Turn Back Time (The Full Circle Series Book 1) Annette Anders (shoe dog free ebook TXT) 📖

TV but didn’t turn it off, and they watched while the cameras volleyed back and forth between the reporters and the four people being quizzed.

“Julia, is there enough food so we can have breakfast in the room?” Stella asked.

“Sure, there’s plenty. So, let’s go through our plan for today.”

“Without knowing what the latest development is, we can’t plan anything,” Naomi said.

“I agree,” Stella said, then smirked. “And while we wait, Julia, you can tell us about you and Alexander. We never got to it yesterday.”

“There’s not much to say. We’ve known each other for a long time.” Julia leaned back in her chair, cradling her coffee mug. “He and my husband were very good friends.”

A husband? She never mentioned being married. But then we’ve only known her for three days.

She watched while Julia twisted a delicate ring on her left hand. She hadn’t paid attention to Julia’s jewelry before, but now she saw a small, square diamond with baguette-cut emeralds on each side.

“They met in the Special Forces. Alexander made it home from the battle of Mogadishu in 1993, Matthew didn’t.” Julia swallowed a few times.

“I’m so sorry. Now I feel terrible for prodding you.” Stella reached for her hand.

“You couldn’t know, and it’s been almost twenty-five years. I can talk about it without falling apart. Alexander was a tremendous help getting me through all of it, and we stayed close. It was hard for him, too. He had to watch helplessly when Matt’s helicopter was shot down and left the military as soon as he was eligible.”

A bashful smile crossed her face, “And who knows…? Maybe I do like him a little more than just as a friend.”

“Does he return your feelings?” Stella asked.

“Yes, he’s made it clear for many years that he’s only waiting for me to give him the right signals,” Julia blushed. “We shared one kiss a long time ago, but I was afraid to lose him, too, if the friends-turned-lovers thing didn’t work out. But do not repeat what I just told you.”

She set her cup on the table. “On the other hand, maybe it’s time for me to practice what I preach. If I tell Emily to be open for new love, then I guess I should be as well. Like her, I’m only in my late forties.”

Stella asked, “In all those years, have you never thought about marrying again? Or children? You must’ve been young when it happened.”

“I was twenty-three when Matt died, and I put all my energy into work afterward. There were a few casual relationships, but never anything serious enough to consider marriage again. And there have always been those underlying feelings for Alexander, which I’ve tried to ignore.”

She sighed. “I can tell you, it’s a bittersweet deal. By the time you make it to the top of the ladder as a woman, you’ve missed your chance at having a family, children.”

“Would Alexander consider moving back to the States? How long has he been in France?” Naomi asked. She licked chocolate off her fingers and with her other hand reached for another pastry.

“Five years, but he was at the Embassy in Germany before then for a number of years. He wants to be back stateside next year. Like many of us, he’s dealing with aging parents. But to be honest, I wouldn’t mind living here with him for a year or two. I’ve established a rewarding career, but would give it up in a heartbeat to be with the man I love.”

She sighed and finished her coffee. “But enough of me. Look, there’s Leo again.”

And there he was, standing in front of the entrance to the catacombs, this time with Dr. Bisset.

Naomi sucked in a deep breath and said. “I hope this is the last time we have to see him. Now he’s making the poor woman stand there for his interview!? Where she emerged from just yesterday!”

“She works for the IGC and has to go down again at some point,” Stella said. “I know I wouldn’t. What a creepy place.”

“Good morning, this is Leo Wu live from Paris. I’m here with Dr. Bisset, who escaped the tunnels of death yesterday afternoon.” Leo flashed his white teeth at Dr. Bisset, who adjusted her sunglasses and gave him a forced smile.

“Good morning, Mr. Wu. I wouldn’t call it the tunnels of death, but I don’t have the time or energy for semantics.” Dr. Bisset spoke in a calm voice with only a light accent.

“Slap! There ya go, Leo!” Naomi cheered.

“Dr. Bisset, can you describe in your own words what happened last Monday morning?”

“First of all, I would like to say I spoke with Dr. Caron this morning. She is doing well and will be released from the hospital soon.” She gave Leo a pointed look, as if trying to tell him this should have been his first question.

“Slap two, Leo!” Naomi sang out. “Three and you’re out.”

“Her respiratory distress was caused by the prolonged exposure to the humid conditions in the tunnels. And the oxygen levels in the tunnels always fluctuate. It is possible we were in an area with low levels, which worsened her condition.”

“I’m happy to hear it,” Leo said. “Now, please tell us more about your actual encounter with the kidnapper, whose identity is still being kept secret. Did he share his name with you?”

“No, we didn’t exchange personal information. Dr. Caron, Mr. Forrester, and I had been in the tunnels for about an hour and had just reached the area where cataphiles discovered a new cave last week.”

“What was Mr. Forrester’s reason for being there with you? He’s not employed by the IGC,” Leo interrupted.

“If he doesn’t stop interrupting her, we’ll never find out,” Naomi complained.

“Mr. Forrester was invited by the IGC to take photographs of the area. He is a highly accomplished professional who has a worldwide reputation for taking amazing and accurate images in challenging conditions. We have worked together on several occasions.

“As I started to say, we began to set up our equipment. The