Two hours later, essentials purchased, including several pairs of the aforementioned ladies’ undergarments as well as a toothbrush, paste, and other womanly sundries, my mind was still on the knickers. A particular pair, in fact. Red lace and quite skimpy. Thin enough that I could easily rip them from Rebel’s body with my teeth.
“Maybe we should do this tomorrow.” She stifled a yawn after I suggested we run by her old apartment.
“If you’d like. On the other hand, I reckon it might be nice to have it done with.”
“I bet you could talk anyone into anything with that smooth English accent of yours.”
“I’ve no interest in talking anyone into anything. Other than you, of course.”
“And what, exactly, do you want to talk me into?”
I reached across the seat and took her hand in mine. “It’s more what I want to talk you out of.” I pulled up in front of the address Hammer had given me and tried my best to hide my dismay. Dreadful didn’t come close to describing the place Rebel used to call home.
“There it is!” she screeched, jumping out of the truck and running across the lawn. I got out and followed her to an empty parking lot, with the exception of a lone vehicle, which looked as though it hadn’t run in decades. By the time I caught up, Rebel was reaching under the wheel well.
“What are you doing?”
“Looking for this.” She smiled and held up a key.
I stepped back so she could unlock the door, but she didn’t. Instead, she went to the boot.
“Thank God,” I heard her murmur before I peeked around to see what gave her such relief. “He put it all in here. At least he didn’t throw it in the garbage.”
I stood back and watched as she ran her hand over the small amount of possessions as though they were the finest tr
easures in the universe. She picked up a framed photo and hugged it to her.
“Who is that?” I asked.
She held it out so I could see.
“Is that you and your mum?”
“Yes.” She studied the photo, running her fingertips over the image. “I was seven when this was taken.”
“Do you have any others?”
She sifted through the box and pulled out two more. In one she looked younger and in the other, much older. It didn’t look as though it was taken that long ago.
“When was this?” I asked, peering over her shoulder.
“I was eighteen.” Rebel shook her head. “It feels like a lifetime ago.”
I knew from the dossier I’d asked Decker to put together that Lucy “Rebel” Marks was twenty-four years of age, yet she considered six years a lifetime. Lord knew what struggles she’d endured in that time.
I’d looked away, and when I turned back and my eyes met hers, all I could think was that I didn’t want this precious girl to have to endure a minute more of hardship. I couldn’t explain why, given that prior to now, all I’d thought about was getting her starkers. Maybe it was because after my parents died, I’d felt as alone as she must be feeling. I had Lennox, though. Rebel didn’t have anyone. When Hammer was questioning her, she’d said that Possum killed her mother. Odd that there wasn’t anything in the dossier about her mother’s death. It was something I’d follow up with Decker about.
“Why are you being so nice to me?” she asked, barely above a whisper.
“I promised you a story, didn’t I?”
She nodded.
“First, what shall we do with…this?” I waved my hand at her car.
“Susan.”
“What?”