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“What makes you think it’s not Venus?”
“No one there has ever heard of Venus Prada. And no one with that name matches your photos. Care to explain that to me?”
I heard a low growl. “Why can’t you just mind your own business.”
“Do you want me to protect your daughter?” I asked.
“Of course I do. But all this was done in order to protect her. All you are doing is messing up everything. All these years we had no issues. I was Venus and she was MaKayla. We were happy. Why do you have to ruin it all?”
Was MaKayla? That isn’t her real name either?
“I told you that I need the entire truth. Do you want MaKayla to learn that it isn’t her real name from someone else?” I questioned.
“I don’t want her to know that at all. It’s a good name.”
“I have friends who can dig into your documents and see if you are really here legally. Do you want me to go that avenue?” More threats. God, this woman must hate my guts. I didn’t blame her. I just wish it wasn’t MaKayla’s mother that despised me.
“No. I would prefer that this stays between us. Not that I believe it will.” I didn’t answer her, and she closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she said, “Lenia. My name is Lenia.” She shook her head. “I haven’t said that name in twenty-four years.”
I did the math, and it wasn’t adding up. “MaKayla is twenty-five.”
“Yes. I know how old my child is.”
“Was she born in Tabiq?” I asked. Lenia nodded. “How old was she when you left?”
“She had just turned one. The cutest little girl I ever saw. She has her father’s curls and his eyes too. But the rest is all me.”
I hated to push but I needed to know. “What was her birth name?”
“Mychelle. I named her after Michael.”
“You told me that you hardly knew him. That you didn’t know his last name. Yet you cared enough about him to name her after him? Why is it I believe you’re lying to me.”
“Because his family is rich and powerful, and I won’t be able to hide from them twice,” she replied. “You don’t know the pain his father put him through. He’d been abused all his life, and for all I know he still is. Michael did everything he could to protect us from becoming victims of his father. If Michael couldn’t stop him, what makes you think you can?”
“Because it’s my job to. I’ve dealt with some really fucked up individuals. I can handle myself.”
“And protect my daughter at the same time?” she asked. I nodded. She added, “Morse. His name is Michael Morse.”
The name didn’t sound familiar to me, but at least I had one to give to Brian. “What about your family? Have you ever heard from them?” I asked.
“No. They don’t know where I am.”
“Did you leave them a note telling them that you were okay?” I asked.
She shook her head. “I wish I could tell you that a woman disappearing in Tabiq was a rare occurrence. But it wasn’t. You do not want to be a woman there. Your life is only worth what they can get for it. I have cousins who have gone through the same as me. One had a child with the man, and he took the child, leaving her to suffer, never knowing what happened to him. So you see, being able to leave was a blessing. My daughter didn’t have to fear the day she turned eighteen. Instead, she lives a carefree life. Why would I ever want her to know anything about that place?”
“Lenia, when was the last time you researched Tabiq?” I asked.
“I told you, I left and never looked back.”
“I think it is time you do. A lot has changed since you were there. I’m not telling you that everything is perfect, but from what I have seen and heard, those horrible things no longer exist. It’s a different Tabiq.”
“Tabiq may have changed, but the memories don’t. I can’t picture it ever being a place where people are happy. Women will always be nothing more than a commodity there.”
I pulled out my phone and searched for their website. When I got the photo I wanted, I turned my phone towards Lenia. She looked at it.
“Who is that?” she asked.
