Chapter 69 Disguise

So, right as George rolled into the hood, Isaac was strolling out of the corner store. He was tearing into a fresh pack of smokes he just snagged. He was rocking a white tee, some comfy cotton shorts, a navy blue cap, and flip-flops. His clothes were a bit wrinkled, and he'd got a plastic bag full of snacks and drinks dangling from his wrist.

He looked like he just rolled out of bed and decided to grab some munchies. With that getup, he totally losed the whole "I'm in my twenties" vibe and looked more like a teenager, maybe eighteen or nineteen tops. Even his eyelids, which were usually pretty plain, now havd this slight crease that made him look even younger.

Isaac had some work done on his eyelids, and now his face looked a bit rounder. He pulled out a cig, bit the tip, and lit it up. After a deep drag, he tilted his head back, pocketed the cig and lighter, and gave a wave to the shopkeeper.

"Later," he said.

The shopkeeper, who'd been eyeing him the whole time, just smiled and waved back, her eyes twinkling...
Isaac turned around, plastic bag in one hand, cig in the other, and started sauntering towards the residential area. The shopkeeper kept her eyes glued to him, thinking, "Damn, that kid's got some looks, especially with that lazy, mischievous grin... If only I were twenty years younger..."

As Isaac made his way into the neighborhood and passed by the security guard's booth, he poked his head in and asked, "Haven't had lunch yet?"

The guard, caught off guard by the unfamiliar face, quickly recovered and smiled, "Not yet, still early. I'll grab something later."

Isaac grinned, pulled out another cig from his pocket, and offered it to the guard. He then eyed the scattered packages on the shelf by the door and asked, "Any deliveries for Building 1 today?"

"Building 1..." The guard took the cig, glanced at the packages, and shook his head. "Probably in the afternoon."

Isaac nodded, still smiling. "Cool, I'll swing by later then."

"Alright, see you in the afternoon," the guard chuckled.

Isaac walked out of the booth, his eyes flicking to a small car parked diagonally across the way. It had been sitting there for two days. He then turned and headed into the corridor of the first building.
Inside the small car, the two cops on stakeout watched Isaac as he strolled into the building. Once he was out of sight, they exchanged glances. The cop in the passenger seat furrowed his brows and sighed, "Man, it's about time for lunch, isn't it?"

The driver checked the time, grabbed his phone, and called the officers stationed downstairs at George's place to see what they wanted to eat. No one batted an eye at Isaac casually walking into the building; their job was strictly to keep Ellie safe.

Earlier that morning, the captain of the criminal investigation team had asked George if they should send out Isaac's only photo—the one on his fake ID—to the team. Having the suspect's mug would make it easier to track him and protect Ellie.

But George shot it down. The photo on the ID and the real Isaac were pretty different. If the guy decided to change up his look, he'd slip right under their noses. Plus, Isaac was a pro at disguises; he had already managed to impersonate George to get close to his wife.

Adding another task would just scatter the team's focus. They were already on high alert for anyone getting too close to Ellie who might pose a threat.
However, once they mentally accepted the existence of a suspect, their subconscious would zero in on people who looked like the suspect and ignore those who didn't, which wasn't ideal. And... George didn't want to alert Isaac.

Meanwhile, Isaac had already slipped inside. He shut the door, tossed the snacks on the coffee table, and used his foot to hook the trash bin. He spat out two thumb-sized silicone spheres, and just like that, his face looked way thinner.

As for the double eyelid tape stuck to his lids? He didn't rush to deal with it. Instead, he stubbed out his cig in the ashtray and pulled a can of coffee from the plastic bag. Popping it open, he wandered over to the kitchen window and peered down.

Sure enough, after a bit, the car door opened, and a guy in short sleeves and trousers stepped out. Isaac took a sip of his coffee, leaning against the counter, watching quietly.

A few minutes later, the guy came back with two bags and headed towards the car. He handed one bag inside, then closed the door and walked towards the residential area. Clearly, there were two teams on watch here...

Isaac's lips curled into a sly grin as he took another sip of his coffee. Two bags, one with two boxed meals, for four people... George seriously underestimated him...