Isaac stepped out of the office and greeted the night shift detectives. After he gave them all a rundown on the day’s activities he took Sasha Palmer and Lynn Driscoll aside and filled them in on the progress he’d made with their case.
“I met with and questioned both sets of grandparents. The Buckleys didn’t give up anything useful for the case as they’d been estranged from Shane’s life ever since he got involved with Cara. Disowned their son for marrying a Black woman.”
“What?” Sasha’s tone was disbelieving.
“Assholes,” Lynn blurted out.
“White supremacists actually,” Isaac corrected.
“Oh, you have got to be kidding me!” Sasha all but yelled.
“Not kidding. Clint Buckley is a real piece of—”
“Shit,” Lynn filled in.
“I was going to say work, but we can use yours.” Isaac grinned at her outburst. He’d always loved Lynn’s no nonsense attitude. “Irene Willis, on the other hand, is a delight. She shared something interesting about Cara having some neighbor trouble about a week before.” Isaac handed over the file and the notes he’d taken from both interviews that day. “It’s all there in my notes for you.”
Sasha looked over everything. “Wow. Thanks, Sarge. You got a lot done. How’d you have time for your own case?”
“Let’s just say it’s been a long day and I’m ready to go home now.”
Both Sasha and Lynn laughed at that.
“Oh, I also passed the grandparents info over to Ms. Hunter at the foster care department. She’s liaising with children’s services on baby Greer.”
“Okay. Thanks a lot, Sarge,” Lynn said.
“I’m out.” Isaac turned and headed back toward the office. “Try not to need me overnight.”
“We’ll do our best,” Sasha called out.
In Gavin’s office, Isaac gathered his things. Then he locked up and headed for the stairwell.
In the car he started it up and then pulled out his cellphone. While the car idled, he made a video call to his grandad.
“Why hello, Isaac. Twice in one day. Is everything all right there?”
Isaac grinned at Sterling. “I’m actually not too sure how to answer that, Grandad.”
“Well, how can I help you?”
“I was thinking about our conversation this afternoon and something else occurred to me.”
“What’s that?”
“The idea that maybe there was another question I should’ve asked you.”
“Uh huh. And ah… what question is that, son?”
Isaac hesitated and licked his lips. “Grandad, when you told me a while back that you’d already seen Sidney’s and my children… was Greer one of those children?”
Sterling stared at him, the ghost of a smile kissing the corners of his lips. But he said nothing.
“Come on, Grandad. I know that you have kept a close eye on my life over the years through psychic means. You yourself told me that you saw Sidney coming long before I ever met her. You told me back after her miscarriage last year that you had already seen our children and that they were beautiful. Please, don’t play coy with me now.”
“What do you want me to say, Isaac? Do you want me to tell you all that I know about your life? Because that I won’t do.”
Isaac sat back in the driver’s seat and glanced around at the parking lot outside the windshield.
“Okay.” Isaac slowly nodded. “All right, Grandad. I understand.”
“Do you?”
“Yes, sir, I do. I wouldn’t want Adam or anyone else asking me questions about things I’d seen in my visions about their futures. So yes, I do get it.”
“I simply don’t want to influence you in any way, son.”
“Yes, sir.” Isaac nodded again. “I apologize for asking the question.”
“Do what feels right to you, Isaac. Not only in this situation, but in every situation. Follow along wherever your heart leads and you will not go wrong.”
Isaac smiled at him, but he knew it was fleeting. “Enjoy your evening, Grandad.”
“You too. Kiss that lovely wife of yours for me.”
“I will.”
He disconnected the call and put his phone away. Then he put the car in drive and headed for home.
As he drove his cellphone rang, and Isaac placed it in the hands-free dock before he answered it.
“Taylor.”
“Good evening, Ike.” It was Janelle Mandrake, and she sounded positively elated.
“Good evening, Janelle. What can I do for you?”
“Oh no, Detective. You’ve got that backward. The question is what have I done for you?”
“Hmm. And what is the answer to that question?”
Janelle giggled, and Isaac suddenly felt uneasy.
“Well, you remember that little news spot I did for you this afternoon?”
“Of course I do.”
“It was just picked up by the AP,” Janelle said sweetly.
“And what does that mean, exactly?” Isaac new what the Associated Press was, but he wasn’t sure about how that all worked.
“It means that by this time tomorrow, news of the hate crime spree in Cleveland, and the shooting of a police detective on the case, along with the picture of the three suspects will be in newspapers across the country. Possibly even on several news broadcasts as well. With any luck, it could even get picked up by CNN.”
Stunned.
“Are you for real?” Isaac was stunned.
“I am. Their faces will be everywhere now. There won’t be anywhere your suspects can hide for long.”
“Oh, my gosh, Janelle. Thank you so much!”
“Hey, thank you. It was a great piece even before you handed me suspects. Now I’ll get a byline in a national news story.”
Isaac chuckled. “Glad I could scratch your back for you.”
“Ditto, my friend. Talk to you later.”
“All right. Thanks again.”
Isaac disconnected the call and drove on.
When he finally arrived at home, Alfred Hitchcock met him at the door with a meow that clearly asked, ‘Where have you been?’
He gave the cat a scratch and then walked into the living room.
Sidney was splayed out on the sofa — one leg stretched out while the other foot was planted on the floor — looking completely worn out as she stared at the large flatscreen TV. Rear Window was playing, but Isaac wasn’t sure she was even aware. Greer was tucked into her side, holding tight to the blue teddy bear.
One look at them both and Isaac’s guilt kicked in, flooding his system.
He walked over to her and knelt at her feet.
Sidney reached out and ran her fingers through Isaac’s hair. Then her palm caressed his cheek.
Isaac leaned his face into her caress. Then he took her hand and kissed her palm.
“I’m sorry, darlin’. I—”
Sidney placed a single finger against his lips to stop him from talking. “Don’t apologize. This little boy needed our help. What else were we going to do?”
Her voice was soft, but sure, and she held his gaze.
Isaac glanced at Greer. “How are you doing, little man?”
Greer set the teddybear aside and moved toward him. Isaac stood and picked him up. Then he took a seat beside Sidney with Greer on his lap.
“There’s no dinner,” Sidney said, sounding bone tired and still staring at Jimmy Stewart on the screen.
“That’s okay. Jade Dragon and the Szechwan Gardens both deliver.”
“I’m not sure what we could order at either place that would be two-year-old approved.”
Isaac frowned at that and glanced down at Greer. “Oh, right. I guess we have to feed him too, huh?”
Sidney sighed. “I’ve discovered today that’s kind of how it works. A parent’s main job is to keep the kid alive. Food helps you do that.”
“Good tip.” Isaac nodded, trying not to smile. He loved that she still had a sense of humor about all of this. “I believe the Jade Dragon menu has a kid’s section. I’ll go get it.”
He stood, still carrying Greer, and went into the kitchen to retrieve the menu. He quickly looked it over and walked back into the living room.
“They’ve got a kids lo mein and a—”
He stopped short when he looked up to see Sidney fast asleep. The poor thing had to be exhausted. Isaac looked at Greer.
“You hungry, BG? You ready to eat?”
Greer nodded, and Isaac smiled at him. “Okay. What do you say we order some dinner, hmm?”
* * *
The raft Sidney was adrift on began to rumble, rocking back and forth on the choppy water. Danger surrounded her on all sides.
What the hell was she supposed to do now?
How did she navigate this?
How did she save herself?
“Sidney?”
“What?” She jumped and her gaze darted around.
She was in her living room.
She looked up at her husband, still slightly disoriented.
“Isaac?”
“Dinner’s here, darlin’.”
“Dinner?” Sidney sat up and the fog began to clear. “Oh, my God. I fell asleep?”
“You sure did.”
“How long was I out?”
“About half an hour. But that’s okay. Greer and I ordered dinner and we set the table. You ready to eat?”
“Um, sure.” Sidney’s stomach both retched and growled at the mere mention of food. She stood and watched Ike pick Greer up and carry him to the dining table. “I’m so sorry for nodding off like that.”
“Don’t be silly. You’ve had a hard day. Now sit down and eat you something.”
She studied the makeshift booster seat Ike had made in one of the dining chairs. He’d stacked the huge Dictionary and one of his school books underneath one of the throw pillows from the couch. Then he set Greer down on the pillow and scooted the chair as close to the table as he could so that Greer could reach it.
“Tomorrow I’ll find out if the CSU is done with the house and see if I can’t get in there and maybe get his high chair at least.”
Sidney watched in silence as Ike dished up some lo mein into the bowl that Bree had brought over. Then he handed the matching plastic spoon to Greer.
“I found these on the kitchen counter so I washed them. Figured it’s what you wanted his food served in?”
“Yeah. Bree brought that over. Lo mein?” She was skeptical of the choice, and she knew Ike could probably hear it in her voice.
“Yeah. It was on their kids menu. It’s got smaller pieces of chicken and veggies. And I guess the noodles aren’t as long.”
Greer went right to it with no problem, seeming to love it.
Isaac chuckled. “Well I guess you were hungry, huh?”
“He’s a very good eater.” Sidney smiled as she watched BG eat. He used the spoon like a champ, even if he did occasionally use his hands to put food onto the spoon. He clearly got the concept.
“That’s good, I guess.”
Sidney made her plate, topping the white rice with shrimp and mushrooms. “How’s the case coming?”
“Which one?” Ike stuffed a heaping forkful of pepper steak into his mouth.
Sidney felt her brow scrunch. “His parents. Which other one is there?”
“Uh… finding Pete’s shooter.”
“Oh, God. Of course. The hate crime beatings. I guess you’ve had a rough day too.”
Isaac shook his head. “I don’t know if I’d use that word, but it was definitely a long one, that’s for sure. I think I drank my weight in coffee today just trying to stay awake for it all.”
“I’ll bet. Well, is there any progress on either one?” Sidney took a bite of food. Her stomach quieted down in appreciation.
“Well, the hate crime murderers slash would-be cop killers are still at large. Two of them anyway.”
“How many are there?”
“Three. Third one’s in custody. We think the other two fled the area after Pete was shot. Or they’re laying low trying to flee. I’ve got all the exit points out of the city staked out with plain-clothed cops hunting for them. My fear is that I didn’t take that measure soon enough and they slipped through my fingers. So I extended the manhunt nationally. Every law enforcement agency in the country has their pictures.”
Isaac stabbed at his pepper steak, and Sidney got the feeling he was beating himself up.
“You’ve done all you can do, baby. They’ll turn up.”
A lopsided grin graced his lips, but Sidney wasn’t sure he believed her little pep talk.
“I did catch a glimpse of your fugitives on the news earlier today.”
“Yeah, I asked your friend, Janelle Mandrake, to really push it. I need them to feel the heat closing in.”
“Well, Janelle is doing a good job of it.”
“She sure is. On my way home tonight she called to tell me that the story had been picked up by the AP.”
“Wow! Really?”
Isaac nodded.
“That’s great, Ike. Now their pictures will be plastered on news programs and newspapers all around the country.”
“Yep.”
“I know you’ll get them now, baby.” Sidney reached out and ran what she hoped was a reassuring hand over his forearm, and Ike smiled at her.
“As for the other case,” he continued around a mouthful. “I spoke to BG’s other grandparents today.”
“Yeah, you said something earlier about them being racists? Is that true?”
Isaac looked her in the eyes. “That’s a major understatement.”
“Noo…” Sidney drew the word out in disbelief.
“It seems Shane’s father, Clinton Buckley of Buckley Builders, is a huge financial supporter of the cause.”
“What cause?”
“That’s exactly what I said. You want to know his response?”
Sidney nodded.
“White nationalism.”
She frowned. “What? Like the Klan?”
“Well, according to Clint Buckley, the Klan is white supremacy, and there’s supposedly a difference.”
“What’s the difference?” Sidney asked, hearing the disgust in her own voice.
“I don’t know,” Isaac shrugged. “Maybe it’s like KISS without the makeup.”
Sidney thought about that for a second. “It’s still the same band.”
Isaac made a gesture that said ‘exactly,’ and Sidney stabbed a shrimp with her fork.
“So what did they say about Greer?”
“Darlin’, these are people who disowned their firstborn son because he married a Black woman. They don’t want anything to do with the biracial grandson. In fact, I believe Buckley’s exact words were, ‘That child is nothing and no one to us.’ And he mentioned something about allowing him to be raised in the big house with the other mulattos.”
Sidney’s stomach turned, threatening to expel her dinner.
She raised a hand and shook her head. It was just too much to take. “Okay don’t tell me any more. I can’t believe these people.”
“It was all I could do to sit there and listen without lashing out.”
Sidney changed the subject then and they finished their dinner while she filled him in on all the things Bree had brought over.
When dinner was finished, Isaac cleared the table and put away the leftovers while Sidney got Greer’s bath ready. When he was all clean and drowsy and dressed in clean pajamas, Isaac carried Greer to the guest bedroom where they opened up the new bed rails and figured out how to use them.
A story came next, one that Isaac seemingly made up about a bunny and an ogre.
Greer was out ten minutes later.
“That was imaginative,” Sidney said, smiling at her handsome husband as they crossed the hall to their bedroom. “I had no idea you were such a good storyteller.”
“It’s a story my Grandad used to tell me when I was really little. I think he made it up.”
“Well, it sure put Greer out in a hurry.”
Fifteen minutes after that, Isaac and Sidney were out cold too.