Izzy tried to go to her teaching job at the elementary school like it was just a normal day but she knew others must be thinking the same as her. After all, someone they all once knew was never coming back and on top of that, to hear that he had been killed. Her main concern was for the kids though and making sure everything still felt normal to them.
She had heard that some detectives would be on campus questioning others who knew the victim, a friend of hers from high school and a fellow teacher at the same school, Ian Sterling. She was hoping to simply be left out of it so she could ensure her kindergarten class was well.
Halfway through the day Izzy had concluded that perhaps her students were too young to understand the magnitude of what had happened and was relieved most of them never even knew who Mr. Sterling was. She still feared the worst for his fourth grade class though. Many of his students knew her because the two teachers spent so much time together. She was sure some of them would confront her after school.
When she walked her class to the playground after their lunch, Izzy saw two different adults. She was hoping they were simply there to pick up their child.
"Hi, uh, are you picking somebody up?" she asked, as her class ran out into the playground.
"Oh, no. I'm Detective Eames and this is Detective Goren. Are you Ms. Cortez?"
She sighed, "just Izzy. Not even my students call me Miss."
"You have a minute? We were hoping to ask you some questions about Ian Sterling."
"I guess. We can talk but it has to be out here. I have to stay with my class."
Izzy sat on a bench at the far end of the playground while Bobby stood in front of her. Alex went to talk to another teacher. The other teachers outside kept looking at them, now suspicious as to whether or not Izzy had something to do with Ian's murder. "The principal said that you and Ian were close," Bobby said. "How close exactly?"
"We met our freshman year in high school. We used to hang out. He always had a crush on me but we were never a thing. We stood in contact even after we graduated."
"Where did you guys attend high school?"
"Greenport." She rubbed her eyes, trying not to remember him so she could keep her composure.
"So how did you and Ian both end up teaching at the same school all the way over here in the Bronx?"
Izzy smiled up at him, tears sliding down her face as she did so. She looked so young, he was almost suspicious as to how she could already be a teacher. "He was always following me around in school. Wherever I was going, he'd find a reason to go too. When I told him I was starting school to become a teacher, he jumped right up to send in his own application. I'd always wanted to teach kids who I felt really needed me so I moved and he followed me here too. Excuse me for a second. Shane! Let go of Marco! Thank you for following instructions, Shane."
He looked at the children and then back at her. "Isn't this kind of a stressful job? Someone so young; wouldn't you rather do something a little easier on the vocal cords?"
"You'd think so right? I'm not that young." Bobby raised an eyebrow smiled at her, thinking, yeah right. "What?" Izzy scoffed. "Just because I'm short that makes me young? Maybe I'm not short. Maybe you're just tall. I'm twenty-four and I've been here since I was twenty-two. I still love my job and I love my kids."
"Did Ian ever have problems dealing with the kids?"
"Never but then I don't think he really took teaching seriously."
"How so?"
"All his students love him but mostly because he's so laid back. Was, rather. He wasn't any good at being strict or a disciplinarian. Just wasn't his way."
"Was there anyone who resented him for it?"
"I guess… but you can't tell him I said. The principal, Antonio. He couldn't stand Ian. Always said he was too nice. He complained about him a lot. Said he made the school look bad and that our grade point average was dropping because of him."
"He ever say any of that to Ian?"
"No and honestly, it surprised us all. I think he was kind of scared of him."
"Well, not anymore."
Bobby and Alex went to talk to the principal again, Antonio Russo. "We spoke to a lot of your staff and it seems to be common knowledge that you weren't too fond of Ian," Alex told Antonio. He was sitting back in his desk typing at his computer.
"No, I wasn't. It's not a secret. Everyone knew that."
"Everyone except Ian, right?" Bobby said, taking the keyboard from him.
Antonio stood stunned for a moment with his mouth slightly open and then replied, "okay, you can have that. Ian wouldn't have changed anything if he knew. It would've just given me problems with him and Cortez. I'll bet you anything she told you about me first."
"Why would she want to incriminate a nice guy like you?" Antonio rolled his eyes at Bobby.
"Cortez was like a mom to that guy. She was always looking after him: mothering him. And she had the nerve to wonder why he always followed her around."
"How exactly did she 'mother' him?" Alex asked.
The principal smiled a coy and slightly angry smile, sitting back. "She always made excuses for him. She said I was wrong about his teaching methods and whatever. Didn't end there though. She'd help him set up his lessons; she made lunch for him every day and they ate together in their classrooms; she walked him out to his car. How pathetic is that? I heard they spent a lot of time together outside of school too but I wouldn't know anything about that."
"Did she tell you all that?" asked Bobby.
"No. I heard it from the rest of my staff. They wanted me to… separate them or fire one to keep them apart."
"Why?" Alex questioned.
"It was weird. They were creeping people out."
"What did you do about it?"
"Nothing."
"Why? Because you're so busy?" Bobby scoffed, typing on the keyboard.
"I tell you how to do your job? No, it would've been a waste of time. That bitch never listens to me."
"Oh, so she's a bitch now? Why not just report her to the district?"
"She does what she wants, consequences damned but she's a good teacher so I leave her alone. As long as she does her work, I don't care what else she's doing."
"Yeah but Ian wasn't doing his job, right? Why not get him fired?"
"She liked him, so I left him alone too. She brought up my school's grade point average even with that guy's shitty teaching skills holding us back. I want to keep her happy."
"What's keeping her from leaving now?" Bobby bent over to look at Antonio's face and for the first time he seemed to not have an answer to his question and simply pulled his keyboard back.
"She'll stay for the kids," he finally whispered.
Outside the office Bobby told Alex he was going to talk to Izzy again, considering she had chosen to leave out how much time she really spent with Ian. School was over and her classroom was empty, save for two girls who had been in Ian's class. Origami cranes were hanging from the ceiling and he had to maneuver through them. "Can I have a minute of your time?"
"Sure." Izzy gave a paper that looked like homework to each of the girls, who were giggling quietly, and stood up. "Lana, Kate, grow up, please. I'll see you tomorrow and don't forget your costumes. Bring them here in the morning before you go to class." Both girls hugged her and ran past Bobby out the door.
"What do you need, Detective?" she sighed.
He walked further into the room. "Bobby. Did the kids know that you and Ian practically lived together?"
"That's not something I like to talk about." Izzy went to her desk and he followed her.
"That doesn't make it irrelevant."
"Fine." She turned to face him and tripped on the wheel of her office chair, falling against him. She pushed herself back quickly, falling right into the chair. "My Mom always said I drag my feet." Her face was beaming red so she turned to the things on her desk to try to hide it. "Look, Ian and I were close but only because I felt bad for rejecting him all those times in high school. I felt like I owed him so I took care of him." Bobby walked around to the other side of the desk to try to see her face but she kept turning around to avoid him.
"And did he still feel the same about you?"
"I don't know. He hadn't asked me out in a good five years."
"Does anyone else have that sort of interest in you?"
"I doubt it."
"Why?"
"People… avoid me. Just here at the school. I'm not really sure why. Even when Ian wasn't around, no one would talk to me. Like they were afraid of me…" she seemed to trail off in thought but with that single statement, Bobby was certain he felt something for this woman. She finally stopped moving and stood staring at the opposite end of the room, just looking sad without any tears. "I don't know what to do."
"You should have dinner with me," he blurted out before he could convince himself not to say anything at all. However, he instantly regretted it and started reprimanding himself in his head when she turned to him slowly.
"What?" He was begging she did not mean 'what' in the sense of are you kidding me, old man? You probably have ED.
"I- you know… it would be good for you to, uh, just get out."
"With you?" He was still hoping she was not being rude or trying to nicely reject him.
He took a deep breath before saying, "yes."
"Yeah, okay. Don't have a heart attack," she chuckled. Standing up and turning to pick up her bag.
"Was it that obvious?"
"Yeah. It's not a big deal. I… kind of like older guys." She smiled but kept her head down since her face was glowing red again. Bobby was too busy smiling to say anything but they were both equally relieved when the classroom door opened.
"Hey, Teach, is Amanda's backpack in here?"
"Check the table, hun." Izzy took a small book out of her bag and started writing something in it.
"Found it. See you tomorrow."
"Bye, Karen." Once Karen was out the door, Izzy handed Bobby the paper she had written on, which had her address. "Now, if that's all you have to ask for now, I have a flier to make."
Izzy had not been on an official date since she was sixteen and she had been panicking about it all day. She panicked so much, she felt she was over thinking and decided to just stay in the same clothes she wore to work that day: skinny jeans and a baggy Marc Ecko t-shirt that used to be her brother's. Bobby was equally, if not more nervous than she was. He could not remember the last date he was on or if it even went well. Luckily for him there was not much of a chance he could make a mistake in his outfit. He was more preoccupied with what on earth he was going to talk about with such a young woman. When they got to the restaurant Izzy felt severely underdressed. She did not even bother trying to pronounce Babbo Ristorante e Enoteca.
"I've never been to a restaurant that had a dress code or multiple floors," she admitted as she scanned the area around their table.
"Honestly, neither have I. I've never been here before. I just always wanted to try it and never had a reason."
"The menu is kind of scary. What's rock shrimp? How's it any different from regular shrimp?"
"I imagine it's something like rock lobster."
Izzy covered her mouth to stifle her laugh. "What?!" she laughed. He smiled up at her for the first time that night.
"That one was kind of easy."
"Still… damn. If I was drinking something it would've come out my nose." She smiled when Bobby took his notepad out of his suit. "Is that the only way you can have a conversation with someone?"
"It makes it easier to get things started. I did want to ask you something else about the Principal."
"Mmm," Izzy rolled her but smiled. "Alright."
"That, right there. You have a problem with him?"
"Well, I'm not too fond of him. If you're looking for a straightforward answer, no, I don't like him."
Bobby nodded, "elaborate."
"He's a dick and not just to Ian, to everyone who isn't his special little ass kissing pet."
"He said as long as you do your job, he tries to leave you alone. Was that always the case?"
"Last year it would've been bull. So far, all this year, he's left me alone," she agreed. "I… almost filed a complaint against him but I changed my mind so I could stay at the school. Principals get switched constantly so I figured I'd just wait him out."
"What was the complaint about?"
Izzy waited for a moment, looking down at the menu. "Negligence." He stared at her, a blank sort of stare which she read as him not believing her so she simply jumped to something else. "I never mentioned it to Ian. He'd jeopardize his career by confronting Antonio in my stead. Ian was never able to keep a job. I didn't want him screwing up teaching too." She seemed to be trying to make a difficult decision in her head, pulling her hair back and squeezing her shoulder. Bobby leaned back in his chair to give her space to contemplate. She pulled her bag from under the table, onto her lap. "Ian gave me something. I think it'll help you." She took a clear zip bag out of her purse and slid a book across the table. "He left it at my house and when I tried to give it back to him, he wouldn't take it. He said I should hold on to it and that he'd pick it up later. I just couldn't bring myself to look through it. Could you just give me a minute? I'll be right back."
"Oh, sure."
Bobby watched her leave and concluded he was in way over his head spending time with her off the job, both personally and professionally. He carefully took the journal out of the bag and found a sticky note on one of the entries in the middle of the book, which he then opened to:
10-25-2001
Izzy kept saying nothing was wrong, like she thinks I don't know her or something. What kind of friend would I be if I couldn't tell when something was wrong with her? After I had walked in on that prick principal hitting on her, she later told me that he had tried to force himself on her before. I thought I could just keep a better eye on her from now on but it didn't really work out that way. I heard him telling Camillo and Andrews what a slut she was. I tried to walk on and pretend I didn't hear anything but he kept going on and on so I just went back and punched him in the face. What else was I supposed to do? I got suspended. Not bad for punching your douche superior in the face. She's not too thrilled with me though. She doesn't want to go to work on Monday. Not by herself. I don't blame her but I don't think she should run and hide either. It's her job, she's good at it and she loves it. Why should she go anywhere?
11-1-2001
I got a call from Russo before going back to work now that my suspension is done. He was saying that next time I should mind my own damn business and that if I knew what was good for me, I'd stay away from her. Yeah right.
12-25-2001
Merry Christmas, self. It is merry indeed. I got to spend it with Izzy, Rorik and Cherry. Got a set of Stephen Chow movies. Epic win. Izzy looks way happier at work lately. I don't want to ask her about it but it seems Antonio is the one avoiding her now. She actually tried to ask him for permission to run the talent show this year and he kept avoiding her. He keeps eyeballing me like I punched him in the face or something. Wait, I did.
1-13-2002
Izzy's running the talent show. I'm glad she has something to occupy her time with instead of just going home to an empty house. Russo called again. This time it was to be a prick and tell me that he warned me to stay away from Izzy again. Right, whatever asshole.
Izzy had gone to the bathroom to try to convince herself that she had not betrayed Ian's trust by giving his journal to Bobby and to calm her nerves about simply being on a date. As she headed back to her table, she noticed Antonio sitting at the bar and prayed he would not see her. When he called her, she wanted to throw up. "Yeah hi," she tried to answer quickly so she be rid of him.
"Hey, hey, wait up," he got up from his seat and her feet froze in place. She rubbed her hands against her jeans to dry the sweat. "What're you doing here?"
"Just… trying a new place."
"By yourself?"
"Yeah. Not like anybody's waiting for me to come home."
"That reminds me, you never did answer my question."
"The thing is, I don't feel like I need that in my life. Not right now anyway. With Ian gone I just don't feel very much in the mood for… that."
"Maybe he'd be still here if you'd just let me fire him, huh?" he scoffed coyly.
"What?"
" Well, you know I'm not going anywhere. I have all the time in the world and you know where to find me when you change your mind. I'll see you tomorrow."
Izzy was glad she had not eaten yet because if she had, she would have thrown up on the spot. She returned to her table quickly, though she wanted to just run home and hide under her bed. She sat abruptly, almost sliding off the other side of the chair and pulling the table cloth with her.
"I'm just going to wait for you to tell me what happened," admitted Bobby.
"Principal's here."
"Did he talk to you?"
"Yes. He didn't say anything important. Did the journal help?"
"That remains to be seen. Who are Rorik and Cherry?"
"My brother, his sister."
"Andrews and Camillo?"
"Loyal pets. Antonio's followers and guy friends. First and third grade teachers," she leaned back in the chair, crossing her arms.
"They ever give you a hard time?"
"Not particularly, no. Like I told you, people just tend to leave me alone at the school."
"Are you sure about that? I'm trying to help you but holding out on me, isn't making it any easier."
"Are you sure you're not just trying to help yourself?" Izzy rolled her eyes, really intent on not talking about what he was getting at.
"If I was, I would've taken you to my place and not wasted time coming here." Izzy tried to hold back a smile.
"Please, don't jerk me around like this. I know you probably do it to everyone you interrogate but not now. I'm positive that journal has enough of a motive for you to look into. I just don't want to think about it. I've spent enough time thinking about it."
"Alright," Bobby bagged the journal and put the notepad away. He rested his elbows on the table and rested his chin on his hands. "Tell me about Greenport."
Izzy blushed, lowering her head and chuckled, "you're funny."
"Come on. Tell me about the places you liked to go as a kid."
Upon waking the next morning, Bobby was convinced he had dreamt going out with Izzy. He did not recall any issues with the date: no yelling, being embarrassed or feeling pressured to impress as he got to know her better. The girl was very easy going, casual and relaxed. Her gestures and expressions were a pleasure to watch since they were all over the place when she told stories or explained something. It put him at ease realizing she was comfortable enough with him to not hold back. If it was a dream, the only problem was that he only kissed her cheek before she went into her apartment without him.
Staring at the ceiling, he feared that if Ian's journal was not on the nightstand where he remembered leaving it, his entire dream would crash and burn. Without looking, Bobby dropped his hand on the nightstand and closed his eyes when he felt the leather book.
Bobby and Alex returned to the school to talk to the two teachers Ian mentioned in the journal. Alex interrupted Gabriel Camillo's math explanation when asking to speak to him. "I'm kind of in the middle of something, in case you didn't notice," Gabriel tried to dodge her.
"You can make the time or I can come back with an arrest warrant and drag you out." His class stood staring at them both, very silent at how serious the situation sounded. He placed his teacher's aide in charge and spoke to Alex just outside the class.
"What do you want? Unlike some of the people around here I do my job. I don't have time for this shit," Gabriel sighed.
"One of the teachers here died, Gabriel."
"Oh yeah, throw him a parade while you're at it, lady. Please. Life's for the living."
"You don't sound too sympathetic."
"So what? It means I must've killed the guy? Didn't know him, didn't care to know him. Don't care that he's dead either."
"Fair enough. Do you know anyone who stood to gain from his death?"
"Yeah."
"Okay. Who?"
"All of us. He was dragging the school down with his lax discipline and mediocre teaching ability. We dropped behind five other schools in our grade point average. He made us all look like idiots. The kids were the only ones who liked him… and that teacher."
"What teacher?"
"The one that looks like a student herself. Some of the fifth graders are taller than she is," he scoffed.
"Cortez?"
"Yeah, yeah, little Cortez. She let the guy follow her around, like a pet. It was kind of hot; small girl like that with a guy wrapped around her finger. She could've had him throw himself on a puddle on the floor so she wouldn't get her shoes wet and he'd do it happily."
"Why did he follow her around?"
"Why do you think? He obviously wanted to tap that. Got anymore stupid questions?"
"Anyone ever suggest anger management to you?"
"Once. I punched him in the face."
"That reminds me, back in October, Ian was suspended for punching Mr. Russo. Know anything about that?"
Gabriel took a step back and pulled his hair slightly. "Nope."
"Really? Because I spoke to Liam Andrews and he says you were with Mr. Russo when it happened."
"Nah, nah, no way, that's bull. We were both there. That asshole."
"What was it about?"
Gabriel shrugged, "you know, guys being guys. Just fucking around."
"Afraid I don't. What did you do about it?"
"Nothing."
"So you just let a guy walk up and punch your buddy in the face for no reason?"
"Nah, Tony… he had it coming. He was talking shit on purpose to piss him off. Talking about Cortez. He knew how the guy would react."
"Did he expect Ian to hit him?"
"Yeah… he did. He wanted to get him suspended or fired. He didn't care which. Don't ask me why."
"Why?"
"I just said don't ask me that! Ugh…" Gabriel started pacing the hall, rubbing his hands together.
"It's you or him. Trust me, he doesn't mind if it's you."
"Fine. You're a real bitch, you know that? He wanted to get at the girl. He wanted Ian out of the way so he could be alone with Cortez."
"And what happened between Russo and Cortez when Ian was gone?"
"Nothing. She hates his guts. Always has."
"Why did he bother if he knew she hated him?"
"He's a little bit obsessed."
"Enough to kill?"
"Whoa, whoa, lady, I did not say that."
"Did he ever try to keep anyone else away from her?"
"You know what," Gabriel held his hands out to her. "Arrest me or you aren't getting another word."
When Bobby entered Liam Andrews' class, the man was seated at a semi circle table helping his first graders with macaroni crafts. "Liam Andrews, I'm Detective Goren. Can I ask a moment of your time?"
"Sure, just a second. Tim, Leslie, watch the kids. I'll be right back."
Liam had no odd expressions or an odd gait or anything that made him stand out. He was like a stone; very lifeless and a bit dull to watch.
"Are you here about Ian Sterling, sir?" Liam asked.
"Detective."
"Yes, sir."
Bobby sighed, "what's your rank?"
"Chief warrant officer, class five, sir. Well, it was. I have a prosthetic leg now. I'm not very useful to anyone anymore, sir."
"We'll see about that. What can you tell me about Sterling?"
"Quiet, naïve, clingy, obsessed. The latter more than the other others. He was always tailing Izzy Cortez, a kindergarten teacher on staff here."
"Why do you think he stuck to her?"
"Your guess is as good as mine but I'd bet anything we're both thinking the exact same thing, sir."
"Was anyone… jealous of Ian because of that? Maybe wanted him gone?"
"Tony. He… likes Izzy but he doesn't have the brains for murder."
"But you do, right? You were a soldier so you could've taken him easy."
Liam was completely offended but kept his face expressionless. "With this leg? I can barely keep my balance."
"You seemed to be doing fine when you walked out here."
"Are you trying to provoke me, sir?"
"Are you easily provoked? I heard Ian knocked your friend out in front of you and you didn't do a thing about it. If that wasn't provocation…"
"Tony was asking for it. He knew how Ian felt about Izzy and he was badmouthing her so Ian could hear."
"Why would he want to aggravate Ian?"
"He wanted Ian to react like that, sir. That way he could report him to the district and whether they fired him or suspended him, he'd be gone for a while. Tony would have time to be with Izzy."
"How did that work out for him?"
"Lousy. She avoided him like the plague and then he started avoiding her."
"But now he has another chance, right?"
"She hates him too much."
"Well, he's obviously blinded by his obsession. He told Ian to stay away from her and I'll bet he told you and every man in this school, the exact same thing. Ian was the only one who didn't listen to him."
"Are you implying he plotted to kill Ian so he could have her to himself?"
"No, you said that."
"You should take better care who you talk to, Detective," Liam finally smiled. "News travels fast here."
Bobby went to see Izzy before meeting with Alex. School was almost over, so the kids were outside the classroom, waiting for their parents to come get them. A student was leading a game of Simons Says while Izzy waited with them.
"Hi," she said sweetly, twiddling her fingers nervously.
"I spoke to Andrews."
"And?"
"Everything seems to point to Russo."
"That's ridiculous."
"Is it?"
"Yes. He's incapable. He's too stupid."
"Are you sure that's not just wishful thinking?"
"No, I hate the guy. I'd love nothing more than for him to be locked up forever but it's not him. There's just no way." Bobby could see she was completely adamant and truly believed Antonio was not capable of murder, even if he did truly want someone dead.
When Bobby was on his way out of the school with Alex, they were approached by Antonio. "A word, please detectives. If you do still need to come here to continue your investigation, I'd appreciate it if you would do so after school hours. Your presence here is a distraction to the children's learning and a growing concern to the parents." Alex simply nodded and went on her way, not too eager to stick around the noise of the now crowded hallways as the children left school.
"Are you serious?" Bobby asked Antonio. "That's the best you could come up with?"
Antonio smiled, a big toothy smile, very satisfied with himself and got a bit closer to Bobby. "I saw you with her at the restaurant," he scoffed. "You really think you stand a chance?"
"Oh, I don't know. I've made more progress in two days than you have in two years so I must be doing something right."
"Not even in your dreams. What do you hope to accomplish with her?"
"I'm just answering nature's call. You should try it some time. It might help you take that stick out of your ass."
"Cross your fingers she doesn't get you killed."
Bobby got in the car with Alex and the first thing she asked was, "where were you yesterday?"
"Really? That's what you want to ask me?"
"Why not? You've been dodging me about it all day."
"I was home."
"Then why didn't you answer my call?"
"I was asleep."
"At six?"
"Yeah. Don't insist. It isn't any of your business."
Izzy was in the school auditorium helping the kids prepare their talent show performances. "Boys, I'm going to need to you to turn down the yelling. Thank you," Bobby could hear her from outside and the various songs playing on several radios for the kids to practice to. He walked just inside the door but it was far too busy for anyone to notice him. She was actually difficult to spot, since she was shorter than some of the kids there. He found her on the stage explaining to a group of girls, including Lana and Kate who had been in her class the day before when Bobby went to see her, what it means to be in sync. "Okay, try that again and don't forget to count: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, over and over again in your head." She felt a hand brush down her arm and she instinctively tensed.
"It's me," Bobby chuckled.
"My god, you scared the shit out of me," she sighed with a smile, holding her chest. "I thought you were leaving."
"I was but I'd rather stay with you." She smiled up at him, completely forgetting she was supposed to be making sure the girls on stage had taken her advice.
"You free later?"
"In about half an hour."
Watching her interact with the kids was something entirely new to Bobby. He had never seen anyone do so much all at once. Izzy was consoling kids with scrapes, ordering costumes, fixing the girls' hair, talking to parents picking up their kids and advising the kids on their routines. It almost looked like she was in her element, rushing about in chaotic manner. She seemed equally satisfied when another teacher came to take her place so she could finally leave.
Izzy did not feel much like staying out so she decided to instead to invite Bobby to her apartment. She figured it was better than going to his but concluded it suggested the same thing. Once that occurred to her, she felt it was too late to retract the invitation.
The first thing he noticed was that the apartment smelled like Izzy: sweet and fruity. She seemed nervous as she walked around the living room, almost looking for something to do. "I have to tell you something," he said quietly and she froze, turning to him.
"Yes?"
"I'm having Russo arrested."
"What?" Her posture and face relaxed suddenly. She jumped over the back of her couch and landed seated in front of him. "I told you, there's no way it's him. Just no way."
"He threatened me outside the school."
"I believe that but I still don't think he could've killed Ian. I don't know why, I just don't see it. Maybe I'm just gullible or naïve."
Bobby sat down next to her. "Why do you think he's incapable?"
"He's… simple. He doesn't have the stomach or drive to kill anyone. He wouldn't even be at the school if he did it. He's a coward."
"You're right about all that but even Ian's journal suggests Russo. Technically, I have to arrest him."
"I'd argue further but I'm sure you know what you're doing."
Bobby had expected her to continue to argue her point yet he almost commended her for conceding. He liked that, in an odd way, she had simply accepted that he was smarter than her. As if that was not enough, she confessed a certain interest in his line of work. Against his own conscience, he told Izzy about some of the cases he worked and found it completely worthwhile. She hung on his words like shoes on a power line. Sometimes it looked like she was so focused, she was forgetting to breathe. Izzy did not often pay compliments or adulate for fear of embarrassment but she was genuinely fascinated with Bobby. She felt like a ten year old obsessing over Justin Timberlake.
Completely losing track of time, Izzy felt she could listen to Bobby talk all day even if it was about nothing important at all. He stopped toward the end of one of his cases and she seemed to snap out of a meditative state. "What? Go on."
He shrugged, leaning back into the armrest of the couch with a smile, "I'm not sure I want to."
"What? It's just one more sentence. Was it him or not?"
He shrugged again, almost laughing, "maybe."
"Oh, come on. That's not even fair."
"But if I tell you now, I don't have a reason to come back tomorrow."
Izzy looked up at the ceiling and thought for a moment then tuned to him, resting both her hands on the couch with her wrists touching, looking a bit like a cat. "Maybe you don't have to leave." She saw her hair move on the couch and noticed he was running it through his fingers. She felt her face get hot.
"Maybe I don't." He sat up quickly and she wanted to slink back against her armrest but stood facing him. "Are you free tomorrow?"
"I don't have to be anywhere. It's Saturday."
"Good." Izzy would have smiled had he not been so close to her. She did not like people knowing what she was thinking. It felt like she was giving an advantage over her if she bared all that was on her mind.
When Bobby moved in to kiss her, she turned her face so the kiss landed on her cheek. "What? You have done this before, right?"
"Yeah, once."
"Really? Only once?"
"My work keeps me busy, both physically and mentally. I've just got to get something to drink," she stood up slowly and smiled back at him before going to the kitchen.
"Are you… teasing me?"
"It's only teasing if it works."
"More like torture," he sighed. He got up and followed her into the kitchen. She threw a carton back into the fridge and pushed it closed with her foot. Bobby was standing on the other side of the door, resting his hands on the oven and counter, blocking the only way out. "Were you going to pass this way?"
Izzy leaned back against the wall. "Nah, I was just going to hang out here."
"Maybe I'll join you."
"Maybe you should."
He rested his hands on her waist and for the first time, he realized just how short and petite she really was. He lifted her up and pinned her against the wall with his body, making her gasp with surprise. "Comfortable?"
"Very," she wrapped her legs around him and flattened her hands against the wall to keep herself from sliding.
"I didn't hurt you?"
"You couldn't hurt me if you tried."
"Oh, I wouldn't bet on it if I were in you."
"You mean 'if I were you'?"
"No," he responded with a slight smile.
She turned away and nearly laughed, "well, are you going to show me or what?"
"I'll think about it." He buried his face in her neck but she only felt his breath on her skin, which gave her chills. Izzy saw his hands against the wall beside her. It excited her to have someone handle her so roughly.
"That's so unfair…" She rubbed her face against him and his stubble felt like sandpaper.
"Is it?" Bobby finally planted several soft kisses on her neck, making her whole upper body relax. She placed her left hand on his arm and the other she rested on the back of his head, pulling his hair between her fingers to hold him where he was. She rubbed her hips against him in small circles. "Hold on." His hands moved under her to hold her up as he carried her away from the wall. He sat her down on the table, whispering into her mouth, "can I kiss you now?"
"I don't know… can you?" Izzy chuckled at a line she frequently used on the children.
"Shut up," he covered her mouth with two of his fingers and pushed her slowly onto the table.
"The table?"
"Why not the table?" She simply shrugged.
"That's what I thought."
He went back to kissing her neck and Izzy covered her eyes with her hand, laughing and asking herself, what the hell am I doing? Still, she had no intention of changing her mind or making him stop. Age, familiarity, consequences and even the fact that she had not been with anyone since she was sixteen, were all completely irrelevant, especially the moment he bit her. She pretended to be surprised as he saw her looking up at him.
"Did that hurt?"
Izzy scoffed, "you wish."
"Guess I'm going to have to try harder."
"Go ahead."
"I wasn't asking for your permission."
As he pushed himself up from laying over her, he used his leverage to grind against her. Her body was so responsive, he hardly heard her sigh. He was more focused on watching her as her back arched slightly and her head rolled back while she tugged at her own hair. When she kicked off her short boots, Bobby pushed them aside with his foot and grabbed the bottom of her pants as she rushed to unbutton them so he could pull them off. Izzy held onto the edges of the table as her pants were jerked off of her then tossed aside. He pushed her legs apart and leaned back into her. Her legs immediately wrapped around him, refusing to allow him to back away from her again. She slid her hands down his shirt to his belt just as his phone started vibrating. Izzy pulled it out of his pocket before he could get it and she laid back to check the message.
"Who's it from?" Bobby asked as he pushed up her t-shirt.
"It's from your partner. She wants to know where you are. Should I tell her?" Izzy smiled deviously, biting her bottom lip.
"Tell her I'll call her in an hour."
"Okay." As soon as Izzy finished the text, she put the phone behind her head. He never noticed since he was too busy pulling her underwear aside. The moment he entered her, Izzy grasped the edge of the table above her head with a quiet groan, leaving the phone beside her head. She held it tighter as he started forcing himself into her repeatedly. Just watching how much her body responded to everything her did, excited him further. His phone rang suddenly, surprising both of them. "It's her again." This time, she held the phone out to him. "Answer it."
Bobby smirked and took the phone from her. Much to her surprise, he actually did answer it without slowing down at all.
"Yeah?... I came home… Well, as you can see, I didn't… Don't worry about that. I'll handle it tomorrow… If he wants to know, he can call me." Izzy tightened herself around him suddenly, making him gasp. "Ahhh… no, it's nothing." She could not help laughing, covering her mouth to try to stifle it.
He smacked the side of her thigh and she gawked at him with a slight smile. "Oww," she spoke almost directly into the phone. "That actually hurt."
"TV, it's the TV. I'll see you tomorrow." Without waiting for Alex to even agree, he simply hung up on her, putting the phone back in Izzy's hand. "Turn it off. You're something else, you know that?"
"What? It was funny. You should've seen your face," she taunted him.
"Stop talking," he put two fingers in her mouth and she closed her lips gently around them. Izzy could feel him growing harder inside her as she rolled her tongue between his fingers. Bobby could tell she worried he would not last much longer but it was not until an hour later that he finally finished and by then she had finished seven times over.
Izzy left Bobby at the station early the next day before Alex could even call him again. She went straight to the school to avoid the suspicion that would arise if she had been even slightly late.
Bobby and Alex found Antonio in his office at his desk, pretending to be busy again. "What now? You haven't wasted enough of this school's time? Interrupting classes getting old?"
"You wish," Alex scoffed.
"Actually, you're under arrest."
"Whatever you say." A massive smile spread across his face and he stood up, even putting his hands back and turning so he could be cuffed.
Antonio seemed fully satisfied with himself in the interrogation room. His feet were crossed on the table when Bobby and Alex came inside but he quickly took them down. "Why am I here? Why not just ask if I did it?"
"And make things easy for us for once? That sounds too good to be true," Alex said.
Antonio leaned forward with his elbows on the table. "I killed Ian." His smile never faded.
"We know that. We want to know why," Bobby told him.
"Who cares?"
"Well, if you did kill him, how did you do it?"
Antonio laughed, "he had this trophy he won in high school volleyball. I used the base to smash his face in."
"Go back, before the face smashing. Why did he even let you into his house?"
"A kid in his class has a mom in the hospital and the kid is always in trouble. I told him I wanted to talk to him about that."
"How long were you there before deciding to go through with it?"
"Only fifteen minutes. He had to be stupid and smug. Every chance he got, he had to say something completely uncalled for. I tried to give him a chance, to see if maybe he wasn't the asshole I thought he was. Whether he was or not, I'll never know now. He was just too stubborn about laying off."
"Laying off of what? You mean the same thing you warned me about? Staying away from the kindergarten teacher?"
"Yeah… that."
"What I don't understand is that, Ian wasn't getting anywhere with her. Why not just leave him be?"
"He wasn't but he was occupying Izzy's life. Her whole world depended on where he was and what he was doing. No one else stood a chance because he was draining her of all her time," Antonio finally seemed agitated.
"So if Ian wasn't around anymore then you'd have your chance, right? That's what you thought? But you didn't get that chance, did you? Why not? Was it because you had tried before?" Antonio smiled slightly, intrigued. "You did. Several times. See, Ian kept a journal, which he left with Izzy before you killed him. He wrote, 'she later told me that he,' talking about you, 'had tried to force himself on her before.' If you knew she didn't want you, why kill Ian?"
Antonio rolled his eyes. "I had plenty of reasons to want him out of my life. I told him to stay away from Izzy. I was even nice about it the first time. Didn't listen. I warned him about his class's grades. Didn't care. He threatened to file the complaint against me if I didn't leave Izzy alone, even without her agreeing to it. Did he also happen to mention in that journal of his that he punched me in front of two other teachers?"
"Yeah. I kind of liked that. He was suspended. Your teachers seemed to agree that you had it coming. They said you wanted Ian to hit you."
"Yeah. I was hoping his ass would get fired. By then it had nothing to do with Izzy. I was just pissed the hell off because of all the shit he was giving me. I tried to be nice to him just to appeal to her and as you know, that got me nowhere."
"But threatening people did? Izzy told me no one at the school talks to her. She thinks they're afraid of her. I think… they're afraid of you but why would they be? Izzy is adamant that you can't possibly be the killer. She says you're simple. You don't have the stomach or drive to kill anyone and that you're a coward. She right?"
"Why don't you ask Ian?"
Bobby smiled, amused at how Antonio stuck to the same thing. "I'm going to just come out and tell you, I know you didn't kill him. Ian's body says otherwise. Even if you did, you weren't alone because, well… you're a coward. So who did you take with you?"
Antonio leaned back into his chair and smiled, "know the name Julio Cortez? His father-in-law got made last year. Mob boss. Julio is Izzy's brother, which is why when I told people so, they backed off instantly. Julio wanted Ian gone. Go ask him about it."
Later that day, Julio was brought in as well. He was not snitching on any member of the mob so he had no problem telling Bobby everything he wanted to know.
"Yeah, I asked Tony to get rid of Ian. Offered him a shitload of money for it too," Julio admitted.
"He didn't accept?"
"He told me to split it in half and wire it into two different accounts belonging to two tools I never heard of. Gabriel and Liam. Probably the guys he got to take care of Ian for him."
"You know he didn't do it himself?"
"There's no way. He's a pussy. Wouldn't get his hands dirty like that but I knew he'd find a way to get it done. He wanted Ian gone just as bad as I did, which is why he didn't accept the money. He told me he would've gotten it done for free if I had only asked."
Bobby leaned back and tried to appear as confused as possible. "Why would you want Ian gone? Didn't he make your sister happy? Isn't that what you're supposed to want? What kind of brother puts his interests ahead of his little sisters?"
Julio rubbed his chin and whispered, "Ian drained my sister. He was stealing her life from right in front of her face and she refused to see it. She could've been married by now, had a kid but she was wasting time on him and he refused to lay off!"
"So, that's it then? Was it worth it? She's going to hate you forever once she finds out."
"No, that's not it. My mom wants grandkids. The problem is that I can't do that. If Izzy could get back to her own life, she could. Our mom would have what she wanted and leave me alone about it. Izzy and I have had problems ever since she first got a boyfriend. She hasn't spoken to me since then but I'm still her brother and I still look after her, whether she knows it or not. That's really all there is to it."
"Okay," Bobby stood up and stopped just before going out of the room. "Just one more thing… did you know why Antonio was so eager to get rid of him? Your sister told Ian that Antonio had tried to rape her and Ian was keeping her safe. Seems he was the only one who was really looking out for her."
Izzy's class was eating lunch in their room that day. She put on a movie for them and sat way at the back of the class in her office chair, just spinning around in it and sliding from one end of the room to the other when Bobby opened the door. She sighed as she stood up to go to the door, worried about what she might learn. "So… was it him?"
"No, you were right. It was Camillo and Andrews. Antonio suggested it to them after your brother asked him to get rid of Ian."
Izzy nodded, hardly surprised. He noticed she was folding the edges of a small paper in her hand. "My brother has ceased to exist to me but it doesn't surprise me that he's responsible. Well, at least the kids don't have to be in contact with any of them anymore. Thank you," she looked back at her class, now that she was unsure what else to say. Bobby rubbed the back of his neck anxiously, debating whether to simply walk away or if he should say something about the previous day. "I don't want to look back at myself and be frustrated about something I decided not to do, so…" Izzy took his hand and placed the paper in it. Much to her relief, one of her students called her so she went to see what he wanted. She heard the door open and close when Bobby left, smiling at the number in his hand.