“Your juvenile record.”
“I don’t have a record. I’ve never been in trouble with the law.” She watched incredulously as Dee took more papers out of her briefcase.
“These are copies of what he showed the Sawyers.”
Below the word SEALED, the paper was titled The Juvenile Records of Eve Marie Sumptor. Son of a bitch, Eve thought. She could feel the heat of her rage creep through her carefully maintained control. The son of a bitch! Whoever the hell he was, he was setting her up. She didn’t think Tony was behind this, it wasn’t his style. So, who the hell was it?
“Someone is playing you and the Sawyers, Ms. Cummings,” she said evenly. “As I’ve said before, I don’t have a record.”
“Ms. Sumptor, these are legal documents...”
“My middle name is not Marie, Ms. Cummings. At least, it wasn’t when I was fourteen.”
“I don’t understand.”
“My parents didn’t give me a middle name when I was born. Check my birth certificate if you must, but that’s the truth. I added Marie when I was in my early twenties. It was my mother’s name. You’ve been given forged material.”
“But who would try to ruin you like this, Ms. Sumptor?”
“You tell me. Who’s your source, Dee?” To be familiar, she told herself, would do no harm. Certainly she would gain nothing from continuing to be abrasive.
“I’m a reporter, Eve. I can’t just give you my source. That’s practically reporter suicide.”
They each had something the other wanted and Eve knew that this woman was prepared to see how far Eve would go to get hers.
“Would you like to make a statement on everything you’ve told me?” Dee continued. “I have a camera crew downstairs and we can do it here and now if you like.”
“How important is this interview to you?” Eve demanded, leaning across the desk, eyes narrowed. “What will you do for me, Dee, if I get in front of that camera and give you a story?” It was clear to Eve that this was an extremely important story as far as she was concerned.
From a journalist’s point of view, Eve’s beauty would draw an audience but no doubt conspiracy and murder had the makings of a newscaster’s dream.
“Do you have a restroom I can borrow?” Dee asked suddenly. The unexpected request had Eve stunned for a moment but when Dee was gone, she saw that the reporter had left her notebook full of notes, names, numbers and dates, on the edge of her desk. Eve’s eyes glanced down at the pad of paper, then with a small laugh, picked it up. Dee had decided to help her after all, she thought as she flipped back a couple of pages and read the neat handwriting. Initials, not a name. She grabbed a pen and a piece of paper. D.C., she wrote and then the phone number that was next to it. Underneath the initials were notes about her. Suspect. Murder. Cover-up? She read on, until she heard Dee in the hallway, then put the notebook back in its place and slipped the piece of paper she had written on under her keyboard.
“Did you find everything okay?” she asked Dee when she was seated again.
“Yes,” she said and looked at Eve with sober eyes. “Did you?”
Eve smiled. “I can’t give the interview right now. But,” she continued when Dee opened her mouth to protest, “you’ll be the first person I come to for an exclusive. After what you’ve told me today, there are things I need to check on first. And, apparently I need to speak to my lawyer about this business of my being a suspect.” Eve sighed. “The person that is after me, who wants to hurt me, that’s who everyone should be looking at. Not me.”
“Who is that person, Eve?”
“I don’t know, Dee. You’re the reporter, you figure it out. Evidently the police are not trying too hard if you’ve gotten the idea that I’m a suspect. Have you spoken to Detective Harris or -”
Detective Carter.
“Son of a bitch. I’m sorry, I have things I need to do now. If you talk to the Sawyers again,” Eve said as she walked the reporter to the door, “please tell them that I had nothing to do with this.”
“What are you going to do about the lawsuit?”
“I don’t give a damn about the lawsuit. If they want money, all they had to do was ask me. I’ve already set up a foundation at Sumptor, Inc. in Jackie’s name. I told the detectives to please tell the family if they ever needed anything I would do everything I could for them.”
Detective Carter, Eve thought with disgust. The same damn detective that was trying to fuck her over.
“It’s not the money I’m worried about,” she added. “I just need them to know that I didn’t hurt their little girl.”
“I’ll tell them everything you’ve said, Eve.” Dee held out her hand. “Call me when you are ready for that interview.”
Walking to the wall overlooking the gallery, she spotted Lainey.
Something was wrong, Lainey thought, when she saw Eve’s face. She wanted to go up to Eve, to make sure she was okay but she had customers to tend to. So instead, she made a mental note to ask Eve about her conversation with Dee, and do anything she could to take that haunted look out of Eve’s eyes.
Eve sat at her desk and buried her head in her hands. Things were getting out of control. She knew what she should do. She knew that she was being selfish keeping Lainey close to her, keeping anyone close to her, but she couldn’t help it. For the first time in her life, she needed someone. And, now, she would do whatever it took to keep those she needed, safe. Eve reached for the phone.
“Federal Bureau of Investigations. How may I direct your call?”
“Agent Donovan, please.”
“May I say whose calling?”
“Eve Sumptor.”
“One moment, please.”
Eve took a deep breath as she waited. She was taking a step back into her past, a past that she would rather keep hidden and tucked away. But, it seemed that no matter how hard she tried to keep it hidden, someone out there was trying to bring it forward. But instead of letting the past take her down, she would use it to her advantage, an advantage no one was expecting.
“Eve?”
“Hi, Billy.”
His eyes closed at the sound of her voice. It had grown deeper, sultrier over the years. Although it still held that breathy seductive sound of her youth, it had definitely matured beautifully. With his eyes closed he could see her face, the gray, striking eyes, those luscious lips. He wondered if her body and appearance had developed as much as the voice had.
“No one has called me that for years,” he said. “How are you, Eve?”
She wasn’t going to lead him on. She respected him too much, and has grown too much to do that to him. “I’m well, thank you. How have you been?”
“I’m better now. It’s been a tough day. Hearing you has definitely brightened things up. To what do I owe this pleasure?”
“I’m in trouble, Billy. I need your help.”
He frowned. Eve would never ask for help unless it was life or death. “What is it, Eve? What do you need?”
“I can’t go into it now. Not on the phone. Will you meet me?”
“Of course. Dinner? Tonight?”
Eve looked over at the photo Lainey had given her and remembered that she was having dinner with Lainey. “I can’t tonight. Lunch, tomorrow? I can have a plane there to pick you up in the morning...”
“That’s okay. I’ll find my way there. Where would you like to meet?”
“The Garden of Eve, two o’clock. Is that all right?”
“I’ll be there.”
“Billy,” she stopped him before he could hang up. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me, yet. Let’s see if I can help you first. Tomorrow, Eve.”
Agent Donovan stretched his broad shoulders and ran a hand through his wheat colored hair. His alert, hazel eyes held concern as he sat back in his chair and thought about Eve. The prospect of seeing her again was exhilarating for him. Their encounter with each other had been brief all those years ago, but he had come away from it knowing what it was to be in love. He a
lso found out how much being in love with the wrong person could hurt. He knew Eve hadn’t felt the same way about him, but he would see how the distance and years had changed her. He turned to his computer and started making the arrangements to fly into New York City and see the woman who had invaded his dreams for the last ten years.
The headache was getting worse. Eve tried to relieve the pressure by massaging her temples but it wasn’t working. She knew plain aspirin wouldn’t work on this kind of pain, but she didn’t want to take anything else. She had been doing fine without the stronger medication and she wanted to keep it that way. She wasn’t going to let Tony get to her this way. She closed her eyes, her head in her hands and willed herself to relax.
Lainey silently came up behind Eve and began massaging. When Eve felt Lainey’s cool fingers on the back of her neck, she felt a deep sense of relief.
“Hi. I didn’t hear you come in.”
“I know. Do you want me to get you something for your head?” Lainey buried her fingers in Eve’s hair and massaged her head.
“Mmm. No, you’re doing a great job. You have magical fingers,” Eve told her with a sly grin.
“Mikey’s back,” Lainey whispered in her ear. “Want to go to lunch?”
“Yes.” Eve lifted her hand to Lainey’s face and pulled her closer to give her a kiss. “I’m starving,” she said quietly.
“We could talk about what that reporter wanted and why you were so upset when she left,” Lainey said in a low voice. It was odd to see Eve so vulnerable.
The headache that had been fading came back with full force.
“I’m sorry,” Lainey apologized. “You’re tense again.”
The woman saw way too much, Eve thought. “You didn’t. I just need to eat. Would you like to go to the restaurant?”
“Sure.” Way to go, Lainey, she scolded herself.
“Lainey. I don’t want to talk about reporters. Not now, please? I’ll talk to you about it, just not now. Okay?”
“Okay.” She could see that Eve was in more pain than she led on, so Lainey wouldn’t push her to talk. She noticed the photo on Eve’s desk. “You don’t have to keep that there if you don’t want to.”
“I like it there.”
“You could take it home,” she whispered.
Eve kissed her gently. “How about I leave this one here and you can pose for a different kind of picture. Just for me.” Eve wanted to paint Lainey, in a particularly stimulating pose. She hadn’t known how to bring it up or how Lainey would feel about it, but this seemed to be the perfect time.
“You want me to pose for you?” Lainey chuckled.
“Yes. I want you to pose for me.” Eve traced a fingertip down Lainey’s chest. “In so many different ways.” She kissed Lainey gently on the forehead. “Come on. Let’s go to lunch.”
As soon as Lainey and Eve entered the restaurant together, they felt the stares. It still amazed Lainey that Eve was totally unaffected by how people looked at her.
“Everyone is staring at you,” Lainey whispered close to Eve’s ear.
“They’re staring at you,” Eve told her. “Good afternoon, Elliot.”
“Good afternoon, Ms. Sumptor. Your regular table?”
“No. My companion and I have business to discuss, so if you could put us as far away from everyone as possible, that would be wonderful.”
Once they were seated in a secluded area behind a wall decorated with exotic flowers and left alone, Lainey smiled at Eve.
“Your companion? I like that. And, they were staring at you. Who could possibly see me when you’re around?”
“Stop it.” Eve paused as the waiter came up to them and set a glass of water in front of them both. Each of them ordered iced tea and a salad, and when the waiter left, Eve looked at Lainey intently. “You have no idea how beautiful you are, do you?”
Lainey blushed slightly and lowered her head. “Eve, I’m not...”
“Yes, you are.” She wanted to reach out to Lainey and take her hand, but couldn’t. So, instead, she held Lainey’s eyes with hers. “Everything about you is beautiful. I wish you would start believing it.”
Lainey shrugged. The way Eve was looking at her stirred her more than she could say. “How do you deal with it? People staring at you, obviously wanting to get to know you a little better? It must make you feel good.”
“It annoys me.” Eve said simply.
Lainey frowned. “It annoys you? Why?”
“Lainey, honey, I don’t want to talk about me. We’re always talking about me. I want to know more about you.” Eve sipped her water and peered at Lainey over the rim. “I didn’t ask you earlier, perhaps out of selfishness, but how did things go with Jack last night?”
Lainey groaned. “You don’t really want to talk about Jack, do you?”
“This morning you told me that you wanted me to be able to talk to you about anything. Including Adam. Now, I’m telling you the same thing. I want you to be able to talk to me about Jack, about Kevin and Darren, about whatever is on your mind.” She smiled at the waiter as he set the iced tea in front of them and hurried off. “So, tell me what happened when you went home last night.”
Lainey sighed a little and studied Eve. She wanted to be open and honest with her, and she wanted Eve to be the same. This was the first time she had had someone that she could really talk to, to really be herself with.
“Jack was happy to see the boys,” she began. “Hugged them. Told them he loved them and missed them. Then he asked what they did over the weekend. He was, of course, a bit angry that I had taken them out of the state without telling him.”
“I’m sorry,” Eve said quietly. When she had made the decision to take them to Disney, she hadn’t even given a thought to how Jack would feel. She was always used to doing things her way, how and when she wanted to do them.
“It’s okay. I was expecting a fight,” Lainey looked out the window at an elderly man who was feeding the pigeons across the street and thought about the night before. “But, he just let it go. He came up to me and kissed me, telling me how much he missed me.”
Her voice trailed off. Jack’s actions had surprised her so much that she hadn’t known how to respond to him.
Eve was trying not to imagine the scene. She didn’t want to think about Jack touching Lainey, or kissing her. She knew how selfish she was being, but couldn’t seem to help the way she felt.
“I don’t know what got into him,” Lainey continued. “One minute I’m preparing myself for the yelling and accusations, the next I’m in his arms and he’s leading me to the bedroom.” Lainey saw Eve lower her eyes and didn’t know if Eve would want her to go on. “We don’t have to talk about this, Eve.”
“It’s okay,” Eve touched Lainey’s hand briefly. “Go on.”
Lainey blew out a breath. “It was everything that I had wanted. He was being attentive, loving, passionate - but I just couldn’t do it. I couldn’t be with him.”
“Why?”
Lainey looked Eve in the eye. “Because of you.”
Eve eyebrows furrowed. “Because of me?”
“Eve. I couldn’t be with Jack right after leaving you. I felt guilty about everything. Guilty that it would hurt you. Guilty that I couldn’t be with my husband, even though he was trying so hard to show me he’d missed me. And, I didn’t know if he was doing it because he’s just as tired of fighting as I am, or if he really meant it. I’ve never been so confused in my life, Eve. And I don’t know what to do about it.”
Eve remembered that this had all begun when she had told Lainey that she would help her with her marriage. Of course, she had no way of knowing that, between them, they would set off fireworks. She never anticipated the relationship that had developed between them, but she would keep her word whatever the cost to her happiness may be.
“Maybe Jack realized that you were serious about needing change,” she said. “He’s afraid of losing you.” And I understand exactly how he feels, she added silently.
<
br /> “Somehow I’m not as sure about that as you are.” Picking at the salad with her fork, she realized suddenly that she had lost her appetite.
Eve watched her closely. “Lainey,” she said softly. “You know Jack loves you. There are things happening in your life right now that understandably have you confused. But, ultimately you’re in love with Jack.”
“I’m not so sure of that either, anymore,” Lainey interrupted quietly. “If I am, why couldn’t I be with him? Why did I spend my night in the guest room thinking about you? Wanting to be with you.”
“Then leave him,” Eve said abruptly.
The words shocked Lainey enough to have her head whipping up in surprise. “What?”
“You heard me. Leave him. Move in with me. Be with me. Divorce Jack and be with me, Lainey.”
Lainey couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Part of her was overjoyed. These were the words she had dreamt of hearing. The other part of her knew it could never be.
“I have room for Kevin and Darren,” Eve continued eagerly. “Or, we could buy a house in the suburbs. I care about your boys, Lainey. You must know that.”
Just the thought of the boys made reality set in. Lainey knew that she could never take them away from Jack. Sure he and she had problems, but they could work them out. She just needed a little more time to sort out everything she was feeling, but she was suddenly certain of one thing. She knew she didn’t want to leave Jack, not only because of the boys, but for her own sake as well. Jack had been a huge part of her life for so long. They both had invested so much time in each other. Whatever happened, she wasn’t ready to give up on that.
“Eve, I can’t. I’m...”
“In love with Jack,” Eve finished the sentence for her. “I know. But I thought you needed to be reminded of that.”
Lainey frowned. The joy at hearing those words from Eve turned to disappointment and annoyance. “You didn’t mean it.”
“Yes, I did, Lainey. I meant every word.” Eve took a drink. It had been harder for her to admit that than she had imagined. When she had first asked Lainey to leave Jack, she had only been trying to make her face the fact that she was still in love with him. Or so Eve had thought. But now she realized that making Lainey a permanent part of her life was something that she truly wanted. And that frightened her because never before had she dared to risk so much of herself. Never before had she taken the chance of putting her happiness in someone else’s hands.
Something About Eve (An Eve Sumptor Book 1) Page 28
