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“That’s true.” But not always. An image of Marc materialized in her mind. Nothing about him raised any red alerts, should she decide to venture down that relationship road.
As if Alison had read her thoughts, she spoke again. “Speaking of relationships ... how goes it with that ATF agent of yours? You two still in touch?”
“Yes. I imagine we will be as long as Les’s case is active.”
“Is it?”
“As of today. But the leads are drying up.”
“Did you ever crack that code his daughter passed on?”
She hesitated—but only for a second. Why not give Alison a topline? Unless one of the two jurisdictions left on her list panned out, she was at a dead end anyway.
“Yes. It was names and dates from cases. But I can’t find the last name, and as far as I can see at this juncture, the list is random. If there’s a connection among the people or the cases, I haven’t found it. I was hoping the last name might help, but even if I do track it down, the link could still be elusive.”
“It’s possible the pieces will click into place eventually.”
“Eventually could be too long. My boss has already told me to begin pulling back on the investigation.”
“In that case, let’s hope a clue turns up soon.” Alison leaned sideways and raised a hand. “On a more upbeat note, Sophie’s here. You two will finally get to meet.”
As Bri twisted toward the door, a slender, dark-haired woman hurried toward them. Unlike her outgoing sister, Sophie didn’t make eye contact with anyone as she traversed the shop. She kept her chin down and her purse clutched tight against the gray jacket she wore over her dark denim jeans, as if she didn’t want anyone to notice her.
Once she joined them, Alison performed the introductions, then took Sophie’s hand. “Let’s see the manicure.”
Bri examined the woman’s fingers. The short nails weren’t a surprise, but the hot pink polish was. The attention-grabbing color wasn’t consistent with the shy, avoid-the-limelight vibes Sophie was transmitting.
“Beautiful.” Alison beamed at her sister. “What do you think?”
The woman freed her hand and tucked her somewhat lank shoulder-length hair behind her ear. “Considering what she had to work with, the manicurist did a fine job. But I think the color may be too strong.”
“No, it’s not. It’s vibrant. I knew the minute I picked it for you it would add a spark to your day.”
Ah. Alison had chosen the color. That made more sense.
“It’s kind of bright.” Sophie didn’t seem convinced.
“What do you think, Bri?” Alison deferred to her.
She smiled at Sophie. “I’m a fan of bright. And I bet your students will love it. Alison tells me you teach elementary school.”
“Yes.” Her demeanor lit up, and she slid her hands in her pockets, out of sight. “Second grade. I love how fast children absorb new material at that age, and their enthusiasm is infectious.”
Bri chatted with her for a few more minutes about her job, and the longer they conversed, the more the other woman relaxed. It was clear she was in her element while talking about her students and teaching.
Finally, though, Bri picked up her purse and stood. “I have to run, and I know you two ladies have a packed agenda for the weekend. Alison, thanks for lending me your ear. It was a pleasure to meet you, Sophie.”
“Likewise.” The woman smiled back at her.
“We’ll talk next week, okay?” Alison arched an eyebrow.
“I’ll hold you to that.”
“Good luck with the Kavanaugh riddle too. I’m glad my job doesn’t require me to deal with cases like that.”
“There are days I wish my job didn’t, either.”
After lifting her hand in farewell, Bri edged through the crowd and stepped outside. While the exchange with Alisonhadn’t solved her dilemma about Travis, it had at least reassured her that her suspicions weren’t totally crazy. Her friend hadn’t dismissed them, and in fact had offered a reasonable explanation for why Travis could have sought her out now.
