Chapter 1

May 1983

London, England

The sun was shining extraordinarily bright on a Sunday afternoon as not a single cloud shrouded the clear sky. It was uncommon for England to experience beautiful weather such as today. In fact, Winnie couldn't last remember the day when the streets of London were basked in warm sunlight. The natural light illuminated the streets beautifully, casting soft shadows on tall buildings and trees. She couldn't help but to press her nose against the window of the cab, staring out into the distance as she whizzed down Epmond Lane.

The cab came to a gentle stop as she gathered her things from the seat beside her. Winnie slid her sunglasses down to her nose while stepping out onto the sidewalk. In her hand she held a brown paper bag containing her breakfast for the day. Late Sunday shoppers littered the streets as they darted in and out of each designer brand store. Tall women dared to balance their balance and shopping bags, while others tripped on the leashes of their accessory dogs. Winnie's eyes fell on a storefront that showcased a pair of stilettos with daring heights. She beamed from excitement upon seeing the rows of shoes that filled the store inside. She stuck her hand inside the paper bag and began to nibble on the croissant that she purchased earlier. As the sun blanketed her bare skin, Winnie made a beeline towards the fabulous retail giant.

"Argh," she mumbled as sharp pains began to shoot up her calves. With every step she took Winnie could feel an ache burrowing deep into her legs. She developed a slight limp after wearing her newly bought Clement Boissieu sandals. The shoes were limited edition, meaning she had to own a pair. But, the pair of heels were impractical for walking more than a furlong in. Luckily, she had left the city landscape and was now trudging along the groomed sidewalks of an upscale neighborhood. She even saw the roof of her apartment complex in the near distance.

The level of pain in her legs began to increase as she was nearing her home. The price tag on those shoes deterred her from slipping them off midway through her walk. She was also caught in a terrible memory of when she had to sit with a drunkard client who helped pay for such shoes.

"Is this worth it? Is this really worth it?"

She glanced down at the gold accents on her sandals.

"Worth it." She sighed.

"Ah, ah!" Winnie whined as she gently hopped the remaining steps to the gate of the building. Her feet were red with stress and she could feel a blister forming on her toes. She quickly inserted the key and pushed open the gate of the apartment compound.

"Oh!" She exclaimed in surprise. A familiar man from the night before stood standing in front of the glass doors of her building. She noticed him peering inside the empty lobby, looking for someone. Winnie recognized the man almost immediately. But he appeared to look less rugged than he did under the fluorescent light of the bar last night. He was an older gentleman, 10 or 15 years her senior. His tailored suit and expensive watch made him look more dapper in the sunlight, she thought.

"Levi! How may I be of your pleasure?" Winnie plastered on a delightful smile and strode towards him. He gave her a tight-lipped smile.

"You weren't returning my calls. I thought you might've been dead." He replied with thick sarcasm. Winnie felt uncomfortable by the direct confrontation. She hid her uneasy expression with a friendly laugh.

"I got home very late last night, as did you," she winked. "I woke up extremely late this morning, at a Godly hour, really. And all that sleep made my face look so puffy!" She rummaged around her bag, searching desperately for her keys. "So, I thought hey, I ought to treat myself to a rejuvenating blood facial!"

Levi eyed the playful girl suspiciously. He was deciding whether her excuse was plausible or not.

"I left you thirteen calls." He responded. Again, Winnie laughed.

"Yes!" She exclaimed. "I saw them all before I woke up. You see, I was starving by the time I woke up that focusing on what my breakfast would be was the only thing on my mind."

"You couldn't have made a simple good morning call?" He asked. It was then she realized that her decorated keychain sat on her kitchen counter upstairs. Winnie bit down on her bottom lip as she contemplated her next move.

"The lines were down!" She shouted desperately. Winnie had no intention to spend her day off with this client again. His inappropriate behaviour from the night prior left her feeling sour and exhausted. He drowned himself in alcohol while bragging about his insane fortune for five hours. Winnie stopped entertaining him after his third drink, she recalled. The night was unbearable, but he did pay her a significant amount for her time.

"I should make a call to London's telephone providers then," he muttered under his breath. Winnie could feel the sun beating down on her back as she remained helpless and trapped on the porch. It was obvious that Levi hadn't been with a call girl before.

"Doesn't this man understand boundaries?" She thought.

As much as she wanted to tell him wrong, she couldn't risk losing a prospective client like him. Not only did he agree to pay the base price, but he also offered a hefty bonus when the night ended.

"Right!" Winnie spoke. "I had a wonderful time with you last night and I do wish to see you again-" she continued as an unknown man nudged her from behind. Looking over her shoulder she noticed him turn a key into the door of the apartment. His long, curly locks fell in front of his face, covering any identifiable features. She did, however, observe the swirls of black art that covered his forearm and bicep. A portrait of a beautiful young woman adorned his left arm in red and black ink.

"Excuse me," he muttered as he nudged her again whilst opening the door. Before the glass screen could shut from behind him, Winnie wedged her leg to keep the partition open.

"It was lovely seeing you." Winnie stuttered as she slipped inside the lobby of the apartment. Levi jumped at the handle and held the door open for a moment more.

"When will I see you again?'

Winnie flashed him a dazzling smile. "You have my number." She said while slamming the door shut. Before Levi could protest, Winnie turned on her heel and dashed up a flight of concrete stairs.

"Hey!" Levi's muffled voice shouted from outside the door. "You said your line was down!"