Preferable, but normally Isaac would have shot that down too—if the case didn’t involve Dalton. “Smash and grab without injury?”
“Oh yeah, no one was hurt.”
Good. If someone had been, Isaac would be far more on edge. “I’m sure Andrew and Detective Wen have it covered then. Give them a few days, case closed.”
“It might not be that easy. The thief didn’t leave any evidence, didn’t set off any alarms or get caught on camera, and theymissed vital pieces to my work. Andrew and I both think they’re going to come back.”
Isaac fought to not drop the pen he’d picked up to appear nonchalant by clutching it in a death grip.
“I was running some ideas past him about how we might help.”
“We?”
“Like a team-up.” Dalton shrugged, playing it off as harmless to cover how much itso wasn’t. “I asked Andrew to check things out because I trust him and wanted to see him again, but I want your perspective too. Plus, I can help by providing insight into my research and what the thief might be using it for.”
“Dalton—”
“Competing businesses join forces all the time.”
“Not us. And not with you helping. I don’t want you anywhere near this.”
“I’m already near it. I’m in it! So, unless you plan to tie me up and keep me prisoner for the next few days, it’s my research on the line, I’m meeting Andrew tomorrow, and we are going to solve this case.”
Fatherhood would have been so much easier if Dalton was ten instead of twenty-three. Isaac could have just sent him to his room.
“We don’t solve cases, honey,” Kathleen said gently. “We patch holes in security to prevent future ones.”
“I know, but if this thief’s going to come back, we can do both.”
“You want us to team up with some spook?” Luke asked.
“He’s a former detective, Luke, not FBI.”
“I know him. Still a pig.”
“And a friend of mine. You shouldn’t judge someone for their past alone. I never would.” Dalton spoke so effortlessly affectionate that it made even Luke’s stony demeanor crack. “Plus, he and Dad got along fine when we saw him the other day.”
“Oh yeah?” Luke squared his gaze on Isaac. “Datingagain?”
“No—”
“Frenemies with benefits?”
“No benefits,” Isaac snapped louder. “No nothing. End of discussion.”
“Are you talking about Andrew Wen?” Riley peeked in.
Damn it.
“Quite the interesting surveillance from the other night,” he added with a grin.
Did he…? He better not have listened after patching Isaac in!
“Surveillance?” Dalton shifted to look between them. “On Andrew?”
“Work related,” Isaac dismissed. “And all fair play.” Technically. Andrew started it!
“Who’s this?” Riley asked as he sauntered in, not having met Dalton yet, which Isaac had been trying to avoid. He was attractive, still reminding Isaac of a smaller version of Andrew, but with an entirely different countenance.
