The Gift of Illusion: A Thriller (19 page)

“Okay.” Virginia laughed. “Not a date. And I
would love to.”

“Okay, great. But there is just one more
thing.” He hurried back into the kitchen and stood before his
daughter. “Don’t think you’re getting rid of me so easy.”

“What do you mean?” Amy asked.

Isaac grabbed the empty glass from the table
and placed it into the sink. “I’m going to ask Randy if he could
keep you company while I’m gone,” he said. Virginia slowly stepped
into the kitchen. “If he says okay, then we’ll go.”

“Randy? What did I do to deserve this?”

“There’s nothing wrong with Randy. But I’m
not leaving you here alone. I shouldn’t have even let you go to the
store by yourself.”

“Why?”

Isaac could tell that Virginia was
uncomfortable standing in the corner watching them bicker, he felt
more uncomfortable being a part of it. “Listen. There is a lot to
explain honey. I promise I will make it up to you. After the other
night, I'm not taking any chances."

“I don’t understand.”

Isaac put his arm around his daughter and
lightly kissed the top of her forehead. “I know you don’t. I don’t
expect you to,” he said. “But you have to trust me,
sweetheart.”

“Okay, fine,” said Amy. “I guess I can deal
with Randy for a little while.”

Isaac smiled. “Good.”

Randy and Lizzy must have both had the day
off, Isaac thought, skipping across the yard. He had noticed
earlier that neither of their cars had moved an inch all day. Randy
had never called him back from the message he left the other night
either. Not that it was important. The beautiful woman back in the
house had just about answered every question, but Isaac was glad to
have a friend like Randy in times like these.

It only took two knocks at the door for
Randy to answer. Isaac could hear his friend fumbling with the
chain lock from inside, and then the door creaked open.

“Hey, Randy,” said Isaac. “How’s it
going?”

“Better now.”

“Listen, are you busy?” Isaac asked. “I was
wondering if you could come over and watch Amy while I go out to
dinner. It would only be for maybe an hour.”

“You’re leaving and you want me to watch
your daughter?”

Isn’t that what I just asked?
Isaac
thought. “Yeah, if that’s cool with you.”

Randy looked to be fashioning an answer in
his head.

In one way, Isaac wanted Randy to say no,
that perhaps he was busy, so Isaac could stay home where he could
keep his mind at ease. In another way, however, he prayed that
Randy would say yes. He longed for the chance to sit across from
Ms. Maples and gaze into her eyes while they enjoyed a nice dinner.
It had been a very long time since he had experienced anything even
remotely similar to a date, and for some reason, tonight, he
realized how much he wanted it.

“Well,” said Isaac. “Can you?”

"No problem."

“Thanks.” Isaac hurried away. “I’ll make it
up to you. We’ll be leaving in a bit.”

“Don’t worry,” Randy whispered, as he
watched the stiff detective jog across the yard like a tired old
dog. “I’ll take real good care of her.”

There was no better feeling than being asked
to do something you love. He had given the detective every
opportunity to let him be, but the old dog was too stubborn to bury
the bone. Sometimes people have to learn the hard way. Sometimes it
can be much easier to punish someone than to reason with them. This
stubborn soul would realize his faults, he would learn his lesson,
and in the end, there would be no excuses, no one but himself to
point the finger at. He dug the hole, and now if he wishes to be
buried in it, so be it!

Chapter
Fifteen

1

Rusty’s Steakhouse was more like a bar than
a restaurant. Isaac had frequented the place a few times in the
past year, usually after a late night on the job. He and a few
other men from his precinct would come to unwind, maybe throw back
a few beers, and take bets on the following week’s football lineup.
It was a moderately sized place with many rows of booths lining the
outside windows and a full liquor bar in the center. About a dozen
tall circular tables hugged the bar, tables that generally saw the
most action late at night.

Isaac couldn’t remember if he had ever
ordered any food before, but it didn’t really matter, they had a
big menu and Rusty’s was about as casual as he could think of on
short notice. He wasn’t in the market for anything fancy. This old
bar would work just fine. This was
not
a date, just dinner
and nothing more.

He pulled out a couple of menus from under a
squeeze bottle of ketchup and passed one across the table. The
menus were big, more than a few pages, the kind you would expect to
see at a late night diner. Minus a breakfast section, Rusty’s had
just about anything else you could desire: steak, fish, hamburgers,
and chicken cooked a dozen ways. All accompanied by a nice picture.
Everything was reasonably priced, too, from their famous steak (as
the menu read) down to the last fry, this was a place that could
make even the stingiest wallet loosen up and party.

“So what’s good here?” Virginia asked, not
looking up from the menu.

“I wish I knew.”

“I thought you said you’d been here
before?”

“Yeah, I have. I’ve just never ordered any
food.”

Virginia smiled. “Oh, I see. Figured you
would test it out on me?”

“That was the plan,” said Isaac, folding his
menu up. “Just take a shot. Whatever looks edible, maybe you’ll get
lucky. I’m paying so either way I lose.”

“I didn’t know we were playing a game.”

“Oh you didn’t know that?"

A young brunette waitress strolled up to the
table. “Hey, how are you guys doing tonight?” she asked.

“Fine, thanks.”

“What can I get you to drink?”

“I’ll have an iced tea,” said Virginia.

“And you, sir?”

“Just water.”

“All right, are you ready to order? Or do
you need another minute to decide?”

Isaac glanced across the table at Virginia
still holding her menu tight between her fingers.

“No, I think we’re ready,” said Virginia.
“I’ll have the broiled chicken deluxe with crispy fries and
coleslaw.”

“Okay,” said the waitress, scribbling fast
on a tiny notepad. Then she looked over at Isaac.

“I’ll have the 8oz porterhouse with broccoli
and a baked potato,” he said.

“How do you want that steak cooked?”

“Medium.”

“Okay, I’ll put your order in and get those
drinks out to you right away. My names Betty, just yell if you need
anything.”

Virginia grinned across the table at Isaac.
“You really like water, huh?”

Isaac shook his head. “How did I know you
would say that?”

2

Amy wasn’t thrilled with the idea of Randy
coming to watch over her. She was old enough to take care of
herself. Maybe not old enough in the literal sense, but in the
staying home alone sense, she was plenty capable. Shit, most of the
time Randy didn’t act any older than her, rather the opposite. She
wasn’t angry with her father though, if she had to deal with Randy
for a short time so he could go out with the lady visitor, then she
would do whatever it took. If nothing else, maybe the woman could
loosen him up a little.

Randy arrived at the door not five minutes
after her father kissed her goodbye. Before letting him in, Amy
thought of making a deal with Randy. He could leave, she could
pretend he was there, and her father wouldn’t know any different,
right?
Wrong.
Amy knew the deal would fall through. Her
father was a detective, a fact she could never forget, and he
covered his bases well. Randy wouldn’t take the bait, just like
her, he knew that fact as well.

“Well, Randy,” Amy said, opening the door.
“I guess you’re my babysitter.”

Randy smiled. “Always.”

He walked into the house and snooped around
like he was reacquainting himself with an enemy of the past, this
time under better and brighter circumstances. The window at the far
end of the dining room caught his eye. He looked back as Amy locked
the front door.

“That won’t be necessary.”

Amy turned from the door. “What won’t be
necessary?”

“Your father left you in good hands.”

“Yeah, whatever, Randy,” she said. “He also
taught me to always lock the door.”

“Is that so?”

Amy walked into the living room, gave Randy
a strange look, and then headed to the staircase. She had changed
into her blue pajamas just before he arrived and was content on
staying upstairs in her room for the remainder of the night. She
already had her fix of Randy for the week—for the month. “You can
watch television if you want,” she said. “I was just going up to my
room.” She headed up the stairs.

“Would you say your father is an intelligent
man?”

Amy slowly stepped back down the stairs
until she was on the first floor again. “What are you talking
about, Randy?”

“An intelligent person would realize that
even though the door is locked you are in no less danger,” he said.
“The best way in is not always the easiest, or the most obvious.
Safety is nothing more than an illusion.”

Amy couldn't tell if Randy was drunk or just
trying to pull over a bad joke, either way she felt uncomfortable
with him being here. “Randy,” she said, softly. “Are you all right?
You’re acting kind of strange.”

“No, I’m not all right.” Randy turned toward
the front door. “Maybe I should leave.” He only made it halfway to
the door before collapsing to his knees. He used his arms to brace
himself before his head could hit the tile floor.

Amy squealed and ran over by his side. “Are
you okay?”

Randy slowly picked his head up and peered
over at Amy. “I told you I wasn’t.”

“What do you want me to do?”

“Help me up,” said Randy. “Please.”

Amy froze for a second then grabbed Randy
and helped bring him to his feet. When she let go, Randy stumbled
recklessly into the living room, eventually finding himself back on
the floor.

“What’s going on?”
he cried, his face
sweltering.

“May God damn you," Amy said. "As He has
damned me!”

3

It took less than twenty minutes to get
their order, and overall, the food didn’t look much worse than the
picture. Halfway through the meal Virginia left the table to use
the restroom. Isaac used this time to gather his thoughts. He still
wasn’t sure what to think of Ms. Maples, she was a wonderfully
intelligent woman, but any sort of relationship beyond a casual
friendship seemed completely out of the question. They were
temporary business partners. They would meet for a short time, make
a few deals, and then go their separate ways. This wasn’t exactly
the way Isaac wanted things to be, but this was the way they would
be. Maybe if they had met at a different time and under different
circumstances something could have evolved, maybe even love, but
Isaac knew those days were over. If it wasn’t for Amy, Isaac
Winters may as well have died sixteen years ago alongside his wife,
at least then the pain would be gone.

Virginia returned a minute later from the
restroom, sliding back on to her stool across from Isaac. “Sorry,
what were you saying?”

“I don’t remember. Was I saying
something?”

“I think.”

“Doesn’t really matter,” said Isaac. The
waitress stopped by the table to refill the drinks then continued
on her way to the kitchen. “Probably wasn’t important anyway.”

“So what are you thinking?” Virginia asked,
starting to dig back into her meal.

“What am I thinking?”

“You know, about being here. With me. Is it
as terrible as you imagined?”

Isaac stopped cutting at his steak and
slumped back in his stool. “That’s a good question.” He took a deep
breath then leaned closer to the table. “Do you want me to be
honest? Or would you prefer I lie?”

“Honest, of course.”

“Honestly, I’m thinking I never should have
come here,” he said. “And not because of you. I knew what I was
getting myself into and I knew I would feel uncomfortable.”

“Okay,” Virginia whispered. “Then why did
you come?”

“I don’t know. Maybe because Amy really
wanted me to.”

“Are you sure that’s why?”

“I’m not really sure of anything these
days,” he said. “It’s been impossible to focus on a clear thought
lately. But I knew I wasn’t ready.”

“Ready for what?”

“Ready for all of this.” He paused and took
another deep breath before gazing into Virginia’s dark brown eyes.
“For a date.”

“I thought this wasn’t a date?”

“I just don’t want you to get the wrong
idea.”

“I know,” she said. “And I didn’t get the
wrong idea. I can tell when someone is uncomfortable, that’s why I
asked.”

“So you have no problem with it then?”

“No, why would I have a problem with it?
It’s not like I expect there to ever be something between us. But
I’m open to try anything.”

Isaac nodded. “I understand. I’m glad you
brought it out into the open. I feel better already.”

Virginia put down her fork, reached across
the table, and placed her hand on Isaac’s. “Look, I know what
you’ve been through, and I’m not going to pretend to know how that
must feel,” she whispered. “But if you ever need someone to talk
to, someone that will listen, I’m here.”

“How do you know what I’ve been
through?”

“You think you’re the only one in the world
who knows how to investigate? This was a strange situation, and I
needed to know who you were if I was going to be able to help you.
After I talked to you on the phone, I went to the library. I ran
through any old newspapers you were mentioned, which was quite a
few, though only the oldest of the group stood out. It was from,
January 1995.” She squeezed his hand and gave a small, heartening
smile. “I admit I stumbled on more than I bargained for, and maybe
it’s wrong for me to even speak of it now, if so, I’m dearly sorry.
I just wanted to let you know how I felt.”