Dead Love - By Wells, Linda Page 0,27

enticing, and provided them with all their needs, even bringing in a doctor if any became ill. Lee never saw any money; she just lived as the others did, from day to day, resting in the daylight, eating food that was provided, and waiting for the darkness to come to find out what was in store for them. Some of the girls were migrants, who had traveled to the city seeking better paying jobs but ended up doing the only job available. They were all young, barely in their teens, but that was the attraction. Men wanted these nubile exquisitely beautiful toys to pleasure them, and Lou E and Mick took great care of these delightful innocents.

Prostitution was a lucrative business in Shanghai and in many large Chinese cities. Though illegal, the government pretended it didn’t exist. The tourist trade flourished, and businessmen like Lou E and Mick added much to the economic growth of the city.

Lee was a favorite because of her delicate, sensual beauty and gentle nature. Mick, and especially Lou E, favored her and had become attached to her. She was fond of them, and as she grew older, they kept her only for the highest paying clients and themselves. At times, she thought of another life, a life she had heard about from the other girls. She had learned to read while at the orphanage and hoped that one day she would be able to experience more than the life in which she was imprisoned. One memory had remained, of a woman with outstretched arms, reaching for her, crying for her, and Lee wanted to see her again. There was another vague memory. She kept seeing an image, but it never clarified. Something was missing. She wanted to know the mysteries of her past life. The feelings of emptiness and loss were nearly unbearable.

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29

Suzy drove to her parents’ house, aware that her dad would be still be at the university. It was around 11:30 a.m., and she needed to speak privately to her mother. The investigation into the morning’s “event” had started, and she hoped her absence would go unnoticed, at least for a short while. It had taken her forty-five minutes to get from Edgewood to the prestige suburb of Newark, Delaware, where her parents lived. Suzy could only communicate with her mother in person. She was still exhausted from her sleepless night.

Rose Lin answered the door in chic beige slacks, white tailored blouse, a strand of pearls, and matching earrings. Suzy marveled at her mother’s exquisite beauty. She had Asian features, straight black hair, to her shoulders, and a youthful, slender figure. Suzy could see her own reflection in her mother’s face.

“Suzy, my beautiful daughter, what a delightful surprise. Please come in.” She hugged her daughter close. She held Suzy for a moment and then stepped back to look at her.

Rose Lin smiled and then asked, “Would you care for some tea?” Suzy followed her mother into the comfortable but modern kitchen.

“No thank you, mother, but please go ahead. No students today?” asked Suzy, grabbing a bottle of water from the refrigerator. She sat on one of the white French provincial style bar stools at the granite-topped center island.

“Several students cancelled, so I am free for the rest of the day.”

Suzy was glad and knew her father wouldn’t be home until dinnertime. He was completing the final paperwork due at the end of each semester. They would be free to speak. Suzy looked around at the warm kitchen, thinking of the happy memories she enjoyed, growing up in such a wonderful loving home with adoring parents. She loved the small circular glass kitchen table that fit perfectly in the nook of the bay window, where she and her parents had eaten most of their meals. It overlooked the beautiful garden, full of colorful flowers, already in full bloom. Suzy felt fortunate to have grown up in such a beautiful home with her two loving parents.

“How is Father?” asked Suzy.

He was ten years older than her mother, and Suzy was concerned about his health. It had been recently discovered that he had heart arrhythmia problems. He was under doctor’s care, on medication, and also had pacemaker. He was stable, but Suzy worried about him.

Her mother reassured Suzy, “He is doing just fine, my dear. No worries.”

“Does he have classes during the summer quarter?” asked Suzy.

“Yes, just two,” said Rose Lin, “but he feels well, and keeping busy helps maintain his positive attitude. As you know,