Everything Isn't As It Seems

Chapter Six

"As you have said, I am a good actress. I am not proud of what I do by any means, Mr. Scott, but it pays well enough to support my family and I will not apologize for that. Nothing I do is illegal and I am, however, sincerely sorry for not informing you of these things. I only feared it would cause you to be hesitant to solve this crime against my brother." Beau's eyes studied her, he seemed satisfied with this answer.

"You have no reason to trust me, but I am not asking you to trust me, Sir." The resolved issue seemed to bring something else to the forefront his mind. "I'd hardly say on occasion. There are scars on all eight of your knuckles, the middle finger of your right hand is still scabbed, so you've fought in the last two weeks or so. And what with the fading bruises on your jaw and what I can see of you, I'd say you get as good as you give." Both men stared at her.

"Well there's no need to look so surprised, it's really quite basic. It's not like I said the good doctor was in the Korean War, or that you play the guitar, quite well, Mr. Scott." Beau's eyes widened, interest filled his dark eyes, replacing the slight shock that had been there mere moments before. "My observations are limited to people I must say. I could never look at simple clues and make grand conjectures about a crime, but I'll answer your question, although I'm sure you already know the answer." Isabel glanced at Max.

"You have the posture of a military man, from how you shave to the way you walk. You're overall neatness and sense of hygiene speaks to this as well considering the stark contrast of those whose company you keep." This earned a smile from Max, Beau seemed less amused. "Given your age, the Korean war is the most likely." She looked at Beau. "The calluses on both hands of all your fingers, the assumption was not difficult to make. And obviously you play well, or you would not play at all, correct? But you are not the sort to take up such a Beautiful and demanding hobby on a whim, nor the sort to defile an instrument so deserving of genius with mediocrity."

Beau's eyes were as cold as ice and they glared at her. This earned another sarcastic grin from Isabel. "You do not like it, do you Mr. Scott? The tables have been turned and now you are the one being stripped bare of your own personal thoughts and aspects only for them to be laid out for others to see. And by a woman no less." She had to chuckle at how not funny it was. His eyes studied her carefully and eventually betrayed a deep curiosity.

"That curiosity of what sort I am, Mr. Scott. Is why I unnerve you so much." Beau seemed to be mulling over something within himself as Max witnessed the exchange with great wonder. Scott grimaced and glared minutely at the doctor, who didn't really seem to care. "I think I've done enough for today, no need to crush the man's quite fantastic ego all in one day. Also believe what you wish, what is it you said? 'It's bad for business,' and I still need you to find my brother's killer."

"Coward." Isabel's jaw clenched. "I am only speaking truths as I see them."

"Very well, would you like to know what truths I see? You grew up with money, your parents were very rich."

"Very good." His mocking tone increased her building frustration just enough.

"Very rich and very awful to you, only parents could screw a person up so badly." That one seemed to hit home, but he played it off with another sarcastic comment. "Of course you had someone there to protect you from most of their destructive abuse, probably an older brother, maybe an uncle. Though you keep him at arm's length just like everyone else in your life, even Max, because you're so afraid that if anyone gets close enough they'll see through your self-built protective ego that guards your very being and see that you really are just that scared little boy who wants his parent to love him."

Isabel knew as the final word left her lips that she had over spoken in her aggravation. Beau reacted predictably, and understandably, as anyone confronted with such an intimate, personal observation. With anger. She could see it throughout his every feature. The anger that had gripped Beau's body had now dissipated and was replaced with the horror of the realizations that his temper was over exaggerated. Max, after the initial shock and concern, was equally horrified and more so enraged. "I suppose that your actions speak louder than words, I should not have said so much." She said.

"Actions? You must be bloody joking! Beau Scott...!" The doctor seemed too angry for words.

"Max is right." Beau 's tone was now apologetic. "That was horrific beyond words."

"But we both let our anger get the best of us and the worst came out. What is done is done and what has been said had been said." Isabel pulled a watch from her pocket and flipped open the lid. "Now if you'll excuse me gentlemen. This whole encounter has me running quite late." Without another word, Isabel was off, to somewhere one could only guess.