What else will Iris tell Cameron? Or will she need House's touch to get the woman to divulge the truth?

I'm enjoying the comments you're leaving, especially since it's the only way I know that someone is reading what I write.

Chapter 34. Secrets or Lies

Cameron smirked. "Most of the time I love living here. Let me call Anna. No sense driving over there if she doesn't have a key." She found Anna's number in her phone and called.

"Dr. Cameron, what a pleasant surprise. I didn't expect to hear from you today."

With caller ID, you no longer had to identify yourself. People knew it was you calling, Cameron thought. "Hi Anna. There's a matter I hoped you could help us with."

"Us?"

"Yes." Cameron glanced at the two women sitting at the kitchen table with her. "I'm having tea with Edna and Iris Sinclair. Iris and I visited Phyllis earlier this afternoon and she asked her niece to get some things from her house, but no one seems to have a key. We were hoping you might, or at least know where there is one."

"No, I'm sorry, I don't. The last one to have one was Ian, but as we discussed last time we talked, no one's seen him since April," Anna reminded her.

"Yes, that's right. Oh, well, thank you anyway."

"You said that Iris is there? Why I haven't seen her for twenty years! At least! Oh, I'm so sorry I can't help."

"That's alright. The locksmith will let us in." Cameron didn't want Anna to feel bad about it.

"I do hope Iris will be in town long enough so I can see her."

"I'm sure that can be arranged." Cameron looked at Iris, whose eyes were fixed on her. "It was good to talk to you again. I'll call you tomorrow and perhaps we can arrange for Iris to visit you." She ended the call and told Iris and Edna, "She didn't have a key either, but she's hoping to see you, Iris. She remembered your visits to your aunt when you were younger."

"I do remember Anna, too. A lovely woman."

The three women spent another half hour finishing their tea, but Cameron wasn't able to learn any more from Iris.

Finally, Cameron rose and helped Edna clear the table. "I expect you may want to rest for a bit before dinner," she told Iris. "I'll drop you off at the motel and check in at the clinic, although no one's called, and I left my number is on the door." The early morning rush on the clinic had dried up completely. "Thanks for the tea." She smiled at her landlady.

"Anytime. Before long you'll have moved away and I won't have as many opportunities to spend time with you. Iris it was lovely meeting you. Call me if you do go to visit your aunt tomorrow so I can go with you." She handed Iris a piece of paper with her number.

"Of course."

Cameron took Iris out to the car and drove to the motel. "Which room did Zach give you?"

Iris searched in her purse and pulled out the keycard in its little folder. "Number twelve."

Cameron drove her to the door and let her out. Iris' car was parked outside along with three others. "I'll knock on your door when we're ready for dinner. Probably around six."

"Thank you once again, Dr. Cameron."

"It's Allison, remember?"

"Of course."

Cameron left her and drove to the clinic. The note she'd posted on the front door was still there, and no one was waiting. She smiled and let herself in. With another half hour before she expected House, there was plenty of time for her to catch up on some of her paperwork.

But she was distracted by thoughts about Iris Sinclair. So many holes in the story she told. Added to that were all the questions about her brother. Perhaps once they were in their aunt's mansion she and House would get some answers. Meanwhile, she could speculate for hours and still not know what was true.

She sat at Carol's desk and opened Iris' slim file, starting to make notes on what she was able to do for the woman. At least that was something she was confident about. But it brought up another question. What had happened to Iris to cause the scratches on her face? Did she fall or did someone attack her? Someone she knew? Cameron wondered whether she should have demanded more information. It was too late now. She shrugged and made sure all she did know was recorded.

But it was no use. She couldn't concentrate on doing paper work, and was happy when the front door opened. She was even happier when House walked in. Rushing around the desk, she practically threw herself into his arms.

He held her and chuckled. "Whoa, there, I'm happy to see you too."

Cameron wasn't smiling. In fact, her stare was intense. "House, did you get the paper from Phyllis?"

He pulled away and reached into his jacket pocket, pulled out a sheet and waved it at her.

It came to her as House came in. "I think the answer to everything might be in that house. We have to go with Iris when she meets the locksmith. Maybe Iris just wants to get the things that her aunt asked for, but isn't it more likely that she's after something else, something she suspects is in the mansion?"

"I don't know. I haven't met the woman."

Cameron nodded and relaxed a little. "That'll be quickly remedied. There are still so many questions I have, but I don't have your knack for getting people to tell you what you want to know."

"And here I thought you were the people person in this duo." He smirked.

"Well, I did get a few things out of her." She tugged his hand and led him to two of the waiting room chairs. Once they were seated, she related all she'd learned from Iris, watching his expressive face change with each bit of information.

"So we don't know how she got the scratches, where she was immediately before she came to Shelby, or even why she's really here."

Cameron nodded again, not surprised that he immediately came to the same conclusions she had. "So, what do we do?"

"We talk to her, and listen to her answers. Read between the lines of what she does tell us to figure out the things she's keeping secret."

"Just the fact that she has to keep them secret is worrying." Cameron grimaced. She glanced at her watch. "I told her we'd come get her for dinner at six. It's almost that now. Do we play good doc, bad doc? Or do you have another plan?"

"That'll work for starters. I think you've gained her trust, at least up to a point. You can be good doc for a change."

She smirked at him.

He tapped his cane three times. "Do you believe that she doesn't know where Ian is?"

"Yes. I think that part is true." Cameron rubbed her ear. "She's as anxious as anyone to find him."

"What makes you say that?"

"She's asked about him a few times. Do you think that's why she came here? To find him? But why?" She shook her head. "They haven't spoken for years."

"You only have her word about that," he reminded her.

"That's true."

"But if trusting Cameron is suspicious, than I believe we have something to be suspicious about."

She stood and held out a hand to him, even though she knew he didn't need it. "C'mon. No time like the present to begin the inquisition." She tried to sound sinister but it wasn't in her.

They left House's car in the clinic parking lot and drove over to the motel. "She's in room twelve." Cameron said, as House pulled into the only remaining spot in the lot. "Looks like quite a few people have checked in since this afternoon." She got out and knocked on Iris' door. There was no sound from the other side. She knocked again.

Suddenly, the door opened a crack. "Oh, Dr. Cameron. Give me another minute." Iris closed the door again. Three minutes later she opened it again, just enough to slip out and join Cameron.

"Dr. House is in the car." Cameron led the way, with a quick glance back at the closed door to room twelve. She opened the back car door, and Iris got in.

House turned around and studied her, but didn't say a word. Once Cameron joined them, he backed out and drove the four hundred yards to the diner, parking as close as he could to the door.

The three of them entered, and House and Cameron immediately sat in their usual booth.

Iris watched them. "Isn't this where we sat earlier?"

"It's our booth," House said, as if that explained everything.

"Come sit." Cameron patted the spot next to her and moving closer to the window so there would be enough room, although the woman was slim and didn't need much.

Iris took the seat. It was her turn to study House.

"Iris, this is Dr. Gregory House. House, Iris Sinclair."

"Did you get the letter from my aunt?" Iris asked.

He took it out again and waved it at her but didn't relinquish it.

She sighed with relief. "Thank you."

Linda appeared before he could reply, pouring coffee for each of them without asking. "Tonight's specials are meatloaf and lasagne."

"I'll just have a grilled cheese sandwich," Iris said.

"Mo makes the best grilled cheese, bacon and tomato," Cameron told her.

But Iris hesitated.

"My treat," Cameron added.

A smile flitted across Iris' face. "Then I'll have that."

House and Cameron exchanged a knowing look before he ordered the meatloaf. "With a half portion of the lasagne."

Linda nodded as she jotted that down. "Got it. Dr. Cameron?"

"Make it the lasagne."

House waited until Linda was gone. "So, Iris, what do you think you'll find in your aunt's house? Some missing pieces of art? Your brother's dead body?"

Iris pulled back in her chair. "What do you mean? My aunt wants her sweater. That's all I'm looking for there."

"But your brother lived there for a while. What do you think he was doing there?"

"How should I know?" Iris turned to Cameron. "What's he implying?"

"Oh, don't mind Dr. House. He's just trying to get a rise out of you. Of course you only want to get what your aunt asked for." Cameron patted Iris' shoulder. Then her expression changed. Her brows drew together. "Unless you didn't tell me something."