To my darling Tami,
For being there when I needed you most.
Julius
I was stunned, feeling the urge to sit as my legs felt like they were about to fail me. I turned, book in hand, taking one step toward the couch, then dropping into it. I looked up at Steph, about to ask her for a glass of water, when I noted that she was staring open-mouthed at the blank wall behind me.
“Steph?”
“Something Alec told me when he was telling me about pulling him over with her in the car. He said that Levinson had gotten out of the car and asked her to remain. He had ushered Alec to the back of the vehicle to tell him something.”
“What did he tell him?”
“That these kinds of indiscretions were best kept quiet, if he understood. Then he had held his ring finger up and flicked the wedding band there, indicating to Alec that he was married. He’s married, Jim.”
“So, was he her sugar daddy or something?”
“I doubt that. He doesn’t strike me as someone that has the time for a marriage and a girlfriend. Sorry.”
“Do you know if she had any friends, Steph?” but she shook her head.
“Could always ask around at the hotel. Maybe there’s someone there she was close to.” But I was already getting to my feet, knowing who to talk to. I indicated to Steph to exit the home. I took a final look around the room then followed her out the door.
8.
“You want Jackie,” the head chef told us, pointing out to the bistro. He was the only friendly face I knew since staying here and had arranged for the beautiful meal I surprised Tami with. “I’m sorry for your loss, Mr Lawson.” I thanked him, shook his hand then headed for the bistro, Steph in tow. There were 4 ladies sitting in the far corner, congregating around a fifth who was sitting in a chair. As we approached, one saw us and threw me a smile. The others saw her and followed suit.
“I was after Jackie,” I said as we neared the group. The others looked at the girl sitting in the chair then turned and left, leaving us alone. “Jackie?” I asked and she nodded. Judging by the swollen red eyes, she looked to have been crying intensely not too long ago.
“Hey,” she said. I offered her my hand and she shook it.
“I’m Jim.”
“I know. Tami told me about you.”
“Jackie, were you and Tami close?” I asked. She nodded. She looked past me for a moment, then back at me. When she didn’t answer, I continued. “Did she ever tell you about a man she was seeing?” Her face grew dark and her eyes darted back behind me for a second time as if looking for someone. I turned to look but only saw the front door. “Jackie?”
“You mean other than you?”
“Yes, other than me.” Her eyes kept looking past me and I was about to ask her another question when Steph spoke from beside me.
“Jackie, would you like to go somewhere more private?” She was on her feet in an instant and waved at us to follow. She turned down a hallway then into a room at the far end. It was a vacant guest’s room, a curtain hiding its lone window. Once we were all inside, she closed the door, then locked it with the chain. I looked at Steph and she shot me a wink. We were about to find out something we weren’t expecting and she knew it. Or, she already knew and wanted me to find out for myself. In any case, Jackie was about to let loose. Jackie went to the bed and sat down. Her lip was quivering in a familiar fashion and I wasn’t surprised when she began to cry. Steph went and sat beside her then put an arm around her. Jackie sobbed into her hands then began to regain control, wiping her eyes with a hanky she pulled from her pocket.
“She loved you, Jim. I just want you to know that. She hadn’t seen anyone since she saw you. No-one. She even stopped doing it.”
“Doing what?” I asked. She frowned, looked at Steph then back at me.
“This town has everything one could want. Everything one could ever need. Everything except,” she paused.
“Everything except what?” I asked, unsure of where she was headed. She looked at Steph again and I knew that Steph already knew what she was about to say.
“Everything except somewhere for the lonely man to go and, you know.”
“And?”
“Well, Tami was, well, she had been seeing a couple of men over the past couple of years. There’s a few of us that do it. She asked me about it one day and I, I took her to meet with,” she paused again and for a moment I wasn’t sure she was going to continue. Then she did. “With Mrs. McNorton.” I choked on my own spit, began to cough, the pain in my chest exploding with each rasp. Steph looked at me alarmingly then came and began clapping me on the back. Jackie went to the sink and got me a glass of water. When I had managed to breathe again, I looked at her in stunned silence.
“Sweet Mrs. McNorton runs a brothel?” I asked in total disbelief. Jackie nodded.
“There’s some pretty high up people that use her services, Jim. Tami had seen a couple of them, but then she began to see that doctor that goes up to the prison a lot. And at first things were going really well. He was treating her like a princess. Bought her some pretty expensive jewellery and stuff. But then she fell pregnant.” I looked at her, completely stunned a second
