This time, it was Iris who nearly choked on her tea, wiping her nose with a napkin as it escaped through her nostrils. "They had a child?"
"Oh? You didn't know?" Vale smiled smugly, savoring the bittersweet moment as she took a cookie from the tray—like a medal for a victory. For once, the roles were reversed. She was the one delivering the curveball. "Marcelo and Mona settled down in Delphine Parish and started a family of their own. From what I was told, the people there loved them dearly."
"A bit odd that they'd just vanish from a place where they were so loved, isn't it?" Iris prodded, sensing she was close—perhaps finally—to the answers she'd been searching for.
Three knocks echoed at the door, the third landing slightly out of rhythm with the first two.
"That'd be for me," Vale said, placing her empty teacup gently on the table. As she walked toward the door, she glanced back. "Ms. St. Claire, you consider yourself a journalist, correct?"
"Yes, that's correct."
"Then I suggest you look into what you've learned here today. Pay a visit to Delphine—I'm sure you'll find the answers you're looking for there." Vale offered the advice as a gesture of encouragement, unaware of the true depth behind Iris's intentions.
Iris watched as the governor descended the porch steps.
"Governor, I'm glad you got to relax a little," she called out. "You looked a bit green earlier."
Vale froze, a hand flying to her face, panic flickering in her eyes.
Iris smirked. "A figure of speech, of course."
Turning back, Vale smiled. "Thanks to your tea and those delicious snacks, no doubt." She dipped her head in a small bow before stepping into the car. "Well, off I go—busy schedule, as always."
As the vehicle pulled away from the property, Iris stepped back inside, closing the door behind her with a soft click. Leaning against it, she called out, "Toui, I'll need you with me when I visit Delphine later."
"To parlé! Ça va fé intérèsè!"