Bird Watchers

Good Friends

Kate
Anastasia and I have become great friends after grabbing coffee we are very different from each other and I met Ray and I am betting there are a lot of stories he could tell and there are but he would have to shoot me if he told me any of them. I don't think he is joking. He definitely can be fun to be around. Anastasia cooks all the meals and he tells me when her eyesight was gone she still cooked, cleaned and took photographs and sketched. I asked how it happened but he told me that her mothers husband damaged Anastasia's eyes because she refused his advances. She was taken to the hospital and the cops where they lived had allowed the guy to hurt Anastasia. So she won a law suit against them. The guy is now dead. Apparently of a suicide. Ray looks away and I see a smile on his face. I doubt it was suicide.

Ray
Kate is very inquisitive and she got me to talk about Anastasia and I did. I tell her about how she cooked, cleaned and too photos and sketched things while her eyesight was gone. I explain the her mothers husband blinded her on purpose after refusing his advances, he did it right in front of his cop friends and the didn't stop him. So we sued the police department and won for Anastasia big time. I tell Kate the guy committed suicide and she caught my smile as I looked toward the kitchen. I know he was killed by the men he crossed. She doesn't need to know that and definitely not digging into the real story behind it. Let sleeping dogs in prison lay there. Now for the other Morton's and I include Carla in that group. I have people watching their every move. Leila helped Stephan and she is slippery as an earthworm.

Anastasia
Dad and Kate are talking about different topics and he tells her not to believe everything you read or hear and then not all official documents are accurate. I serve the food and call them to dinner. We dig into my steak and potatoes and salads. The desert is rainbow sherbet with pecans on top. Both seem to love the dinner, both help me clean up and wash the dishes. Too bad they have no clue how to wash dishes. I had to rewatch everything. I finally serve them coffee and tea along with biscotti. Dad heads to bed and says good night to Kate.

Kate
I wished I could get Ray to tell a few stories of his past experiences, they would be great to hear about. I stay a little longer and finally need to go home to meet my deadlines. Anastasia and I agree to meet again soon. I ask how her assignment went and she tells me they have no idea who dropped Leila's body at the Nooz yet. She tells me they might not know who is behind it, but they suspect it was someone who was at the wedding where Leila killed the wedding party. We say goodnight and I drive off.

Anastasia
I had a nightmare that night and it included Kate and the Morton children. Dad told me they didn't get much of a sentence and they might try to kill me again. I am making sure of their release dates and I am practicing my shooting and renewed my carry and conceal license. I had a little time and found myself in the park again. My gun is in my holster and loaded and the safety is off. I find my favorite spot and throw the blanket down and sit down and sketch out a little bit of the scenery and then take photos and hear a voice behind me and I jump. I look at the guy and he says this time I didn't touch your shoulder. I laugh and ask him how he has been and tells me he has a small scar from getting hurt by me.

Elliott
I am running and waiting on Christian but he is running late due to a stupid conference call from a company that is waffling on his purchase price. So I see Ana and go say something to her, she hears me and if I am not mistaken she can see me clearly now as well. So I ask her if she can see me now. She says yes and her surgery was successful. She just has to wear sunglasses for a while and not overuse her eyes. She has beautiful blue eyes. Christian walks up to us and he has realized she can see us as well.

Christian
Ana was already beautiful but now the blue in her eyes is bright and no longer cloudy blue. She is in a great mood today and she hasn't beaten Elliott up yet. Suddenly her father and Kate Kavanagh arrive to go to lunch together. I didn't realize it was so late. I decide to invite them to lunch my treat, we head to my restaurant and my private room so we can. The last time I was there Leila was with me. I am helping Anastasia into her chair and she reminds me she isn't blind any more. Ray laughs and Elliott has helped Kate into her seat. We are all seated and the water is being poured while the menus are being looked over.

Ray
Christian says this is on him so I think a nice steak and some vegetables would be nice. Appetizers are being ordered and brought along with a bear or two. The food is absolutely delicious and is better than Anastasia's cooking, but she isn't a trained chef. She a great cook, but this is a chef who can work miracle with bad cuts of steak, but these aren't bad cuts of steak. Soon we are enjoying a special desert that the chef made just for us. Christian tells them to have Mia come and get her well deserved compliments.

Mia Grey
Christian called and said he was coming for lunch and bringing people that I should meet. He then tells the server to tell me to come get my well earned compliments for my food. So I go to the private dining  room and I am introduced to them and the three people with my obnoxious brothers compliment my food and even the older man said his daughter Ana is a great cook but I am a great chef and my food tastes much better because I know just how to cook any piece of meat to get the best flavor out of it. I thank him and they all want me to join them, but I need to go back and get ready for the dinner service. Kate and Ana asks me for my number for tips on cooking. I give it to them, but I recall Kate can't cook at all according mutual friends.