Big Ben (See No Evil Trilogy #1) - Nana Malone Page 0,39
on my face before leaving the dark, dank loo and returning to the bar. I found an empty high table to the side and went about pretending everything was just peachy. I finally thought I had my breathing under control, and then Ben leaned over. “Everyone’s getting ready to go. You and I, we’re going to stay and have a little chat.”
“But I wanted to finish the tour.” I glowered at him mutinously.
“They only have one more stop left anyway, and it’s not important. I think you and I can stay here. You did what you needed to do for your mom, didn’t you?”
He was right. I had done what I needed to do. Before she died, she’d made me promise to spread her ashes doing the things that she loved. I’d made arrangements to do this tour since it was her favorite. She also loved riding a helicopter over the Thames and Kew Gardens where she and Dad had their first date, so I had the idea to spread her ashes along every one of her favorite routes. And then, of course, Paris. Paris had been her favorite city. It would take me a while, but I figured if I could do the first few with someone, I wouldn’t feel nearly so alone.
You were supposed to do them with Dexter.
I swallowed that down. I didn’t really have time to deal with my Dexter bullshit at the moment. Not when someone had tried to kill us on the street.
Everyone said goodbye. Some phone numbers were exchanged among people who wanted to hang out and do crime types of things together, which was really an odd hobby when I thought about it. But these were my mother’s people. So, if I ever wanted to remember her, or needed to feel the essence of her, talking to them would be good for me.
Once everyone was gone, Ben turned to me. “Now would be a damn good time to start talking.”
“There is no need to swear at me.”
“Coming from the same woman who just shouted ‘not fucking today’ at a would-be attacker?”
I flushed. “Well, it was appropriate at the time.”
“Hell yeah, it was appropriate. I’m not mad about it. I’m just saying now is a hell of a time to become a pussy.”
“I’m just feeling a little high-strung at the moment.”
He sighed. “Okay, breathe. Just relax. But we do need to talk about what’s going on. Like who you really are.”
I frowned at him. “What? Who I am? This all has to do with you. I never knew a single moment of adventure, or craziness, or hell, even whimsy until you turned up.”
“Says the woman who drags me on a Jack the Ripper tour.”
“For my mother!”
His gaze narrowed at me as his eyes searched mine. “You see, that’s the thing. You seem believable, but are you?”
“Why am I still here?”
I managed to stand up, but then one of his big palms totally encapsulated my hand. “Stay put. First of all, I don’t know who they were. And we’re still far too close to that alley for me to let you out of my sight. I will see that you get home in one piece.”
“Thank you very much, but I don’t need your help.” I tugged my hand free.
“Were you going to tell me that you were mugged?”
I sputtered, “Why is that even relevant?”
“Well, in and of itself, it wouldn’t have been relevant, but considering armed men wanted something from you today, I’d say it’s probably related.”
My voice shook. “It probably is related… to you and that flash drive. I’m not exciting. Up until a couple of days ago, I was an executive assistant for Kennedy. I have a perfectly normal, boring boyfriend. A night out for me involves one glass of wine. If I’m really feeling crazy, maybe two. Hell, I haven’t even had that many sexual partners. Really. There was the guy before Dex, and then there was Dex. Other than that, I’m as boring as they come. I pay my taxes on time. I meditate because I’m told it’s good for me. I work out for the same reason. I have one really good best friend and a boyfriend who mostly doesn’t even know I exist.”
His brows lifted. “We’re going to talk about that boyfriend but later. Right now, walk me through it. When your purse was stolen, did they say anything? Did they do anything?”
“No. I was walking home from the tube the night of the fundraiser. I had taken