When Isabel woke up the next morning, Dean and Sam were still asleep, so she decided to go to work without waking them up. In agreement with Sam's orders however, she left a note on the whiteboard in the kitchen that she was off to work and wouldn't be back until after six, and that they could call her cell if they needed to contact her.
Finding out about men who'd recently moved into town was simple. It was a pretty small and uneventful town, so single men moving there were quite rare. In fact, she only found four who fit the profile and the timeline. She looked down at her list and frowned. She recognised two of the men, Jack and deputy Stillwell. She eliminated them immediately and decided not to tell Dean or Sam. Contacting the other two was easy.
Frank McInnes had relocated from Florida three months previously, and when she rung him a little girl picked up. She sounded no more than ten years old. After speaking to her for about 5 minutes she discovered that Robert was a single father, recently divorced who'd moved into the area to be closer to his ex wife and daughter. She crossed him off the list.
She rang Michael Goulburn next. He turned out to be a 70 year old retiree, who had just lost his wife and moved to the quiet town because his son lived there with his family. She crossed him off the list when he told her he'd moved from California where he'd lived his entire life, and she later confirmed it.
She came home that evening to find Dean and Sam making dinner. She feigned disbelief, and told them she'd shower first and then they could eat and discuss what they had each found out.
"I've found two names" She said, looking down at her plate and wondering if she'd be able to keep dinner down. She figured they'd attempted some sort of chicken casserole. "But I don't think they're the guy…the thing"
"You sure?" Dean asked. He seemed to be having trouble swallowing his own food down.
"No, but you can pay them a visit tomorrow" She said sliding a post it note with both men's addresses and phone numbers along the kitchen table to him. Sam picked it up and looked at them.
"That's it? Just two?" Sam asked.
"It's not New York City, Sam" She said "Single men don't dream of living here"
"What about Jack?" Dean asked suddenly.
She looked at him sharply "What about him?"
"Did he move here recently?" Dean insisted.
She wondered from his tone if there was something he knew that she didn't. She had the nagging feeling that even though she'd insisted it wasn't Jack from the start, they'd checked him out.
"Yeah, but again, it's not him"
"Where did he move from?"
She took a deep breath and dropped her fork loudly "Why don't you just tell me where he's moved from Dean, since you obviously know"
"Oregon" He said, now looking at her closely "Near Portland, where the last disappearances happened"
"I'm not going to say it again, it's not Jack" She said forcefully "I think I would now if the man I'm seeing is a demon"
"You'd be surprised" Sam said.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" She was starting to lose her patience "You intentionally looked him up, didn't you?"
"And you intentionally left him off the list" Dean pointed out.
"Because it's not him!" She stood up and picked up her plate, walking over to the sink and dropping it "The deputy was on the list too, you know? Think he may be your demon?"
"Deputy Stillwell?" Sam asked with narrowed eyes.
"Yes" she said turning around to face him "Look, we obviously have to expand our search"
"Isabel, how well do you really know Jack?" Sam asked seriously.
It was the concern in his voice, devoid of malice, that made her really consider his question. She didn't know Jack well, she thought to herself honestly. She'd only know him for a little while, and he was very closed off. In fact, she realised, he hardly talked about himself. She'd been an open book with him, but she didn't really know much about him.
"I'm actually going to Jack's tonight" She said with finality then continued before Sam, who had opened his mouth to protest, had a chance to start "I will have my phone on"
She thought about what Sam and Dean had said all the way to Jack's place, infinitely glad he wasn't picking her up from her own place, as she was sure that both her cousins would undoubtedly interrogate him endlessly.
"When did you move to Illinois?" She asked him as she walked around his place, snooping around as Jack finished getting ready in his room. They were going to the movies tonight.
"About three months ago" He yelled from his bedroom "your cousins still around?"
"Yeah, can't get rid off them. They're like a couple of stray puppies" She said as she opened the linen closet and found what she knew to be hiking gear. Suddenly she remembered the body found in the woods, near the hiking trail. Her heart skipped a beat as she struggled to keep her voice steady "You go hiking much?"
"Yeah, love it" He said "Went all the time in Oregon"
"Oregon?" She asked shakily, remembering the other states Sam had discovered the demon had been in "I didn't know you were from there?"
"I'm not. I lived there for a while. Ages ago. I'm originally from Arizona" He said joining her in the lounge room "But I've pretty much lived all over the country"
"You know Jack, I'm not feeling very well" She said grabbing her stomach and groaning "The boys made dinner tonight and I don't think it's sitting well"
"Do you want to lie down?" He asked gently "Maybe some water?"
"No" she said "I'll be fine, I just need to go home. Can I call you tomorrow and reschedule?"
"Of course" He said in concern.
She arrived home again to questioning looks from both Dean and Sam. She had debated with herself the entire drive home on whether she should tell the boys or not. She had decided against it. At this moment she might very well be dealing with coincidences and she would give Jack the benefit of the doubt.
"That was quick" Dean said.
She wasn't in the mood for jokes "I'm not feeling well, I'm going to bed"
"What was that about?" Sam asked Dean once Isabel had disappeared into her room.
"Who the hell knows?" Dean shrugged and turned back to the TV. He shook his head and whispered dryly "Women"