night. Maybe he's the one Lara was really coming to see at the GSD.”
Russo was about to rise from his chair when he remembered what he'd come here to tell Malone. “Almost forgot—Carter got an anonymous tip saying the father had promised the girl for an arranged marriage in Bosnia this summer. Can you believe it? The kid is twelve—she should be playing with dolls or maybe watching Gossip Girl.”
Malone shook his head in disgust. “Get Foster to check the airlines for female minors traveling to that area in the last few days. Probably need to check flights to Paris and Frankfurt, too... who knows where else.”
“Will do. But doesn't this give more weight to our idea that she's a runaway?”
“We're already following up on how she might have left the area. But, seems like time to bring dear old dad in for questioning.”
CHAPTER 22
E llie tapped on Iris' kitchen window and waggled a turquoise yoga mat in front of her.
As Iris let her in Ellie took in the scene and asked, “What's wrong? Are things still messed up with Luc?”
“Is it that obvious?”
“You're reading the obituaries,” she stabbed the newspaper spread out on the kitchen table with her index finger, “while listening to Bonnie Raitt in the middle of a Sunday afternoon. I rest my case. Now go get on your yoga clothes and we can talk on the way over.”
Five minutes later they were walking along Walden St. toward the Soni Yoga Studio.
“Don't jump to conclusions,” Ellie said. “I can't see Luc spending the night with someone else. Jeez Iris, he made you that eight course meal of your favorite foods a few weeks ago. He even boiled up sticky toffee pudding for dessert! He loves you. Of course he's intimidated by your going out to dinner with one of the most famous architects in the world. You just need to assure him that Xander is not real life. Luc's your real life. You can get him settled down.”
“I told him I wasn't interested in dating Xander. I was just curious about the life of a hotshot celebrity architect like him.”
“You know you can be pretty intimidating yourself.”
“Oh, please. You know me better than that,” Iris said.
“Sure, I do. I know how insecure you can be and where your baggage comes from. But poor Luc doesn't. You need to show him that side of you.”
“The screwed-up side.”
“Exactly.”
They unrolled their mats and spent the next hour saluting the sun and posing like mountains.
Looking at the front row, Iris recognized the gray braid of Alise, a favorite neighbor who sometimes dog-sat for Sheba. When the class was over, Alise joined them on their walk home. As they passed the community garden at the Raymond St. playground, Alise said “I am so in love with your boyfriend, Iris.”
“Should I be worried?” Iris asked.
Alise chuckled. “Luc did a presentation this morning at the garden here, giving us some great new ways to use herbs in cooking. I can't wait to try his recipe for elderflower sauce to put on shrimp.”
“He was here this morning?”
“Yes, didn't you know? The posters were on telephone poles all around the neighborhood. He was so patient. One woman even brought her little granddaughter. He let the girl smell the different herbs. What a sweet guy.”
Ellie gave Iris a sharp elbow in the ribs.
CHAPTER 23
I ris entered her kitchen bubbling and humming with affection for Luc. He WAS a sweet guy, and she was lucky. She needed to reassure him about her commitment to him, so she speed-dialed his number, and felt a thrill when he answered.
“Hi, it's me,” she said. “Can I come over to talk?”
There was a gaping pause, then “I'm heading over to my sister's for dinner soon.”
She let out a breath.
“But I have half an hour before I need to leave,” he continued, “if you wanted to come over now.”
“I'll be right there. Five minutes.”
Iris ran up to her bedroom to peel off her sweaty yogawear and take a quick shower. She tossed on a loose cashmere
Russo was about to rise from his chair when he remembered what he'd come here to tell Malone. “Almost forgot—Carter got an anonymous tip saying the father had promised the girl for an arranged marriage in Bosnia this summer. Can you believe it? The kid is twelve—she should be playing with dolls or maybe watching Gossip Girl.”
Malone shook his head in disgust. “Get Foster to check the airlines for female minors traveling to that area in the last few days. Probably need to check flights to Paris and Frankfurt, too... who knows where else.”
“Will do. But doesn't this give more weight to our idea that she's a runaway?”
“We're already following up on how she might have left the area. But, seems like time to bring dear old dad in for questioning.”
CHAPTER 22
E llie tapped on Iris' kitchen window and waggled a turquoise yoga mat in front of her.
As Iris let her in Ellie took in the scene and asked, “What's wrong? Are things still messed up with Luc?”
“Is it that obvious?”
“You're reading the obituaries,” she stabbed the newspaper spread out on the kitchen table with her index finger, “while listening to Bonnie Raitt in the middle of a Sunday afternoon. I rest my case. Now go get on your yoga clothes and we can talk on the way over.”
Five minutes later they were walking along Walden St. toward the Soni Yoga Studio.
“Don't jump to conclusions,” Ellie said. “I can't see Luc spending the night with someone else. Jeez Iris, he made you that eight course meal of your favorite foods a few weeks ago. He even boiled up sticky toffee pudding for dessert! He loves you. Of course he's intimidated by your going out to dinner with one of the most famous architects in the world. You just need to assure him that Xander is not real life. Luc's your real life. You can get him settled down.”
“I told him I wasn't interested in dating Xander. I was just curious about the life of a hotshot celebrity architect like him.”
“You know you can be pretty intimidating yourself.”
“Oh, please. You know me better than that,” Iris said.
“Sure, I do. I know how insecure you can be and where your baggage comes from. But poor Luc doesn't. You need to show him that side of you.”
“The screwed-up side.”
“Exactly.”
They unrolled their mats and spent the next hour saluting the sun and posing like mountains.
Looking at the front row, Iris recognized the gray braid of Alise, a favorite neighbor who sometimes dog-sat for Sheba. When the class was over, Alise joined them on their walk home. As they passed the community garden at the Raymond St. playground, Alise said “I am so in love with your boyfriend, Iris.”
“Should I be worried?” Iris asked.
Alise chuckled. “Luc did a presentation this morning at the garden here, giving us some great new ways to use herbs in cooking. I can't wait to try his recipe for elderflower sauce to put on shrimp.”
“He was here this morning?”
“Yes, didn't you know? The posters were on telephone poles all around the neighborhood. He was so patient. One woman even brought her little granddaughter. He let the girl smell the different herbs. What a sweet guy.”
Ellie gave Iris a sharp elbow in the ribs.
CHAPTER 23
I ris entered her kitchen bubbling and humming with affection for Luc. He WAS a sweet guy, and she was lucky. She needed to reassure him about her commitment to him, so she speed-dialed his number, and felt a thrill when he answered.
“Hi, it's me,” she said. “Can I come over to talk?”
There was a gaping pause, then “I'm heading over to my sister's for dinner soon.”
She let out a breath.
“But I have half an hour before I need to leave,” he continued, “if you wanted to come over now.”
“I'll be right there. Five minutes.”
Iris ran up to her bedroom to peel off her sweaty yogawear and take a quick shower. She tossed on a loose cashmere
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