Chapter 2

15 years later….

Monica stood leaning with her back against the wall in the dark alley. She stared up at the dark stormy sky, panting heavily she tried to catch her breath. That was the first time that she had been caught stealing, it was usually so easy but today something had been bothering her.

He had been stood on the other side of the road watching her, wearing an expression that Monica could not read. What had he been thinking? He was a strange looking man. With piercing eyes as blue as forget-me-nots and black matt hair. But the most intriguing thing about his appearance was the hook he had instead of a left hand. Why did he stare at her like that?

Monica stepped out of the alley and started to walk home. It was then that she saw him again standing on the edge of the road watching her. Who was he? He was beginning to freak her out. He had obviously seen her looking at him as he started to examine his hook in a casual sort of way that made Monica suspicious. Turning the corner quickly Monica almost ran home in her eagerness to get away from the strange man.

James watched his daughter from the other side of the road. She reminded him of her his Evelyn. She had the same Chocolate eyes, wavy hair and cheeks as red as roses but her hair was brown rather than sandy blond like Evelyn's had been. It was harder to hate her now. She wasn't a helpless baby any more she was stronger, and it was obvious she could look after herself. James liked her better that way. She had obviously inherited his talent for thievery as well. But the sight of him had obviously put her off. James liked it when he knew he had made an impression on someone like that. And maybe it would make it easier from him to tell her what he needed to.

Monica was walking down one of the dark dusty back alley's of London. She stared up at the sky it was dark and stormy, unlike this morning when the sky had been blue without a cloud in sight. It was if the sky was trying to tell her something. That something bad that was about to happen, something that would change her life forever.

Monica was making her way towards the room she rented. She had only been living there a few days and she was already struggling to pay the rent. She had managed to avoid the land lord for the last couple of days but she knew that she couldn't do it forever. Hopefully, just until she could scrape together enough money to pay it. It was better than living on the streets no matter what anyone said. Even though she still went hungry most nights.

As Monica went round the final coroner she saw him. The man that she had seen early today, leaning against her door as if he had every right to be there. The sight of him scared her a little. How did she know where she lived? But she didn't let the surprise show in her face. Instead she marched straight up to him.

"Can I help you?" Monica asked suspiciously.
"What's your name?" he asked in a harsh, rough voice.
"Lucy Smith," Monica replied inventing the name wildly without a second's hesitation. "Can I help you?" she asked again.
"Lucy," the man repeated as though trying the name out on his tongue. "Lucy."
Monica didn't like his expression or his tone of voice when he looked and talked at her as though he had mixed emotions, half of him seemed to want to strangle her and the other half embrace her. Pushing past him Monica unlocked the door to her flat and opened it. "Goodnight," she said before slamming the door in the man's face.

Monica stood with her back against the door breathing heavily. Who did he think he was? Monica was usually very good at reading people's emotions but with him it was harder. She could tell that he had grown used to having authority over people. But maybe it hadn't always been that way, she couldn't tell. All that she knew was that she didn't like him at all and she hoped that she would never have to see him again. Even though she knew deep down that there was obviously something that he wanted from her. She just wasn't completely sure what it was yet.

That night Monica couldn't sleep the face of the man haunted her dreams. She was used to nightmares they had haunted her regally at the orphanage and after she ran away they had haunted her almost every night. But this was different. She woke up screaming and sweating and not for the first time she wished to have someone to talk to, a parent or a sibling or even just a friend.

The next morning when Monica woke there was a sharp tapping on the door. Monica never got visitors and so she wandered who would be knocking on her door so early in the morning. Again, the image of the man with the hook flashed across the front of her mind but she shock it away. Hesitantly, she opened the door and there he was smiling at her like an image from her nightmares.

Hastily, Monica tried to shut the door again but he jammed it open with his foot. "May I come in?" he asked. Before Monica even had time to reply he had forcefully pushed the door open, entered the room and sat down in the old chair by the fire. "How about something to drink?" he said in a bossy manner as though he was used to getting what he asked for. Ignoring his request Monica sat down in the chair opposite him.
"What do you want from me? How did you know where I live? Why do you keep following me? Who are you?" Monica said demandingly staring straight into his eyes to prove that she was not afraid.
The man laughed. "One question at a time," he said. "You remind me so much of your mother."
"You knew my mother?" Monica said. "Where is she now? Why did she just leave me?"
Monica knew the answer even before she had asked the question, she had just hoped she would be wrong. She had dreamed of finding her parents for so long.
"She's dead. She died giving birth to you." James said. His eyes filled with great sadness as he said the words and suddenly Monica saw something. He hadn't just known her mother, he had loved her.
Monica's eyes grew wide with surprise. "Are you?..." she stuttered. "Are you my father?"
There was a long silence. Finally the man nodded slowly. "Yes," he said. "I am." For the first time in forever she did not know what to say so instead she just stared at the stranger in front of her. Her… father?

"I need to tell you something. You probably won't believe a word of it but I can prove that it is true. Just promise that you will listen in till the end." He said.
"I promise," Monica murmured…