Page 85 of Sins of the Father

He points to the flashing sign. It reads,Something Different.

“Are you a performer?”

“Yes.”

“That’s cool. You look like a black Marilyn Monroe, by the way.”

He smiles. “You just said the right thing, darling.”

I sniffle. “I did?”

“Well, you made my night. Come on, let’s go inside. You shouldn’t be out in this neighborhood.”

He leads me inside, past the security guard. The room is full of round tables. It’s dark, and a small stage has a microphone sitting on a stand.

A lady sits at the bar. She has on a red pencil skirt suit and reddish-brown hair.

“Dawn, this is...” He turns back to me. “What’s your name, sugar?”

“Harper.” I stick out my hand.

“I’m Marilyn on stage, but Cody in real life. This is Dawn.”

“Nice to meet you. Thank you again for helping me.”

“Sure. Dawn, Harper is lost. Someone stole her bag, and she left her phone in the pawnshop next door. She’s from out of town and staying somewhere in the downtown area but not sure where.”

She raises her eyebrows. “I see. Tell me what you remember about where you’re staying.”

I give her all the details then say, “I’m watching my niece Hope while my brother and his wife are on their honeymoon. I dropped her off with my friend Vivian, and she’s probably freaking out. I’m sure Chase will kill me, too,” I add.

Her face lights up. “Vivian and Chase Monroe?”

“Yes, do you know them?”

“Sure do.” She pulls out her phone and hits a button then hands me the phone.

Vivian’s voice comes through the phone. “Dawn, I can’t really—”

“It’s me, Harper.”

“Harper, where are you? We’re all worried sick.”

“I’m sorry. It’s a long story.”

“Where are you?”

“At a bar called Something Different.”

“Something Different? That’s on the southside of town in a horrible neighborhood. How did you get there?”

“It’s a long story, but my purse got stolen, and I left my phone in the pawnshop,” I blurt out.

“Pawnshop? Why were you in a pawnshop?”

My gut drops as I realize what I just disclosed. “Can you—”

“Harper, are you okay?” Steven’s voice booms in my ear.

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