Free Facade by Susan Cory Page A

means they're wasting their time questioning people around Lara's apartment about earlier that evening.”
    Jasna suddenly couldn't seem to catch her breath and started to hyperventilate.
    Iris was on her feet and crossed the room to ease the girl's head gently down as she bent forward. “Stay there. I'll get a paper bag.” She rushed back from her kitchen recycling bin and handed the Star Market bag to Jasna, telling her to “breathe deeply into this.” Where Iris had learned that trick, she had no idea.
    After a few minutes Jasna's panic attack gradually subsided and she sat back up. Her face was a mask of despair. “I can't tell this to the police. I was helping a minor run away. I'm here on a student visa and Immigration will deport me. Professor Reid, I need you to tell them. That's why I came here. But I need you to tell them without their finding out about me. Please?”
    Iris knew she was susceptible to this kind of appeal. She knew she was a sucker for helping an underdog, and that it always got her into trouble. Yet she found herself saying “Maybe there's some indirect way of getting this information to the police. Let me think about it. But the first order of business now is to get you something to eat. You look like you haven't eaten or slept in days.”
    Jasna gave her a pathetic, grateful look. “I've just been so worried about Lara,” she said.
    Iris checked her watch. “It's eight-thirty. I don't have much in my refrigerator so I'm going to take you out to dinner.”
    Her words seemed to calm the young woman down. Iris grabbed her purse and jacket, then stood still before Jasna.
    “There's one thing we need to get straight if I'm going to help you, one condition.”
    “Anything.”
    “I saw the marks on your legs yesterday. You're not going to be able to help Lara if you can't stay healthy yourself. So here's the deal. We'll look for Lara and you'll get some serious professional help for the cutting. OK?”
    Jasna looked away. “I will.” She wrapped her raincoat tighter around her small frame. “It's just that I just blame myself. She never would've been taken if it weren't for my stupid plan,” she whispered.
    “This is not your fault.” Iris rested a hand on Jasna's shoulder reassuringly. “Her father's plan to send her to Bosnia is what started this chain of events. But the person to blame is whoever took her.”
    As they approached the front door Iris saw Sheba curled up in front of it, leash still attached.
    “Oh, hell,” Iris said as she remembered her overdue rendezvous with Luc.

CHAPTER 24
    “Y ou think Slavs are barbarians! This is ethnic profile. Who told you I sending my angel to Bosnia to marry? Is it the Dutch swine? He is telling more lies?”
    Malone flicked a beleaguered look at his partner and pulled back from the table. They had been stuck in this cramped interview room for the last half hour with a truculent man who smelled like grease and onions. Worse, whenever the guy got excited, which was frequently, he would launch spit across the table along with his agitated words.
    Malone rose to his feet and said, “Wanna Coke?”
    “Yes, I want Coke,” Mr. Kurjak said, folding his arms across his chest.
    “Actually, I was asking the detective, but I'll get you one too.” Malone slammed the door shut behind him.
    “Look, Mr. Kurjak,” Russo said, “we have a witness who told us about the arranged marriage in Bosnia. If you want to help us find your daughter, you need to tell us everything that was going on with her. Don't get me wrong, you have my sympathy. I'm sure it's difficult raising a young girl by yourself.”
    Kurjak exhaled a “Pfff.”
    “It must be stressful to try to run a business while taking care of a preteen girl. I can understand that.” Russo tried to look solicitious. “You go to these card games with your friends. Have a few drinks”.
    “Hey, I don't drink alcohol and I don't gamble. We play cards, but not for money. I'm good