"Where have you two been all morning?" Chuck asked as she approached Ned and Emerson, who were chatting away privately in their usual booth. Chuck was keenly aware of the unusual amount of grumpiness evident in her voice, a side effect of dealing with one mysterious Buddhist, and Ned quickly took notice as well.
"What's wrong?" He asked as she slid into the seat across from him and squished up next to Emerson.
"Nothing." She replied quickly. "I was just thinking about the, uh, case and thought you two went out investigating without me." Chuck stopped and sneaked a peek over her shoulder in the direction of Trevor and Olive. They were still at the counter, mutually unaware of everything around them as they stood side by side, discussing something in a most intimate manner.
Chuck had lied. After all, the last thing Chuck wanted was to seem unnaturally obsessed with Trevor Trask. She tried hard to ignore the feeling gnawing away at her insides, but it was impossible. The gnawing feeling being that Trevor was nothing but bad news.
Ned sensed her uneasiness and followed her eye line towards the counter. "Is this about what's his face?" He frowned.
"His name is Trask. Trevor Trask." Chuck answered without a second thought.
Emerson let out a sigh of frustration and looked her square in the eye. "First off, yes—we were investigating without you." He closed his eyes and smiled, as if he felt a great rush of pleasure from just saying the words. "And secondly," His eyes snapped back open and his smile disappeared. "Our little Olive finally up and got herself a man. Shouldn't you be all like," Emerson's voice went up an octave or two until it was as girly sounding as it could manage, and he snapped his head back and forth with mock attitude. "you go girl and all that crap?"
"He is not her boyfriend." Chuck shot back, a bit too forcefully and her response prompted raised brows from both Emerson and Ned.
"You really don't like that guy do you?" Ned asked, a bit taken aback.
It was written all over the Ned's face—his inability to comprehend why Chuck disliked the man so much. Chuck felt a tiny bit of guilt at this, but after realizing that Ned had spent virtually no time in Trevor Trask's presence and never observed first hand all of his unique quirks, all traces of remorse vanished quickly.
"I know you don't like me being judgmental—but hear me out." She began. "He's weird, alright? And if you had spent any time with him you would see that too, and not think I am being unfair."
"I don't think that…"
"And he's not weird in a neighbor who has thirty cat's kind of way," Chuck cut him off. "or your high school math teacher who always smells like cheese kind of way. Or even in cute pie maker kind of way." Chuck smiled and Ned grinned shyly. "But in a— he's probably gonna kill her and make a tuxedo outta her skin— kinda way." She grimaced.
"He's harmless." Emerson sniffed, observing Olive and Trevor for himself and looking unimpressed. "He's just a love sick old flame who happens to be a tad antisocial and clingy." He took a good look back at both Ned and Chuck. "He'll fit in perfectly around here."
Chuck cast another look over her shoulder at the couple. They were still uncomfortably comfortable with each other and she swore she saw Olive flip her hair in a blatantly flirtatious manner. "I just don't trust him. There are just a lot of things that don't add up about him. And he does these little chants…."
"Harmless." Emerson repeated.
"I don't see how he is harmless." Chuck argued. "Look at how they are together. All close and smiley."
"That's a bad thing?" Ned asked, clearly confused.
"You don't think it's strange?" Chuck asked. "When a little over a week ago she dove under this exact table," She tapped the table top to make her point. "just to get away from him? I mean, Olive said he made her skin crawl. And now…." She gestured back towards the counter. "Close and smiley."
"Harmless." Emerson chanted.
"He obviously has some sort of unnatural effect on her." Chuck spoke confidently, ignoring Emerson's taunting. She knew deep down something was amiss about the situation and couldn't be persuaded otherwise. "And remember, she told us all that stuff about feeling entranced in his presence, as if her feelings are out of her control."
"He's harmless." Emerson repeated once more.
"He worried Olive enough to hire you to find him before he found her. That's gotta mean something."
"And it would, but when I asked Olive myself if he was dangerous she told me no." Emerson replied matter-of-factly in an attempt to win the argument. "He ain't nothing more than an ex—a weird one, I'll grant you that—but you're worrying over nothing."
"Maybe he's right." Ned shrugged. "I mean, maybe Olive actually has nothing more than good old fashioned normal feelings for this Trevor guy. Granted it's not as exciting as witch craft, voodoo, hocus pocus or rigga roodoo."
"Rigga roodoo?" Chuck giggled.
"Just made that up." Ned blushed. "Maybe Olive actually likes this guy and is just...just…"
"Embarrassed that she's got the hots for a dude like that." Emerson snorted. "I mean, if you liked some squirrelly weird little man, you would probably claim you were not in your right mind either."
"Are you saying Olive is lying? That she's just being….snobby?" Chuck asked, exasperated at the thought.
"No. Neither of us thinks she's lying." Ned answered, quite flustered. "Maybe she just exaggerated, that's all."
"Trust me. This," Chuck pointed her finger in Olive and Trevor's direction and crinkled her nose in disgust. "is not about pride or dating below your station. I know the difference between real feelings, like what I have for you, the kind that make you feel all warm and dizzy and wonderful." The pair exchanged sappy smiles. "But that's not what Olive described. She described rigga roodoo. Text book rigga roodoo." Chuck stole another glance at the couple and watched Trevor watch Olive closely as she waited on a customer. His eyes never left her. "As for Olive exaggerating—I just don't buy it."
"Alrighty." Emerson cut in. He started to scoot out of the booth, pushing Chuck along with him. "I have to listen to your romantic troubles on a daily basis, so I sure as hell don't need to hear any more about Olive's. Rigga moo-whatty or not, we've got a case here to solve." Emerson stood up and tapped his watch, giving Ned a look. "And I believe a Mr. Snevel awaits."
"Maybe we should see if Olive wants to come with us." Chuck wondered out loud, not wanting to leave her alone with Trevor any more than necessary.
Emerson wiggled his fingers in the direction of the kitchen. "Why don't you go baby sit her then and leave this to us." He prodded with a grin.
Chuck debated it for a moment, staying at the Pie Hole, but ultimately realized there was nothing she could do. Even if she was able to keep Olive from being alone with Trevor today, it was no guarantee for tomorrow. So she decided to go with the Ned and Emerson to talk to Richard Snevel, and deal with the mysterious Trevor Trask when the time was right.