Rose is leaning back in the bed, propped against the headboard and dozing fitfully. Her skin is grayed and wrinkled, and her hair is stringy and dirty around her shoulders. Eve snarls in disgust and starts to leave. “Took it… he helped her. Took it…” Rose rambles. Eve pauses and moves closer.
"Rose, can you hear me? It's Eve." Her head flops to the side, and she stares at Rose with a bit of drool leaking from the corner of her mouth. She opens her eyes and stares at Eve.
“Eve?” she mumbles.
“Yes, it’s Eve. Can you tell me what happened?” Eve sits on the side of the bed and listens.
“Took it…my book. He helped her.”
Panic flutters in Eve’s stomach as she listens carefully. “Who took your book?”
“Boy,” Rose clutches at Eve’s hand, “Begging boy, took her and my book!”
Eve leaps up from the bed. "The Asian boy that's always hanging around? Why would he help her?" She drops into the chair in the corner of the room, when she understands what Rose is rambling about. "Oh my God, they have the book."
Mr. Chen does not tolerate failure. Eve knows only too well what her fate will be if she doesn’t clean this up. He granted her all his resources to make sure this doesn’t happen again. One set of girls was enough of a loss. Glancing at Rose, she shakes her head and closes the door softly. “One of us has to fall, Rose.” She pulls out the small bottle of opium and glares at Rose with narrowed black eyes.
“She’s sleeping peacefully,” Eve lies to the young girl after she closes the door. “You may go now.” After she bows and leaves, Eve returns to her own room. “Tomorrow, I will find this girl and make her pay for all this trouble,” she snarls staring out into the night.
Chapter 12
A knock at the downstairs back door has them leaping to their feet. “Hide,” Aimee hisses and moves down the stairs to the back door. “Who is it?”
“Kai.” Aimee opens the door cautiously and lets him inside before quickly locking the door.
“I see the lady, now?” he asks, hopefully.
“Of course,” she leads the way upstairs and opens the door for him. He rushes inside and finds the room empty. Bronnah waits behind the bedroom door for Aimee to call her.
When she steps out from the behind the door, Kai smiles and rushes to take her hand. “Kai!” Bronnah clutches his hand and smiles.
“You… better,” he said.
“I’m well, thanks to you.”
“You must go now.” Kai stammers and releases her hand. “Bad lady looking for you.”
“Kai, what are you talking about?” Aimee asked.
Poppy lady dead. Bronnah releases his hand and sits down before her legs give out. He turns back to Bronnah. “You go now!”
“Kai, are you sure?”
Kai is nodding his head. “Bad lady, sleeping sickness, another bad lady. Chinese one. Sends for Chen. You took book. They are hunting for you.” Bronnah hisses, she had forgotten about the ledger.
"Yes! Kai, you're brilliant!" She shouts and jumps up to run to her room. She digs through the clothes and finds a bag of clothes and the leather-bound book inside of it. The cash and derringer are there as well. After counting out the cash, Bronnah is shocked to find a hundred and ten dollars. She takes out fifty dollars and rushes out with the money and the papers.
“Kai, I want you to take this.” She takes his hand and presses the money into it. “Aimee, look at these.” She gives her the book and is stunned when Kai throws his arms around her legs.
His little body is trembling with unexpressed emotion. “Thank you,” he whispers. Bronnah drops to her knees, no longer caring about the dress or propriety.
"Kai, I would be dead or wishing for death if you hadn't helped me. I wish I could give you more. You've saved my life more than once, and I'm afraid more is required. Will you help me one last time?" she asks.
“Anything.” His dirty face stares at her with awe.
"Ok. Come eat, and we will plan this out."
Aimee pours more soup with biscuits and stares at the child as he eats. “Kai, you said the Chen were hunting for Bronnah. What does that mean?”
“Eve lady works for Chen.” His dark eyes turn to stare hard at Bronnah. “Chen are bounty hunters. They hunt for you to take you back.” Kai scarfs down another biscuit. “Very good hunters. Much badder than Rose lady, you go tomorrow!” Kai insists.
“How? Won’t they be looking for me, and where will I go? I have no papers.” Bronnah is beginning to panic. “I can’t go back!”
Aimee clutches her hand. “Let’s all calm down. First, I have already sent a telegram to my friend. We will wait for a response. No one knows you’re here. In the meantime, we will buy a train ticket for you. Papers are not required here.”
“Kai, you need to stay away from us.” Bronnah takes his hand, “I won’t have you endangering yourself anymore.” Kai frowns and looked at Aimee.
“Chen come!” he yells. “You must go!”
“I know you mean well, but I have nowhere to go, Kai. I just need a few more days.” Bronnah gathers her book.
“I promise first thing in the morning to buy a train ticket.” Aimee calms Kai and gives him a plate of biscuits to take home to his family. “Take this and go home, Kai.”
Kai takes the plate and turns reluctantly to the door. “Stay hidden. Chen are warriors. They hunt for the beautiful woman with silver hair and eyes like diamonds. You must go soon.” He slams out with his food
