Mackie was at his studio, meeting the clients who had booked it for the next so many hours. The man who had just spoken to was Trent.
"This is Vince, Tony and Oliver."
Mackie and Oliver's eyes met.
"Oliver. Never thought I'd see you again," Mackie said curtly.
"Do you guys know each other?" Trent asked.
"He used to be in my band, Indecision. Then he left to go to rehab."
"Yeah, well, I'm done with drugs now," Oliver defended. "Maybe we shouldn't record here."
There was a moment of silence.
"I don't have a problem with Oliver recording here," Mackie said at last. "I'll let you talk to your friends, Oliver. Let me know what you decide. I'll be over there."
As Mackie walked, he knew it was a lie. He hadn't wanted to see Oliver again. Oh, he knew that how he treated Zoe that day was the effect of whatever drugs he had been taking, but he shouldn't have taken the drugs in the first place! And what would have happened in he and Sarah hadn't walked in when they did? What would he have done to Zoe? Sure, he didn't always get along with his sister, but he would never, ever want to see her hurt.
What would it be like working with him now?
**********
Babsie saw Carmen leaning next to the wall near Isaac's office. Every now and then she would walk over, put her hand up to knock, then change her mind and go back to leaning on the wall.
"Something wrong?" she asked.
"Oh, hi Mum," Carmen seemed to hesitate, she chewed her lip for a moment, then continued: "Umm, I have a… a friend in a band that's really, really good. Deserve a record deal good."
"I see. And you want to tell your Dad about them."
Carmen nodded.
"I know he signed Monkey Business because of me but… I guess… I don't want to push my luck."
"Hmm. Well Carmen, I don't think you've got anything to worry about. They've probably got you on the same system they have me on."
"Oh?"
"Yeah. Every year they give me one point. I can use that point to vouch for a band, and they sign them, whether they think I've lost my mind or not. If the band's debut album is a success, I get that point back. How old were you when Monkey Business was signed?"
"Umm, eleven."
"Okay, so you have about…" Babsie thought for a moment. "Five points all nicely racked up."
"How many points do you have?"
"That would be telling," she replied with a broad grin. "Go on in and tell him all about this band. And then tell me. I wanna hear all about them."
Carmen smiled and finally knocked on the door. When she heard Isaac's "Come in," she opened the door and walked in, closing it behind her. Babsie walked back down the hallway.
"Babsie," Jack said coming around the corner, "We've just received a delivery I think you would like to see."
"Oh okay."
Babsie followed him into the kitchen. On the bench there was a case of wine. A few of the kids had gathered curiously.
"Where'd this come from?" she asked.
"Napa Valley," Lori answered, somewhat bewildered, handing her an envelope that had been with the case.
Babsie opened the envelope. Inside were two letters and a cheque. Babsie read the two letters silently as the onlookers watched in anticipation.
"Well," she said finally, with an amused smile, "the cheque is from Electra, paying back the money I loaned her so she could get to her Dad's home. The wine is a thank you from her dad for looking after his daughter. He runs a vineyard it seems."
"Well, that's, that's very kind of him," Lori said. "I'll have these moved into the wine cellar."
"No, I'll move them into the wine cellar," Jack corrected.
"Someone move them there," Babsie put in. "I'm going to show these to Isaac and write a thank you note of my own."