Hidden and Silent (SpyxFamily)

Ch. 8: Part Four

"James? What are you doing back? You just got off, didn't you?" Gwen, one of the chefs, gave him a quizzical look when he popped into the kitchen.

"Yeah, I lost something. Taking a quick look before I leave."

"Ah, okay." She went back to seasoning the soup she attended.

"Um. . .you okay there?" Another cook, Harkin, looked up from his frying pan as James systematically went through the metallic cupboards near the floor and opened several jars of tea leaves, choice coffee beans, and sniffed the milk that smelled just as it should.

"Yep. Doesn't seem to be in any of these." Twilight responded as he memorized every face he saw as he had done since he'd arrived through the employee's entrance.

Nothing seemed amiss. There was no smell. There were no extra employees, going by the shift schedule on the wall, no shifts swapped, no missing workers either. James had checked out, so there was a high probability that whoever poisoned their drinks was in here.

There was only so much Twilight could do without drawing attention and he carefully watched the cooks for a minute or two before they felt his gaze, and he made of show of looking under tables and repeatedly patting his pockets down distractedly.

What a bother. Twilight couldn't exactly ask any of the chefs or waiting staff if they poisoned their drinks, and he had no idea who was involved.

Firstly, he wanted to know who. Then why. It made him jumpy just theorizing that someone discovered his secret identity, Yor's, or Anya's and he couldn't believe it to be true. He was so careful. Yor was so careful. Anya was paranoically careful. As far as Twilight knew, Donovan had no clue that they had rescued Anya and Damian from the lab, either. So what other reason was there to target them? Demetrius. Could Donovan have done this because of him? His and Yor's drinks were poisoned, but maybe Demetrius' wasn't. Twilight wouldn't be surprised if Donovan was keeping tabs on his son. Were the Forgers in Desmond's way somehow? Twilight would have to discreetly take a sample of the kid's drinks before they left and test them later.

And if it wasn't Donovan, then who was it? Who else had the motive to harm the Forgers? Twilight disliked the idea even more that it could be anyone else. Someone he wasn't aware of.

"Oh hey, Gwen, who was in here earlier again?" Twilight said like he'd forgotten. "Someone asked me to mention something to someone before they left, but I can't for the life of me remember who or why."

"The owner, Lucy? She left just a minute ago."

"Ah! Yes! Now I remember, thanks." Twilight fibbed and walked quickly out as if hoping to catch her.

Suddenly, Twilight had a lot more work to do.

—

Twilight looked at the information he'd stolen about Lucy from the restaurant again as the Forgers arrived home. He dropped the papers on the coffee table when the phone rang and set two vials next to it much more carefully. "Forger residence." He answered the ring and he'd never been so happy to hear the voice at the other end.

"Hey, it's Franky." The informant greeted, pre-maturely soaring Twilight's hopes for something useful. Franky, under the impression that Twilight had found indication of Donovan's war plans from spying, had been hard-pressed to find much of anything and it had seriously slowed the Forger's efforts.

This new information had also sent WISE hectic, trying to put more agents on this, but there just wasn't enough. Twilight suspected he wouldn't get any help until something really major happened. That was fine with him.

"Anything?" Twilight prompted Franky.

"Really? Not even a hello? Do you know how hard I work for—"

"Franky." Twilight said.

Franky sighed in irritated resignation. "Fine, fine. But it's not a lot. Desmond is a tricky guy to get dirt on. He doesn't let much of anything slip through the cracks.

Except Demetrius, Twilight thought. "What do you have?"

"Apparently, Desmond disappears for a day every few months. No one knows why and he drives himself, so wherever he's going, he doesn't want anyone else to know."

"Ok?"

"His last trip was just about three months ago, which means he'll be leaving again soon. Keep an eye on him and you can follow him to wherever he's going."

"Great. Thanks Franky. I'll get on it."

"One other thing. Demetrius hasn't been home in a while either and I have reports he's staying with you? What's going on?"

"Oh. That." Twilight had seen this coming. "We met at Eden Academy one time when he came to speak with Damian and we got to talking. He had a fight with his father and left, being a rebellious teenager and all that."

Demetrius snorted as he made his way to the dining table, pulling out his homework.

"Anyway I offered for him to stay with us. And." Twilight lowered his voice as if careful that no one would overhear. "He might have something on Donovan."

". . .Alright. If he does, let met know."

"Of course."

"I'll see what else I can dig up." Franky said before ending the call and Twilight hung up. This was going to require most, if not all, of his time until Desmond made a move. Twilight couldn't waste a second.

"Demetrius. Do you know about—"

"Nope." He said, leaning his chin on a hand as he flipped through his text book.

"Yor, I'm heading out." Twilight fished the keys from his jacket that hung on the rack. "Can't explain everything now, but I've got a lead. Watch the kids, would you?" Twilight slung the jacket back on that he'd just taken off.

"Already? We just got home."

"I'll be back later." Twilight doubted Donovan would leave in the middle of the night, but twilight would spy as long as he could. He hoped this wouldn't take too long. He couldn't leave Yor to take care of everything here, herself. She had work too. "It's about Donovan. He. . .goes somewhere." Twilight ruffled Anya's hair on the way out and left.

He hoped this was productive.