Emma is a smart cookie; she knows that Isaac and I are usually together.
“Yes, I’m here with Luke.”
“Hi Luke!”
“Hi Emma,” I answer.
Isaac is annoyed with this friendly exchange. When he’s on a task, he doesn’t like for things to deviate from that task. He continues.
“Emma, I’d like to ask you a few questions. Is that all right?”
“Sure Isaac, I don’t know how well I can answer because to tell you the truth, I’m dead tired.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll make my questions short.”
“Thanks Isaac.”
My heart is starting to beat fast and hard. Emma is such a nice person so I would hate to find out that she is involved in arson. I can tell Isaac is worried too, but he asks her the first question: What has she been up to the last few hours.
Emma takes her time answering the question. This long pause makes me nervous. It seems logical that she has been sleeping because we woke her up when we called.
“I’ve been sleeping. Why do you want to know?”
Isaac and I exchange looks. Emma sounds suspicious and on the defensive. This doesn’t bode well.
“No special reason. I just wanted to know that you are safe.”
“Sure Isaac. I’m fine. But I don’t believe that’s the reason you called.”
I can tell Isaac is having a crisis of conscience. He has to decide whether to tell Emma the truth about why he is asking. Yet, he knows that it is still early in the investigation; but this being the case, he could severely hinder the case if he told the truth.
So, Isaac did the only thing he could in this situation. He deflected.
“Listen Emma, I was wondering what you were doing tomorrow night. Do you have to work?”
“Actually, I’m off Friday night for the first time in ages. Why?”
“Well, I was thinking about bringing over a pizza.”
There is a long pause and I wonder what Emma is thinking. All of this sounds suspicious to me. Emma is smart; she isn’t going to forget this.
“Pizza would be good. What time do you want to come?”
“How about we have an early dinner and make it four.”
“Sounds good.”
“Okay then, I’ll let you go to sleep. Good night Emma.”
“Good night Isaac and goodnight Luke.”
“Good night,” I say.
Isaac hangs up the phone. We just sit there thinking our own thoughts. Before the call, I didn’t think this was Emma’s scarf but now I’m not sure.
I look at the time.
“If I hurry, I can still get in a couple of games of gin.”
“Okay, we will talk later.”
“Sounds good.”
Leaving the conference room to go find Rosario. I wish that Isaac had not included me in his informal investigation. I had a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. Hopefully, a couple of games of Gin Rummy will make me feel better.