Page 74 of An Eye For Illusion

I walk to the commons area and find it eerily quiet there, too. Worry creeps in that something has happened because it’s so unlike the shelter to be this empty. Then I hear a faint shout from the back of the building, which draws my attention.

I pad down the long hallway in the direction I suspect the shout to have come from and find two heavy metal doors at the end. I don’t know where it leads or if I’m allowed to go there, but when I hear another yell, I decide to risk it.

I push one of the heavy doors open and find that they lead outdoors to a large patio area. I’m surprised I’ve never been out here, but it’s also been rather cold lately, and the weather has finally started to warm up.

I glance around and find people scattered about on picnic tables. All the children are off to the left, playing a game of four-square, volleyball, or kick ball in a large green area. Several shelter employees are grilling hamburgers and hotdogs on three grills lined up together along the side.

The food smells heavenly, and the children’s laughter as they run around carefree fills my heart in a way that it hasn’t been since the last time I was here. I wish I could come more often; I wish I could do more.

A metal fence secures the entire perimeter to keep it safer, and it’s relatively private back here away from the main street. I scan the crowd while looking for familiar faces, and I find a few as I walk around.

“Jade! It’s so good to see you!” Carol says as she comes up to give me a big hug.

I laugh as I squeeze her back. “I missed you guys! How’s everything going?”

“Good, really good. We’re doing our first cookout of the season, and everyone is so excited.”

“I can tell. You put all of this together?” I look around at all the colorful decorations. Each table is covered in fun colors, and there are games for kids and adults to play as they socialize.

Carol looks out at the crowd with a warm smile on her face. “I had some help.”

I smile along with her. This is the kind of stuff I really love, and I’m a little bummed I missed out on the planning part. “Let me know when you have the next one. I’d love to lend a helping hand.”

“Oh, I would love that. I’ll be sure to take you up on it,” she says as she waves at a lady in the far corner of the yard.

“Go, go. We can catch up later,” I say as I shoo her off.

She needs to mingle, and there are a few ladies I want to catch up with as well. I don’t see Melanie just yet, but hopefully, I can find out how her court case is going.

“Thanks, dear. Go have some fun tonight. Let your hair down and just relax,” she says as she squeezes my arm.

“I’ll try,” I reply before squeezing her back.

And that’s exactly what I do for the rest of the night. I feel lighter than I have in weeks, and I only have this incredible group of women and children to thank for how light my heart feels.

Colin

I watch Moore’s car pull over to the side of the road, and I do the same a few cars behind. He doesn’t get out and leaves it idling, so I follow suit there as well. I don’t know what he’s up since this isn’t on his schedule for the evening, but I hope it could be a break in the case.

I scan the street for anything that looks suspicious or for what Moore might be in this neighborhood for. There isn’t much other than small businesses. A fast-food joint, a gas station on the corner, and a community shelter on another corner.

Moore seems to be watching out the window ahead of him since I don’t see his head swiveling. The only thing that way is the community shelter. This location only houses women and children. On the other side of the block is the housing for men.

I know a little about the center because Dunn has supported it in the past. All of us try to give back when we can. It’s a good reminder to talk to Liam about doing something again for the shelter since it’s been a few years since we last made a donation.

I’m far back enough to have a clear view of Moore’s car, the street, and the sidewalk to the right of his car. So, when Jade steps out of a vehicle a hundred or so yards in front of Moore’s car, I sit up and take notice.

Maybe they’re meeting each other here? It isn’t on the schedule, and Jade didn’t say a word about there being a change, but maybe she forgot? That seems unlikely, however, because she’s very good at keeping me updated on any kind of deviation from Moore’s schedule.

It doesn’t make sense that she would forget considering how badly she wants dirt on him. If they aren’t meeting up, why the hell is he following her?

I watch her driver pull off as Jade—dressed casually in jeans, sneakers, and a t-shirt—walks into the women’s shelter. She didn’t acknowledge Moore or even act like she knew he was down the street, so my gut says she has no idea he’s here.

What the hell is he up to?

Before long, Moore pulls off and merges into traffic as he drives away. I put my car into drive as I follow him away from the shelter and Jade.

I want to stay and see what she’s up to, but I don’t want to risk losing an opportunity to break this case wide open. He’s obviously deviating from the schedule tonight, so there’s a chance he’ll make another unscheduled stop.

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