Patchworked Hearts {SAMPLE}

Chapter 21

It was nine o'clock when Helen decided to bring up the topic of Isaiah's work with the police.

Thus far, the conversation over dinner had been nothing out of the ordinary—Isaiah's parents and younger brother, plans for the wedding, whether Addy should dye her hair pink or blue next, and so on.

But their plates were licked clean (literally, since Addy loved Nana Fischer's macaroni and cheese), and Helen knew it was time for the real discussion to start.

"Isaiah," she began, catching his eyes when he turned from staring at the leftover food longingly to shoot her an expectant look, "there is a rumor going around that—"

"I'm tired of people believing I'm a robot. I'm not. Ask Addy."

Helen blinked once, and then spun to Addy, who was settled on her left. "Uh, is Isaiah a robot?"

Addy twirled the straw in her margarita and grinned deviously. "Oh, absolutely. I made him myself, even."

"Addy."

"What? She asked, and I answered."

"The truth is a concept you clearly do not understand."

"I must understand it well enough, seeing as how I can avoid it so seamlessly."

"I don't see why—"

"Not that this isn't riveting," Helen drawled, successfully interrupting the bickering couple, "but I have an actual question for you."

Isaiah was facing her again, and he looked mildly interested, so she continued, "According to what I've been told, you're currently working with the police to create an application to better assist them in tracking dirty money." She clasped her hands together and set them on the table, leaning forward with a raised brow. "Is that true?"

His nose wrinkled with disgust. "That sounds silly."

"So, what?" she asked, cushioning her chin in her hand and eyeing him curiously. "You're not making technology to better trace cash?"

He shot her a flat look. "Of course I am, Helen. However, the specifics of that are far too difficult to explain for those who don't understand the properties of—"

"Let's not even go that far," Addy cut him off, elbowing him in the gut before sending Helen a Good Lord, this man is a mess look.

Helen, long since used to Isaiah's unintentional condescending manner, returned Addy's expression with one that read You're the one marrying him, dummy. "She's right," Helen moved her gaze from Addy back to the woman's fiancé. "Let's not worry about that. I am curious about what you're actually doing though, seeing as it's not the cash trace thing."

"I am working on the cash trace," Isaiah blinked, confused.

Addy nudged him once more, though not with as much force. "She meant the other thing you're working on, dear."

"Terms of endearment make no sense." Isaiah complained, before continuing, "The other issue I'm working on isn't so much a software application as it is a federal investigation."

"Federal investigation?" Helen repeated, her head reeling back as though she'd been slapped, her mouth wide open. "Holy cow, Isaiah. Is that even safe?" her gaze swiveled to Addy when she caught the frown on her best friend's face. "Is it?"

Isaiah replied blithely, "I'm not worried about safety," at the same time that Addy snapped, "Of course it's not!"

"Why are you taking part in a federal investigation?" Helen asked, ignoring the couple's differing opinions for the moment. There was no way this was a coincidence—surely the mess Isaiah was involved in somehow involved Dahlia too.