PULP & POPCORN

Page 21
“Family heirlooms and the big bad wolf that made off with them,” David replied.
“What sort of heirlooms, Miss Jean?”
She took her time lighting a cigarette as she responded. “My family is not wealthy.
Our most precious possessions are certain items my great grandmother owned. Valuable in a
material sense, if someone were to take them apart and sell the individual jewels.” She
smoked angrily for a moment, working up to it. “I still have trouble admitting this next
part.”
Felix could see how wound up she was. “I’m not here to judge you. I’m sorry if I
seemed flip before. Really.”
She stubbed out her cigarette and let go of some of the anger. “I have not had luck
with men. Maybe that’s why I responded to the name of your firm.” She laughed, a flat,
mirthless sound. “I could use some luck. My mother was sick for many years. From the time
I was thirteen, most of my waking hours were spent helping her or taking care of my father
and my brothers. No coming out party, no suitors. I was fine with that.”
Anjelica removed a small framed photo from her handbag. “One of my brothers
brought him home for dinner. He started calling on me, sending me small gifts.” She handed
the photo over to him, and he considered it. A decent-looking guy who somehow looked
vaguely wet. “That’s Richard Maruf. He’s not the sort of man most women would look at
twice, but the attention…”
Steeling herself, she took a small envelope out of her bag and handed that to Felix as
well. “He seduced me,” she said, in a small quiet voice.
Felix opened the envelope and took out a letter. He wasn’t shocked by the language
of it. He could only imagine what she must have thought when she read it the first time. He
handed it back without comment, knowing that if he joked about it at all, he would lose her.
“He made you happy,” he said.
“For one night. Yes.” She couldn’t look at either of them as she continued. “I read
what he wrote, and I wanted that. For once. It was my turn, and I went to him, and it was
animal.”
“Where did this grand night of passion take place?” Felix asked.