Golden Lies - Barbara Freethy [78]
"My mother," Ben said quickly, following her gaze. "She brings flowers and fruit every day. I tell her we have more than enough, but she won't stop. She wants to make sure we have good fortune in the New Year. Would you like a drink?"
"Absolutely," she said with a fervor that made him laugh.
"I take it that means alcoholic."
"If you have anything like that—wine, beer?"
"I'll get you some wine."
"Thanks." While he was getting her a drink, she looked around his apartment. The furniture was mostly old and comfortable. Nothing really matched, and it was clear that it was a male-dominated room, no traces of female sentiment anywhere in sight. Three tall bookcases overflowed with books, and she moved closer to take a look at the titles. "Have you read all of these?" she asked, taking the glass of wine from Ben's hand when he returned to the room.
"Most of them."
She pulled one out of the stack. "The History of Porcelain. That looks fascinating."
"It is, if you like porcelain." He tipped his head toward the couch. "Sit down. Tell me what you've been doing with your life since you moved away from Chinatown."
"Getting a college degree, a job, an apartment. I live in Noe Valley with three girls I went to school with," she said, taking a seat.
"Sounds good. I heard you graduated from Berkeley with a four-point GPA."
"Who told you that?"
"Someone in the neighborhood."
"I can't imagine how they'd know." She didn't keep in touch with any of the kids she'd grown up with, just a few of her cousins, and that was because they insisted on keeping up with her.
"How's your mother? I haven't seen her in a while." He sat down in a chair facing her.
"She's all right, I guess." Alyssa set her glass of wine on the coffee table between them. She had the sudden urge to tell Ben everything that had happened, which was unusual. She always kept her thoughts private. It was easy to keep quiet with her other friends, none of whom were Asian, because they wouldn't understand the way her family operated. But Ben wouldn't need long explanations. He'd seen firsthand how she and her mother had been treated by the rest of the Chen family.
"Alyssa?" His gentle voice called her back to the present.
"Sorry. I was just thinking."
"Want to talk about it?"
She looked into his kind eyes and knew she could trust him. "My mother might be in some trouble. David Hathaway brought that dragon statue to my mother's apartment the day he was assaulted. The police came to visit her. They asked all kinds of questions about where she was, and why he was there, and where he was going when he left. But she couldn't tell them anything, because she didn't know."
"Why would David Hathaway visit your mother?" Ben asked curiously.
"He purchased several of her paintings in the past."
"Right. I forgot about that. Is that how you know Paige?"
She hesitated, tempted to share it all, but in the end her guard came back up. "Yes."
"Now, tell me again why he took the dragon to your mother. Surely that didn't have anything to do with her painting?"
Damn, he was too smart. She should have remembered how quick his mind was. She cleared her throat, stalling. "Actually, my mother painted a dragon that looks exactly like the one he found. That's why he wanted to show it to her. And that's why I'm interested in finding out more about it. You said you'd research it for me. Did you find out anything?"
"Are you going to run out the door as soon as I give you my answer? I've worked very hard on dinner."
"Of course I won't run out the door. That would be rude."
"I did make Chinese food. Still sure you'll stay?"
"Yes," she said, seeing the challenge in his eyes. "I know you think I'm wrong to feel the way I do, but