‹ Prequel: Going Bush
Going Bush 2: Suburbia
22
Isaac could feel his heart racing as they neared the butcher shop once again. Something would be different this time, he knew it.
He glanced at the time as Nate pulled up the car in their usual spot. They’d been just over an hour down at the river, and including travel time to and from there Nikolai would be long overdue in starting his shift.
“Ready?” Rick asked when he noticed Isaac not moving.
Isaac just nodded before stepping out of the car. He began to walk up to the door, hearing Rick’s footsteps shadowing him, and he looked through the window as he approached.
He picked up speed.
Rick managed to grab the door as Isaac burst through, heading straight for the assistant they hadn’t seen before.
“Excuse me,” Isaac began pulling out his phone as he got the guy’s attention.
Rick gave the owner a glance, who was watching them warily.
“What can I help you with?” the assistant asked, not looking up for a moment.
“Are you Nikolai?”
“Yes…” he responded, giving Isaac a curious look, “who’s asking?”
“My name’s Isaac, and I’m looking for my brothers,” he offered, quickly searching through his phone, “they stopped in here the night before last while you were working. Do you recognise them?”
He held up the phone with the photo to let Nikolai see it. He studied it for a moment – Rick staring at him the whole time – before nodding his head.
“Yeah, I remember them,” he said, making Isaac’s heart leap into his throat, “they came in just as we were closing. They bought up what we had left in stock. I’m sure we still have the receipt somewhere if you’d like…?”
“Anything would help,” Isaac shrugged as Nikolai stepped aside and began going through a drawer.
Rick had frowned, and pulled out his own cell phone to start fiddling with.
“Is there anything you could tell us about when they left?” Isaac asked hopefully, “were they with anyone? Was their car stolen maybe?”
“I couldn’t say,” Nikolai shook his head, “oh! Here it is.”
He returned to the counter with the receipt and handed it to Isaac. Isaac quickly looked down it, registering that it was indeed paid for with Taylor’s card, and the time had been just before 6pm.
“Thanks,” he nodded, “look, can I give you my phone number? In case you remember anything?”
“Sure,” Nikolai shrugged, “but I don’t know what else I could tell you.”
Isaac ignored the last statement, grabbing a nearby pen and writing his name and number on the back of one of the store’s business cards. Once done, he handed it over.
“Thanks for all your help,” Isaac offered him a smile, before turning to leave the store.
Rick gave the owner another glance before following him out.
“That was weird,” he announced once they were on the sidewalk.
“What?” Isaac asked as he headed for the car.
“Guy was definitely hiding something,” Rick shook his head, “but I’ll know what it is in a moment.”
Isaac gave him a curious look as he got in, then smirked when he saw him reach for his phone.
“You hacked his phone?”
“I prefer ‘twinned’,” Rick said as he waited for the program to load, “he’s making a call already.”
“To who?” Isaac frowned, “and… wait, I thought he didn’t have a phone?”
He glanced at the time as Nate pulled up the car in their usual spot. They’d been just over an hour down at the river, and including travel time to and from there Nikolai would be long overdue in starting his shift.
“Ready?” Rick asked when he noticed Isaac not moving.
Isaac just nodded before stepping out of the car. He began to walk up to the door, hearing Rick’s footsteps shadowing him, and he looked through the window as he approached.
He picked up speed.
Rick managed to grab the door as Isaac burst through, heading straight for the assistant they hadn’t seen before.
“Excuse me,” Isaac began pulling out his phone as he got the guy’s attention.
Rick gave the owner a glance, who was watching them warily.
“What can I help you with?” the assistant asked, not looking up for a moment.
“Are you Nikolai?”
“Yes…” he responded, giving Isaac a curious look, “who’s asking?”
“My name’s Isaac, and I’m looking for my brothers,” he offered, quickly searching through his phone, “they stopped in here the night before last while you were working. Do you recognise them?”
He held up the phone with the photo to let Nikolai see it. He studied it for a moment – Rick staring at him the whole time – before nodding his head.
“Yeah, I remember them,” he said, making Isaac’s heart leap into his throat, “they came in just as we were closing. They bought up what we had left in stock. I’m sure we still have the receipt somewhere if you’d like…?”
“Anything would help,” Isaac shrugged as Nikolai stepped aside and began going through a drawer.
Rick had frowned, and pulled out his own cell phone to start fiddling with.
“Is there anything you could tell us about when they left?” Isaac asked hopefully, “were they with anyone? Was their car stolen maybe?”
“I couldn’t say,” Nikolai shook his head, “oh! Here it is.”
He returned to the counter with the receipt and handed it to Isaac. Isaac quickly looked down it, registering that it was indeed paid for with Taylor’s card, and the time had been just before 6pm.
“Thanks,” he nodded, “look, can I give you my phone number? In case you remember anything?”
“Sure,” Nikolai shrugged, “but I don’t know what else I could tell you.”
Isaac ignored the last statement, grabbing a nearby pen and writing his name and number on the back of one of the store’s business cards. Once done, he handed it over.
“Thanks for all your help,” Isaac offered him a smile, before turning to leave the store.
Rick gave the owner another glance before following him out.
“That was weird,” he announced once they were on the sidewalk.
“What?” Isaac asked as he headed for the car.
“Guy was definitely hiding something,” Rick shook his head, “but I’ll know what it is in a moment.”
Isaac gave him a curious look as he got in, then smirked when he saw him reach for his phone.
“You hacked his phone?”
“I prefer ‘twinned’,” Rick said as he waited for the program to load, “he’s making a call already.”
“To who?” Isaac frowned, “and… wait, I thought he didn’t have a phone?”