Eve - Iris Johansen [16]
“Thanks for giving me my chance with him.” Teresa’s gaze was on John moving across the street toward his Chevy. “Damn, he’s sexy. Will you look at that tight butt?”
Eve automatically glanced at John, then hastily averted her eyes. She didn’t need Teresa drawing her attention to anything about him. “Did you make any progress?”
“Maybe. I gave him my telephone number.” She was still staring at him as he got in the car. “Of course, he wouldn’t make a move on me since he was here to see you. He said he’d wait outside for you.”
“Why don’t you go out to the car and talk to him? It’s eleven now. Clock out, and I’ll finish your side work.”
Teresa’s brows rose. “Are you kidding? Are you trying to get rid of him?”
“Yes.”
Teresa stared at her in disbelief. “You’ve got to be crazy. I knew the minute I saw him that he was a good time walking. He could give a girl a really good ride.”
“Then go have your good time.” Eve didn’t look at her as she finished filling the pepper. “Like you said, I’m too serious for him.”
“Well, I’m not.” Teresa clocked out and was heading for the door. “Thanks, Eve.”
Eve put the cap on the shaker. Don’t look out the window and see whether Teresa had been welcomed by John. Of course, she would be. She was pretty and sexy and very willing. Eve had done the right thing. Soon she wouldn’t have to worry about—
“Eve.” It was Mr. Kimble, frowning as he called her from the kitchen. “Phone call for you. It’s your mother. I’ve told you all that there are rules about receiving calls here unless it is an emergency.”
“Sorry.” She moved quickly toward the phone on the wall. “You know I’ve never gotten one before, Mr. Kimble. There must be some mistake.”
He turned away. “See that it doesn’t happen again.”
“Yes, sir.” She picked up the phone. “Sandra, I can’t talk now. Why did you call me here?”
“He hurt me.” Sandra was sobbing. “I thought Jimmy was such a nice man. We had such a good time. But he hurt me. I’m bleeding, Eve.”
Bleeding?
Eve stiffened. “How did he hurt you, Sandra?”
“He slapped me and cut my lip. And then he punched me in the stomach. Why would he hurt me like that? It wasn’t as if I wasn’t going to let him—but a woman has to be treated with respect.”
“Where are you?”
“A hotel room at the Marriott.”
“Is he still there?”
“No, he said he was going to go out and find a dealer and score some heroin. He said I needed to be sweetened up a little.” She paused. “I’m scared of heroin, Eve. I take other stuff, but I’m scared of heroin.”
“Sandra, why are you calling me? Why don’t you just walk out of there?”
“He locked the door from the outside.”
“How did he do that? Never mind. Call downstairs to the front desk and have them send someone up to let you out.”
“I can’t do that. That would make a fuss, and those security people would be on the lookout for me if I ever came back into the hotel.”
“Then don’t go back.”
“That would be … awkward. There are a lot of nice little get-togethers at these hotels. It would be easier if you just came and got me out.”
“And how am I supposed to do that?”
“How do I know?” Sandra was crying again. “You’re smart. You’re always thinking. Think of a way to get me out of here before he comes back. I don’t like to be hurt. I don’t want to take that heroin, but if he says he’s going to hurt me … Fix it. You owe me, Eve. Find a way to help me.”
Anger and fear were racing through Eve, and she tried to suppress both so that she could think. All Sandra had to do was call the front desk, but she wasn’t about to do it. Typical. She’d rather take a chance on everything working out so that she could have it all.
“I really am bleeding, Eve,” Sandra said. “He didn’t care. He’s not a nice man.”
And if Sandra didn’t get out of there, she was going to risk either a brutal beating or an overdose. “How long has he been gone?”
“I don’t know … it seems