Eve - Iris Johansen [18]
“She said 2012. But no, I’m not sure. I’m never sure with Sandra. What are you doing?”
“Picking the lock.”
“Something your uncle taught you?”
“No, something I learned when I was running with a gang when I was fourteen. I told you I wasn’t a good guy.” He frowned. “Oh, that’s how he did it.” He pulled on the knob, and it came off in his hand. “He smashed the knob off.” His gaze narrowed on the lock and then he took out his pocketknife and started to work on the tumblers. “And then he stuck in something metal to jam the lock and put the knob back. I don’t think this is the first time that he did something like this. Your mom should be more careful with her friends.” He worked for a minute and straightened. “That should do it.” He pushed and the door swung open. “There we go.”
“Sandra?” Eve pushed ahead of John into the room. “It’s Eve. Are you—”
“Eve!” Sandra came running out of the bathroom. Her hair was mussed, her pink dress torn, her face bruised and washed clean of makeup. “I knew you’d find a way, honey.” She gave Eve a hug. “It’s been positively terrible for me. Men like him should be arrested.”
“Then stay away from men like him.” Eve pushed her back and looked at her. Yeah, she was definitely on something, but Eve didn’t know how deep. Deep enough for her not to realize that she’d been beaten worse than she’d thought. Four bruises marked her fair skin, she had a black eye, and her lip was cut. “He worked you over, Sandra.”
“I told you he wasn’t nice to me.” She lifted her hand to her lips. “See my cut? He didn’t have to do that.” Her gaze wandered to John Gallo. “Who is this, honey?”
“John Gallo,” John said. “I’m a friend of Eve’s.” He looked around the room. “We should get out of here. Do you have anything you need to take with you?”
“My purse.” She gestured vaguely. “On the bed.” She was studying John as he got her purse and handed it to her. “What a good-looking young man. Have you been keeping him from me, Eve? And he’s so polite. I wouldn’t mind you having a young man like him. A woman needs a man to take care of her needs. You’ve never seemed to understand that.”
“We have to go, Sandra.” She took Sandra’s elbow and pushed her toward the door. “Try to walk straight. When we get to the lobby, you have to move fast if you don’t want to attract attention.”
She nodded. “Mustn’t do that. Hotel people are so suspicious…” She looked back at them over her shoulder. “How did you get in the door? I didn’t ask—”
“What’s this?” A big, muscular man in a tan sport coat was standing in the doorway. “Where do you think you’re going, Sandra?”
She stopped. “Hello, Jimmy.” She moistened her lips. “I’m going now.”
“The hell you are. You promised me a party.”
“Party’s over.” Eve took Sandra’s arm and pushed her forward. “And parties don’t usually start with assault and battery. She’s leaving.”
“This is my daughter, Eve,” Sandra said. “And she’s right, you didn’t treat me right. I didn’t like you—”
The man she’d called Jimmy grabbed Eve’s arm as she passed with Sandra. “You can stay. I’ve never had a mother and daughter together before. But you don’t take her anywhere.”
“Yes, she does.” John was suddenly between them. He grabbed the hand that was grasping Eve’s arm. His thumb was pressing into Jimmy’s wrist. “Let her go.”
Jimmy gasped with pain, his hand releasing Eve’s arm.
“Get your mother out of here,” John said. “I’ll be right with you.”
Eve grabbed Sandra’s arm and hustled her out of the room and down the hall.
“Should we leave him?” Sandra asked. “I don’t want Jimmy to—”
“I don’t think you have to worry about John Gallo.” Eve punched the elevator button. But she didn’t like the idea of leaving him, either. The situation was her responsibility. When the elevator door opened, she pushed Sandra inside and hit the lobby button. “Go outside and get in the tan Chevy at the far end of the driveway.”
“But I want you to come with—” The door closed