"Come join me," Costa said, raising a glass to the trio. "I am good," Nathan said, noting that Cost was either drunk or he was trying to portray himself as drunk."Don't worry," Jackson said, one hand raised. "I am okay just sitting here and not drinking," replied Jenny."I see...well, that's no fun," Costa judged. "We did not come here for fun," Nathan retorted harshly. "We came here for information. And somehow we've not gotten anything from you. And now you want to have a drunken toast?""You came here because I threatened you there, smart ass," Costa said. Now it was most obvious he was nearly carried away by the alcohol. "Did you always know about the Lobbes neighborhood? Did you know your friend went there the same day that happened?"Nathan was quiet. Jenny was shaken quite obviously. Costa put his hand in his suit, drew out a gun, and pointed it at her. "And you, you better start talking before my finger slips and your brains become splurged right behind you. Of course you

After a brief moment of silence, Jackson finally spoke. Although he guessed it was too late by then. "Yeah..." he chuckled, one hand at the back of his head. "There's nobody else here. You know...just me and Jenny..." He laughed nervously.Nathan gave himself a facepalm. "That idiot," he muttered through gritted teeth afterwards. They waited for Isaiah to reply, each of them hoping that he had swallowed the lie hook, line, and sinker."Okay, sure..." Isaiah replied monotonously. Everybody else around the table breathed together in relief, even though the guilt still lingered in the hearts of Jenny and Jackson. "Hey Jenny!" He called out unexpectedly. Jenny froze up. She wanted to speak to him, but she was not in any state of mind to do so immediately. Her heart raced speedily. She fumbled around for what to say. "Hey, Isaiah," she said. "Where have you been?""I'm sorry for everything," Isaiah replied. "But I promise that I will make it up to you immediately, you hear? I will tell

In the kitchen, Elena scurried over plates and pans. Ingredients for food were laid on several pieces of kitchen equipment and looked more like they were laboratory apparatus rather than real kitchen equipment. The flame of the gas stove danced around like a yellow ghost as Elena held over it a pan filled with scrambled eggs. She had an odd smile on her face. One that her servant, Kate, found a little bit disturbing."My lady," she began, careful as a man moving past a field of land mines. "Yes, Kate," Elena replied, still smiling. There was a shadow over her face and eyes that betrayed some sort of worry. "Speak.""Are you okay?" Kate asked."Of course I am okay," she said. Smoke twirled into her nose, and she came away coughing and sneezing. After doing that for close to a minute, she rearranged herself, combing through her bouncy curly hair with her fingers and golden acrylic nails. "I am perfectly okay. It may be that I have become rusty from not being able to cook for quite a l