isaac and put his hands on my hips. He leaned in, inhaled deeply and hummed, "Mmm, I know that scent."
Mark swallowed, loud enough for us to hear. "He never commented on the way I smell."
I glanced back at Mark and smiled, then ran my nose along Isaac's neck where Mark had opened his shirt collar. Knowing Mark was still watching, I deliberately ran my hands up Isaac's sides, around his back then slowly down and over his ass and pulled our hips together. "He likes the way I smell."
Isaac hummed again, this time swaying his hips into mine, wiggling his ass under my hands. "And he can put his hands on my ass all he likes," Isaac added.
"Jesus," Mark groaned.
Jesus was right. Three or four beers and Isaac's inhibitions had all but disappeared. Fuck, he was killing me. Just when I thought I'd have to put a stop to our little display, Mark shook his head. "I'm leaving you two to it," he told us. "Keep the sex noises down tonight, too. It's bad enough I have to jerk off alone."
Isaac smiled into my neck. "Goodnight, Mark."
"Night, Mark," I said. Then I added, "There's Kleenex on your bedside table and lube in the bathroom."
Mark laughed as he walked down the hallway. "Nah, it's okay. Brought my own."
Isaac laughed, and pulled my hips hard into his. "Shall we go and work on those sex noises?
It was early when I left a still-sleeping Isaac, and went out to the store. Mark hadn't surfaced either, so I tried to be quick. I called into the local market for an array of things, collected three coffees on my way, and headed home, to find Mark foraging for food and Isaac still in bed. I yelled out to Isaac, telling him to get out of bed. His response was a muffled moan.
"I brought breakfast and coffee," I called out.
Mark was quick to rifle through the paper bags, pulling out croissants and bagels, as Isaac walked into the kitchen, shirtless. At least he'd put on some sleep pants. "My head hurts," he mumbled.
I picked up his coffee, and lifting his hand, wrapped his fingers around the hot drink. "Thought you might be a little hung over. That's why I ordered you a double shot of coffee."
Isaac moaned as he put the take away cup to his lips and took a small sip. "I knew I kept you around for a reason."
I smiled and kissed the side of his head. "Thanks."
He put his coffee down on the kitchen counter, then with his hands flat on the bench, he let his head fall forward and took some deep breaths. "I feel awful."
Mark laughed through a mouthful of bagel. "Hangovers suck."
I rubbed Isaac's back. "It was all Mark's idea. Blame him."
Isaac mumbled, "I do blame him."
Mark chuckled and put the bag of pastries under Isaac's nose. "Eat food, drink coffee, hot shower. You'll be good as new."
I picked up the bag of breads. "Did you want croissants, bagels or a Danish pastry?"
Isaac screwed up his nose. "Coffee, then shower. Maybe food later." He took another sip of his coffee just as Mr Tiddles meowed from the kitchen floor. Isaac almost spilled his drink. "Jesus!"
Mark pressed his lips together so he didn't laugh out loud, and I picked the cat up. Lifting Isaac's hand, I gently ran his hand over Mr Tiddles' head. "He didn't mean to scare you."
Isaac grumbled and took back his hand. "Damn thing's too quiet."
"I'll get him a bell for his collar from work on Monday," I told him.
"Hmm," Isaac hummed, still not impressed. "I'm going to have a shower."
"Don't forget Hannah's coming for lunch today," I called out after him. I gave the cat a quick scratch behind the ear and gently put him on the floor.
He stopped at the hall door. "Do I have to be alive for that?"
Mark laughed. "I better get some more beer."
Isaac groaned. "You can shove your beer."
"Then I thought we could go into the city tonight," I added. "Take Mark in, show him around, do something fun. How does that sound?"
Isaac smiled and half shrugged. "As long as it doesn't involve beer, anything loud, or being upright for too long, I don't care."
"I can help you with the not being upright for too long," Mark joked. I pushed his arm and grinning, he stood up straight and stretched his arms above his head. "I'm gonna go do some laps of the pool."
"I'm gonna have a shower and go back to bed," Isaac mumbled, his voice fading as he walked down the hall.
"Well, I'm gonna…" I said, looking around, not sure what I was going to do.
Mark pushed me in the direction Isaac just disappeared. "You're gonna go make him feel better," he said with a laugh. "Jeez Carter, your half-naked, gorgeous boyfriend just said 'shower and bed' in the same sentence… do the math."
I laughed at him, looked at the hallway, then back to Mark. "How many laps are you doing?"
Mark grinned. "About twenty minutes worth."
"Do me a favor," I said, walking toward the hall door. "Make it thirty."
Lunch with Hannah and Carlos was as it always was; good food, good conversation and lots of laughs. Mark had met Isaac's sister and brother-in-law a few times over the last year and of course, he charmed them both.
Isaac had come back to life, with a little help from me giving him a soapy handjob in the shower and then sleeping his hangover off for another hour. He woke up, helped me prep salads and get everything ready, and then he laughed with everyone around the back patio table at lunch.
I told Hannah and Carlos that Mrs Yeo had passed away, and Isaac was quiet while I retold a much shorter version of meeting her horrible nephew. But then out of the blue, Isaac called Brady over, hooked up his harness and asked, "Carter, can I borrow your car keys?"
I had to admit, I was stunned. "Um…"
"Not for me, obviously," he went on to say. "Mark? Could you be my driver?"
Mark's eyes shot to mine, but he answered Isaac brightly. "Of course I can."
"Sure," I said. "Is it a mystery trip?"
"Yep," Isaac said, standing up.
Mark joined him, oblivious as to where he was going with Isaac, but happy to go regardless. He slid his hand into Isaac's and smiled smugly. "Don't wait up."
I rolled my eyes, and taking the keys out of my pocket, I threw them to Mark. "Behave." I caught myself smiling as I watched them walk out, hand in hand.
Hannah was grinning at me when I finally looked at her. "So, how're things with Joshua?"
My nostrils flared at the mention of his name, and Hannah laughed, making a sleeping Ada stir.
"I just have to mention that name and you almost growl," she said, highly amused. "You can watch Isaac and Mark being all flirty and handsy and you smile, yet one mention of Joshua and you bristle."
I sighed, suddenly finding the lid to my water bottle very intriguing. "It's different."
"Of course it is," she agreed. "You know Mark. You know, as much as Mark plays it up and says the most outrageous things, he'd never cross a line with Isaac."
I looked at her then. "No, he wouldn't."
"But Joshua?"
I shrugged. "I don't know him. I don't know what he's after."
"You don't trust him," Carlos he said. It wasn't a question.
"No. Not at all," I admitted. "I've tried to like him. I'm nice enough to him, for Isaac's sake. But no, I don't trust him."
Hannah sighed and nodded. "Isaac was very quiet this week. He wouldn't tell me what was wrong, I figured Joshua was involved somehow. I thought maybe Isaac realized what a douche he was."
I shook my head. "Um, well, no this last week, Isaac and I had a big fight. We hardly spoke for four days."
Hannah's eyes almost popped. News of Isaac and me fighting was an obvious shock to her. "What? What on earth was it all about?"
"Hannah, look," I started. "I'm not sure I should say anything, I mean, I'm surprised he didn't tell you."
She was concerned now. "Tell me what?"
I knew they talked every day, and they talked about everything, but then I remembered how he didn't really want to tell me about this new radical eye surgery either. But I wasn't sure if it was my place to say anything now.
"Carter," Hannah said sternly. "If Isaac says anything to you about telling me, you tell him I threatened physical bodily harm. To both of you."
I smiled at her, and after a deep breath, I put the bottle cap on the table. "Isaac thinks he might have found some doctor who can fix his eyesight."
Hannah stared at me, not moving a muscle as she processed what I said. Then she blinked, twice. She and Carlos spoke in unison. "What?"
I told them all I knew. I told her how Joshua had some information on research and case studies on a doctor in Argentina who had success in restoring sight in cases similar to Isaac's. I told them how I'd tried to read the information in Braille, but had Isaac read it to me instead. I explained that I'd found some information online about the clinic and doctor in question, but it was dodgy at best. Then I told them, even though with everything Isaac had read to me, knowing all the information he knew, I still wasn't sold.
Hannah listened intently, and after everything I'd just told her, her first question wasn't about anything to do with the ton of information I'd just dumped on her. "Is that what you fought about?" she asked.
"Yeah, he thought I was being negative and didn't want him to pursue it. But, I'm not being negative, honestly," I said to her, shaking my head. "I'm just thinking rationally, logically. He was so upset with me. He was really nervous about telling me, which is, I presume, the same reason he's not mentioned it to you yet."
Hannah nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, maybe… Or maybe he knows he'd get the same reaction. I know you're only concerned about him, Carter, you don't have to justify that to me," she said.
I smiled sadly at them both. "Hannah, if it is available, if it's legitimate, and if it's safe—and if it's what he really wants—then I'm all for it. But, until then…" I sighed.
Carlos watched Hannah as she nodded slowly and was quiet for a long moment. "Why?" she asked. "Why now?"
"Well, there've been a few things in the last few weeks that have really affected him. First was Ada," I told her. As hard as it was to bring up the birth of her daughter as a negative thing, I had to tell her. "That first time he held her, he told me afterwards there'd only been a few times in his life when he'd truly wished for his sight back, and that was one of them."
Hannah frowned and nodded.
"Then there was the whole home invasion thing. I know he acted all brave and okay, but Hannah it really frightened him, and understandably so. He had nightmares…"
Hannah's eyes welled with tears. "He never told me that."
"Then there were the police reports. I know it worked out in the end, but at first they basically told him his statement, his testimony as a victim, would be rendered useless because he couldn't see. Like he was being punished for being blind." I shook my head. "God, Hannah, he was so angry."
Hannah was quiet while she gathered her thoughts. "There've always been a few incidents over the years that would set him back."
I nodded. "It just seems these last few weeks have really hit him hard. Has he ever been so serious about getting his sight back?"
She shook her head. "It's never been an option before."
"It's not an option now."
"Not a sensible one."
"Mmm, yeah well, I don't think it's an option at all."
"What do you mean?" Carlos asked.
"I just… look, I'm not a doctor. I'm a vet. There are a lot of things I don't understand medically in the human body, but I have a pretty good understanding of the nervous system. I know there are new developments with stem cell research, and they're working medical miracles every day, but," I looked at them both and shook my head, "not this. Not yet."
She nodded. "All the doctors over the years have always said it's not reversible. The damage was done after the accident." Then she frowned. "Anyway, if it is so great, why aren't they doing it here, in the States? If it's such a breakthrough, why are they not doing it here?"
"Exactly!" I said adamantly. "I'll email the link to the online info, you can have a look yourself. Anyone can set up a website and say they're legitimate, can't they? It's not that difficult, is it?" I asked.
Carlos shook his head. "No, not really."
"I mean there were testimonials which could all be fake," I continued. "There were histories on developments and trials, but any half-educated jerk can set up pages of information that only has to sound half-credible. People like Isaac are going to believe it, because they want it."
"In Argentina?" she asked with a frown, obviously stuck on the location.
"Yeah," I said with a nod. "I mean, I'm not saying anything against the Argentinean medical practices, but if this is so cutting-edge—so state of the art…"
Carlos finished for me, "Then why isn't it done at the best ophthalmologist hospitals, here in the States, or in London or Melbourne?"
I nodded. "Well, apparently Joshua claims the Argentinean Health Authority has approved it. He told Isaac the AMA won't approve certain procedures without the clinical research and funding proven by our regulators, not some Argentinean private research company and funder. That is kind of true, but not exactly, but he says that's why it can't be done here legally. I mean, different countries have different statutes and medical guidelines, which means they can perform procedures not approved here. That's not unusual. Joshua told Isaac the international clinical trials would get bogged down in US legislation for years before this surgery can be performed here, with all the studies and further research it could take even longer.
"Not to mention how much cheaper surgeries are in Argentina than in the US…" I shook my head. "It wouldn't matter anyway, because all Isaac heard was there's a doctor who's willing to do it, and he's done it before with success. That's all Isaac needed to know."
Hannah sighed. "Mmm, that Joshua claims to know an awful lot, doesn't he?"
I huffed. "Don't even get me started on him. He's been an issue between me and Isaac from day one."
"Exactly."
"What are you saying?" Carlos asked, looking at Hannah.
"We can analyze the 'whys' and the 'whats' behind this change in Isaac, and all the bullshit he's being fed, but I think we should be looking more to the 'whos'."
"You think Joshua is behind all this?"
Hannah nodded. "Think about it. He's always hanging around, he's caused nothing but problems between you and Isaac. You've never fought until he showed up."
"We've had our disagreements."
"Nothing like what it's been like lately," she said. "Every problem in your lives in the last two months has a common denominator."
Joshua.
"Do you think he's after Isaac?" Carlos pressed on. "Is that why he's doing this?"
I felt sick at the thought. "I don't know."
We were all quiet for a moment, trying to understand what was just brought to light.
Then Hannah said, "You know what's weird? There he is, feeding Isaac all this information about this new, revolutionary surgery to restore his eyesight. Why would he do that?"
I shrugged. "I don't know. To help him?"
Hannah laughed sarcastically. "Do you think so?"
"No."
Her smile faded. "What does he gain from it?" she asked. "Why does anyone do anything for anyone these days?"
I looked at her, not sure where she was going with this.
"Financial gain," Carlos said.
My eyes widened. "You think he's after money?"
She smiled. "How much is this 'amazing surgery' going to cost Isaac?"
"I don't know. I didn't think to ask, to be honest. He never mentioned it. Isaac rarely mentions money."
"Mmm, it makes you wonder…" She trailed off, and was silent a while, seemingly lost in her thoughts.
"Hannah, what are you thinking?"
"Joshua travels the country selling and setting up technology in schools for the blind, yes?"
"Yeah."
"So what if he lined up one blind person for this surgery at every place he stops at, and takes a commission from the doctor's fee?"
My stomach twisted at the thought. "You think he'd do that?"
"Do you?" she asked, staring at me. "Do you think he seems the type?"
She knew I did.
"He'd just need to single out one blind person who was either rich enough or depressed…"
Rich enough.
Isaac was rich enough.
I shrugged one shoulder, half agreeing. "I guess he could tell from Isaac's suits that he has money, but it's not like he's seen bank statements or anything…" my words trailed away. I knew as soon as I'd said the words.
That mother fucker.
"The bank statements that were stolen!"
Hannah's eyes widened. "No," she breathed the word. "They caught the guy who stole all that stuff."
"But the financial documents never fit in. That Krabanski guy who was charged always said he was paid to take those papers."
Hannah stared at me. "Oh. My. God."
I pulled my cell out of my pocket and scrolled through my call history. I'd have his number from when he called me about my boots. I found the number I was looking for and hit call. I looked at Hannah while I waited for the phone to pick up. "Isaac's gonna kill me for this."
"Hello?"
"Detective Zinberg? It's Carter Reece. I'm the boyfriend of Isaac Brannigan. I came with him to the station the day you charged Maxwell Krabanski for the four home invasions."
"Yeah, I remember you."
"I think I have some information on the financial records that were stolen from Isaac's house."
"Mr Reece, Max Krabanski has been charged with those crimes."
"He always claimed he took those papers on behalf of someone else, and we didn't believe him because, well because… well, because he's a thief and a liar."
"What's your point?"
"I think I might know who wanted that information."
"And who would that be?"
"Joshua Lindstrom."
Zinberg was quiet for a moment. "He was questioned in the beginning, yes? A colleague of Mr Brannigan's?"
"Yes. He travels the country setting up computer equipment in schools for the blind."
"Ah yes," he said as though it jogged his memory. "And what makes you think he's involved? He was cleared of any possible involvement for the break-in. We had witnesses that put him arriving at his hotel at the time of the incident."
"No, not the break-in," I repeated. "The financial documents. Is it possible for you to make some phone calls to the last places he's been, say in the last twelve months, and see if any other blind person has had money taken from their accounts?"
"Mr Brannigan said no money has been stolen."
"No, none has. Yet," I said. I think Zinberg's patience was wearing thin. "See, I think Joshua Lindstrom might be coercing blind people to part with large sums of money for the promise of surgery in Argentina to restore sight."
There was silence on the line for a long moment. "Do you have any proof?"
I sighed. "Well, no."
"That's a pretty big statement to make."
Ignoring his comment completely, I said, "I know it's an outlandish thing to say, but it's all starting to make sense. Joshua's pushing for Isaac to have this surgery, which may or may not even exist, for God-only-knows how much money. He would have had to have known the financial position of a potential victim before he spent the next six weeks convincing them they could have their sight restored."
"Mmm," the detective hummed.
I just kept talking, "I can give you the name and details of the so-called doctor and anything else this Joshua guy is trying to spiel off to Isaac. Could you make some phone calls? Just ask if anyone had been propositioned, had financial documents stolen, or even if they met with this doctor in Buenos Aires. Lindstrom was in New York before now, there were two schools there, and before that I'm sure he said he was in Philadelphia. He spends at least six weeks at each school. I don't think it has anything to do with what he does at the schools themselves. I think that side of his job is legit, but I think he uses his position and the trust these people put in him, to weed out possible victims."
Zinberg sighed. "And Mr Brannigan agrees with you?"
"Um, Isaac doesn't know I'm speaking to you. I'd like to keep it that way, for now…"
The detective groaned into the phone. "Jesus."
"Just a few phone calls," I urged him. "That's all I'm asking."
"I can make some phone calls," he said with a sigh. "I'll go back as far as six months and see if anything comes up. If I find anything, I'll hand the information over to fraud. I'm not making any promises."
"Thank you. Thank you so much."
The phone call clicked off in my ear, and I slowly put my phone back in my pocket. I looked at Hannah and Carlos and took a steadying breath, wondering what on earth I'd just done.
"Isaac's gonna hate me for that."
We went into the living room, and while Carlos tried to settle little Ada, Hannah spent the next ten minutes trying to convince me I'd done the right thing by asking the police to re-check Joshua's past.
"Isaac might not ever have to know," she said. "The detective could call you in a week or so and say there's nothing to it, and it will all be fine. Isaac will be the none the wiser."
"Maybe," I conceded. "Or Joshua could get taken in for further questioning and the police might tell him it was me."
Hannah rolled her eyes at me. "Or you could fall apart under the guilt of it, and tell him yourself."
"I've never kept anything from him."
"Neither have I. But you love him, and you're trying to protect him," she said, patting my arm.
"I just don't think he'll see it that way," I mumbled, as the Jeep pulled into the drive and the garage door went up. I sighed. "Hannah, don't say anything to him. Let's just see how it works out."
"Okay, but if he asks…"
"If he asks, tell him,” I said to them both. “Don't lie to him."
"If he asks you?"
"If he asks me, then I'll tell him," I said. "I can't lie to him either."
Except I was.
Fuck.
I could hear Isaac's and Mark's voices, and I looked at Hannah and whispered, "Am I lying to him by not telling him?"
She opened her mouth to say something, but they walked in through the kitchen from the sunroom. She looked at them instead. "Here they are? Where did you two get to?"
Mark had his arm linked through Isaac's, and Isaac had one hand behind his back. They stopped in the kitchen, and Isaac asked, "Carter?"
"Yeah, I'm here," I told him from the living room. It was an open space, but it was a big room. "What's up?"
He turned his face to the sound of my voice. "I wanted to get you something," he said with a shy smile. Then he brought his hand around from behind his back. He was holding a small tree, maybe ten inches high, in a small pot. "It's a Chinese blossom tree."
"Oh." I was a little confused.
Isaac explained, "I thought because you bought a tree for Mrs Yeo when Mr Whiskers died, you might like to plant one for Mrs Yeo." He shrugged, my silence obviously had him worried. "I thought the Chinese blossom tree would be appropriate…" his words faded to quiet.
I quickly crossed the floor and put my hands to his face and kissed him softly. "It's perfect," I whispered, knowing he'd hear the emotion in my voice. "Really, Isaac, it's perfect."
He smiled and leaned forward to peck his lips to mine. "I wanted to do something for you."
And the guilt of what I'd done just a half hour before—telling the police to investigate his friend—lay heavy in my chest.
"Is everything okay?" Isaac asked. He was always so perceptive to my silences.
"Sure," I fibbed. "Just caught me off-guard, that's all."
He smiled and handed me the small tree, then pulled a white paper bag from his cargos pocket. "And this, too."
"What is it?"
"A collar with a bell on it for that damn cat."
Mark laughed. "I picked it."
Isaac handed the bag over. "I didn't care what it looked like," he said. "Just as long as it made a noise every time the thing moves."
I put the little tree on the counter and opened the bag. The collar Mark had chosen was a blue, sparkly leopard print with a diamante buckle. I looked at my grinning friend. "Really?"
"What?" he scoffed. "It has two bells?"
Isaac chuckled. "Is it bad?"
"It's… very pretty," I answered.
Mark snorted. "I was gonna get the pink one with rhinestones."
Hannah stuck her head over Mark's shoulder to take a look. "Well, I like it."
"Oh," Isaac said. "Then I know it's bad."
Hannah gently whacked her brother's arm, but she was smiling. "Okay, boys," she said. "We need to get going. We need to get this little baby girl home."
She did the rounds of kisses and goodbyes, Carlos followed with handshakes, and I said I'd help them take the baby's gear out to her car. Carlos fastened tiny Ada into the car seat, and Hannah took the baby-bag from me. "Carter," she said. "I know you're worried about this whole Joshua thing, but it'll blow over soon."
"I hope so."
"Isaac loves you."
"I know he does," I told her. "I just hope Joshua's not involved in any way. It would devastate Isaac to have a friend betray him like that."
Hannah nodded and after she'd gone, I stood in the front of the house, wondering if Isaac would include me in that betrayal.
I turned and walked back inside, hoping to God I never found out.