My cheeks were hot. “I’m positive.”
Nasser stood again. “Mrs. Abadi has answered your questions. I think we’re done here.”
I jumped to my feet, eager to follow Nasser out.
“Am I being paranoid,” I asked him once we were alone in the elevator, “or are the cops really out to get me?”
“Like I said, the spouse is often the perpetrator in situations like this,” he said. “Law enforcement is predisposed to thinking you’re the guilty party.”
My stomach turned over. “That’s just great.”
“That’s why I don’t want you talking to the police when I’m not there.”
I nodded. “You won’t have to tell me again.”
Anger flared in my gut. I was fed up, tired of being unjustly accused, of having my home broken into and being harassed by people like Fake Jake. I was determined to learn the truth, to prove that Ali wasn’t a cheating jerk. And nothing and no one was going to stop me.
Chapter Thirty-Two
“Sorry to show up unannounced,” Julia said when I answered the door later that afternoon. “But Mama madekenafaand asked me to bring it over.”
“Never apologize for bringing me my favorite Arabic dessert.” I embraced Ali’s sister.
“Where’s the new dog?” she asked warily.
“She’s at the groomer’s. I have to go get her in an hour.”
“Plenty of time to enjoy yourkenafa.”
I blew out a long breath. “After the day I’ve had, I could use somekenafatherapy.”
“Why?” Julia slipped off her shoes. “What’s happening?”
I took the foil-covered plate and led her into the kitchen. “The cops want to know if I killed Ali.”
“Shut up. Are you serious?”
“I wish I wasn’t. As if I don’t have enough worries.”
“Are you really concerned that they think you did something?”
“Nasser says I shouldn’t stress out because they have no evidence against me. But I can’t help being nervous.”
“That’s understandable.”
I took out a couple of dessert plates. “Since misery loves company, you have to have somekenafawith me.”
“You twisted my arm.” She adjusted her navy headscarf, which matched her maxi-length floral-print dress. “Tell me what’s going on.”
I set a bright-orange square of the cheesy treat, made with homemade dough, on each plate and microwaved them for about thirty seconds.
“Maybe they should focus less on you and more on how Ali was drugged,” she said after I caught her up on the investigation. “What else did they ask you?”
“Nothing. Nasser shut them down once they asked if I wanted to kill Ali. He got me out of there pretty fast after that.”
We sat at the counter and took turns soaking our desserts with simple syrup. It had been too long since I’d had a chance to spend time with my sister-in-law. Especially now that I trusted in Ali and no longer suspected that his family was hiding a dark secret about him.
“Anything new on the drugging situation?” she asked between bites.
