The First Nine Lives of Isabella LaFelini

by Harvey, Rhonda

  Isabella scowled. “Dr. Pete, if you don’t stop, she’s gonna make me stay in bed for a week!”

  Luci and Pete both laughed. “No, no,” Luci reassured her, “if Pete thinks you’ll be okay with limits, then today is the only day I’m going to insist you’re housebound.”

  “Phew!” Isabella said dramatically. “What a relief!”

  “Why?” her mother asked, “what do you have planned?”

  “Ty and I are going to the library tomorrow, that’s all.”

  “The library? In the summer?” Luci exchanged a knowing look with Pete.

  “Yeah,” Ty finally spoke up, “we’ve got summer reading to do. It’s on the school website.”

  “Ahh, summer reading. I remember it well,” Pete said. “Well, enjoy it, because trust me, once you get to college, you’ll be wishing for those little books of summer reading!”

  He pushed himself away from the table. “Gotta go. Luci, are you going to be all right here by yourself tonight? I mean, I doubt the cops found that guy…”

  Luci smiled gratefully. “Actually, I have to work tonight. But I’m sure Isabella will be all right…you will, won’t you?”

  Isabella let a sigh of impatience escape her lips. “Mom, I’ll be fine. The house will be all locked up. And think about it—the cops were here last night. What crook in his right mind is gonna come back tonight?”

  “I’ll be here, too, Mrs. L. I’ll stay until you get home from work,” Ty quickly volunteered.

  “Are you sure, Ty?” Luci asked him.

  “Yep. My mom’s working late, anyway. She won’t mind. I’d be home alone anyway. Might as well be here. Maybe we can order pizza?”

  Luci smiled. “Yeah, we’ll get pizza. Sounds good. I’m going to walk the good doctor to his car; you guys finish eating, okay?”

  Pete and Luci walked out to the Jaguar. “You sure you’re going to be all right?” Pete asked her.

  Luci nodded. “Yeah, but I must admit, I do feel better about Ty being here. This is such a quiet little town—there’s never even been a hint of trouble. Still, you can’t be too careful.”

  “No, you can’t,” Pete agreed. “And Ty is crazy about Isabella. He would never let anything happen to her.”

  Luci beamed. “I know. It’s funny, isn’t it? They are both so crazy about each other, yet neither seems to know that! Kids!”

  Yeah, kids, Pete thought wistfully. He reached over and gave Luci a quick hug. “Well, I’m gonna get going; call me if you need anything, okay?”

  “I will,” Luci promised. “Thanks again, Pete, you’re a great friend!”

  That ’s me, he thought as the Jaguar purred to life, your friend, Pete. He waved to her and drove away.

  Twenty-Eight: The “Babysitter”

  ISABELLA, TRUE TO her word, stayed either in bed or on the sofa all day Sunday. She must really be hurting, Luci thought. I wish I knew why I don’t believe she got hurt in a fall. She knew, though, that there was no point to asking Isabella anything further about the “accident”, so she didn’t. Luci had to admit it was nice having her daughter lounge around all day instead of running off with Ty.

  “I’m finished with the comics, Isabella. You want to read them?”

  “Maybe later, Mom. Right now, I’m just going to watch the end of this movie.”

  Isabella was watching some teen vampire movie. Vampires! Luci shook her head, wondering what the fascination was with undead creatures that walked the night, feasting on blood. “Okay, well, it’s here if you want it. What do you want for lunch?”

  “Well, Mom,” Isabella answered distractedly, “I was kinda planning on waiting for Ty and that pizza you promised us. Plus I did eat two of Dr. Pete’s omelets. Is that okay?”

  “Sure. I’m going to make a sandwich, though—if Ty and Pete left anything to make a sandwich with!” Her cell phone rang. “Hello? Oh, hi!”

  Isabella shook her head. By the way her mother’s voice changed with the “oh, hi!”, it had to be Rick calling. She frowned. Rick. He was up to something. Every fiber of her being said it was so. She thought back to his words during his many phone calls on Friday—and how he tried to cover up his anger with a phony smile. Ugh. I just don’t like that jerk!

  “Isabella, Rick wants to know how you’re feeling!” her mother called from the kitchen.

  I ’ll bet he does, Isabella thought scornfully. But she said, “Tell him I’m feeling better, thanks.”

  “Yeah, I have to go to work tonight,” her mother’s conversation droned on. “Uh huh, until midnight. Yeah, just working a single today—worked a double yesterday. Oh, that’s really sweet of you, but her friend is going to stay with her. Oh, well, yeah, Ty. I know he’s only a kid, but…well, if you’re sure. Well, that is so sweet! Thank you, honey.”

  Isabella almost gagged. Did her mother just call that jerk “honey”?

  “I’ll tell her. And thank you. What? Oh, I was just going to order pizza for her and Ty. You will? Wow! What did I ever do to deserve a good guy like you? That is so sweet! I’m going in at four. Uh huh. Yeah. About six? Okay, I’ll tell her. Thanks again, honey.”

  Oh-em-gee, Isabella groaned to herself, she called that loser “honey” again!

  “Oh, Isabella!” her mother called from the kitchen as though Isabella were outside rather than in the next room. “Guess what? Rick’s going to come spend the evening with you, and he’s bringing pizza from La Bella!!”

  “What? No! Mom, no. Call him back. Mom, I don’t need him here. You told Dr. Pete that you didn’t think that guy was coming back. And he’s not. Mom, call him back. I don’t want him here. The guy is a slimeball!”

  “Excuse me? Isabella Rose LaFelini! I will not tolerate rude behavior from you. Where is this coming from? You didn’t think Rick was so bad when he got you and Ty Beyoncè tickets last month. You didn’t think he was so bad when he offered to take us out on his chartered yacht.”

  “Actually, I did think that about the stupid boat,” Isabella muttered under her breath. “Mom, I don’t like him,” she said loud enough for her mother to hear without straining.

  “You don’t actually have to like him, Isabella. I like him. And he likes me! And as much as I’d like it if you two got along, I don’t need my fourteen-year-old daughter’s permission to date a really wonderful guy.” Luci was bright red with anger.

  “But what if he’s not so wonderful?” Isabella asked before she thought about it. “What if he’s not who you think he is?”

  “What are you talking about?” Luci demanded.

  Isabella sighed. “Never mind.”

  “Don’t you pull that ‘never mind’ stuff with me, Isabella. I am not one of your friends—I am not Ty, who you kick around like he was a beach ball. You cannot talk to me that way and then say ‘never mind’!”

  “I just think he’s a bad man, Mom,” Isabella blurted, immediately regretting the stupid-sounding sentence.

  “‘A bad man’?” Luci mocked. “What are you, seven?”

  “Mom,” Isabella tried again, taking a deep breath and actually thinking before she spoke, “I love you. You’re a great mother. You have always told me to trust my instincts. You said that whenever I was trying to make a decision to trust my ‘gut’. And it’s always worked out for me, Mom. You know it has. Well, I’m asking you now to trust my instincts because I really feel that there’s something wrong with this guy. Please, Mommy,” she hadn’t called Luci that in about five years, but desperate times called for desperate measures. “Please. Just slow down with this guy at least. Until you’re absolutely sure. If your instincts tell you that you’re right and I’m wrong, then…well, maybe I am wrong. But Mom, please. I don’t think you’re using your instincts at all. I think you’re just happy to have a guy in your life…” Isabella stopped, certain that she had gone too far and that her mother was going to yell again.

  But Luci surprised her. “You’re right,” she said, dropping down into the recliner, “I really haven’t taken the tim
e to listen to my instincts. I’ll do that. I promise. But Isabella, my maternal instincts are telling me that you need an adult here tonight. So please. Please don’t fight me on this. Look at it this way—you’re at least getting pizza from your favorite place!”

  Isabella grinned, feeling that she had made some progress in her “get-rid-of-Rick campaign”. “Yeah, that’s true. Okay, Mom…but Ty stays the entire time, deal?”

  Luci smiled. “Deal.”

  Ty came over at three, Luci left at three-thirty, and Rick was there promptly at six, carrying three pizza boxes.

  Ty opened the door for him. “Three pizzas?” Ty asked him.

  “Yep. Have one ‘Isabella special’, one everything pizza and…well, I noticed when we went to La Bella that you were picking off a lot of toppings from that ‘everything’ pie, so I brought a pepperoni for you—just in case.”

  Both Ty and Isabella were surprised—and Ty was touched—by this extra effort. “Maybe he’s not so bad,” Ty said to Isabella in a low voice while Rick retrieved plates from the kitchen cupboard.

  “Because he brought you a pepperoni pizza?” Isabella hissed. “You are such a guy. If someone feeds you, you’re a friend for life. Come to think of that, dogs act exactly the same way.”

  Ty glared at Isabella, but he didn’t have a chance to say anything as Rick returned with the plates. “So, you guys up to a little trivia after we eat?”

  “Trivia?” Isabella asked.

  “Yeah, I brought a few games with me. Thought they’d give us something to do while we’re waiting for your mom to get home tonight.”

  Ty’s eyes met Isabella’s. “Sure,” she said casually, “might be fun.”

  The pizza was delicious, as usual, and Isabella ate too much, also as usual. “I don’t care how many times we eat La Bella’s pizza,” she paused to let a large burp rip, burrrrp! “It is easily the best pizza I’ve ever had!”

  “It’s awesome,” Ty agreed.

  Rick added his opinion, “You don’t usually get this kind of pizza outside of New York. It is really good! So eat up! And let the games begin!”

  Rick was really good at trivia. Even the more contemporary questions about Trey Songz and other performers. Isabella thought it was because they were his games, but Ty reminded her that Rick was a concert promoter, after all.

  The evening went quickly, and Isabella had to admit that maybe—just maybe—she had misjudged the guy. Maybe Rick wasn’t involved in anything sinister. It was pretty nice of him to bring over pizza from La Bella; Isabella knew that he could have brought it from anywhere in Greenville, but he instead made a special stop in Washington. Didn’t that say something? Yeah, Isabella thought cynically, that he’s trying to impress my mom.

  “Have you taken your pain medicine tonight, Isabella?” Rick asked, careful to emphasize the third and fourth syllables of her name.

  “No, but I’m feeling a lot better.”

  “Isabella, the one thing your mother asked me to do was to ensure you took your pain medicine. Now. You don’t really want me to get into trouble with your mom, do ya?” He winked at her, and again she was on the get-rid-of-Rick campaign.

  Ew. Who does he think he is? Winking at me? Yuck!

  “Where’s your medication, Isabella?”

  Isabella had no plans on answering him, but Ty blurted, “Over there on the kitchen counter.”

  If looks truly could kill, Ty would’ve fallen over clutching at his heart. “Thanks a lot,” she hissed at him.

  “What’s the big deal? You need to take it.” Ty was baffled. She had taken the medication for him earlier in the day without hesitation.

  “I don’t like how sleepy it makes me,” Isabella confessed. “Is that all right with you?”

  “It’s after ten, anyway,” Rick attempted to console her, “so here you go.” He handed her a glass of water and two pills.

  “Two?”

  “One is your ibuprofen. Or didn’t you think I knew about that one?” Rick smiled at her again—and again, it made her uncomfortable. “Go on, bottoms up.”

  She took the two pills reluctantly. “Yeah, yeah, okay. Done. All right with you?”

  Rick smiled widely and didn’t even seem to mind that she was being rude to him. “Good. So your mother won’t want to kill me. Maybe you should get into your pajamas or whatever? Ty, you can go on home.”

  “Home?”

  “Yeah. Mrs. LaFelini will be home soon enough, and Isabella needs her rest. So you can go ahead and go home. It’ll be all right.”

  Don ’t even think about leaving me alone with this guy, Isabella thought, hoping that Ty would pick up on her thoughts telepathically. “Um, Rick,” Isabella said the name with an artificial sweetness, “don’t you think that maybe you should be the one to go home? I mean, you live all the way in Greenville; and it is getting late—you said so yourself. Ty lives just around the corner…”

  Rick smiled again—and again Isabella noted the “dead” look in his eyes as he did. “Now, Isabella, if I didn’t know any better, I’d think you wanted me to get into trouble with your mother.”

  Ty looked at Isabella questioningly. “Isabella? Maybe I should go? I’ll come over in the morning so we can go to the library…”

  “Yeah, maybe we will meet Sam and Dean there…” Isabella grabbed the table and sat down. “Whoo. Suddenly I am so dizzy…”

  Ty was confused. “Sam and Dean who? Isabella?”

  “Ty,” she managed. “I…Sam…two…” and with that, she promptly fell asleep.

  “Wow, that was fast!” Rick remarked casually. “I guess she really did need her rest. Gimme a hand here, would ya? So I can get her to her bedroom?”

  “Um, sure,” Ty told him. He bent over and picked up Isabella in his arms. “I’ve got her—just open her bedroom door, k?”

  Rick walked up the hall ahead of him, opened Isabella’s bedroom door and stood and watched as Ty carefully arranged the girl on her bed. Perfect, Rick thought.

  They walked out to the living room. Ty thought about sitting and waiting for Luci to come home, but that would have meant talking to Rick while he waited. Ugh. Isabella was out for the night—there really wasn’t any point in staying, or so he argued with himself. “Well, I guess I’ll get going,” Ty told Rick as he stuffed his hand in his pocket and pulled out a red baseball cap. “Thanks again for the pizza.”

  “You want to take some of the leftovers with you?” Rick asked him, smiling.

  Ty thought about it. “Nah. The last time I ate more than I should have I got sick on your boat.” He laughed a little. “G’night, Mr. Tomasetti.”

  “Rick, Ty, call me ‘Rick’. How many times do I have to tell you?”

  Ty nodded. “Okay, Rick. Thanks again, g’night”, and he closed the kitchen door behind himself.

  Something bothered Ty the entire way home, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. There was something that wasn’t quite right. Aw, geez, Ty, he chastised himself, you are sounding more like Isabella all the time!

  It wasn’t until he was lying in bed, nearly asleep that the answer dawned on him. Sam and Dean, Sam and Dean…the names had bothered him ever since Isabella said them. Sam and Dean! They were the brothers in Isabella’s favorite show—brothers who investigated supernatural occurrences and who were always in trouble. Isabella must be in some kind of trouble, Ty thought to himself, sitting up in bed suddenly. He jumped out of bed and pulled on the clothes he had discarded onto the floor just a few minutes before. Careful not to wake his mother, Ty grabbed his baseball bat, jumped on his bike and headed back over to Isabella’s house. She was in trouble, and he was going to protect her!

  Ty approached Isabella’s house carefully. There was a black SUV at the front curb that hadn’t been there when he’d left earlier. He looked around vigilantly and decided to drop his bike on the Bakers’ lawn. There was no sign of any intruder—yet. But as he looked at the quiet white house, he recognized that something wasn’t quite right. But what? Think
, Ty, he urged himself, think!

  There it was! A tiny light shone through the bushes in the front of the house. Someone was in the basement. Ty crept up to the house quietly, looking around as he did. He put his hand on the kitchen doorknob and never saw it coming. Suddenly something hard hit his head from behind, and everything went black.

  Twenty-Nine: Kidnapped!

  WHEN TY REGAINED consciousness, he wasn’t at the LaFelinis’. He wasn’t home. In fact, he had no idea where he was; all he did know was that his mouth was covered with something that felt like heavy tape, and his arms and legs were bound as well. It was still dark—or was it? He thought for a moment that his eyes might be blindfolded, but then he realized that he was in a dark space—a closet maybe? He could make out a few pinpoints of light through whatever material the walls were made of, and he could hear—if he held his breath and listened very carefully—the sound of gulls and other water birds.

  Gulls. Was he at the beach? He strained to listen to the roar of the surf but couldn’t hear it. Oh, my aching head. It’s almost like the room is moving…He was almost jubilant to realize that it wasn’t his head—the room was moving. And with that epiphany, Ty also realized where he was. He was on the boat that Rick Tomasetti had chartered just days before.

  Because Luci worked nights, and all of her friends knew it, the phone at the LaFelinis’ rarely rang before eight in the morning. However, today it rang at seven. “He..hello?” Luci yawned as she answered.

  “Luci, it’s Peggy. Briggs. Please tell me that Ty is there.” Ty’s mother sounded strained, frantic even to Luci’s sleepy perceptiveness.

  “Peggy, what’s wrong?”

  “I…I thought he came home last night. I heard him before I went to sleep. But he’s gone, Luci. He’s gone and there’s no sign of his bike or the clothes he was wearing yesterday. You know Ty, Luci. He’s not the kind of kid to just take off. Please tell me he’s with Isabella.”