Misplaced (150 page)

V
ictoria laid the article on the desk.

A
s
sh
e
ofte
n
di
d
t
o
celebrat
e
th
e
en
d
o
f
a
case
,
she
too
k a
pai
r
o
f
scissor
s
an
d
carefull
y
cu
t
ou
t
th
e
phot
o
o
f
the
pyramid
s
a
t
Giz
a
o
n
th
e
magazine’
s
co
v
er
.
The
n
sh
e
staple
d
the
photo onto one of the four bulletin boards in the hall
w
ay.

Khara
w
as
with
her
as
she
abandoned
the
stacks
of
files
on
he
r
des
k
fo
r
som
e
fres
h
air
.
Outside
,
th
e
street
s
w
er
e
bus
y
a
s
V
ictoria
pulled
her
s
w
eater
a
little
tighter.
It
w
as
almost
noon.
Sh
e
kne
w
b
y
th
e
w
a
y
th
e
su
n
hun
g
hig
h
an
d
onl
y
a
sli
v
e
r
o
f
her
shado
w
w
a
s
visible—thing
s
sh
e
woul
d
ne
v
e
r
ha
v
e
notice
d
a
y
ear
ago.
She
found
a
bench
in
a
quiet
park
beneath
a
budding
mulberry
tree.
“
Y
ou
made
it,”
she
whispered,
“but
you
al
w
ays
knew
you
would.
I’m
the
one,”
she
continued,
smiling,
“who
al
w
ay
s
neede
d
mor
e
convincing.
”
Sh
e
rubbe
d
th
e
bracelet
underneath her slee
v
e and closed her e
y
es.

She
felt
a
presence
next
to
her.
The
blue
suit
and
bluer
e
y
es
of
Robert
Chilton
had
joined
her
on
the
bench.
“I
hoped
to
see
yo
u
a
t
you
r
aunt’
s
house,
”
h
e
began
,
an
d
stretche
d
hi
s
arm
across the back of the bench,
w
atching her intently.

“
I
w
a
s
workin
g
o
n
a
case—tra
v
elin
g
fo
r
a
while
.
Bu
t
I’m
back now.”

“I
rea
d
som
e
v
er
y
interestin
g
thing
s
abou
t
yo
u
i
n
th
e
paper.”

“Oh
,
that.
”
Sh
e
looke
d
int
o
th
e
distance
.
“I
s
tha
t
wh
y
you’
v
e
come?”

“I’
v
e
ne
v
e
r
see
n
yo
u
i
n
a
dress
;
yo
u
loo
k
beautiful
.
And
your hair is so much nicer when you let it down.”

Sh
e
obser
v
e
d
hi
m
cautiously
.
“Elia
s
an
d
Mart
a
tol
d
you
e
v
erything, didn’t they?”

“
Robert’
s
arm
,
s
o
casuall
y
drape
d
behin
d
her
,
wrapped
around
her
shoulders
and
pulled
her
close.
“
W
e
w
ere
all
v
ery
worrie
d
whe
n
yo
u
disappeared
.
W
il
l
yo
u
tel
l
m
e
th
e
whole
story someday?”

“Maybe.”

He
looked
at
his
w
atch.
No
,
she
thought,
please
don’t
go
y
et
.
Somethin
g
insid
e
he
r
w
ante
d
t
o
si
t
wit
h
hi
m
underneat
h
the
mulberry
tree
for
a
lifetime.
She
pictured
him
older
and
trying
to
look
distinguished—which
he
would,
except
for
the
chubby
little
fingers
tugging at his chin and nose.

“
V
ictoria?”

“Y
es.”

“M
y
offic
e
i
s
righ
t
there,
”
h
e
tol
d
her
,
pointin
g
acros
s
the
street
to
a
third-floor
window.
“Do
you
know
why
I
worked
so
hard to get that office?”

“No idea.”

“T
o
w
atc
h
yo
u
o
n
you
r
w
a
y
t
o
court
,
sill
y
girl
.
Honestly,
V
ictoria
,
don’
t
yo
u
ha
v
e
an
y
intuition
,
an
y
feminin
e
guil
e
a
t
all?”

Sh
e
smile
d
reser
v
edl
y
an
d
looke
d
int
o
he
r
lap
.
Fo
r
a
momen
t
sh
e
considere
d
leaving
;
i
t
w
a
s
wha
t
she
’
d
al
w
ay
s
done,
wha
t
sh
e
knew
.
I
t
kep
t
thing
s
simpl
e
an
d
clean
.
Sh
e
too
k
a
momen
t
befor
e
ans
w
ering
,
t
o
appreciat
e
th
e
cerulea
n
blu
e
of
the sky.

V
ictoria
ga
v
e
Robert
the
kiss
she
’
d
been
keeping
from
him
since college.