by Holly Rayner
As she stood there, she remembered exactly what it had felt like when she first started using the fraudulent identity documents that Bobby had given her. Each time she presented them to someone, she felt consumed with guilt—as if she was a criminal. She knew that she was only doing what she had to do to stay safe, but still, it felt so wrong.
She recalled vividly the way it had felt to hand over her driver’s license, with the name Eva Sharpe printed on it, when she’d applied for her library card. The elderly librarian had examined the card so intently that Eva felt sure that at any moment, the woman was going to reach for the telephone at her right elbow and dial the police.
Of course, the woman had just been looking closely due to her own poor eyesight, but Eva hadn’t known that. She’d been so close to turning and fleeing when finally the woman looked up and said, “Eva Sharpe… now that’s a nice name, isn’t it? Sounds like a movie star. Are you an actress?”
Eva recalled how shaky she’d been as the librarian handed her ID back. She’d been so aware, for the first year of using her new identity, that she was living a lie. She’d been painfully aware that even one tiny mistake could land her in jail.
As the years passed, she’d become more confident in her new name. Maybe too confident, she thought, as a fresh wave of worry washed over her.
Eva was pulled away from her thoughts when she felt Dimitris’s hand on her shoulder. She flinched and pulled away.
“Eva, talk to me,” he said.
“You should have told me!” she said as she whirled around to face him. The fear that was gripping her made her tone more accusatory than she’d meant. She tried to soften it as she said. “I thought you wanted to be a citizen so that traveling would be easier. I had no idea…”
“Why does this change anything?” Dimitris asked, his confusion clear.
Eva couldn’t meet his eyes. Her heart pounded in her chest as she thought, Should I tell him about my father’s criminal activity? About my fraudulent identity?
Will he be angry?
This concern made her start pacing again.
Of course he’ll be angry! I already accepted sixty thousand dollars from him without being up front about my history. If the government catches on to the fact that I’ve provided fraudulent paperwork, he stands to lose, too. Our marriage could be scrutinized. There’s the possibility he’ll be denied citizenship, and his company will be out millions of dollars, by the sound of it.
She took a shaky breath.
I can’t tell him, she thought. I need to think this through. Maybe my paperwork will hold up. Maybe Bobby was wrong, and it’s even better than he thinks.
She turned around and eyed Dimitris. “I guess it’s upsetting that you’re going to such great lengths just for one contract,” she said. It wasn’t the whole truth, and she sensed that he picked up on that.
“Baby, I thought we decided last night that we’re not going to worry about the marriage paperwork. We have something real, here, that’s completely separate from all that.”
He stepped toward her. Her stomach felt slightly queasy. She wanted, more than anything, to be honest with him.
But she was too afraid of the consequences.
Things were going so well between them. What if I come clean and that ruins what we have? she thought.
“What’s on your mind?” he asked gently, as he approached her again. A strand of hair had fallen loose from her ponytail, and he carefully tucked it behind her ear as he gazed down at her. “I can tell you’re still upset. Talk to me, baby.”
She didn’t speak. She couldn’t. There was a lump in her throat that felt like it was the size of one of the muffins that sat, uneaten, on the counter.
Instead of talking, she let Dimitris pull her into him. She laid her cheek against his broad chest and listened to his heartbeat.
I’m such a hypocrite, she thought, as he began rubbing her back. The fabric of his T-shirt felt soft against her skin. I urged him to be vulnerable with me, but now I’m holding back from him.
Guilt tore at her insides, and she felt desperate to dissipate it.
In an attempt to distract herself from her mounting shame and guilt, she spoke. “Dimitris, if you only married me so that you could close on a sale, then is this whole thing temporary? We’ve never talked about that… about how many years it would last. You said you’d give me another sixty thousand after some time passes, but beyond that, what’s the plan?”
“After the deal goes through, we have three years before we can begin planning for a divorce,” he said. “But we don’t have to live together in the meantime. I don’t want to inconvenience you for longer than I have to.”
She pulled away from him. A righteous sense of anger started to replace her guilt, and it was a relief. She felt her cheeks flush with upset as she said, “And I wouldn’t want to inconvenience you for longer than necessary, either. I know it must be awful, being married to me.” Her tone twisted with sarcasm.
Dimitris looked puzzled, and she didn’t blame him. She knew she was acting irrationally.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked. “Our marriage on paperwork has nothing to do with our relationship, you know. I care about you, Eva.”
She stepped back even further. She could see in his eyes just how much emotion was behind his words. He really did care deeply about her, just as she cared about him. That made her feel even worse.
What have I done? she fretted.
She moved to the window and looked out to the sidewalk below. The sight of a black SUV with government plates on it made her stomach lurch. Were they government officials, here to take her in for questioning?
Don’t be paranoid, Eva, she told herself. This city is crawling with government cars. They could be here for countless reasons.
“I don’t understand what’s going on with you,” Dimitris said from his position by the couch. “I thought we were having a really nice morning, and now I feel like you want to pick a fight with me. Let’s just forget about the whole fake marriage, okay? Let’s go back to how things were last night.”
Her gaze still on the sidewalk, Eva heard footsteps as he crossed the room toward her. His voice was soothing and deep.
“Let’s just go back to the kitchen, sit down, and have our coffee and muffins,” he said. “None of this is important. We have each other, Eva, and that’s what matters.”
His hand rested on her shoulder. She felt his lips land, ever so softly, on the curve of flesh between her shoulder and neck.
She longed to relax into his touch, but she couldn’t. Every muscle in her body buzzed with wariness.
“Come on, baby,” he said. “Everything is okay. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“I’m okay,” she said softly.
The truth was, she was far from it. A nervous, jumpy energy had settled over her like an itchy sweater. Beneath it, she could feel her fear of causing problems for Dimitris, thanks to her own foolish lack of awareness with regards to her ID.
He ran his hands up and down her bare upper arms. “You sure?” he asked.
Of course not, she thought.
But instead of saying that, she nodded.
“Good,” he said. “Forget all about the contract. I’m ready to just put work aside for today. Let’s go do something fun.”
She followed him into the kitchen, where Dimitris sat, but she was still too anxious to do so. Her mind kept returning to the thought of the black SUV out at the curb. Yes, there were government cars like that all over the city, but she’d never actually seen one parked in front of her apartment complex.
I could get arrested, she thought to herself. She walked to the sink and grabbed the bowl that she’d washed earlier that morning. Though it was almost totally dry, she picked up a clean dishrag and started scrubbing at the few drops of water that remained.
“I was thinking about a walk in Meridian Hill Park, if you’re up for it,” Dimitris said. “Or, we could go back to the wharf. I know how you l
ike being by the water.”
A thump out in the apartment complex hallway made Eva jump. That must be the police, here to get me! she thought frantically.
There was the sound of another apartment’s door opening and then closing with a bang. Eva realized that the thump wasn’t the police after all, but just a neighbor making noises.
She became aware that Dimitris was waiting for her to respond to something he’d said.
“Hm?” she asked him.
“I just wondered what your thoughts were,” he said, before taking a bite of his muffin.
“Oh, um… I think that sounds nice.”
“The park or the wharf?” Dimitris said. “Or both? We could do both. And we’ll want to make our way over to your restaurant at some point.”
“Yeah… that sounds like a good day,” she said. The uneasy feeling in her stomach became more intense by the minute. To stay busy, she squatted down and placed the bowl on a low cabinet shelf.
A sharp rap on her door made her stomach drop.
She stood up on wobbly legs.
“Who’s that, do you think?” Dimitris asked, puzzled. “That’s some knock they’ve got.”
Eva felt so scared, she could barely breathe. “I don’t know,” she said in a whisper.
She moved toward the door and peered through the peephole as she reached for the doorknob. Two official-looking people, a man and a woman, stood on the other side.
Eva pulled her hand away from the doorknob as if she’d just been burned.
The urge to run coursed through her body, fight-or-flight instinct kicking in. Her primal brain told her to flee from whatever unpleasantness was about to occur, but her rational mind told her that was unwise.
She felt helpless and confused.
“Dimitris,” she said. “I haven’t been completely honest with you.”
He stood up. “What are you talking about, Eva?” he asked, his tone concerned. “Who is at the door? Is everything all right?”
A voice on the other side of the front door spoke up. “This is Agent Mackenzie with the FBI. Open up.”
“No,” Eva said softly to Dimitris, while shaking her head. She started to cry. “Everything is not all right.”
Another loud rap on the door sounded.
Eva closed her eyes and wished that by blocking out the sight of the room around her, she could make the whole situation disappear. Tears squeezed through her lids and poured out over her cheeks. She heard Dimitris walk to the door and open it up.
Chapter 16
Eva
Eva kept her eyes closed. She couldn’t bear to look at Dimitris’s expression as he opened the door. She was sure he was confused.
Of course he is, she thought. I’ve left him entirely in the dark. This is all my fault.
“Good morning,” she heard Dimitris say. “Can we help you?”
Eva opened her eyes and looked to the doorway.
“I’m Special Agent Lauren Mackenzie and this is my partner, Special Agent Phil Rogers,” the woman said, holding her badge up so that Dimitris could see it. “May we come in?”
“Can I ask what this is about?” Dimitris said. His tone was just as authoritative as the woman’s, if not more. “My wife and I are just in the middle of breakfast.”
“We’re here to speak to Eva Sharpe,” Agent Mackenzie said, “with regards to the marriage application she recently filed.”
“Is there a problem?” Dimitris demanded.
Eva opened her eyes and saw that he was standing in a way that blocked the doorway. He wasn’t backing up to let the agents in. Instead, he stood protectively in the doorway, barring their entry.
The second agent cleared his throat and then interjected. “We would like to speak to Eva,” he said. “Is she home? If she doesn’t want to talk in here, we could always take her in for questioning.”
“I don’t think so!” Dimitris blurted out. “You have no right to take her anywhere.”
Eva gulped. “Dimitris, we’d better let them in.”
He looked over at her, anger burning in his eyes. “Why? We’ve done nothing wrong, and I don’t see—”
“Dimitris,” Eva said quietly, interrupting him. “It’s me that they want to talk to.”
He looked at her with confusion.
She frowned. It looked like her past was going to be put on display, whether she liked it or not. She watched Dimitris search her face for clues. Then, still confused, he stepped aside.
Eva felt so weak. She moved to the couch and lowered herself onto it.
She was only vaguely aware that the officers were moving into the living room portion of the apartment with her. She saw them only as lurking forms who were going to ruin her future. Internally, her mind was spinning out of control.
This is bad, she thought. Really bad. What is going to happen to me now?
She knew very well that using forged identity paperwork was a felony. She’d spent many fearful nights bathed in the blue light of her computer screen, reading up on the penalties she could face if she was caught. She’d stopped that practice in recent years, but the research she’d done always stuck with her.
Because she’d used her fraudulent papers extensively, for years, she was fairly certain that she’d be convicted of a felony offense and would go to jail. That was bad enough, but even worse was the idea that the felony would remain on her record for life, haunting her. She would never be able to succeed as a gallery owner if she had a reputation as a convicted felon.
Look at me, she thought, as she sat, stooped-shouldered on the couch, avoiding the prying eyes of everyone in the room. I’ve become my father. I’m a criminal, just like him.
“Eva Sharpe,” Agent Mackenzie said. “We’d like to talk to you about your identity. Do you now, or have you ever, gone by the name of Eva Rhames?”
“Yes,” Eva said.
She heard Dimitris draw in a sharp inhale. The sudden sound caused her to instinctively look up at him, and for a brief, painful split second, they locked eyes.
In that fleeting second, Eva understood how betrayed Dimitris felt.
She broke eye contact quickly.
Dimitris spoke. “That’s not true, is it?” he said with a tone of certainty, as if he was confident he was right. Eva was sure that in his world, things like this simply didn’t happen.
This is what he gets for merging his world with mine, she thought. I don’t live a charmed life, like he does.
She didn’t answer him. Instead, she waited quietly while the female agent fired another question at her. “And have you been unlawfully using the alias Eva Sharpe for the past six years, to secure such things as employment, housing, financial assistance in the form of personal loans, and health and automobile insurance?”
“Don’t forget about the library card,” Eva said flatly. She meant it as a joke, but her tone was humorless, and no one laughed.
Her cheeks were damp with tears. She reached for a tissue from the box on the coffee table and worked at drying some of the salty residue.
It upset her that as she’d shifted forward to reach for the tissue, the male officer had tensed, clearly ready to tackle her if she tried to bolt. It occurred to her that he’d positioned himself between the couch and the front door, probably to ensure that she wouldn’t try to flee.
Is this what my life has come to? she thought. I have to be guarded like a criminal?
She let her hand that was holding the tissue fall to her lap, and she exhaled heavily. “Yes, that’s right. I used the name Eva Sharpe to do all those things you just mentioned.”
“Including filing for a marriage with Dimitris Atheos?” Agent Mackenzie asked.
Dimitris stepped forward. “Hold on a second,” he said. “I want a lawyer present before we talk about this any further.”
The two agents exchanged looks.
“Is that what you would like, Eva?” Agent Mackenzie asked.
Eva’s mouth went dry. She hated feeling like she was in the wrong. On
some level, she felt that admitting she needed a lawyer would be the same as admitting she was guilty.
“Wait,” she said. “Before we get to that, I have something to say. I only did all of this because I was trying to protect myself. You have to understand that.”
“We’ve uncovered several bank accounts connected to the name Eva Rhames, including multiple offshore accounts that are under investigation at this time with regards to an organized crime ring out of Long Island. What do you have to say about this?” Agent Mackenzie asked.
Eva felt her lower lip begin to tremble. The brief surge of hope she’d experienced diminished as quickly as it had come up.
This wasn’t just a conversation.
These agents were not on her side.
Of course they’re treating me like a criminal, she thought. They believe I am one.
The task of explaining the reasons for her behaviors, and making them see that she’d only done what she had to do to protect her life, suddenly felt insurmountable.
In their eyes, she was the villain.
Maybe that’s what I deserve, she thought.
Agent Mackenzie’s statement rang in Eva’s mind. If there were still accounts open in her name, that meant her father was still conducting illegal business with the help of her old identity. His specialty was money laundering.
In the eyes of the law, her name was attached to all of the illegal schemes and activities he was engaged in.
How would she prove she was innocent of all of that?
She wanted to at least try to explain, but she resisted the urge. Instead she pressed her lips together and stayed quiet, searching her mind for a solution.
None came.
Dimitris spoke up again. This time, he directed his comment at Eva, not at the officers.
“Tell me this isn’t true,” he said to her, his voice strong and determined. “They’ve made a mistake, right, Eva? They’re talking about some other woman. You don’t have any offshore accounts. You were barely making your rent when I met you.”