Entrapped

29 - The implausible evidence

It is almost midnight when Isaac accompanies Chloe to her home. The crickets' noise is almost deafening in the dark woods tonight. She is cuddled under Isaac's arm as if he could protect her from the cruel world outside with her left arm around his back. From the moment their lips melted together, their lives have changed and the toast became a true prophecy. Tonight has been the first night of the rest of their lives because they realized they were not Chloe and Isaac separately anymore. They suddenly became inseparable.

Chloe smiles happily and looks up at him. "Leonard Cohen's 'Famous blue raincoat' sounded extra special over your sound system. It was as if he sat with us when he wrote that striking letter."

"In many ways the evening has been very special and it is all due to you. Especially because most of the time you literally wanted to devour me."

She puts out her tongue to him. "You were also quite active. Don't plead 'not guilty', Doctor. I knew you would blame me for all your sins."

He smiles. "So true! I could also not keep my hands off you."

"Luckily our clothes did their thing, or else I can't imagine where it would end up. I wasn't prepared for such a wild wrestling match."

"To tell the truth, I didn't plan to go overboard, but thanks for your very good self-control."

"Did you really prepare that steak all by yourself? It was absolutely perfect and so tasty. How do you get that burning, smoky taste at the outside but the inside tender and juicy but well done without being bloody? And those baked potatoes tasted just like Susan's. Crispy, roasted skins but the insides mushy and soft like butter? And in your white sauce, I detected a little onion and garlic. And you also had the perfect onion rings; not at all oily but super juicy. You can easily start a restaurant."

Isaac laughs happily. "Enough! You don't have to tell me, I know I'm the best."

"I haven't even mentioned the dessert. I overindulged and I am afraid now to cook dinners for this super chef. What will he think of me?"

"No, Chloe, this was a special event. You cannot eat like this every day. Too much of a good thing isn't a good thing anymore. I don't want anything special for dinner. You see, usually, I just managed with junk food and I was satisfied. Maybe, if it is a good day and I find I can finish early, I'll warn you and we can prepare supper together. What do you think?"

"It will be lovely, Isaac."

The bright police light switch on and they help each other up the steps of her veranda. Chloe stops suddenly and looks at something in front of her front door. "What is this?"

"It looks like someone has scratched out his pipe here. I did not know Robert is smoking a pipe. Why would he empty his pipe here at your front door?"

Clea always scolded Tony when he did the same on the veranda. He then always underplayed it and said that it really didn't matter because no one ever came to that remote part of the veranda. It was only him that sat there and smoked under the starry sky on clear evenings. Chloe now remembers the fumes of Rum and Maple that hung in her kitchen.

Suddenly they hug each other tightly. The forest looks even darker and more mysterious from where they stand in the bright light like targets. The eucalyptus trees look like silent eyewitnesses. Do they maybe know of a sneaky intruder that left the pipe remains here and is now watching them from somewhere amongst the trees? Maybe it is the same intruder that is responsible for the smoke fumes in her kitchen.

Isaac breaks the silence: "I am glad your LED light indicates your alarm is on. At least we know there is no one inside waiting for you. Chloe, let us go inside. It feels as if we are targets in this bright light."