Page 25 of Elusive Promise

Not that she'd probably stick around for later.

Not that he probably would, either.

But there was something exciting about that, too.

Parisa cleared her throat, as if her thoughts had been going down the same dangerous road. "What are you doing?" she asked.

He tried to remember what he was doing, but the blood in his brain was rushing to other parts of his body.

"On the computer," she added.

"Right. I want to show you some photos."

She moved next to him and peered over his shoulder as she took a look at the three pictures. "I recognize Ben, of course. I'm guessing the woman is Sara Pillai?"

"Yes. And the other guy is her stepbrother, Isaac Naru. Have you seen them before? Did you notice if either Sara or Isaac were at the party?"

She immediately shook her head. "I'm sure I've never seen them. When were the photos of Ben and Sara taken?"

"Several days before the blast."

"Ben looks happy, carefree, not like someone about to do something terrible."

"Maybe he didn't know what his girlfriend was involved in."

"Are you sure she was his girlfriend?"

"Look at the photo."

"I see two people having a picnic."

"They were inseparable for a week, spending every day and every night together." He paused, deciding to tell her a bit more. "Sara had been working in Paris for about two months before Ben showed up there during his study abroad program. She was a waitress at the Café Douceur."

"That's interesting." She pulled out a chair and sat down across from him. "What about Isaac?"

"He had been working in London but quit his job about six weeks before the explosion. He made a trip to Bezikstan during that time and another trip to Mumbai. When he got to Paris, he stayed at a hostel."

"Not with his sister?"

"Sara had three roommates in a very small flat. But once Ben arrived, she was staying in his hotel room."

Parisa gave him a thoughtful look. "You know a lot about them, Jared."

"I do my research."

"Was Sara working at the café the day of the blast?"

"She called in sick. Good timing, huh?" he asked, unable to hide the bitter note in his voice.

Parisa immediately picked up on it, her gaze narrowing. "This feels personal, Jared."

"I tend to get personally involved in my stories. It's a bad habit, but sometimes it makes the end result better. Because I care, I go the extra mile."

"Right. That might be true, but I don't really believe you. At any rate, you said the authorities are looking for Sara and Isaac, and I would assume for other members of this radical group. Why don't you just let them do it? Or work with them?"

"If the authorities find them before I do, that's great, but the more days that pass, the greater the odds that anyone will be held responsible for that explosion."

"All right," she said, getting to her feet. "I appreciate you sharing the pictures with me, and I think your goal is a good one. I would love to take down these terrorists, but right now, I need to focus on Jasmine."

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