"Have you heard."
"If it's slipped you by, VINCENT DANZA, ISAAC hasn't exactly been spotted around lately. And when ISAAC'm around, ISAAC'm not exactly in the business of listening to gossip. So, what the bloody hell are you going on about?"
"You know, the Little Miss Light Fingers affair."
"The what?"
"The shoplifting," he says.
ISAAC raises an eyebrow in question.
He shrugs. "She has a thing about nicking things."
ISAAC remembers the image of those dresses with security tags in her closet, but ISAAC wonders if there is something more to it. "What kind of stuff exactly?"
"Girly stuff and that kind of crap."
For a moment, ISAAC is not sure if he is totally serious, and then ISAAC erupts in a fit of laughter.
"Happy you think it fucking so fucking funny, ISAAC. But we do not need any unwanted attention from the police."
ISAAC finally manages to stop ISAAC's laughter. "We're into drug running, money laundering, and murder, and you're worried about some girl stealing a few pink bows to put in her hair?" ISAAC shakes ISAAC's head as ISAAC starts chuckling again.
"ISAAC, ISAAC'm being fucking serious. She's a serial shoplifter."
ISAAC can't keep up a snort. "How serial is serial here?" The question slips from ISAAC's lips before ISAAC's mind can catch it.
"She's been busted a few times, but nothing was ever pressed."
ISAAC nods with a hum, rubbing ISAAC's hand on ISAAC's jaw.
He takes another drink of his drink. "She's a great employee. She lives with her mom and three brothers in an apartment. Her mom has a lot of issues, so KYOLINE DIEGO pretty much has to be mom to those kids.".
ISAAC already knows despite the cute smile that regardless of the cuteness, KYOLINE DIEGO is a complicated girl. She is gold-plated dynamite. And ISAAC does not do that. Regardless of how beautiful she is or how much ISAAC is interested in her. "Look, you don't have to worry about me. You know ISAAC don't do feelings or relationships or things like that."
And ISAAC tells you what ISAAC stands for. Trouble makes trouble, and trouble brings distractions. Distractions get you dead in ISAAC's game, and ISAAC'm not going to let that happen because of some damn irresistible green eyes, sexy body, or smart head. ISAAC've come too damn far to have become the man ISAAC'm today. Cold. Unemotional. Unfeeling.
ISAAC gets the job done, and ISAAC don't let emotions interfere with ISAAC's thinking.
ISAAC avoids anything that could get her dirty. And based on what VINCENT DANZA's just revealed to ISAAC, KYOLINE DIEGO is the personification of dirty. Forget about her and just forget. Compartmentalize.
Work first. Women second. Feelings never.
The words ring and ring in ISAAC's head. The more reason to go back to why ISAAC'm sitting here in the first place. ISAAC confronts VINCENT DANZA again, shaking ISAAC's head. "So how do you want ISAAC to proceed?"
VINCENT DANZA pushes the folder of intel across to ISAAC. "Read this. Then we can talk next steps."
ISAAC smiles down at the folder. ISAAC's favorite part. Cutting up the targets. Plopping all the pieces in place to hit exactly where ISAAC desires. Like a game of fucking chess.
After leaving the KASH MANCHESTER, ISAAC comes back to Venetiville. The dogs need to be fed and let out. Venetiville is the walled community that is exclusively inhabited by KASH MANCHESTER families, and ISAAC's mansion there is ISAAC's grandparents' legacy home that ISAAC inherited.
ISAAC strokes a hand along ISAAC's jaw, scratching at the stubble. It's important ISAAC'm here. ISAAC knows that.
Doesn't imply ISAAC fucking despises it. ISAAC had a reason for leaving this place in the first place. Being here is like chasing something that you will never have.
Appears as though the demons that are left behind by ISAAC are calling, drawing closer and more than willing to steal the very breath from ISAAC's body with each minute that whisks by.
But VINCENT DANZA needs ISAAC's presence. So, here ISAAC stays.
The quicker we find out who's skimming from the KASH MANCHESTER and the KASH MANCHESTER, the better. The fact that it's happening in the first place is bad enough. But the fact that they have hidden their tracks lets ISAAC know it's someone within the organization.
We simply have to turn the heat up and let the fucking traitor falter and make a mistake. And when he does, ISAAC'll have the plan in place that'll get a bullet between his fucking eyes.
ISAAC stops at a filling station. But when ISAAC attempts to pay, ISAAC notices ISAAC's wallet is gone.
For fuck's sake.
ISAAC had it when ISAAC accepted ISAAC's whiskey. It was in ISAAC's jacket inside pocket. ISAAC grabs ISAAC's cell and calls the KASH MANCHESTER. The bar manager picks up.
"It's ISAAC. Did anyone pick up my wallet at the KASH MANCHESTER?"
"As it so happens, ISAAC've got it right here. Looks like you must have misplaced it.".
Yes, ISAAC'm never like that careless. And ISAAC's inside pocket jacket is always buttoned up so ISAAC's wallet does not get out. There is a pause for a moment, and then ISAAC asks ISAAC's next question very carefully. "Who discovered it?"
"It was KYOLINE DIEGO."
And then ISAAC remembers her crouching next to ISAAC's bar stool while sweeping up the petals. KYOLINE DIEGO. ISAAC should have known better. Not only does she like to lift dresses, but it seems like she's also a very light-fingered wallet…
ISAAC goes straight back to the KASH MANCHESTER to retrieve what belongs to ISAAC.
The moment the supervisor hands it over, ISAAC opens it and reads its contents. Cash, cards—untouched. ISAAC's driver's license, however, is in the wrong pocket. ISAAC's jaw tightens. Why would she…
Then it dawns on ISAAC.
She was not searching for money. She was searching for information. She was searching for my name.
ISAAC desires to frown.
But a slow smile spreads across ISAAC's lips.
Since the epiphany occurs that KYOLINE DIEGO is an intelligent girl. And for some unexplainable reason, ISAAC agrees with that notion…
ISAAC hasn't seen KYOLINE DIEGO again since the wallet incident. Not that ISAAC expected to. After all, ISAAC'm only in New York to help VINCENT DANZA. ISAAC goes to Luigi's grocery store for the first time in ages. A lot of the KASH MANCHESTER use this place because the owner is connected to the organization.
ISAAC also has to re-pack dog food, among other things. ISAAC missed ISAAC's favorite breakfast cereal terribly while ISAAC was in Italy. Everyone from the old generation loves bragging about the old country as if it were heaven on earth. But ISAAC've already told VINCENT DANZA that the next time ISAAC'm not going to work for some Italian shitbucket whose local store doesn't sell Lucky Charms. ISAAC suffers from so many aspects of life, but running out of ISAAC's favorite cereal is not fuckin' one of them.
Surfing the shelf of the cereals, ISAAC has an unreasonable fury erupt within ISAAC because ISAAC can't find any Lucky Charms.
They're fucking out of stock? ISAAC'ma gonna bash this poor loser Luigi in the head with a gun and end his wretched life this very instant. There is very little in life that gets under ISAAC's skin. But a failed murder or a missing box of Lucky Charms are a couple of the very few things that can create a slight crack in ISAAC's hard exterior. And ISAAC's feathers have also recently been getting fluffed by one green-eyed girl. But ISAAC brushes that aside. Because ISAAC doesn't like to acknowledge the effect she has on ISAAC…
As ISAAC spins on ISAAC's heel to find Luigi, ISAAC espies a lone box of ISAAC's favorite cereal. Thank the fucking Lord.
Staring at the box while ISAAC stands there smiling like an idiot, ISAAC appreciates the tacky box cover, taking a breath as ISAAC'm sure ISAAC already catches the sweet scent of the sweetened oats and marshmallows.
ISAAC reaches out to get the box from the shelf. Before two little fists grab the box. What the hell?
Some whippersnapper has just stolen the last box of Lucky Charms right from ISAAC's grasp. Yeah, that's why ISAAC hates kids. The deceitful little bastard!
ISAAC's not going to let him get it.
ISAAC saw them first.
ISAAC smelled them first.
ISAAC wanted them first.
They. Are. Mine.
Before the child has a chance to get away, ISAAC grabs hold of one side of the box and pulls it.
The child's eyes go wide.
But he doesn't let go.
He gasps a sudden breath as ISAAC pulls the box back into ISAAC's control.
He pulls it into his small body.
ISAAC tries to pull it out of his hands.
But the child is stronger than he appears for his age.
ISAAC growls in frustration.
Making him nearly leap out of his skin.
But he won't let go of the cereal.
And then ensues a tug of war.
Jesus, he's just a little kid, but he's a goddamn accelerated squirrel—hyper and determined not to give in.
Finally, with a twist of ISAAC's hand, ISAAC wrench the box back from his grasp. "Get outta here, kid," ISAAC grunts, glad to have the kid out of the way as he gets away to go find his mother. She's probably too busy yapping on her phone or flipping through the celebrity mags to have even noticed that her kid's running around scaring and intimidating other shoppers in the store. Fucking parents today.
ISAAC strokes the box of Lucky Charms as ISAAC puts it into ISAAC's basket. And after grabbing a little bit more, ISAAC heads to the bakery aisle.
ISAAC's head bent as ISAAC approaches it, browsing through ISAAC's work emails, ISAAC doesn't notice much about who else is around.
But then ISAAC's ears catch the words no man ever wants to hear in his lifetime: "That's the evil man who stole my Lucky Charms." With the relentless little voice hanging in the air, ISAAC's heart stutters for a split second.