Try finding an English to Russian translator that doesn't give you the
translation in Cyrillic- pretty difficult- at least it was for me. I hope
you like the chapter. Yeah, okay it's a bit sad but I think I did a good
job on it.
*-*-*-*-*
"Dyadya Dimitri" called Kate as she entered her Uncle's house just as the first chords of Allegro con fuoco of the New World Symphony began. Placing her purse on the sideboard and hanging her shawl over one of the coat hooks she saw the light in the living room was on. "That must be where he is," she thought and started to enter. She stopped in the doorway puzzling over who the man with the ebony hair was sitting on the floor in front of the sofa. From her position she could only see the back of his head. Her first thought was to run and call the police but there was something familiar about him.
Anthony thought he heard the door and was certain it was Dylan; she knew where she could find him. He refilled his glass and used the remote to turn up the music. There was something about the intensity of this piece that he fell in love with the moment that he had first heard it in the Mother Superior's office when he was just a boy. He turned when he heard the footsteps stop just inside the doorway. It wasn't Dylan who stood there but a ghost from his past, Ekaterina Dunayevskaya, Dimitri's niece.
She looked at him and was surprised, she hadn't seen the assassin in years so many she could barely recollect the last time. She had been young, seventeen and was about attend the Sorbonne in Paris to study art history and conservation. Her parents decided it would be a good experience for her to visit her great uncle Dimitri in the US. Upon arrival she discovered that she wouldn't be alone at her uncle's house that he had recently taken in a young man who didn't speak and had an odd hair fetish. Her uncle had told her that his name was Anton and years later it didn't surprise her when she was informed that he had become an assassin.
"What are you doing her?" she asked angrily. "Where is my Uncle?"
Anthony stood and looked at her, assessing her with his cool blue eyes. He had his own memories of Ekaterina. She had arrived for a visit about two years after he began studying with Dimitri. He had been attracted to her immediately; she was quite lovely with her rich chestnut hair, deep blue eyes and her British accent. She however had an immediate hatred of him. He had thought the girls at the orphanage were cruel with their taunts but they had nothing on Dimitri's great niece.
"What you still don't speak? I would have thought you'd be over that by now?" she said entering the living room and standing in front of him. She hoped that he couldn't see how attracted she was to him. Years ago she hadn't given the gangly young man a second thought but he had grown up to be quite handsome and she found herself taken by his angled face and piercing eyes. "Uncle Dimitri never said that you were coming for a visit. Oh I see you poured wine, how nice of you." She picked up the glass that was meant for Dylan and took a sip and sat down. "So where is the loveable old coot?"
Anthony watched her drink the wine and narrowed his eyes. He reached into his pocket to take out his pen and notepad. He wondered where she had been that the lawyer couldn't find her at the time of Dimitri's death. He wrote a note and held it out for her inspection, "When was the last time you saw him?"
"The last time I saw him? I don't know what concern that is of yours but about three weeks ago."
"Then you don't know? Didn't anyone call you?" he wrote and handed her the paper.
"No one called me. What should I know?" she asked feeling nervous not only about the whereabouts of her uncle but also her new found attraction for the man in front of her.
Anthony sat down next to her. He didn't know how to tell her about her uncle. Was it better to be blunt and come out and say it or would she handle it better if he told her subtly? He tried to quickly assess the situation and decided to tell her quickly like ripping a bandage off or a lock of hair out. He wrote, "I'm sorry but he was murdered two weeks ago."
Kate took the note from his hand and read it. "You!" she yelled standing. "You killed him didn't you?" Anthony shook his head violently as tears streamed down Kate's porcelain face. She collapsed seated onto the couch and sobbed with her hands in her face. Anthony didn't know what to do. He reached out and stroked her hair gently hoping it would calm her down. He had vague memories of his mother doing the same when he was upset as a child. As she calmed he wrote another note, "I didn't kill him but I was there when he died. I loved him too," and handed it to her.
She looked up and took the note reading it. "What happened? I'm willing to listen if you are willing to tell me."
Anthony wrote the story of how he had come to Dimitri to find a cure for a friend and someone had him followed to be assassinated. How he had fought them off but one shot her uncle. "So," he concluded the note, "I suppose I am partially responsible."
"No, no, it was those horrible people who did that to him. I am sorry I blamed you. I just.he was the only family I had left." With that she burst into tears again and threw her arms around Anthony. He didn't know what to do so he carefully placed his arms around her and rubbed her back.
Dylan didn't bother taking a shower. She drove straight from the airport to Dimitri's house. She didn't think Anthony would mind if she took a shower there. Her ankle still hurt but wasn't swollen which made driving her standard transmission mustang not too uncomfortable. Natalie had insisted that she go to the hospital and get her ankle checked but Dylan steadfastly refused. She knew that she would feel better once she was with Anthony. She hoped that he wasn't too disappointed that she didn't get there sooner but LAX tower made the small private jet circle for thirty minutes due to air traffic congestion.
She pulled up out front of the house, got out and walked up the driveway. She was surprised to see a red Toyota in the drive. "I wonder who that belongs to," she thought to herself as she approached the front door. Looking at the house and saw the lights were dim. It concerned her a bit after Alex's discovery of the pictures at the old building in Sacramento. She went to the front door only to discover it wasn't shut tightly; it wasn't like Anthony to leave the door ajar. Pushing it open she entered the foyer. She inhaled to prepare for a possible attack and recognized the scent in the air but couldn't put her finger on it. Classical music was coming from the living room. Dvorak was long over and Anthony had put on Gustav Holst, First Suite in E-flat. The French horn was entering its solo as Dylan approached the doorway and saw Anthony sitting on the couch, his back to her with his arms around a woman with long shiny brown hair wearing a red blouse and black slacks. Dylan took in the scene and the ambience of the room lit with candles and two wine glasses. The woman looked up at her and Dylan gasped.
"Dylan?" asked Kate in surprise. Anthony removed his arms from around Kate and turned to see his Dylan in the doorway. He stood to go to her but Dylan turned on her heels and ran out the door, her injured ankle forgotten. Anthony followed her to the edge of the drive way but she had too big of a start despite his speed, "Dylan," he said sadly as she hopped in her car and drove away.
Across the street the burly man smiled and picked up his cell phone. He punched in a number, waited a second and then spoke. "Hey, it's me," he said. "The angels are back from Sacramento and found what you left. And on and even better note, she now knows." He paused and listened to the person on the other end. "Am I sure? With the way she stormed out of there, yeah I'm sure." With that he hung up and drove off down the street the same direction that Dylan went.
*-*-*-*-*
Alex arrived at her apartment with Natalie and both were surprised to find Pete there. "Hey," said Natalie as she saw her boyfriend playing a Playstation game with Jason. "Hi sweetie," he said not looking away from the TV.
"Kick him!" yelled Jason.
"I'm trying. I'm trying," said Pete pushing the buttons on the controller.
"Forget them," said Alex unpacking the groceries that they had stopped for. "They will be at that for hours. Stay for dinner."
"Only gives up a chance to try to experience what you girls do daily," called Jason from the living room. Alex rolled her eyes and Natalie laughed..
"Maybe we should have invited Dylan and Anthony," said Nat as she filled a pot with water and placed it on the ceramic topped stove.
"I might not completely approve of Anthony but he does make her happy and since right now they are in the throws of a new relationship I didn't think she would want to come. Maybe we should call her though and ask."
The doorbell rang and Pete set his controller down to answer it since it was Jason's turn. He opened the door to find a teary eyed Dylan standing outside. "Dylan are you okay?"
"Yeah, just fine," she said trying not to cry. She had gotten in her car after finding Anthony hugging Kate and drove without reason. She was surprised when she found that she had pulled up in front of Alex's place. Sitting in her car she debated as to whether or not to tell her what happened since she knew how much Alex disliked Anthony and had only recently stopped calling him "Creepy Thin Man", but she needed her friends right now and so she decided she would deal with any "I told you so's" that they might throw her way.
"Come on in," Pete said holding the door open for her. Dylan walked inside in a daze.
"Damn that was my last life," said Jason on the couch and turned to see who was at the door. He had never seen Dylan look so upset before. "Hey Dylan, you okay?" he asked. She gave him a lopsided smile which left as quickly as it came.
From the kitchen Alex yelled, "Who's at the door?"
"Dylan," yelled Jason back. Alex came out of the kitchen drying her hands on a dishtowel, took one look at her friend and gave her a big hug. "Come into the kitchen," she said ushering Dylan with her into the other room.
Natalie stirred the noodles and then added more oregano to the sauce as Alex brought Dylan into the room. "My god, Dylan you don't look well are you okay?" asked Natalie. Dylan wished everyone would stop asking her that it just made her heart hurt worse. "I think I will be.eventually," she said in response.
"Tell us what happened," said Alex.
Dylan hopped up on the counter next to the sink and shivered. She felt a small splash of water that lay on the counter soak into her pants but ignored it. "She looks like she is in shock," said Alex to Nat. "Can you go get the extra blanket off the foot of my bed?" she asked Natalie.
"Anthony," Dylan said and tried to hold the impending tears back. Alex placed her arm around her friend.
"What about Anthony?" Alex asked as Natalie brought the blanket in. She wrapped it around Dylan as she sat there. They both waited for her to go on. Dylan swallowed hard and said, "he was with another woman". Alex and Natalie looked at each other not quiet believing what they heard. Then Natalie spoke, "He loves you Dyl."
"Yeah that is what I thought too," she said with a sarcastic laugh. "I think your idea about Kate is right one Alex."
"What do you mean?"
"And I think Anthony might be in on it."
Now Alex was really confused. "Why?"
"Because Kate was the woman he was with."
*-*-*-*-*-*
Anthony went back in the house not saying a word to Kate and flicked the living room light on and blew out the candles. He then carried the two wine glasses to the kitchen and poured their contents down the drain. He pressed the palms of his hands against the counter and sighed. "I don't know what she was doing here Anton, really I don't" said Kate resting her well manicured hand on his shoulder, not understanding in the slightest what had happened. She thought that maybe Dylan was looking for her about the case but if that were so why did she run out like that?
He turned and looked at Dimitri's niece and cocked an eyebrow in question. "She is one of the detectives I hired Sunday." Anthony gave her an expression that said to go on and she did. She explained how she had gotten a job at the LAMA and how the eggs were missing. When she mentioned the eggs Anthony wrote "That is you?" on a slip of paper and handed it to her.
"Yes that is me. I don't understand what do you know about my eggs?" she asked.
Anthony walked away from her through the house. Kate followed finding him in the living room sitting on the couch. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet in which contained a lock of red hair tied with a blue velvet ribbon. He closed his eyes and inhaled the sweet scent that was Dylan. Kate watched him with the lock of hair, caressing it to his face and smelling it. She noticed the color of the strands in his possession then put two and two together. "Is Dylan your girlfriend?" she asked. He nodded in the affirmative yet never looked at her.
When Kate saw him again she had been attracted to him even though his hair fetish scared her. She had assumed that she could act on that attraction and get what she wanted. She thought all women would find it as strange as she did and therefore he would be alone. Now she was finding that she was jealous of the red-haired angel the one she had thought was kind of plain compared to the other two angels.
He left Kate standing in the kitchen. He went out and got into his car he didn't know where he was going but the speed would make him feel better.
*-*-*-*-*
"So he was there with lit candles, wine and Kate?" asked Natalie disbelieving as they sat on the living room sofa Dylan between them and their boyfriends in the pair of chairs nearby.
"After you called and told him you were on your way?" asked Alex.
Dylan gave a sad smile and said, "Yes. I feel like such a fool, always falling for the bad guy. Okay he didn't try to kill me but I think it would have hurt less if he did. If he knew I was coming why? When did he meet her? I'm going to go." She said hopping off the counter.
"Dylan don't leave, have diner with us," said Natalie.
Alex looked at Jason worriedly "Dylan you aren't in any shape to drive stay for dinner."
"It's your favorite," said Jason, "Nat's Spaghetti Bolognaise with tossed salad and garlic bread. Yum!" He rubbed his stomach as though he was talking to a child
Dylan smiled but declined their offer. "At least let Jason take you home. I'll pick you up in the morning to go to the office," suggested Alex. Dylan relented and agreed to that. She hugged Alex, Nat and Pete goodbye and left with Jason. They rode in silence most of the way until Jason spoke.
"Do you really think he is cheating on you?" he asked looking at Dylan whose face was streaked with the colors of the neon lights they passed.
"I don't know," was all she said. They pulled up in front of the condo and he let her out. "Thanks for the ride."
"No problem. If you need anything, like me to beat him up just let me know." Dylan smiled a real smile at that. Although Jason was an action star and action figures from Maximum Extreme and ME:2 were big money makers she doubted Jason could take on Anthony, maybe his stunt double could but not him; still she appreciated his offer. "Thanks but I don't think that will be necessary." She kissed him briefly on the cheek and watched him drive away. She opened her front door and walked wearily inside. It was dark and she saw a figure sitting on her couch. "Anthony?" she asked. He didn't move but as she came around the side of the couch the light came on revealing the ageless face of Neville Rutherford.
*-*-*-*-*
"Dyadya Dimitri" called Kate as she entered her Uncle's house just as the first chords of Allegro con fuoco of the New World Symphony began. Placing her purse on the sideboard and hanging her shawl over one of the coat hooks she saw the light in the living room was on. "That must be where he is," she thought and started to enter. She stopped in the doorway puzzling over who the man with the ebony hair was sitting on the floor in front of the sofa. From her position she could only see the back of his head. Her first thought was to run and call the police but there was something familiar about him.
Anthony thought he heard the door and was certain it was Dylan; she knew where she could find him. He refilled his glass and used the remote to turn up the music. There was something about the intensity of this piece that he fell in love with the moment that he had first heard it in the Mother Superior's office when he was just a boy. He turned when he heard the footsteps stop just inside the doorway. It wasn't Dylan who stood there but a ghost from his past, Ekaterina Dunayevskaya, Dimitri's niece.
She looked at him and was surprised, she hadn't seen the assassin in years so many she could barely recollect the last time. She had been young, seventeen and was about attend the Sorbonne in Paris to study art history and conservation. Her parents decided it would be a good experience for her to visit her great uncle Dimitri in the US. Upon arrival she discovered that she wouldn't be alone at her uncle's house that he had recently taken in a young man who didn't speak and had an odd hair fetish. Her uncle had told her that his name was Anton and years later it didn't surprise her when she was informed that he had become an assassin.
"What are you doing her?" she asked angrily. "Where is my Uncle?"
Anthony stood and looked at her, assessing her with his cool blue eyes. He had his own memories of Ekaterina. She had arrived for a visit about two years after he began studying with Dimitri. He had been attracted to her immediately; she was quite lovely with her rich chestnut hair, deep blue eyes and her British accent. She however had an immediate hatred of him. He had thought the girls at the orphanage were cruel with their taunts but they had nothing on Dimitri's great niece.
"What you still don't speak? I would have thought you'd be over that by now?" she said entering the living room and standing in front of him. She hoped that he couldn't see how attracted she was to him. Years ago she hadn't given the gangly young man a second thought but he had grown up to be quite handsome and she found herself taken by his angled face and piercing eyes. "Uncle Dimitri never said that you were coming for a visit. Oh I see you poured wine, how nice of you." She picked up the glass that was meant for Dylan and took a sip and sat down. "So where is the loveable old coot?"
Anthony watched her drink the wine and narrowed his eyes. He reached into his pocket to take out his pen and notepad. He wondered where she had been that the lawyer couldn't find her at the time of Dimitri's death. He wrote a note and held it out for her inspection, "When was the last time you saw him?"
"The last time I saw him? I don't know what concern that is of yours but about three weeks ago."
"Then you don't know? Didn't anyone call you?" he wrote and handed her the paper.
"No one called me. What should I know?" she asked feeling nervous not only about the whereabouts of her uncle but also her new found attraction for the man in front of her.
Anthony sat down next to her. He didn't know how to tell her about her uncle. Was it better to be blunt and come out and say it or would she handle it better if he told her subtly? He tried to quickly assess the situation and decided to tell her quickly like ripping a bandage off or a lock of hair out. He wrote, "I'm sorry but he was murdered two weeks ago."
Kate took the note from his hand and read it. "You!" she yelled standing. "You killed him didn't you?" Anthony shook his head violently as tears streamed down Kate's porcelain face. She collapsed seated onto the couch and sobbed with her hands in her face. Anthony didn't know what to do. He reached out and stroked her hair gently hoping it would calm her down. He had vague memories of his mother doing the same when he was upset as a child. As she calmed he wrote another note, "I didn't kill him but I was there when he died. I loved him too," and handed it to her.
She looked up and took the note reading it. "What happened? I'm willing to listen if you are willing to tell me."
Anthony wrote the story of how he had come to Dimitri to find a cure for a friend and someone had him followed to be assassinated. How he had fought them off but one shot her uncle. "So," he concluded the note, "I suppose I am partially responsible."
"No, no, it was those horrible people who did that to him. I am sorry I blamed you. I just.he was the only family I had left." With that she burst into tears again and threw her arms around Anthony. He didn't know what to do so he carefully placed his arms around her and rubbed her back.
Dylan didn't bother taking a shower. She drove straight from the airport to Dimitri's house. She didn't think Anthony would mind if she took a shower there. Her ankle still hurt but wasn't swollen which made driving her standard transmission mustang not too uncomfortable. Natalie had insisted that she go to the hospital and get her ankle checked but Dylan steadfastly refused. She knew that she would feel better once she was with Anthony. She hoped that he wasn't too disappointed that she didn't get there sooner but LAX tower made the small private jet circle for thirty minutes due to air traffic congestion.
She pulled up out front of the house, got out and walked up the driveway. She was surprised to see a red Toyota in the drive. "I wonder who that belongs to," she thought to herself as she approached the front door. Looking at the house and saw the lights were dim. It concerned her a bit after Alex's discovery of the pictures at the old building in Sacramento. She went to the front door only to discover it wasn't shut tightly; it wasn't like Anthony to leave the door ajar. Pushing it open she entered the foyer. She inhaled to prepare for a possible attack and recognized the scent in the air but couldn't put her finger on it. Classical music was coming from the living room. Dvorak was long over and Anthony had put on Gustav Holst, First Suite in E-flat. The French horn was entering its solo as Dylan approached the doorway and saw Anthony sitting on the couch, his back to her with his arms around a woman with long shiny brown hair wearing a red blouse and black slacks. Dylan took in the scene and the ambience of the room lit with candles and two wine glasses. The woman looked up at her and Dylan gasped.
"Dylan?" asked Kate in surprise. Anthony removed his arms from around Kate and turned to see his Dylan in the doorway. He stood to go to her but Dylan turned on her heels and ran out the door, her injured ankle forgotten. Anthony followed her to the edge of the drive way but she had too big of a start despite his speed, "Dylan," he said sadly as she hopped in her car and drove away.
Across the street the burly man smiled and picked up his cell phone. He punched in a number, waited a second and then spoke. "Hey, it's me," he said. "The angels are back from Sacramento and found what you left. And on and even better note, she now knows." He paused and listened to the person on the other end. "Am I sure? With the way she stormed out of there, yeah I'm sure." With that he hung up and drove off down the street the same direction that Dylan went.
*-*-*-*-*
Alex arrived at her apartment with Natalie and both were surprised to find Pete there. "Hey," said Natalie as she saw her boyfriend playing a Playstation game with Jason. "Hi sweetie," he said not looking away from the TV.
"Kick him!" yelled Jason.
"I'm trying. I'm trying," said Pete pushing the buttons on the controller.
"Forget them," said Alex unpacking the groceries that they had stopped for. "They will be at that for hours. Stay for dinner."
"Only gives up a chance to try to experience what you girls do daily," called Jason from the living room. Alex rolled her eyes and Natalie laughed..
"Maybe we should have invited Dylan and Anthony," said Nat as she filled a pot with water and placed it on the ceramic topped stove.
"I might not completely approve of Anthony but he does make her happy and since right now they are in the throws of a new relationship I didn't think she would want to come. Maybe we should call her though and ask."
The doorbell rang and Pete set his controller down to answer it since it was Jason's turn. He opened the door to find a teary eyed Dylan standing outside. "Dylan are you okay?"
"Yeah, just fine," she said trying not to cry. She had gotten in her car after finding Anthony hugging Kate and drove without reason. She was surprised when she found that she had pulled up in front of Alex's place. Sitting in her car she debated as to whether or not to tell her what happened since she knew how much Alex disliked Anthony and had only recently stopped calling him "Creepy Thin Man", but she needed her friends right now and so she decided she would deal with any "I told you so's" that they might throw her way.
"Come on in," Pete said holding the door open for her. Dylan walked inside in a daze.
"Damn that was my last life," said Jason on the couch and turned to see who was at the door. He had never seen Dylan look so upset before. "Hey Dylan, you okay?" he asked. She gave him a lopsided smile which left as quickly as it came.
From the kitchen Alex yelled, "Who's at the door?"
"Dylan," yelled Jason back. Alex came out of the kitchen drying her hands on a dishtowel, took one look at her friend and gave her a big hug. "Come into the kitchen," she said ushering Dylan with her into the other room.
Natalie stirred the noodles and then added more oregano to the sauce as Alex brought Dylan into the room. "My god, Dylan you don't look well are you okay?" asked Natalie. Dylan wished everyone would stop asking her that it just made her heart hurt worse. "I think I will be.eventually," she said in response.
"Tell us what happened," said Alex.
Dylan hopped up on the counter next to the sink and shivered. She felt a small splash of water that lay on the counter soak into her pants but ignored it. "She looks like she is in shock," said Alex to Nat. "Can you go get the extra blanket off the foot of my bed?" she asked Natalie.
"Anthony," Dylan said and tried to hold the impending tears back. Alex placed her arm around her friend.
"What about Anthony?" Alex asked as Natalie brought the blanket in. She wrapped it around Dylan as she sat there. They both waited for her to go on. Dylan swallowed hard and said, "he was with another woman". Alex and Natalie looked at each other not quiet believing what they heard. Then Natalie spoke, "He loves you Dyl."
"Yeah that is what I thought too," she said with a sarcastic laugh. "I think your idea about Kate is right one Alex."
"What do you mean?"
"And I think Anthony might be in on it."
Now Alex was really confused. "Why?"
"Because Kate was the woman he was with."
*-*-*-*-*-*
Anthony went back in the house not saying a word to Kate and flicked the living room light on and blew out the candles. He then carried the two wine glasses to the kitchen and poured their contents down the drain. He pressed the palms of his hands against the counter and sighed. "I don't know what she was doing here Anton, really I don't" said Kate resting her well manicured hand on his shoulder, not understanding in the slightest what had happened. She thought that maybe Dylan was looking for her about the case but if that were so why did she run out like that?
He turned and looked at Dimitri's niece and cocked an eyebrow in question. "She is one of the detectives I hired Sunday." Anthony gave her an expression that said to go on and she did. She explained how she had gotten a job at the LAMA and how the eggs were missing. When she mentioned the eggs Anthony wrote "That is you?" on a slip of paper and handed it to her.
"Yes that is me. I don't understand what do you know about my eggs?" she asked.
Anthony walked away from her through the house. Kate followed finding him in the living room sitting on the couch. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet in which contained a lock of red hair tied with a blue velvet ribbon. He closed his eyes and inhaled the sweet scent that was Dylan. Kate watched him with the lock of hair, caressing it to his face and smelling it. She noticed the color of the strands in his possession then put two and two together. "Is Dylan your girlfriend?" she asked. He nodded in the affirmative yet never looked at her.
When Kate saw him again she had been attracted to him even though his hair fetish scared her. She had assumed that she could act on that attraction and get what she wanted. She thought all women would find it as strange as she did and therefore he would be alone. Now she was finding that she was jealous of the red-haired angel the one she had thought was kind of plain compared to the other two angels.
He left Kate standing in the kitchen. He went out and got into his car he didn't know where he was going but the speed would make him feel better.
*-*-*-*-*
"So he was there with lit candles, wine and Kate?" asked Natalie disbelieving as they sat on the living room sofa Dylan between them and their boyfriends in the pair of chairs nearby.
"After you called and told him you were on your way?" asked Alex.
Dylan gave a sad smile and said, "Yes. I feel like such a fool, always falling for the bad guy. Okay he didn't try to kill me but I think it would have hurt less if he did. If he knew I was coming why? When did he meet her? I'm going to go." She said hopping off the counter.
"Dylan don't leave, have diner with us," said Natalie.
Alex looked at Jason worriedly "Dylan you aren't in any shape to drive stay for dinner."
"It's your favorite," said Jason, "Nat's Spaghetti Bolognaise with tossed salad and garlic bread. Yum!" He rubbed his stomach as though he was talking to a child
Dylan smiled but declined their offer. "At least let Jason take you home. I'll pick you up in the morning to go to the office," suggested Alex. Dylan relented and agreed to that. She hugged Alex, Nat and Pete goodbye and left with Jason. They rode in silence most of the way until Jason spoke.
"Do you really think he is cheating on you?" he asked looking at Dylan whose face was streaked with the colors of the neon lights they passed.
"I don't know," was all she said. They pulled up in front of the condo and he let her out. "Thanks for the ride."
"No problem. If you need anything, like me to beat him up just let me know." Dylan smiled a real smile at that. Although Jason was an action star and action figures from Maximum Extreme and ME:2 were big money makers she doubted Jason could take on Anthony, maybe his stunt double could but not him; still she appreciated his offer. "Thanks but I don't think that will be necessary." She kissed him briefly on the cheek and watched him drive away. She opened her front door and walked wearily inside. It was dark and she saw a figure sitting on her couch. "Anthony?" she asked. He didn't move but as she came around the side of the couch the light came on revealing the ageless face of Neville Rutherford.