"We were at Romulus, this club in New York. She was there for some fashion show, I was enjoying a night out with my buddies, trying to chat up some girls. She walked into the room, all smoky eyes and unruly dark hair. She was wearing a gold dress, and she was beautiful. Yeah, I know Heidi's a model but there was just something about her... I couldn't stop thinking about her, couldn't keep my eyes off her. She caught me staring at the bar. I offered to buy her a drink, but some big, sweaty Mexican guy came up. Told me to go away, because I wasn't wanted there. I turned around, started to back off, but then I heard her. She had the most soothing voice. And she told him to leave her alone, said they were through. I turned back, asked if she and her friends would like to sit with us. She smiled, nodded, called over her friends. We bought them all drinks, we talked, we laughed. We exchanged numbers. I lost her number though, I hadn't saved the contact on my phone.

About a week later, I saw just as I was getting the taxi to the airport. Apparently, she'd been looking for me. Turned out, she'd lost my number too! Can you imagine? I asked if she would like to come away with me, and she agreed. Next thing you know, I was in love. I'd been in love before. My first wife, Sara, I loved; very dearly. We had a little girl, Alice, but... one day they were driving home from playgroup. Saw a deer in the road, swerved, ended up in a ditch. Alice was only two. Sara, she... she held on, for longer. I met her at the hospital, I couldn't bring myself to tell her Alice was gone. I think she knew though. Mothers have a way. Sara told me she loved me, that she wanted me to be happy. I didn't realise until I met Heidi what she truly meant. She wanted me to fall in love again, and to not feel guilty for doing so.

After six months, I knew she was the one for me. We had a party, for her birthday, I brought her cake. She loved cake, even being a model. She had vanilla and cherry, with butterscotch icing; her favourite. She closed her eyes when she blew out the candles, she always does. When she opened them I was down on one knee, ring box in my hands. The look on her face, its something I'll cherish forever. She said yes, of course. That was eight months ago." John Harris-Claude finished, though his story wasn't complete. We were just getting to the juicy bit.

He tried clearing his throat, started coughing again. I handed him the glass of ice water, watched him hold it with trembling hands. There were tears in his eyes. Poor man, I thought. Lost his wife and daughter. I try to put myself in his shoes, without Logan and the baby, and I'm surprised by the crippling pain I feel. An epic love taken away by the cruel hand of death. I prayed it didn't happen to me. I prayed that, whatever happened, John Harris-Claude's story would have a happy ending.

I noticed Mac then, eyes misty, trying to hide it from me. She pushed back her hair, checked over the notes she'd made, then looked back up. Mr Harris-Claude had drained the glass, and looked ready to continue. He handed the glass back to me, and I put it on the table, before reaching out and holding his hand. I don't know why, I just wanted him to know, he wasn't alone.

"I didn't notice it at first, not really. But then there were little things, things that only I knew, that were different. This was about two months ago. Honestly, I'm still not sure what was going on, just that something wasn't right. It was Heidi, and yet, it wasn't her, there was just... something different. I thought it might be pre wedding jitters, or something, I don't know.

Then I caught her having sex in our bed. With someone else. A boy. He couldn't have been much older than twenty, Mexican, nervous. Really enjoyed himself, that was, until he saw me in the doorway. Couldn't get out the room fast enough, that kid. Was stumbling out the house still with his pants down his ankles. I remember I was... angry. Upset. Betrayed. She was smiling, and she was trying to act as if nothing had happened. She just walked out the room.

Next day at work, a friend of mine called round, we had a catch up over coffee. He told me all about his new wife, how demanding she was, how he still loved her. I kept wanting to mention it, to get his reaction. I didn't know what to do. I mean, sure, she'd cheated on me. But I still loved Heidi. Couple days later, we talked, I wanted to know why. She didn't answer, just gave me this knowing look. I knew then it wasn't, couldn't be her. Not my Heidi." John Harris-Claude stopped, and I was still as unsure as ever. The kid he described was Ralph Maccio, I knew it. There was no other explanation for how he was invovled. I'd have Mac follow up at Elysium Escorts later, but for now, there was something I needed to know. "Mr Harris-Claude, what is so special about these shoes?" I asked, showing a picture Heidi Holliday had given me, something I'd forgotten about until this morning, when I stopped off at the office to get the file before Nevada. God, that seemed to be days ago. My stomach surprised me by rumbling, and I couldn't remember when I'd last eaten. As soon as this was over, I was heading to a diner and eating all I wanted. If I couldn't have hard liquor, I'd have food, and I had a feeling I would need it after this conversation.

"The shoes, I got mad. Heidi came home that day, asked if I had missed her. Missed her? I'd seen her this morning. Damn, she was acting strange. She didn't know what I was talking about, we got in an argument. I didn't mean to hit her, it's just... she acted as if she'd never cheated on me! She was only defending herself, Ms Mars," John Harris-Claude said, still protecting his betraying fiancée. Guess he really did still love her.

"She didn't mean to, but the shoes. A gift, from Barnabus Avalos. Fancy, bit too much for my taste, but she loved them. She'd brought a display case for them, said they were too beautiful to wear. She'd got the case the other day, had been about to put them away. The shoes, they were just sitting there, on the table. I was sipping coffee, though I think I spilled it. She grabbed them, the shoes, she hit me with them. There was blood... and... I... I blacked out. I think she hit me, once, twice. I hit her back, with my bare hands. We fought, it got messy. But I remember, the heel of the shoe coming down on my head and then... I woke up, and I was tied to a chair.

There was a man, couldn't see his face, just his green snake eyes. He beat me, lots. Then, there was a woman. She didn't hurt me, at least not physically. But when she spoke, she had that same soothing, seductive voice that Heidi had. She was playing with my mind! The rest of the time was a bit of a blur, not really knowing much. Until you came. You saved me." he said, smiling weakly. I took my hand away, brushed my hair behind my ears.

John Harris-Claude was a tired man. I sensed he had finished, his story been told. He rolled over, eyes drifting shut. Mac stopped the recorder, looked over her notes. I grabbed my bag, got up, and exited the room, Mac following closely behind. We said goodbye to Dr Billing, then headed out the doors.