Backstory!
“So, tell me about Irene,” I said when we finally found a cab. “What’s her deal, Sofie? Or you could tell me, Mr. Smith.”
I didn’t expect a straight answer from him, and I didn’t get one. He just shook his head and said, “Don’t know enough about this place or what she’s doing here, sorry. I’ll tell you this, though; Miss Irene won’t take kindly to being captured. She sees a chance to ruin somebody’s day over it, she’ll take it and worry about it later.”
“Yes, that sounds like her,” said Sofie. She turned to me. “I met her about six months ago. She’s been a very good friend ever since.”
“Of you, your husband, both, or neither?” I asked. Smith’s eyes bugged out slightly, and he started to cough. Sofie and I looked at him, confused.
“What?” I said. “It’s a reasonable question.”
“Yes. And the answer’s neither,” said Sofie. “Irene didn’t pursue any affairs. She only even flirted when she was worried about not fitting in.”
“Not interested?” I said.
“No. I asked her about it once, and she said that as a foreigner any liaison could be dangerous.” I chuckled at the joke; Smith looked a little confused.