"What are you thinking?"
"I want to talk to some of the other members first.Get a sense of who Nathan Cross is from the people who see him regularly."Isla reached for the phone records Fritz had sent over—the list of students who'd signed in for the past month's Monday evening classes."If there's something off about him, the women who take his classes might have noticed."
James nodded, pulling out his own phone."I'll take half the list, you take half.Quick calls—we're just trying to get a read on him."
They divided the names and retreated to their respective desks.Isla dialed the first number—a woman named Susan Hartley who'd attended the Monday class regularly for the past six months.
"Mrs.Hartley?This is Special Agent Isla Rivers with the FBI.I'm hoping you can answer a few questions about Serenity Yoga Studio."
"The FBI?"Susan's voice carried the particular pitch of someone who'd never expected to receive such a call."Is this about Amanda?We heard what happened—everyone's been so upset.She was such a lovely woman."
"Yes, ma'am.We're investigating Ms.Pierce's death, and we're trying to get a better picture of the studio and the people who work there."Isla kept her voice neutral, professional."Can you tell me about Nathan Cross?The instructor?"
"Nathan?"A pause."He's...well, he's a good teacher.Very knowledgeable about yoga, very patient with beginners."
Isla caught the hesitation."But?"
"I don't want to say anything bad about anyone.Especially with everything that's happened."
"Mrs.Hartley, anything you can tell us might help.Even small details."
Susan was quiet for a moment.When she spoke again, her voice had dropped slightly, as if she were afraid of being overheard."He's just...he can be a bit hands-on, you know?When he's correcting your form.Most instructors will demonstrate or give verbal cues, but Nathan likes to physically adjust people.Some of the women in class have mentioned it makes them uncomfortable."
"Uncomfortable how?"
"It's hard to explain.He's never inappropriate, exactly.It just feels like he...lingers.His hands stay a little longer than they need to.And he seems to gravitate toward certain students.The ones who are—" She stopped herself.
"The ones who are what, Mrs.Hartley?"
"Young.Pretty.Blonde, mostly."The words came out in a rush, as if Susan had been waiting for permission to say them."I know that sounds awful.I'm probably just being paranoid.But after Amanda..."
"You're not being paranoid."Isla made a note on her pad."Is there anything else you can tell me about him?Anything that struck you as unusual?"
"He watches them.The students, I mean.Even when he's not teaching, when he's just sitting at the front desk—he watches.And he remembers things.Details about people's lives that they mentioned in passing weeks ago."Susan's voice had gone quieter still."I always thought he was just being attentive.A good instructor.But now I'm wondering..."
Isla thanked her and ended the call, her mind already churning through the implications.She glanced over at James, who was just finishing his own conversation, his expression grim.
"What did you get?"she asked.
"Jennifer Morrison.She's been taking classes at Serenity for about four months."James flipped through his notes."Said Cross is 'very good at his job' but there's something about him that makes her uncomfortable.Couldn't quite put her finger on it.Also mentioned the hands-on corrections—said he adjusted her shoulders once and she could still feel his fingers there an hour later."
"My contact said the same thing.And that he gravitates toward certain students."
"Let me guess—young, pretty, blonde?"
Isla nodded."She noticed he watches them.Remembers details about their lives."
They looked at each other across the space between their desks.The air felt different now, charged with the particular electricity of a case that was beginning to coalesce.
"I've got two more calls to make," James said."You?"
"Three.Let's finish and compare notes."
Isla's next call went to voice mail, but the third reached a woman named Diane Foster—a retired nurse who'd been taking yoga classes to help with her arthritis.
"Nathan Cross?"Diane's voice was sharp, practical, the voice of someone who'd spent decades dealing with life-and-death situations."He's capable enough as an instructor.But I switched to Greta's morning classes about two months ago."
"Why is that?"
