Karl was a newly retired cop who never recovered from his late wife’s suicide and the disappearance of his stepdaughter a year later. He had mentioned she was struggling with her mother’s death and had become moody and withdrawn before turning to drugs to numb the pain. He had been beside himself and, despite his extensive connections within the police force, Eden’s disappearance had remained a cold case. Now he just wants closure so he can pack up her belongings and finally move on. It pisses me off that I have to let him know his little girl is working as a stripper in a city almost three hundred miles from home, shaking her ass for tips without an apparent care in the world.
The music dies out to rapturous applause as a naked Eve retrieves her discardedclothing and makes her way backstage.
Turning back to the bartender I signal for another drink and, as he pours it, I ask him a couple of questions.
“That girl on stage before, that was Eve Temptation, right?”
“Yep. She is our headliner. She is the reason there are so many asses in seats tonight.”
“What nights does she work?” I ask casually, slightly appalled that he is so willing to give away this information.
“Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday so you guys were lucky to catch her, or you would have had to wait till next week.”
“Well, that’s a relief,” Eli pipes up from beside me. “But we forgot to give her tip money.”
He looks at us before looking away. “I can keep hold of it for her,” he offers. Yeah, I just bet you can.
“Sorry, mate, but my friend here isn’t very trusting,” Eli presses. “How about we give you a hundred for yourself for being so helpful and you let us slip back there and give it to her?”
He looks conflicted, especially when Eli pulls the cash from his wallet and waves it around in front of his face.
“I wish I could, but I would get fired if I let you back there and I really need this job, man.”
“Okay, that’s fair,” Eli concedes while rubbing his chin in thought.
“What about if I let you round the back to the staff parking area? She’ll be leaving in a minute, she never stays after her last set, and there will be a bouncer on the door to keep an eye on you.” So maybe he isn’t as stupid as he looks but he is still far from a good guy.
“Deal. Here you go.” Eli hands him the cash before we’re ushered through the side of the bar, down a narrow corridor, and out into what must be the staff carpark.
“Eve will come out of that door over there with a bouncer escorting her.” He points to the large metal door that only opens from the inside.
“Don’t cause any trouble,” he scolds and I bite my lip to stop myself from snapping at him.
“No trouble from us, thanks man,” Eli promises him as he heads back the way he came. “Jesus, Noah, rein it in a bit man. I don’t know what has you in such a pissy mood but you need to snap out of it.”
I run my fingers through my hair and sigh, knowing he is right. Dragging my own emotions into things is unprofessional and I need to get a handle on it. The creaking of the rusty hinges alerts us to the door opening.
“There she is,” Eli mutters to himself. “How do you want to play this?”
She looks different now in her multicoloured leggings and baggy cardigan with a bag almost as big as she is thrown over her shoulder. She is laughing softly at something the mountain of a man beside her is saying when I shout her name.
“Eden!”
She spins around so fast she loses her balance and staggers into the bouncer beside her. She looks at me with wide eyes, her skin void of any colour as it bleeds from her face.
“Hey, man, you can’t be back here,” the bouncer tells us, nudging Eden behind him as he takes an aggressive stance in front of her. See, this guy I like. Protect mode is a reflex for him. I imagine there isn’t a cat in hell’s chance that he would have taken the bribe from us that the bartender did.
“Sorry. Just looking for someone. Eden?”
She peers around the side of the mountain man. “Me? I’m sorry, you just scared me. We get all kinds of weirdos hanging around. Anyway, you’ve got the wrong girl. My name is Eve.” Her voice is rich and smooth, reminding me of the whisky I’ve just had.
“Eve, like from the garden of Eden?” Eli asks from beside me, his face twisted in a wry smile.
“Strange coincidence, huh? Sorry that you wasted your time.” She turns and heads toward a beat-up Fiesta. I frown. There is no way that thing is safe. Is it even road legal?
The bouncer steps into my field of vision effectively blocking my view of her as she climbs into her car and pulls away.
“I think you need to leave.” He crosses his arms over his chest leaving no room for discussion.
“No worries. Just a case of mistaken identity,” I tell him before heading out the same way the Fiesta just left, with Eli right behind me.
“Well, we definitely found the right girl. How do you think this Karl guy is going to take the news that the little girl he thought was dead is, in fact, alive and well, and working in a strip club?”
“After all this time, I doubt he’ll care that she’s a stripper. He’s been looking for her for years. At this point I think he’ll just be overjoyed that she is alive,” he says as he pulls his cigarettes from his back pocket and takes one from the pack using his teeth. He lights the end, taking a huge drag before blowing out a plume of smoke into the frigid November air around us. Eli only smokes when he’s stressed and lord knows this case has been running us ragged. I’m ready for this shit to be over.
We walk back to the car, a sleek black Mercedes that is still thankfully intact despite the run-down area in which I was forced to park.
“You finish your cancer stick. I’m going to give Karl a ring and text Malcolm with an update.”
“Isn’t it a bit late to be calling? It’s almost one o’clock in the morning,” he points out.
“And if it was your daughter?” I ask, knowing if it was mine, I wouldn’t give a fuck what time it was.
He sighs but I know the answer before he even opens his mouth.
“I would want to know right away,” he concedes, his voice gruff with emotion. He takes a drag of his cigarette before turning away, leaning his back against the passenger side window.
“Shit, sorry, Eli, I wasn’t thinking.” I realise my case of foot-in-mouth too late.
“Nah, it’s all right. Make the call.”
I climb in feeling like shit for not thinking before I spoke. It has been five years since his ex-girlfriend left him. It makes it easy for me to forget. Unfortunately, for him it’s a lot harder.
I grab my phone from my suit pocket and dial Karl’s number. He answers on the fourth ring and despite the hour, he sounds awake and alert. I guess old habits die hard when you have spent most of your life as a cop.
“We’ve found her.”
There is a long silence as he takes in the information I just gave him. “You sure?”
“I’ll need to run a DNA sample but yeah, I’m sure.”
“Where did you find her?” His voice is void of emotion almost like he has locked them down so he doesn’t fall apart.
“She’s working at a club called Midas in Newcastle.”
“She’s alive?” he asks in shock. I must be off my fucking game tonight. Of course, he is shocked, he thought she was dead
“Shit, Karl. Yes, she is alive, and she looks… healthy.” That’s an understatement.
“Well, I’ll be damned. Thank you, Noah. There will be a bonus in this for you. I can’t believe you found her.”
“Yes, it was a stroke of luck really that led us to her. I won’t give away my sources, but I’m glad this turned out well for you. She goes by the name Eve Temptation now.”
He laughs at that and for an odd reason, it sends a chill down my spine.
“Eve as in from the garden of Eden? Interesting choice.” He hangs up the phone, the weird tone to his voice makes him hard to read bu
t he sounded, disappointed maybe? I shake it off. This whole night has been messing with my head from the beginning. The passenger door opens and Eli climbs in smelling of smoke and the cold night air.
“How did he take the news?”
“I’m not sure. Happy, relieved, disappointed that he wasn’t the one to find her? It was hard to tell over the phone. I didn’t tell him she is a stripper. I don’t know why, but I guess he’ll find out soon enough.”
“Well, I, for one, am glad this shit is over. I am sick of living out of hotel rooms. I want to go home and sleep in my own damn bed.”
I can relate to that. Eli moved in with me after the whole Lucy, his ex, fiasco and we now share a three-bedroom, four-bathroom townhouse in Hammersmith that overlooks the Thames. Morbid, I know, looking out my windows onto the river that claimed my father’s life and helped change the trajectory of my own, but something about it draws me in.
“Me too. Do me a favour. Text Malcolm and fill him in. Then crack open your laptop and get me the address for Eve Temptation.” I put the car into gear and pull out onto the streets that are starting to fill with people as the bars and clubs kick them out for the night.
“One day I’m going to figure out how I went from practising family law to hacking into private employment records,” he mutters to himself but it’s not the first time and it won’t be the last. It’s not like we are trying to gain evidence to be used in court. We aren’t that stupid. That shit would be deemed inadmissible in a heartbeat but, when it comes to names and addresses, Eli’s surprising hacking skills make things a hell of a lot easier.
“I just need a DNA sample and I very much doubt that she is just going to hand one over. A couple of hairs from her brush and we can pack up and head home just like you want.”
“Scratch that, when did I go from practising family law to breaking and entering?”
“When you realised it was easier to get shit done when you didn’t keep running into red tape.”
Sure, what I’m suggesting is completely illegal, but they would have to catch me first and that won’t be happening anytime soon. Malcolm doesn’t ask questions and we don’t offer up any false answers. We just get shit done.
“Don’t worry, I’ve got this one. Just get the info we need so we can get the fuck out of here.”
Chapter Two
EDEN
Fuck, fuck, fuck! I should have known better than to get complacent but goddamn it, it’s been six years. Why can’t he just leave me alone? I was so shocked to hear my real name that I reacted without thinking about the consequences, and there will be consequences. They saw my reaction, they know exactly who I am. I’m willing to bet that first thing tomorrow morning they will be on the phone with Karl. Just thinking his name makes my body shudder in reflex. I pull the soft afghan off the back of the sofa and wrap it around myself wishing it could protect me from more than just the cold. Sitting in the dark on my ratty sofa in my tiny studio apartment I come to the only conclusion available to me. It’s time to move on. I should never have stayed here as long as I have.
As the light starts to filter its way through the early morning clouds, I begin planning my next move. I live frugally, always knowing that at any minute I might need to run. It’s why I don’t drive a flashy car or live in a nicer apartment. I save every penny I make and I make more than you might think. I squirrel it away under another alias. You can’t be too careful when it’s a cop chasing you. I jump in the shower and wash my hair knowing it might be a couple of days before I get to do it again. I give it a quick blast with the hair dryer before scrunching some mousse through it.
My onstage persona is very different from who I am offstage where I favour a more boho look. Taking in today’s frigid weather and the fact that I will be driving for god knows how long later, I opt for a pair of black leggings with flat brown suede over the knee boots. A white camisole underneath a soft roomy cream shirt keeps the outfit comfortable for travelling. A chunky grey knit cardigan adds the warmth needed for this time of year, and teamed with my long striped knit scarf I look nothing like Eve, the exotic dancer. I tug on a grey wool knit hat and snag my keys from the counter. I head downstairs and run outside to my little car so I can get the heater going.
I drive downtown to my favourite café which, luckily for me, opens at six. Once there, I order a latte, some waffles, and a fruit salad. When my order arrives, I take my time eating it, savouring every bite. I place a tip on the end of the table when I’m finished and head out onto the street. The place is deserted at this hour so nobody notices when I leave. I walk through the quiet streets as lights begin to turn on and people wake up and begin their day. I’m going to miss it here. I take a deep breath and say a silent goodbye to a city that has kept me safe longer than I ever anticipated. I head back home and pack the rest of my clothes into my suitcase along with my toiletries and other essentials. A bag is always kept packed in case I have to run, but I’m glad that with the distance between Newcastle and London I have enough time to pack some extras. I’m under no illusions that he won’t come for me. In fact, I imagine he’ll be on his way here as soon as he gets that call. I glance at my watch. It’s eight-thirty. I assume he’ll be getting notified right about now. Depending on traffic, that gives me about six hours until he gets here but I will be long gone by then.
I drag my suitcase down to the car before heading back up for a final walkthrough. The furniture was all secondhand so I’m not bothered about leaving it behind, but it still stings having to start over again. There is nothing here with my stamp on it, no mementos or photos to gather dust. It’s just a blank canvas that hopefully will be brought to life by whoever moves in here after me. With a final look over my shoulder, I pull the door closed behind me and rest my head against the solid wood for a second, beating back the wave of melancholy. I straighten my shoulders and head across the hall to my landlady. I knock gently, not worried about waking her as she is always up with the sun. The door opens slowing, revealing Molly, my seventy-seven-year-old landlady still in her hot pink dressing gown and bunny slippers. I stifle a laugh, knowing she won’t appreciate it.
“Hi, Molly. I’m sorry to leave you in the lurch like this but I have a family emergency and I need to head back home. My rent is paid up for the next six months and I’ve left it pretty much furnished. You can keep it all.”
“Well, it’s short notice. Are you okay?” she asks, taking me in.
“I’m okay, I promise, but I have to leave as soon as possible.”
“All right, I guess that’s fine. Take care of yourself, honey.”
“You too, Molly.” I pass her the keys and jog down to the car. I spend the next couple of hours stocking up on shit I might need and saying goodbye to the few acquaintances I’ve made. Just before lunchtime hits, I head back over to Midas to collect my last pay cheque and tell them I won’t be coming back. As time ticks on, I start to feel the nerves kicking in. I hate knowing that in a few hours Karl will be here tracing my footsteps. I shake it off and concentrate on the job at hand. I know Mason is working this afternoon, covering for someone else, so at least there will be a familiar face about. Most of the time the people who work evenings rarely cross paths with the daytime crew, so I’m glad he will be there. Mason is the person I’m closest to, which isn’t saying much, but he is the one I will miss the most. If I’m being honest, I have a bit of a crush on him but guys like him don’t go for girls like me. He is tall, like super tall, maybe six-four to my five-seven, with hair a shade darker than my natural colour and pretty blue eyes that sparkle whenever he teases me. He is built exactly the way you would imagine a bouncer to be built—broad and strong with an air of menace about him. His arms and chest are covered in tattoos and I don’t think I’ve ever seen him in anything other than black jeans and T-shirts, but he makes it work so I’m not complaining.
I head to the staff entrance and key in the code. Once inside, I make my way upstairs to see Russ in the manager’s office. I knock tentatively
, not sure how this is going to go.
“Come in,” he bellows through the door. I smile as I open it, remembering how intimidating I found him when I first started but now I know that’s just how he is. I don’t think he even has an indoor voice. Everything he says is in the same tone and at full volume.
“Eve, this is a surprise. Is everything all right?” The concern on his face makes me feel like shit for what I’m about to do. It might not be my dream job but Russ has been good to me.
“Hey, Russ. I’m so sorry but I have an emergency and I need to leave.”
“Shit. How long for?”
“Indefinitely,” I tell him, twisting my fingers together as I stand in front of his desk looking down at him.
“This isn’t like you, Eve. You are the biggest draw to this place. What am I going to do without you?” His gruff voice makes tears spring to my eyes.
I want to tell him the truth, but I don’t want to put him in any danger either.
“You in some kind of trouble?”
I nod, not wanting to give anything further away but refusing to lie to the man who took a chance on me when he didn’t have to.
“Does it have anything to do with the three guys that have been asking about you?”
The Promise of Tomorrow: An Inheritance Novel Page 2
