Checkmate

9

   Bruce and Akira hadn't come back by the time I went to get Sam. The time to go pick up Sam came hastily. On our way back, we stopped by a drive-through so he could have something to munch on later.

Following behind him as he got into the elevator, I stepped aside as always and watched him press the button to my floor.

"You're a pro at this now," I teased; making him giggle.

   As we slowly fell into a comfortable silence, he clung to the straps on his shoulders as if they would slide off if he dared loosen his grip. He inhaled a deep breath before turning to me, his eyes pleading, "Mom, can I get a chocolate hazelnut cake this year?"

"Sure you can. But remember Ted and Lisa are allergic to nuts. Don't you think they would feel left out if they couldn't get a piece?"

Sam's face fell slightly but he nodded understandingly. I ran my hand over his head and pulled him close right when the doors opened, "We could give them cupcakes, though."

"Ha!" I laughed, as I led us to my office. This boy's cleverness never fails to surprise me, "Well if you can figure out what their favorite flavor is, we can definitely do that."

"Awesome!"

The bright smile plastered on his face hit me like a gust of cool wind. I lingered in the feeling, reciprocating his expression, before the inevitable chill came around, "Can I invite Dad too?"

   It took everything in me to hide the change in my demeanor. Colton and I hadn't spoken since he came over. If it wasn't for Sam, we would have nothing to say to each other. However, that wasn't the case, so I needed to speak to him about the birthday party before telling Sam anything, "I'll see if that's possible."

For the first forty-five minutes since our arrival, I focused all my attention on Sam before leaving him with Destiny to go back to my team.

When I entered the room, Bruce and Akira had served themselves some pizza while I came to sit at the head of the table.

"So, how was the scavenger hunt?"

   Bruce swallowed a mouthful before answering, "That agent is fucking amazing. I even took her card because Natalie and I plan to start looking soon and that woman is so sweet. I swear I almost bought the house after everything she told us. In the list of impulsive decisions I didn't live on to regret, I'd bet that one would be in the top five."

"That's cute. I doubt Natalie would feel the same about a sudden splurge, but moving on. What exactly did you find out?"

"The family seems to be very kept to themselves. Ella barely ever leaves the house and neither do the children. Only her husband is seen coming and going whenever he wants," Akira said before handing me her report.

As I read it over, my eyes fell on a name I didn't recognize, "Who is Erika Johnson?"

"She's the neighborhood gossip and had a lot to say about our suspect," she spoke while I read over the information.

I'm not a fan of people that can't seem to be able to mind their own business, however, in this case, someone like that is a goldmine just waiting to be exploited.

Brought out of my head by the deafening silence, I motioned for somebody to carry on, my eyes remaining glued on the paper.

"Uh yes," Bruce said, straightening up in his seat, "She lives right next door to them and has reported hearing extreme fights that would lead to glass breaking and other violent activities."