43 Bad news

"Yes, come, Isaac, I simply must show you the garden!"

Chloe and Hayley take Isaac to Clea's lovely garden in the centre of the dwelling. They walk around the round, heated swimming pool and Isaac marvels at the wide variety of indigenous and foreign plants.

Suddenly Isaac stops, his eyes widen and he studies a lovely, blue plant from nearby but he keeps his hands away.

"Chloe, I wonder if I see correctly! Can it be? This thing doesn't belong here. It is foreign and I've never seen it before in South Africa. I wonder whether your mother enlightened you about it."

Chloe smiles. "You see correctly, Isaac. My mother had to import the seed and take special care of it. She had not been sure whether she would be able to grow the plant here, but look now how lovely! Blue was always her favourite colour and is this not heavenly! When sunlight catches it in a certain manner in the morning it sometimes looks purple but now it is an exquisite, bright blue."

Hayley inhales deeply: "It is breathtakingly beautiful!"

Isaac frowns and questions Chloe. "The Queen of Poisons! I hope your mother warned you not to touch it?"

"No, they call it Monkshood, as far as I know, and yes, she warned us and always handled it with gloves."

Still frowning Isaac pensively answers as if in a dream world: "Yes, then it is the plant I suspected. It goes by different names and Monkshood and Queen of Poisons are only two of them."

They stroll further and admire the rest of the plants while Chloe points out her favourites to Isaac, but suddenly he seems to be deep in thought in a world of his own and she stops abruptly.

"Hey, you are suddenly quiet and aloof? What is wrong? It seems you don't listen to what I say? Is the garden becoming boring?"

It is as if her words shake him out of his deep contemplation and he smiles guiltily: "No, everything is fine, Chloe, I only wondered about something."

"What?"

"Nothing to shout about; like the mouse's snout!"

Playfully she bumps him and then she must grab him before he loses his balance and ends up in the swimming pool. "Teaser! I nearly shoved you into the water."

Hayley is splitting her sides: "You two are going to make a hilarious pair!"

Chloe pulls a face towards her and rolls her eyes: "He just knows how to push my wild button!"

Isaac suddenly stops and pulls her towards him: "Look at me!"

She looks at him with a question on her face and he unexpectedly embraces her and before she knows what is going on, they melt together in a warm, passionate kiss. He overwhelms her and she becomes putty in his arms; totally lost, but then she realizes what they are doing right in front of Hayley and wrestles violently to get away, but he doesn't let her go but merely follows her retreat.

In the end, she struggles free: "Are you mad?"

Chloe blushes blood red just like earlier in front of Lyle. "Sis, Isaac! And this right in front of Hayley! Don't you have any shame?"

Shyly she peeps at Hayley. "See, he has done this purposely in front of you to mock me."

Hayley laughs heartily and winks at him: "I see, yes. He is só naughty!"

Isaac's blue eyes sparkle: "She is just too delicious to leave alone especially when she turns hard-ass and just look how cute she blushes."

Naughtily he smiles at Chloe. "You have taken your time to get to your senses, not so, darling!"

Chloe reacts impulsively and before she realizes, she, like a flash, hits him hard on his arm making a loud noise. "Ouch! I keep forgetting. She is damn dangerous!"

Hayley's eyes widen and she struggles to get words through her fits of laughter. "Wow, Chloe, you hit the poor guy purposely extremely hard. He must be full of bruises."

"You must just see it! I am black and blue all over! Something terrible! If I go to the police, she will be arrested for molestation!"

"I see you two are just yourselves here in the garden."

Hunter arrived so silently no one has noticed. He stands and smiles at them at the entrance to the garden.

Chloe is pleasantly surprised. "Hunter, we haven't even noticed you! How long have you been standing there?"

"I've walked in just now."

Chloe pulls Isaac and Hayley with her quickly. She suddenly is in a great hurry because she remembers Hunter's promise of surprises and she burns of curiosity."

"Come, people, take your seats so long at the table. I am going to get the guys to join us.

Chloe finds the two blokes in the sitting room with Lyle. She is sure the only one who sees anything on the TV screen is Lyle. The other two are just sitting, sombrely reminiscing like two zombies.

"Come. I am going to help Susan and we are going to dish up. Lyle, come help us, lad."

Hayley has already taken her place between Isaac and Hunter as Lyle puts down two salad bowls in a space on the table. He pulls on the chair next to Hunter.

"Hello, Uncle. May I sit here next to you?"

Hunter pulls out the chair for him and playfully ruffles his hair: "Of course, big guy, this is your place."

Leo and Ronnie slowly and listlessly enter and taken by surprise look at Hunter. They greet him sombrely with only nods of their heads and he also replies with a nod.

Chloe explains while she helps Susan. "Detective Hunter has joined us for supper because he has very important news for us. And, by the way, I must let the cat out of the bag. Hunter is a retired detective that I hired after Lyle told me what happened on the pass."

Amazed they all look at Chloe and Hayley is first to ask: "We were under the impression he works for the government?"

Chloe explains while she helps Susan with the final cutlery and placing of the dishes in bowls. "I looked for a detective service on Gumtree and when I saw his advertisement, I wondered whether he was my father's school mate and later army mate, because he had been with the murder squad in George and should have been retired by this time. When he retired he came to live here in his old hometown and opened an office here. I phoned him to seek help and when he heard who I was, he left everything immediately and visited me and after I had told him everything, he insisted to take Lyle back to school and on the way inspected the scene of the accident. Hunter was convinced it was an attempt at murder and he told me that he would investigate all the people I know as alleged perpetrators. I wasn't quite happy with that because I thought some or all of you might think I suspected him or her. He then suggested that we would pretend he worked for the state to spare me the embarrassment. Further, he refused to take any payment and he is extremely secretive. So, I am, just like you, in the dark about the surprises he is going to reveal tonight."

Hayley rethinks her question and asks for pardon about her real concern while she guiltily looks at Lyle: "Sorry, Lyle."

Then she asks Chloe and Hunter: "Chloe, I was under the impression Quinn left a note in which he acknowledged everything? Is the case not closed, Hunter?"

Lyle answers quickly: "My father was murdered by the same devils that pushed us over the cliff and Uncle Hunter ensured me he will catch them shortly, lock them up and throw the keys away."

Ronnie frowns baffled. "Then it means that the note they found with him, must be a fake. Hunter, could you analyze the handwriting and ascertain whether it was fake?"

Leo is now also curious. "Yes, have you analyzed it?"

Chloe in the meantime has taken her place between Leo and Isaac and Ronnie next to Lyle. Susan, wanting to leave, speaks: "Please dish up, people, and enjoy the meal!"

Chloe stops her before she leaves. "Why don't you join us, Susan? Hunter has news for us. Then you will be informed also. Sit down and enjoy the meal with us."

Susan smiles. "Thanks, Chloe, I have eaten much too much with my family and the workers earlier this evening but I will sit with you and listen." She pulls out the chair between Ronnie and Leo and sits down.

Hunter looks up from where he is helping himself to his last dish-up. "The police believe it was suicide because they found other scripts of Quinn and analyzed all the pieces and it was definitely him who wrote the note."

Hunter looks at Lyle and places his hand on his shoulder while he continues: "Lyle, your father was very brave and unselfish when he wrote that note. He was caught between a rock and a hard place and they gave him an ultimatum. Either he wrote the letter as instructed, or they would kill you and your mother. He wrote that note and placed the guilt on himself to try and save you and your mother."

Lyle shyly takes his handkerchief out and wipes his eyes. "I hate them, Uncle! I hate them! When are you going to catch them?"

"Very soon, Lyle, I assure you they will be behind bars the next time you visit us again."

Chloe's curiosity boils over: "Now then, Hunter, what surprises do you have up your sleeve?"

Slowly Hunter's eyes roam over the people sitting around the table. An uncomfortable silence follows before he eventually speaks.

"I don't know about you, but I am as hungry as a lion and Susan's meal looks delicious. Let's eat first. The news isn't going to be pleasing."