Her heart skips. “Why? What is it?”
Another pause. “We have some information.”
Julia feels the sudden need to move. She casts aside her blankets, gets out of bed, heads for the living room.
“Are you still there, Dr. Norris?”
She tells herself to exhale. “Yes, I’m here. What’s going on, Mr. Miller?”
“You sure you don’t want to call someone first?”
“Just tell me,” she says.
He lets out a breath. “They found your sister’s backpack and passport discarded along the waterfront in a southern part of Istanbul. The US Embassy in Turkey has launched a missing person’s investigation.”
Julia stands immobile in the doorway, phone in one hand, hem of her nightshirt clutched in the other.
“It could be nothing,” says John Miller.
“But it could be something.”
A pause. “Yes. It’s not a good sign.”
Bishop looks at her, tail swaying. He knows something has changed, that the world isn’t the same as before.
“She’s in trouble.”
“We don’t know that yet. It could be a simple theft. We won’t know until further investigation is carried out.”
“I should go there.”
“To Istanbul? Not a good idea, Dr. Norris. And totally unnecessary. You won’t be able to do anything.”
“You don’t understand. It’s just me and my sister. She doesn’t have anyone else.”
It could be nothing but it could be something. Kidnapping. Rape. Murder.
“Our recommendation is for families of loved ones missing in foreign territories to stay home.”
Julia stares out at the glittering lights of the harbor. The last time she had seen Toni she’d screamed at her to get out of her house and to never come back.
“You’ll be kept fully informed, I promise you,” says John Miller.
After the call ends, Julia stands there for a long time, thinking.
7
She waits in her Prius in the parking lot of the diner. She’s been sitting here for over fifteen minutes, hands locked on the steering wheel. She and Leo used to come here when they were first married. Brunch on a Saturday. Pancakes with syrup for Julia. Hash browns, eggs, and spicy sausage for Leo.
His dust-covered silver truck is parked over by the entrance. The same truck he’d had when they were married. Norris construction co. is printed in yellow along the side. The truck is loaded with supplies. Wooden planks. Metal sheeting. Poles of some sort.
Julia wasn’t sure he would come. She looks at his truck now and thinks about starting her engine and driving away. She hates asking for help. But this time she needs it.
She takes a breath, forces herself to get out, and crosses the parking lot. She pushes through the cafe doors and is hit with the aroma of cooked bacon, fried butter, and hot rolls. Leo’s waiting for her third booth from the back. When he sees her, he rises and kisses her cheek. No aftershave, just him. Sun and salt and timber.
“Good to see you, Julia.”
He stands there a touch too long, looking at her, before jamming his hands in his pockets and sitting back down.
“Thanks for coming,” she says, taking the seat opposite.
The lines on his face have grown deeper, his blond hair darker. But his observant blue eyes are exactly the same.
“Got a job on at Wilmont Avenue so I can’t stay long,” he says, glancing at his wristwatch. The Hager Julia had bought as an anniversary gift years ago. The once pristine glass face all scratched up now.
“This won’t take long,” she says.
The waitress comes over, pours coffee. Leo brings the rim of the mug to his lips and blows. The nail on his forefinger is black.
He sees her looking. “Occupational hazard.”
“How many times is that now?” says Julia.
“Five, maybe. I’ll be lucky if it grows back.”
“Toni is missing,” she says.
It’s the first time Julia has said it out loud and it gives her a chill.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” he says.
“I’m telling you now.”
“All right.”
“I need to go there,” says Julia.
“Where?”
“Turkey.”
He looks into his coffee, seems to relax, takes a swig. “You know Toni, she’ll turn up.”
Julia brushes the hair from her face. “I could kill her.”
“They ask you to go? The police, whatever?”
“On the contrary. They don’t want me there, said I would probably just get in the way.”
He pauses. “Why are you then?”
“It’s not like I have a choice. She’s my sister, Leo.”
He rakes his fingers across the stubble on his chin. “Everyone has choices, Julia.”
“This time feels different. Serious.”
“Whatever mess Toni has got herself into again, let her clean it up. It’s the only way she’s ever going to learn.”
“I don’t know how long I’ll be,” she says.
He looks at her. “You want me to congratulate you on being the better person, is that it?”
“Will you take Bish?”
“Julia, the martyr. The poor, downtrodden sister.”
“I don’t want to put him in a cattery, he might fret.”
“You love it when she screws up, don’t you?”
“Forget it,” she says, looking out the window. “I’ll ask someone else.”
Leo gets to his feet. “You want me to say sorry again, but I won’t. This has nothing to do with me.”
“I never said that it did,” she says.
His work boots shift on the faded green linoleum. He has that half-angry, half-concerned face.
“So will you take him?” she says.
He breathes out through his nose. “I’ll take the damn cat.”
“Thank you.”
He pauses. “You want me to go with you?”
“No.”
“Julia, come on.”
“I said no, Leo.”
“You can’t go by yourself.” He stands looking at her. “I’ll get time off.”
She puts down her cup. “I’ll be fine.”
He clenches his jaw. “Same old Julia. I don’t need anyone. I can do it all by myself.”
She looks away, out the window at his truck. She feels him standing there, fighting not to say something.
“Don’t let me keep you,” she says.
When she looks again, he’s gone.
8
Traffic is hectic thanks to the
