Love Me Last

by Rhea Wilde

  Kimmy kept looking away from me. We were parked underneath a bridge in the darkness. The moonlight shined down just enough for me to see the rest of the city in the distance.

  “Come on,” I said. “It’s getting late. And it’s too hot. If I sit in this car any longer, I’m gonna melt. Do you have a place to stay?”

  She shook her head.

  “I usually just stay at the shelter.”

  “I’ll take you there. Where is it?”

  “It’s the New Gardens Village Shelter on 8th street.”

  “Okay. We’re headed to 8th. Buckle up.”

  I started my car and drove off down the street. It was late in the middle of the night but there were people still out on the streets. New Gardens was always awake. Unfortunately for all of the good people in this town, that wasn’t a good thing.

  Chapter 2

  EVA

  Some people get the idea I live a dramatic life. They assume I’m always on the run, spying on people and looking for bad guys. If you listen to them describe it, they’ll tell you I do nothing short of saving the world. Thank God it’s not that interesting.

  Most of the time, people hire me to check on their spouses. Some woman comes to me and tells me her husband is coming home from the office late smelling like perfume. I find the obvious most of the time. Rich, white-collar men just trying to find some excitement in a dull marriage.

  That’s not to say men are the only guilty party. Men come to me and talk about their missing wives all the same.

  Sometimes there’ll be a misunderstanding. Sometimes late nights at the office are just that. Personally, it doesn’t matter to me. It’s none of my business.

  Other people hire me because somebody’s missing. Worried parents wonder where their children have gone. Every single time, it turns out they’re just too stoned or hungover at some party to get back to their parents. It’s too easy to indulge in vices in this city.

  And then there are those people with the most mundane tasks. Some guy complained to me about packages being stolen right off of his doorstep. I told the guy it would be better to invest in a security camera, but he wouldn’t listen. So what happened? I spent hours in my car, parked near his house, watching a package to see if it moved. Turns out it was his asshole neighbor who held a grudge against him.

  That’s it. That’s what I do. I tell people I’m a private investigator and they immediately start thinking of those old black and white movies with long trench coats and damsels in distress. That’s not what happens.

  It’s a strange way to make a living but in a city like New Gardens, I fit right in.

  *

  I woke up later than most people did to start their day. The sun was already out and most of the working class were already going about their business. It was later in the morning when I finally got myself out of bed and even later when I met with Mrs. Anthony.

  I showed her all of the evidence I gathered over the past week, including the photos I took with Kimmy by my side just the other night. She had a suspicion her husband was up to no good. I confirmed something she already knew.

  Finding out your significant other was cheating on you always brought about a different reaction. Some people got sad and talked about killing themselves, so I had to talk them out of it. Others got angry and talked about killing other people, so I had to talk them out of that. There was one woman who was actually ecstatic about it because she was also cheating. I didn’t bother telling her if that was right or wrong. It wasn’t my business.

  Regardless of how they responded, I never saw any of my clients again. I was an impartial arbiter that gave them just the facts. It was up to them to decide what to do with them. I would only have concerns if I felt like they would be taking extreme measures. The last thing I wanted was to be part of a criminal investigation because some ex-lover was found dead in an abandoned car.

  Mrs. Anthony took it well. If she were disappointed, I couldn’t tell. She was also old enough to know it wasn’t any of my business and my responsibility ended as soon as I did what she hired me for. These were the kinds of cases that kept me going. Open and shut with guaranteed pay. In Mrs. Anthony’s case, she was more than willing to pay. I figure she enjoyed it, considering it was probably her husband’s money she was using. There’s an irony in there somewhere. Your own money used to reveal your infidelity.

  I wasn’t much for philosophy though. With Mrs. Anthony’s payment and a chance to relax, I headed back to my office around noon. My office also happened to be my apartment, so that made it even more convenient.

  A six-pack of beer and the rest of the day to myself with no plans. It was always the simple things that satisfied me.

  My office wasn’t much. Just a desk and a small filing cabinet where all of my old case files were. My desk was a little sloppy. There was some paperwork scattered across the desk in front of my computer monitor. Some cases had a lot of details and I had to write them down to keep track of everything.

  When I arrived back at the office, I took a seat behind my desk and kicked my feet up. One bottle of beer open, I took a sip and turned on the TV.

  The news was talking about some man who was missing. I didn’t pay any attention to it and changed the channel, looking for something more interesting to watch. The news was never enjoyable. Everything was bad and it all became white noise to me. I kept my head down and stayed out of it. I wasn’t a cop. I was just a woman trying to make a living.

  I’d been flipping through the channels for a few minutes when I heard a knock at the door. Not thinking, I figured it was a potential client. Instead, it was my landlord.

  He didn’t say anything to me. He just gave me a stern look. That was enough to tell me everything.

  “Right, right,” I sighed. “Come in.”

  I stepped away from the door and he followed just behind me. While I searched for the envelope with Mrs. Anthony’s payment, he started to lecture me.

  “Every month,” he said. “Every month I have to come and remind you that your rent is due.”

  “And every month, I pay you, Mr. Chen.”

  I spun around with the cash in my hand and held it out to him. He grabbed the money from me. I figured being paid off would have satisfied him but he still looked grumpy.

  “Why can’t you just pay your rent on time like the other tenants? Why do you make me have to come all the way over here?”

  “Because it gives us a chance to talk. We don’t talk very much.”

  “I’m not interested in talking. I’m only interested in getting what’s mine.”

  “And you’ll get what’s yours. You know that.”

  Mr. Chen thumbed through the cash and grumbled to himself before looking up at me.

  “Why don’t you get a job?” he asked.

  “I have a job.”

  “A real job. I know some people who could use some help. A young woman like you could make some decent dough.”

  I put my hands up and stared at him, confused at the grin appearing on his face.

  “I don’t know what you’re thinking but I can assure you, I am not that desperate for money.”

  “Oh, it’s nothing like that,” he said as he shook his head. “Keep your mind out of the gutter. This is good, honest work.”

  “I’m not interested in washing dishes or cleaning gutters or waiting tables.”

  “Why not? Are you too good for honest work?”

  “No, I’m not. I just… don’t see a future in it.”

  “You see a future in this? Taking pictures of people?”

  “I do more than that! This is hard work. I did find that asshole who was spray-painting the side of the building, remember?”

  “It’s the only reason I’m giving you so much leeway.”

  Mr. Chen turned around and walked out. I could hear his voice even after I closed the door shut.

  “Thirty days, Eva!”

  I closed my eyes and sighed a deep breath to gather myself. Mrs. Anthony’s paym
ent would last me for another month but I would need some work after that.

  I decided I wouldn’t worry about that today.

  I kicked my feet back up. Before I even had a chance to put the bottle of beer back to my lips, I heard a knock at the door. There was a figure standing there, masked by the stained glass window pane.

  “I counted it twice!” I shouted at the door. “That’s exactly how much my rent is!”

  The door slowly opened.

  “Hey! I—”

  Before I finished yelling at Mr. Chen, I realized it wasn’t him. Instead, it was a man who looked nothing like him.

  “Lee Taurus?”

  I said the name like I was asking a question. Even though I recognized him, I still wasn’t sure it was him. It wasn’t every day the richest man in the city showed up at your doorstep.

  Even if you didn’t know his name, you knew he had money just from his outfit. He wore a dark gray, pin-striped suit that probably cost more than the apartment building I lived in. I imagined all of the poor tailors who had to work to get his proportions just right. He was fairly tall and his rigid posture made him seem even larger. His blond hair was combed neatly. It almost looked fake, like something you’d find on a Ken doll. His face was shaved clean. And then there were his blue eyes. They were striking. I wouldn’t be surprised if he wasted money on something gregarious like diamond-layered contacts to make them look like that.

  He took a few steps toward my desk. His eyes glanced around the office. Any other person would have felt embarrassed about having a rich asshole like Lee Taurus in your apartment but I didn’t care.

  “Hello,” he said, his voice deep and smooth. “Is this Eva Lynch’s office?”

  “Yes, it is,” I said.

  “And I assume you’re Eva Lynch.”

  “That’s right,” I said as I pointed at him. “You’re pretty good. Are you sure you need an investigator? Because it seems like you’ve got things under control.”

  “Charming…”

  I smiled sarcastically at him. He didn’t seem to mind. I never met the man, so there was no telling if he were here for a legitimate reason.

  “My name is Lee Taurus—”

  “I know who you are,” I interrupted. “I wouldn’t be much of an investigator if I didn’t recognize you.”

  “Indeed.”

  “What are you here for?” I asked. “Are you lost? Your GPS broken? You need help getting that stick out of your ass?”

  He chuckled softly to himself.

  “No,” he said, playing along with me. “The stick is comfortable where it is. I have something else in mind. I have a job for you.”

  “All right,” I said. “I don’t believe you but go ahead and lay it on me.”

  Lee unbuttoned his suit jacket then took a seat in front of me. His posture was still just as rigid as it was before, sitting up straight like some teacher’s pet in a classroom. I turned my attention to the television and sipped on my beer, my feet still up on my desk.

  “I’m looking for a man,” he said.

  “Aren’t we all?”

  “His name is John Marks.”

  “Never heard of him.”

  “Are you aware of the string of disappearances happening in this city?”

  “I’m aware. You can’t turn on the TV or read a newspaper without being reminded of it.”

  “John Marks is one of those missing people. I want you to find him.”

  I took another sip of beer then put the bottle on my desk. Lee waited patiently in silence as I straightened up in my seat. His face was solemn and his eyes cold. I was waiting for him to break. When he didn’t, I couldn’t help but laugh.

  “Oh, man,” I said as I shook my head.

  “What’s so funny?” he asked.

  “You want me to get involved in the biggest case the city is dealing with?”

  “Not the entire case. I’m just looking for one man.”

  “And so is everybody else. I’m sure the entire police force is conducting an investigation on the matter.”

  “Do you think the New Gardens Police Department is competent enough to solve this case? What’s more likely, they figure out who’s responsible or another person goes missing?”

  He and I both knew the answer to that. Crime rates in this city were steadily increasing to the point that even billionaires were leaving. Poverty was at an all-time high. There was a drug epidemic that made you wonder if the police were doing anything about it at all. Taurus was the only multi-millionaire that stuck around.

  I leaned back in my seat and sighed.

  “Why me?” I asked. “Why not hire someone else?”

  “Who says I haven’t?”

  “Okay… Then I don’t see how having another person searching for John Marks… I don’t see how that’s going to help.”

  “Are you saying you’re not capable?”

  “I’m not saying that—”

  “Good. Then are you going to accept the assignment or not?”

  “Let me get this straight. Just so I understand everything.”

  “Sure.”

  “The police are investigating the rash of missing people. You’ve already hired private investigators to join in on it. And now you want me to be a part of it.”

  “I’m not asking you to join them. I know that you work independently.”

  I looked down at the ground and shook my head. People hired me to find runaway teenagers and catch cheating spouses. This case was out of my league.

  “One-hundred thousand dollars,” he said, breaking my concentration.

  I slowly turned my head up and gave him a confused look.

  “What?”

  “I’ll give you one-hundred thousand dollars.”

  “A hundred…”

  “A hundred thousand dollars,” he repeated. “That’s about seventy-five thousand pounds. Or eleven million yen—”

  “Wait. Did you just say—”

  “If you find John Marks and the ones responsible for his abduction, I’ll give you a hundred thousand dollars. That’s only if you are the one who solves this case. If someone else finds Marks and who’s behind all of this before you, then you don’t get the money. But just to show you that I’m serious…”

  He reached inside of his jacket. He pulled out a small wad of bills then threw it on my desk.

  “Ten-thousand,” he said. “You get that just for accepting the case.”

  “I should just take this money and tell you to piss off.”

  “You can,” he responded. “But you and I both know you won’t do that. Not with so much more on the line.”

  I stared at the money. It was enough rent money to last for years. It was an easy decision to make yet I still hesitated.

  “Why?” I said. “Why are you doing this?”

  “Because this is my city,” he replied. “And this is a serious problem. This city needs all of the help it can get.”

  I slowly nodded my head. The truth was I would have accepted any explanation. It wasn’t a stretch to believe he was being sincere considering all of the philanthropy he was responsible for.

  “I know you need the money,” he said. “Your offices are very… quaint.”

  “Blow me,” I replied, glaring at him.

  He didn’t care about my snide retort. He just stared at me plainly, knowing I didn’t have much of a choice. He did it like he was used to throwing his money around.

  “All right,” I said. “I’ll do it.”

  “Good.”

  “How do I know that I’ll get the rest of the money when I crack this case?”

  “You can trust me.”

  “Oh, no,” I said as I laughed. “I know better than to trust a man with a million lawyers.”

  “I’ll have my secretary fax you over some paperwork.”

  “I don’t have a fax machine.”

  “I’ll have her e-mail it to you—”

  “I don’t check my e-mail.”

  “Very we
ll,” he sighed. “I’ll have someone come by your office with it. Do we have a deal?”

  He extended his gloved hand out to me. I leaned forward and reached out to shake it.

  “Deal.”

  “Feel free to stop by my office when you crack the case. My office is open to you.”

  He turned around to leave. Just as he got to my door, I called out to him.

  “Hey. Hold on a second.”

  “Yes?” he said as he turned around, an eyebrow raised at me.

  “I’m gonna assume you’re doing this out of the kindness of your heart. If that’s the case, you can at least help me out a little bit.”

  “Of course.”

  “What do you know about John Marks? Do you know where he lives?”

  “I don’t know anything about him. All I do know is that he was homeless.”

  Of course.

  “Good luck, Eva.”

  I turned my attention back to the money on my desk and listened to the door close. In the distance, I could hear Lee’s loud footsteps echoing through the apartment complex. The sound of the television and the traffic outside felt distant. I sat there in near silence when it finally dawned on me how impossible my task was.

  I picked up the stack of money. My thumb flipped through it. With the potential for nine more stacks, I didn’t need any more motivation.

  “So much for a vacation…”

  Chapter 3

  JOHN

  “You have to watch over him… Keep him safe… For me…”

  My eyes opened as I gasped a deep breath. When I saw that my surroundings hadn’t changed, I sighed.

  “Need some help, buddy?”

  I looked up at the man standing before me. He was wearing a dark suit and had a briefcase. His other hand was right in front of me with a dollar in it.

  “Go on,” he said.

  “Thanks but um… I’m okay.”

  I smiled politely at the man. He shrugged his shoulders then stuffed the dollar back into his pocket as he walked away.

  “Damn…”

  I sighed again as I wiped my forehead with the back of my hand. I’d been up so long, I fell asleep on the bench without even realizing it.