Page 58 of Elusive Promise

"What do you think?"

"That you made it up on the spot."

"Have you ever done Improv?"

"I have not," she said. "Have you?"

"I took a class in it. It's all about saying yes, going with whatever the prompt is. You'd be good at it."

"Maybe." She crossed her legs, then uncrossed them, a bad feeling running through her. "It's taking her a long time to find her phone."

Jared stood up. "Too long. Clearly, Elizabeth has tremendous love for her son. She could be contacting him right now, warning him not to talk to you."

"Why would she be afraid of me?"

"You asked a lot of questions about Ben. Maybe you ran an alarm bell by your sudden interest in him and determination to speak to him."

She rose, feeling edgy herself. She was starting to trust Jared's instincts as much as her own. Making a sudden decision, she walked out of the living room and down the hall.

Fourteen

Elizabeth was in her bedroom, speaking in low, urgent tones in Hindi. Parisa held up her hand to Jared, who had followed her down the hall, motioning for him to wait.

"Parisa is here and she's asking for you," Elizabeth said. "She wants your phone number. She has a book that Jasmine wanted to give you. She won't leave it with me. I don't know what it's about. She said it's to heal your broken heart. She's acting oddly." Elizabeth paused. "She said she doesn't remember anything about the kidnapping. She didn't see the men who entered the room."

Parisa looked at Jared with a frown. "She's talking about me," she whispered. "About the book and the kidnapping."

She moved closer to the door, as Elizabeth said, "I don't like this, Ben. I'm worried. You have to tell me what's going on, so I can help you. Why don't you come home? What do you mean—you can't? I don't understand." She took a breath. "I don't know where your father went. Yes, yes, I know he sometimes doesn't understand you, but he's your father. He loves you." She paused to listen once more, then added, "Please, come home, Ben. Whatever is wrong, we can fix it."

"I've heard enough," Parisa told Jared, then pushed open the bedroom door and stepped into the room.

Elizabeth jumped, a guilty look on her face.

"Let me talk to Ben," Parisa said.

"This isn't Ben."

"Yes, it is. I heard you talking, and I'm still fluent in Hindi."

Judging by the expression on Elizabeth's face, the older woman had forgotten that.

"He hung up," Elizabeth said.

"You hung up," she told her, having seen Elizabeth push the button on her phone. "Why? What are you and Ben hiding? Does Ben have something to do with Jasmine's kidnapping?"

"No, God, no! How could you ask that?" Elizabeth demanded, but there was fear behind her vehement denial.

"Because you just told him I don't remember anything about the men who kidnapped Jasmine."

"He was wondering if you'd given the police any helpful information. That's all."

"Give me your phone. I want to talk to him."

"No." Elizabeth put the phone behind her back. "You need to stop ordering me around, Parisa. I don't know who you think you are, but you must leave—now."

"I'm not leaving, Elizabeth. Someone tried to kill me Friday night and again a few hours later. Jasmine is missing, and I believe your son has information on that."

"What? No, he doesn't know anything about it."

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