Forging New Paths

Her head was pounding, and her heart rate was still too high, but stepping into the room and seeing Luca laying peacefully in bed, asleep but safe, allowed her to breathe easily again. She was aware that the most difficult parts of this rescue were not over, that there would be dangers to be on the lookout for and a lot she was going to have to help him adapt to, but he was out of that place, and she was going to keep him that way.

"Just water, if you don’t mind." Evelyn said, listening to Shiver moving around his home but feeling stuck watching Luca's chest rise and fall as if he might disappear the moment she turned away. "I’ll stay here with him. I don’t want him to wake up alone." He might be out for a long while yet, but she would take no chances. She likely wasn’t going to be able to sleep anyway.

After a moment, she set the duffle bag and her purse on the ground and tore her eyes away from Luca to follow Shiver's voice towards the kitchen. "How do you intend to find the man that chased you again?" She pressed, voice calm and quiet but insistent. She needed answers before she could rest. "He may not ever go back to that place."

Later, when it didn’t feel as if someone were taking a hammer to her skull, she would reach out to someone who could help her check security cameras in the area, to see if she could find where the man went. As much as she believed Shiver was a competent detective, she wouldn’t leave Luca's continued freedom in only his hands.
 
Within a few minutes, Detective Shiver had brought Evelyn a glass of ice water - along with two others for himself and Luca. He set Luca's down on a nearby table and took a drink of his own cup. "Finding the man won't be a problem. But I think when I go to face him, I ought to invest in a bullet proof vest. He has an aura, as everyone has. He has some mind control powers, which won't work on me, but he has a gun and a bullet can do a lot of damage."

He pulled in a deep breath. "He'll be anticipating police involvement in the next few days, I imagine. So I'm going to wait three days - that number has worked well for me in the past. Enough time to give him a mix of unease and false security. Then I'll talk to the police department for access to the security cameras, pinpoint a five mile radius where he may be hiding, and go after him."

It wasn't his first time chasing down a criminal in hiding. And it wouldn't be his last. He was lucky that he had a steady relationship and good reputation with the local police force.

He took another sip of water and swirled his drink. "In the mean time, for the next two days I intended to call police to the site of the crime to gather additional evidence. Which reminds me - " He pointed to the bag with the bloody cuff. "That cuff right there is very strong evidence the man was keeping someone trapped. But it also has the Ghost's DNA all over it. Now, I'm not going to tell them who was trapped in the house, but - do you want me to give them this evidence, or destroy it?"

His voice was very relaxed now, and confident. He knew he could get the man arrested regardless of whether he turned in the bloody cuff.
 
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It seemed like a strange plan to her, waiting so long and leaving the man free to roam where he pleased, but she supposed Luca was safe here, and she had to rely on the fact that Shiver had experience with such things. It made her anxious to think of the man somewhere out there in the city, waiting to take Luca back, and despite wanting to let him be free she knew it was best to keep him safely guarded for now. He would hopefully understand why when she had a chance to explain.

"It's best we stay here for those days, then." She said, with only a soft thanks afterwards when he handed her the glass of water. She took careful sips, mind running in different directions and getting derailed every few seconds by the headache. She should sit and rest. There was too much to think about.

Sighing softly, she took to leaning against the nearest wall and finally let her eyes settle on Shiver himself, uncertain and unhappy about needing to rely on anyone else for help. "I was going to ask you something similar," she said, glancing at the broken cuff and shaking her head. "I don’t want to make this any harder on Luca than it needs to be, but . . . his future may be easier to deal with if we let the police know he was there." There was a worried furrow in her brow when she looked away again, fingers curled tightly around the glass. "I just don’t want them to take him away again."

He wouldn’t have to hide from them later in life if his position as a captive was made known to authorities, but on the other hand she had to wonder what they would do. Would they ask too many questions? Was it best they confess fully and tell the police exactly how he had been used? What if they didn’t believe her that it wasn’t Luca's fault? There were too many unknowns. She just wanted what was best for him.
 
Detective Shiver finished his glass of water and set it aside on a shelf. "I don't want them to, either. And I don't think they would, but . . . I think just to be on the safe side, we only tell the police what they need to know. They don't necessarily need to know - Luca, is that his name? - that Luca's the Ghost Killer. And on a technicality, he's not. The killer is the one who was controlling him."

He reached for a notebook and made a few notes. "All the police really need to know is that Luca was being held captive in the home by the Ghost Killer, and that there's probably footage of said killer escaping into the city. The footage that I'll use to track him down and capture him." He smiled and walked over to put the evidence bag in a briefcase, along with the notebook. "Since it's information coming from me, they're not prone to ask too many additional questions. Especially since I've worked so closely with them in the past. Well . . . closely professionally, anyway."

He knew there would still be the threat of the Lombardi family trying to reclaim Luca. But at least they wouldn't have to worry much about the police.

"I'm honored that you're willing to trust me so much," Shiver added as he scooped up his empty glass to bring it to the kitchen. "One lone wolf to another . . . it's nice to have someone to confide in. I can promise you your secrets will stay safe with me." He glanced toward the sleeping man on the bed, and his features softened. "And I'm very glad Luca's safe."
 
As Shiver spoke Evelyn listened in silence, watching Luca sleep rather than look at the other man. She didn’t like the uncertainties, and the fact that she couldn’t pin down exactly what would happen in the next few days was frustrating. If the police needed to see Luca in person, she would just have to refuse to leave his side. He would need a familiar face, after all, and as far as she knew she was the only one he had that hadn’t been holding him captive for who knew how many years.

As she watched Shiver take his glass away, she thought that it wasn’t so much a willingness to trust as it was having no other feasible options. But she was sure he recognized that, and as difficult as the future was going to be she begrudgingly had to agree that it would be nice to have help.

"The hard part is only beginning," she said softly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with the idea of confiding in one another, and met eyes with him as he returned. "There are a lot of things he'll need that I can't ask you to help provide. . . But if you’re willing, it would be good for him to have someone else he can trust."

She’d already been tracking down a trustworthy therapist with her mother's connections and some very careful omissions of information, knowing Luca would need someone with more experience in trauma than she could provide. She could give him somewhere to live, clothes to wear, food to eat, and she would take care of him in whatever way he needed - but she was only one person. Some day, his world would have to expand beyond her, and to get him ready for that she had a feeling someone that could keep him from accidentally hurting anyone could be necessary. As much as she hesitated to tie their lives together, Luca was going to need them both.
 
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Shiver returned to the room and quietly sat in a nearby chair. He folded his hands and met Evelyn's gaze, nodding. "I'll do whatever I can for him," he promised. "I can't imagine what he's been through, being stuck with the Lombardis for so long. But as long as I'm here, I'm here for him. And for you." He paused as the reality of the situation slowly sunk in. He'd have to let them into his life, if he meant what he said. And there would be times he couldn't protect them if he was somewhere else working on a case.

He rubbed the side of his ear worriedly and took a breath. "Now, uh . . . I will still be working on other cases while you both are here. So there may be times I won't be in the apartment." He stood up and walked towards a vase with fake flowers. He took the flowers out, turned the vase upside down, and brought the resulting key over to Evelyn. "This is a copy of the front door key. In case you ever need it."

Then he gestured around the room. "This is the guest room. Obviously. Uh . . . it's all old cases and things, so you won't need to worry about confidential information. Everything in here except Luca's evidence has been declassified." It had been so long since he'd played host to someone. Did he even remember how? Food, maybe. He was pretty sure people offered food. "You both can help yourselves to anything in the fridge, of course. Um - would you like any extra blankets or pillows before I'm off to bed?"

It was already late, and Detective Shiver was quickly finding he was losing the battle with sleep.
 
For her? For a moment, eyes drifting away from him, she wondered if she had implied that she needed the help for herself - but the more she thought about it the more she had to make herself realize that she did. There were going to be a lot of complications with Luca and his continued freedom, as well as his learning to be a part of the world again, and as much as she wanted to do it all herself, she had to be realistic. She didn’t need Insight to tell her that she couldn't be completely self sufficient at all times.

"Of course," she said with a short nod, focusing more on his insistence upon continuing to work. It would be strange if he didn’t. "I won't stop you from leaving, or living your life as normal. I can take care of him on my own." When he got up and brought her a key, she only looked at it in her palm, as if simply to hold it made everything that was happening more real. After a pause, she managed a faint smile. "I promise not to snoop." It was as much humor as she could manage, given their situation, but truthfully she found the way Shiver appeared to be sinking immediately back into normal routine a bit reassuring. As if it meant there was nothing to worry about.

"I'll be just fine." She sighed softly, setting her glass on the nightstand near Luca's and resting a hand briefly against her head. "I don’t plan on sleeping." She gave him a gentle shooing motion with one hand, thinking to occupy the chair he’d sat in a moment ago once he left. "You should get some rest, Shiver. You've done enough for us."

Some day she would find a way to properly express her thanks, once there wasn't so much else to think about it. For now, letting him sleep and live on as if she wasn’t there at all was all she had to offer.
 
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The detective, for his part, had already decided that most of the next day would be spent making Luca and Evelyn feel as at home as possible - aside from talking to the police, of course. But for now, Evelyn was right - he really should get some rest. He smiled sleepily and ran a hand over his eyes, nodding. "Yes, yes, all right. But don't hesitate to wake me if you need anything."

With that he ambled off to bed and promptly collapsed on the mattress. He didn't even bother taking his hat or clothes off; he only pulled up the blankets around him and fell asleep.

Morning came far too early when the sound of his old bell alarm clock rang in his ears. He groaned and stretched for a few moments before stumbling out of bed and heading to the shower. After a few minutes of freshening up and getting dressed, he headed to the kitchen to start making breakfast. He didn't plan on waking either Luca or Evelyn, but he hoped the smell of pancakes and bacon would tempt at least one of them out.

He whistled quietly for a bit, but didn't even notice it until he caught sight of himself in a nearby reflective surface. When was the last time he had whistled? He decided it must be the excitement of having company over for once, and left it at that, smiling to himself.

Soon he was setting out three plates at the table, each one stacked with pancakes, bacon, and a side of freshly cut fruit. He figured he'd probably end up having to wrap both Luca and Evelyn's meals for later, but on the off chance they were awake, he wanted to be ready for them. Finally he eased himself into a chair and started in on his breakfast, taking a bite of pancake and glancing at the clock to make sure it was still before noon.

He paused for a moment with the fork halfway out his mouth and grabbed his phone to text the police, asking if he could come in around noon or so to talk about the previous night's activities and turn in evidence. He was met with a quick response that yes, he could drop by any time he liked. He nodded to himself and went back to eating.
 
Evelyn wished Shiver goodnight and let him go despite all the questions still floating around her head. For a moment she stood watching Luca sleep again, then finally moved to take care of herself, taking medicine from her purse for the headache, drinking a little more water, and moving the chair closer to the bed for the night. Her phones screen was too much for her eyes to take, so for a while she sat with just a small lamp on for light and let her thoughts run in spirals in hopes anything that had happened that day would trigger her Insight. That night there was nothing, but answers didn’t always come to her so quickly.

By morning she had, as predicted, not slept a wink, but while it was still very early she dared to leave Luca’s side and go wash her hands and face, brush out her hair, and change clothes. Not long before Shiver woke and began to move around, she was back in the guest bedroom again, waiting for the moment his eyes opened. The sounds of the detective making breakfast on the other side of the wall drew her attention and her thoughts, so much so that when she finally turned back she found Luca already watching her.

“You’re awake,” she said softly, surprised, and sat forward enough to reach slowly and gently for his nearest hand. “How are you feeling? Still sleepy? It’s all right, Luca. You can rest if you need to.”

Though his expression remained mostly blank and groggy with the lingering sedative in his system, his fingers curled a bit as if to hold on to her, and she shifted closer to sit on her knees beside the bed, wary but too relieved to stay away. His hesitation was, perhaps, because he had never heard her voice before, she thought. Alas, she had yet to hear his, as his eyes drifted closed once more and she hadn’t the heart to wake him.

She couldn’t get to her phone in the chair, but it was both close enough and familiar enough for her to reach it with her gifts, and send a simple message on to Shiver’s number. He’s almost awake now. Not talking yet, but I worry the sedatives will make him nauseas. They would have to wait and see.
 
It was only a short time after he'd made breakfast that Shiver received the news on his phone. He stuffed one last bite of pancake into his mouth, quickly wrapped all three meals, and hurriedly grabbed an empty ice cream bucket and a glass of water. Luca was nearly awake, and he thought the text read an awful lot like an invitation to be present when the boy woke.

He certainly wouldn't pass that up.

Shiver went quietly into the bedroom and handed Evelyn the glass of water. Since she only had one free hand, he set the empty bucket beside Luca on the bed. Then he sat in a chair a short distance away - close enough for Luca to see him, but hopefully not close enough to startle the boy when he woke.

He gave Evelyn a smile and a nod. "Thank you for telling me," he said gently. "If he's up to it, I brought him some water to drink. And the bucket is in case he needs to throw up." His gaze went back to Luca, and his expression softened. "I have the entire morning and part of the afternoon to help out here. Probably the evening, too, once I finish talking to the police and getting them the evidence. But Luca won't need to be there for that. Today he needs to rest."
 
Evelyn was quiet as Shiver walked in, only giving a soft 'thank you' when he handed her the water and setting it carefully aside. She waited a moment to see if Luca would wake, but beyond a slight shifting of limbs he was still. It wouldn't be long now, she thought, and even when her knees began to hurt she didn't want to rush him or let go of his hand.

"I'm sure he'll appreciate your being here." She said softly when Luca was still again. "Once he's fully awake, I wouldn't stop you from leaving." Like she'd said the night before, they would be all right on their own. She wouldn't keep him away from his normal life.

It was almost ten minutes of waiting in near silence before Luca made a soft, tired sound and turned onto his side, fingers curling a little tighter around her hand upon feeling it there as he regained consciousness. He woke gradually, blinking slowly and closing his eyes again a few times before finally focusing more fully on Evelyn's face. She smiled for him, gently squeezing his hand and only watching as his eyes drifted past her to see where Shiver sat before drifting back again. Still he said nothing, and she hoped it was just the sedative making him quiet.

"It's all right," she said softly, "take your time. You're safe now. How are you feeling?"

There was a long pause wherein he only looked at her silently still, then finally he closed his eyes again and let out a long, tired sigh. "My stomach hurts. . ." He murmured, the words slurred by sleep and so quiet she almost couldn't hear them. They sounded resigned, and she had to imagine he had gone through being sedated many times before.

Still, it was a relief, to finally hear his voice after communicating in silence for so long, and Evelyn let the tense set of her shoulders relax. "We'll get you something to help settle it," she promised, and looked at Shiver over her shoulder. "Do you have something simple for him to eat? If nothing else, there are plain crackers in my bag." She had brought them with his recovery in mind.
 
The detective waved a hand. "I'm in no rush. And neither are the police. I have all day to make my way over there and drop off evidence and my testimony; shouldn't take more than half an hour or so," he added. "Unless Luca needs some space, in which case I can leave the moment he needs me to."

He looked over in a mix of both relief and delight when at last Luca stirred and began to wake up. He couldn't resist waving a bit, too, when the boy looked over at him. "Good morning," he murmured quietly.

When Evelyn asked for something simple for Lucas a short time later, he nodded and stood up. "The crackers are a wonderful idea. Why don't you have him start with those and water, and I'll go make some soup?" he offered.

He stepped into the kitchen again and quickly prepared soup - enough for both Evelyn and Luca, as he'd already had some breakfast. Then he walked carefully back into the room, balancing the bowls of soup on a tray. "Here you both are," he said quietly. He moved slowly so he didn't scare Luca. But then, depending on the boy's past, he might be scared of Shiver anyway. Still, the more variables he could control, the better.

The detective set the soup on a side table and smiled. "I'm glad to see you awake, Luca. Welcome to my apartment."
 
"That could work," Evelyn said, though at first she was hesitant to leave Luca's side, even for a moment. Finally she gave his hand a little squeeze and let go to walk to where her bag sat, pulling free the crackers she'd packed on top where they wouldn't get crushed and bringing them back. She helped him carefully to move his pillows and get upright enough for eating, and by the time Shiver returned he was conscious enough to nibble on the crackers in small bites.

Evelyn took the tray carefully and nudged the glasses of water aside to set it on the nightstand, giving Luca time to drink a little and eat at least a couple of the crackers to be sure his stomach was okay with handling food so soon. She could see Luca silently mouthing the word "apartment" to himself, as if slowly figuring out where he was and what had happened. It was possible, she thought, that he didn't remember the night before very clearly.

Though she didn't want to be in his way while he ate by holding his hand again, Evelyn did sit in her chair close by the bed in case he needed her, trusting her instincts and faint nudges of Insight that he would take comfort in her presence. She didn't think he was quite afraid of Shiver, but he also had only seen the man once, so he really could have felt anything. She was sure not to hesitate to take her first spoonful, not wanting him to worry about what was in it, and tried not to watch him too closely when he wouldn't quite look at either of them just staring down at where his own hands had wrapped around the warmth of the bowl.

It was after he'd eaten almost half the soup, quietly crumbling bits of cracker on top and looking as if he were still groggily running on autopilot that Luca finally spoke.

"Are . . ." He started faintly, hesitant though not quite tense as he swirled his spoon slowly around the bowl without trying to take anymore bites. "Are you going to make me quiet again?"

For a moment, she didn't understand, but gradually she had to come to the conclusion that he was referencing the way Shiver could shut off his gifts. Given how sedate and compliant he was still, she couldn't tell if he was worried about it or if he wanted it to happen again, but for the sake of trying to let them get used to each other she only glanced at Shiver and stayed quiet rather than answer for him.
 
Once Luca started eating, Shiver had quietly made his way off to retrieve his half finished breakfast from the fridge. Then he returned to the room, enjoying the quiet as the group ate together. It was unusually comforting eating with someone else for once.

Eventually Luca spoke, and the detective glanced over to him with a warm smile. At first he thought Luca was just talking about speaking, in general. "No, I'm not. You're free to talk as much as you like here," he explained softly. He paused a moment and ate another piece of bacon. ". . . Unless you're talking about your powers. In which case, maybe. I can if you'd like. And I will if I need to. But I can promise you you both longer need to use your powers to hurt anyone," he added softly.

He pulled his plate of breakfast a bit closer and nodded. "I forgot you weren't awake when Evelyn and I made plans. Today I thought you might like a chance to rest, and to heal a bit. Maybe try a few board games later, if you both are up for it," he added hopefully.

He did have two guests in his home now, after all. And while he was technically working on a case . . . maybe he'd finally give himself a chance to make some friends. If anyone could keep themselves safe while being friends with Shiver, it was Evelyn and Luca.

"I'm Detective Shiver, by the way," he started slowly. He smiled shyly. "But you can both call me Garrett. If you like."
 
Evelyn couldn’t be completely certain, given how calm and pliant he was so far, but she thought she saw Luca relax a bit further when told he wouldn’t be made to hurt anyone. She had been reassuring him of that as best she could in the weeks since he’d found her, that she would find someone to help free him so he wouldn’t have to hurt anyone, so he wouldn’t have to be hurt. No matter what happened next, she hoped he believed that she would keep him safe.

“A game sounds nice,” She said softly, glancing gratefully back at Shiver and then giving Luca a gentle smile. “But why don’t we just rest for a little while? You look tired. Are you all done eating?” When he nodded finally, she set her own bowl aside and took his away, setting it and the crackers on the tray for now, to be disposed of later.

“Is it all right if . . . Garrett and I sit with you?” She asked after a pause, feeling strange about using his first name despite having known it already.

Luca only nodded again, looking between them with tired eyes, and she helped him recline a bit more so he could sleep if he felt like it. His eyelids were clearly feeling heavy, so to give him some illusion of not being watched while he slept she picked up her still warm bowl of soup and turned her chair to face a bit more towards Shiver. Garrett? She wasn’t sure how to refer to him anymore.

"Thank you for your hospitality," she said, content though she knew having soup for 'breakfast' was a bit abnormal. She’d been awake so long the time of day had ceased to matter. "I’ll be sure to pay you back some day." For the food, for a safe place to rest, but more importantly for all he’d done for Luca already. She hated owing debts, and she would repay him as best she could as soon as possible.
 
"There's nothing to pay me back for, ah - Evelyn," the detective replied; it was odd using the Informant's first name as well. But he smiled gently and ate some more of his pancakes. "All in the line of work, you know. My job is to help people." He paused for a moment, glancing between Evelyn and Luca's sleeping form. "But you know, in a way you've already repaid me. It's nice having company over. I don't usually - to protect both them and me. But this is an unusual case."

He cut into a pancake and nodded. "You both can keep yourselves safe when I'm not around, where a lot of civilians couldn't. That's . . . that's why I don't normally make friends."

Or admit that to anyone, for that matter. But there was something about Evelyn's honest gaze that led him to trust her, even more than normal. He took another bite and swallowed. "Anyway. Ah - I did make a more traditional breakfast as well for both of you. So there are pancakes and bacon in the fridge, if either of you wants some. And you're both welcome to stay as long as you like."

He was grateful he'd taken so many precautions with his apartment, otherwise he wouldn't have felt comfortable letting the pair stay; he wouldn't risk their safety. But he trusted his choices and felt sure it was safer than most other areas of the city.

"Oh. That reminds me - Luca, I'll be heading out at some point today, so I may be out of the apartment when you wake up. But I'll be back by tonight," he added, "And Evelyn will be with you the entire time, I'm assuming."
 
Garrett's reasons for keeping himself isolated were far nobler than hers. Anonymity protected her, but if she were truly being honest with herself she held others at arms' length to protect herself, not them. It wasn’t as if she had absolutely no association with others. There were some that she knew and occasionally spent time with recreationally, but for the most part her acquaintances were just that. They were friendly and liked each other, it was just that they were not very close to her; she never let them be.

And now, she had tied herself rather firmly to two people she barely knew. She wasn’t truly sure how she felt about that yet, but she knew that if she were given the chance to redo the last couple months of her life she would have made all the same choices.

Evelyn only made a thoughtful sound at first, considering as she let her eyes meet Garrett's once more. "Perhaps I can help you with a case, some time. If you find yourself stuck and needing a nudge in the right direction." Some day she might deign to explain her Insight to him, if he had not deduced any of her abilities already. He would question the validity of her input less than the actual police.

Luca stirred a little at the sound of his own name, eyes blinking blearily open long enough to give a groggy little 'okay' before he started to drift off again.

"I’ll be here," Evelyn confirmed with a small smile for him, reaching over to give his nearest hand a gentle pat. "I don’t have anywhere else I need to be." For the next few days she would be sure to be nowhere else but at his side. If it was safe enough, after that, they would go back to her own apartment and see Garrett a little less, but she would always be available to Luca when he needed her. She would keep him at her side.
 
It was nothing less than a shock to hear Evelyn offer to help with a case some time. Garrett shouldn't have been surprised, but he was, just the same. Evelyn hardly knew him. But clearly she had powers, and to have her offer them to Garrett on a case was exceedingly generous. He finally smiled and nodded his head. "I'd . . . I'd appreciate that a great deal. Thank you."

He realized Lucas was already falling asleep again. It was the perfect time to head out and let him get some rest. "I'll be back sometime later. Feel free to help yourselves to anything in the home. Food, water, supplies - whatever you need. And get some good rest."

With that, he gathered some evidence and headed off to the police station to deliver his findings.

It was early evening when he returned. He'd made a pit stop on the way back. Several, actually. And when he walked back in through the front door, he struggled to push it open without dropping his pile of bags and boxes. "Pssst! Evelyn! Is Luca awake?" he whispered as he came in. He wasn't sure entirely what her abilities were, but he figured she could hear him.

He just barely managed to set the pile down on a living room table. Some of the bags held clothes, some groceries, and there was also a large pizza box that was still steaming.
 
While Garrett was gone, his home was quiet. Evelyn let Luca sleep a while, curling up in the chair nearby to rest her eyes though she didn’t truly sleep, herself. She woke him for lunch, careful to disturb as little as possible and to clean up after herself, leaving things tidy just as she would in her own home. She was guilty of tidying a little more than what she mussed herself, and after he’d slept some more she had Luca walk a couple laps around the house, sat with him and talked quietly a while about how he was feeling and what might happen in the next few days and beyond. He was less responsive than she would have liked, but even when they had communicated through Sight he had never been very animated.

When Garrett came home, she heard the commotion more than his voice, and walked out to see what he was carrying and if he needed help. "He’s awake," she said with an amused little quirk of her lips, looking at the many bags he was setting down. "Do you usually bring home so much?"

As sympathetic as Garrett had seemed towards Luca, she had a feeling some of it was going to be for him.

"We've been wandering around inside, to keep him from drifting off again." She wandered a little closer, looking idly at the bags. "Do you need some help with all this?" She was occupying his space, after all. She may as well make herself useful while she was there.
 
Garrett gave Evelyn a lopsided smile and chuckled. One didn't have to be a detective to see how much he was struggling with the pile of things. "I would very much appreciate that. Yes," he said at last. "Could you put the groceries away? I wasn't sure what either of you liked or could eat, so - I got a variety of things. And some clothes for Luca. A few extra supplies and things as well, for both of you. And pizza, for dinner! Is pepperoni okay?"

The detective, for his part, couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so animated, or eager to please. Evelyn and Luca were the only friends he'd made in a long time, after all, and he didn't want to lose them.

Besides the large amount of groceries and clothes, there were some supplies for each of the guests. Toothbrushes and other toiletries, some soft socks with grips on the bottom, and two large, soft quilts.

Garret glanced around as he started opening the pizza box and putting out plates and cups. "It looks . . . different in here. Have you been cleaning? I swear there was more dust here yesterday." He smiled at Evelyn and nodded. "Thank you, if you did."