Clay came out of the detective’s office. “This must be Gabby and your friends you told us about, sweetheart.”
“Yes.” She introduced them to each other and put her arm around Gabby. “This is the best daughter a mother could ever hope for.” Then she motioned to Toni and Cami. “And the best friends a woman could ever have.”
“How long have you been friends?” Clay asked.
“We met in first grade,” the three of them said in unison.
The room they were in was small, and with so many people, it was quite cramped with only four chairs.
He stood. “Clay, are we done here?”
His brother shook his head. “The detective asked us to stay put a little longer. He got a call from Scotland Yard about Gonzales. I don’t know what’s happening yet, but he promised to come in and give us an update once the call ends.”
The three women were so supportive of Izzy, which he and Clay were grateful for. The ordeal had shaken her, which was no surprise. He, too, had been impacted by what went down in the warehouse. Bill was dead. Any compassion he had felt for his uncle about the embezzlement had totally vanished when he had confessed murdering his parents and aunt. He would not grieve for the bastard.
“Ladies, please have a seat until then. Once we’re done here, I want to take everyone to dinner.”
Toni smiled. “That sounds wonderful, Jay.”
Gabby took the seat next to her mother, and Toni and Cami took the seats across from them. He and Clay remained standing.
“Mom, knowing how you react when you’re upset, I bet you haven’t eaten anything all day, have you?”
“No, but I’m really not hungry.”
Toni and Cami jumped to their feet.
“You need something on your stomach, Izzy,” Cami said flatly.
“We passed a vending machine on the way in here,” Toni said. “How about we get you something to tide you over until we leave?”
He liked Izzy’s friends. He could tell they were very close and wanted to take care of her.
“I’d rather wait for dinner but I will drink a soda.”
“Anyone else need anything?” Cami asked, looking at him, Clay, and Gabby.
“No thank you,” he answered first.
“I don’t need anything either,” Clay said. “But thank you.”
“I just want to stay with Mom.” Gabby held Izzy’s hand, the concern for her mother evident.
Toni and Cami left.
Gabby kissed Izzy’s cheek, and her eyes welled up. “Thank God you were with Clay and Jay.” She turned to them. “I will never forget what you did today. If that man had…I can’t think about that.”
Izzy hugged her. “Everything turned out okay, honey. I’m okay. Really I am. Just a little shook up.”
“And Gabby, your mom saved us, too,” Clay said.
“She did? How?”
The three of them told her more about what had happened at the warehouse.
Gabby smiled. “Mom let me know this morning that you two told her that you loved her.”
Izzy’s eyes widened. “Gabriella?”