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by. Claire was unwilling to believe that Lauren, who had always
been so kind to her, would do such a thing.
She focused her attention on Mike, who also sat at his desk
working at his computer. He would be more likely to stoop to such
a level. He wasn t a bad-looking man, but Claire suspected that no
one who passed him on the street would do a double take. It had
nothing to do with his thinning hair, but more with the way he
carried himself. His clothes never seemed to fit right, and it was
obvious that he did not care much for personal hygiene.
He was the more likely suspect, especially since he paid Claire so
much attention and was undaunted by her continually brushing
him off when he asked her out. He seemed surprised each time
Claire declined his offer as if he were certain she wanted to go out
with him. Whether he was the stalker or not, he was well on his
way to a harassment suit.
I ve been staring at them all morning, too, Tristan said as she
walked into the room. I was tempted to go through their desks
when I was alone in here.
What did you hope to find?
Tristan furrowed her brow. I don t know, really, maybe
something that would solve the mystery.
Claire sighed and sat back in her chair. I m going to drive
myself insane trying to figure out who is doing this.
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Robin Alexander
Sweetie, you need a break. Why don t we go away for the
weekend? We could go to the beach in Gulf Shores. Cam has a
condo there, and I m sure he will let me use it. We can just go
there and relax.
Claire nearly purred. That sounds heavenly.
Great! Leave all the planning to me. We will discuss all the
details over lunch.
Friday could not come soon enough for the both of them. They
had taken the day off to make a long weekend. Claire put the last
of their things in the car and joined Tristan on the deck, where she
was giving Lucy feeding instructions for Ralph.
Lucy smiled at Claire as she approached. Hi, sweetie. Tristan
tells me that Ralph has been a pill lately. I m going to leave my
water gun here for you when you get back. When he gets out of
line with me, I pop that fuzzy ass with a blast of water, and it
straightens him right up.
Once they were on their way out of town, Claire began to relax
and enjoy the trip. She glanced over at Tristan, who was the
picture of relaxation. Her long hair was in a ponytail protruding
from the back of a baseball cap. She had kicked off her tennis
shoes and had one foot tucked underneath her thigh. She was
sporting an LSU T-shirt complemented by a pair of purple gym
shorts. Claire thought at that moment that she had never seen
Tristan look more lovely.
Tristan glanced from the road to Claire. What are you thinking
about?
I was thinking about how adorable you look, Claire said with a
wink.
Tristan laughed. I hope you weren t looking forward to dressing
up for anything because this is the dress code for the weekend. I
plan for us to be bums the whole time. Our biggest decisions
should be what to eat and which bathing suit to wear.
You have a deal on that. I might not want to go home after a
weekend like this. Claire rubbed Tristan s neck as she spoke.
Tris, I have been meaning to ask you about something. There is a
picture of a towboat taken at sunset in your bedroom. Did you take
that picture?
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Murky Waters
Tristan looked at Claire for a moment with an odd expression on
her face. Her voice took on a dreamlike tone when she spoke.
Actually, my mother took that picture years ago. It used to hang
in my dad s office. My mother has become a very popular
photographer in the last few years. She s done a few wildlife
features in local magazines.
I wouldn t have figured her for a photographer. She seems more
like a banker to me.
Tristan chuckled. Yeah, she does look like one of those tight-
assed business types, ready to pounce if you miss a payment.
Oh, Tris, that s not what I meant. She just didn t strike me as a
photographer. What about you? Did any of that creative talent rub
off on the little apple?
Nope, I m afraid not. I ve always been more like my dad, not an
artistic bone in my body.
They rode in silence for a while, both deep in their own thoughts.
Tristan fought the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes.
Remorse filled her heart because she had lied to her first love. She
was learning to cope with the raw feelings of her past, but the
memories that flooded her mind brought a new kind of pain that
she struggled to deal with. Pain that she was not ready to give
voice to.
Memories of the day that picture had been taken had not been
skewed with the passage of time. Tristan could still remember
running down the levee with Uncle Cam. The light was perfect
when she snapped that picture. She took many photographs that
day, waiting for her father to finish his work with the boat in dry
dock. It was a perfect afternoon spent with those who truly loved
her.
She sat watching the sunset next to Cam. With his arm draped
over her shoulders, he told her of the humorous antics of his Cajun
grandmother. Tristan burrowed closer to Uncle Cam; he was just
like her dad. He made her feel loved. Unfortunately for the ten-
year-old, all her happy feelings would desert her when she
returned home.
Tristan chattered excitedly about her adventures with Uncle on
the ride home. Her dad never seemed to tire of hearing her stories
and was content to listen as she relayed the day s events. I took a
bunch of pictures, Dad. Do you think Mom would develop them
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Robin Alexander
for me? Her innocent face rose to her father, waiting expectantly
for an answer.
Mitchell, Tristan s father, sat silently for a moment. I m not
sure, sweetie. She may be busy with her work when we get home.
Why don t you let me ask her about it?
When they arrived at the modest Delacroix home, Tristan became
quiet and sullen once more. Mitchell grieved for the way his wife
treated their only daughter. The change in Tristan s behavior when
she was around her mother had not escaped his attention. He had
attempted to reason with his wife to no avail; she was a hard
woman, and any suggestions made to her about her child were
always taken as an insult. Mitchell did what he could to keep
peace in the household, but he feared what effect it might have on
his daughter later in life.
Mallory Delacroix was setting the table when Tristan and
Mitchell walked in. Instead of a hug and kiss for either of them,
she went about her tasks and suggested that they wash up for
dinner. Mitchell complimented his wife on her cooking, as he
always did, while they ate. Tristan, as usual, did not say a word at
the table but sat listening to the conversations between her parents.
When he had finished most of his meal, Mitchell patted his wife
on the hand and asked her about developing Tristan s film.
Mallory, Tristan took a lot of pictures down at the work site of
the boat we put on dry dock today. I would like to see what she
captured on film. Would you minddeveloping it when you get a
chance?
Mallory looked up at her husband. If you wanted photos of the
boat, why didn t you have an adult take them? I am sure that
whatever Tristan took will not be suitable for what you are looking
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