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“I was born in South Africa and I lived there until I was ten,” she said.
“And then what?” Jack asked.
She stared at Jack for several seconds without responding. “I’ve not spoken of my family in a very long time. It was best I forgot them altogether.”
“Your file says your parents were killed in a car crash when you were fifteen,” Jack said.
“David gave me my past,” she said. “He told me it would be easier if I thought of them as dead.”
“You could find them now,” Jack said. “We could help you track them down.”
Her expression was stoic, her gaze empty of all emotion. “They would not want me after the life I’ve lived. It is better to start over.”
“When was the last time you saw them?” he asked.
“I suppose it doesn’t matter if I speak of them now,” she said. “There is no one here to care.” She crossed her legs and rattled the ice in her glass once more. “We went on family holiday to St. Petersburg one summer and that was the last time I saw them. My parents. My two brothers. My father was in shipping. We took nice trips every year. One moment I was at the museum playing hide and go seek with my brothers, and I hid behind a suit of armor. And the next moment there is just darkness.”
“When did you meet David Sowers?”
“I was fifteen,” she said. “I thought he was my knight in shining armor.” She shrugged. “Maybe he was. I know there are much worse fates than the life I’ve lived. I was living in a home with thirty other girls. It was hard not to be flattered that he chose me. But he was a troubled man.”
“Troubled enough that someone wanted him dead,” Jack said.
“It does not surprise me,” she said. “I’m sure there are many who would have taken pleasure in it.”
“The truth is going to come out about him,” Jack said. “About what he did to you. And the others. There are other girls like you.”
She nodded. “I know. I do not know them personally, but I have overheard conversations. They are just children. Like I was.”
“He was a bad man,” Jack said. “And you were a victim. None of this was your fault.”
“I’m glad he’s dead,” she said, looking away. “That is a terrible thing to say. I have a good life. I have this house. Everything I need. And he leaves me alone. I am…”
“Too old?” Jack finished for her.
She nodded, looking relieved that he understood. “Yes. We have been married twelve years. He hasn’t touched me in ten.”
“You have no children?” Jack asked.
Grief etched the lines of her face. “No,” she said. “He never wanted children. His career always came first, even with his first wife.”
“I noticed during the autopsy that he had a prosthetic testicle,” I said. “Do you know the cause?”
She closed her eyes and her cheeks flushed in embarrassment. “He was drunk,” she said. “And he fell down the stairs and somehow the pen in his pocket…” she made a motion with her hand and we got the gist of what she was trying to say. I could almost feel Jack’s wince.
“Did you know his first wife?” I asked.
“No,” she said. “Only from photographs. He enrolled me in a finishing school in London after he chose me. He told me I needed to be able to speak to diplomats and other important people, and I had an aptitude for academia. I learned very quickly. I believe he saw me as an asset and that’s why he chose me.”
“No one ever asked questions about your age or your circumstances?” I asked her.
“No,” she said. “I had forged papers while we were in London, and David was listed as my legal guardian. He called me his daughter. For some reason, that designation made what we were doing seem all the more exciting to him.”
She shuddered lightly and looked down at her drink, realizing it was empty. She moved back to the bar for a refill.
“He spoke of his wife from time to time and his business partners. I knew he was a successful attorney. He would bring clients to the house in London and give me to them as a welcome gift. I was to always do what the client wanted.” She shrugged, as if it were just a way of life. “I was beaten on many occasions. But once I was beaten so badly I wanted to die. David was angry with me because I fought back. I wasn’t supposed to fight back. I clawed at the man’s face and left marks. When he was finished he left and David came in with a knife. I was still bloody and lying on the floor. He held the tip of the knife at my eye and told me if I ever displeased him like that again then I’d only wish I was dead. I believed him.”
“How old were you?” I asked.
