“Also the first person to commit sin.”
“She’s aware of that fact.”
“Yet she doesn’t know how she picked up her knowledge of the Bible?”
“No. Just that she knows it in the same way she knows how to work a calculator or read a book. She says that was why she came to my class in the first place-to hear me speak on Jewish laws and customs. She felt it might trigger something.”
“And?”
“Nothing. The Jewish rituals are foreign to her.” Rina turned over on her side to face him. “My guess? She had some kind of religious upbringing, like a churchgoing family.”
“A college-educated person with a religious upbringing,” Decker said. “But you don’t think she’s Jewish, because although she knows Bible, Jewish customs are alien to her.”
“Exactly.”
“So if she isn’t Jewish, what religion is she?”
“My first thought was Catholic. But I think that most Catholics are taught more catechism than Bible.” She looked at Decker for some kind of confirmation.
He said, “Beats me.”
She sighed. “I’d say that she could have been raised as a fundamentalist Christian, maybe Baptist or Evangelical.”
“Amish?”
Rina thought for a moment, then said, “She seems too worldly.”
Decker nodded. “And she came to you for help… to find out who she is?”
“Someone must have told her that my husband is a police detective. Maybe she figured I was in a position to help.”
“So why didn’t she go directly to the police?”
“I told you, Pete-she’s scared.”
Decker rubbed his jaw. “On the professional side, it’s a snap to plug the name ‘Eve Miller’ into the Missing Persons Network.”
“A good place to start.”
“You think so?” Decker smiled at his wife in the dark. Rina was anxious to help, but there was always a flip side to do-gooding. “You know, once I start this process, I’m going to find out things. Does she know she may learn information that could be very disturbing to her? Does she know that once the facts are out in the open, she can’t take them back? And do you know that you may get blamed for everything if this turns into a mess?”
Rina took in his words. “Why don’t you talk to her?”
“How did I know that was coming?”
“Because you’re prescient,” Rina answered. “Just hear her story. Then you can make an informed decision.”
“Suddenly you’re out of the picture?”
“I’ll bring her in.”
“You bet you’ll bring her in. And I’d like you to stay during the interview.”
“Don’t you think it would be better if you talked to her in private? You’d probably get more out of her.”
“Rina, the woman is disturbed, possibly a nutcase.”
“I don’t think so.”
Decker shook his head. His wife was so naive. “I’ll need a witness during the interview. Tag, you’re it.”
“It wasn’t like I woke up one day and didn’t know who I was. It was more… gradual.”
Silence.
Decker nodded encouragingly. “Go on.”
Eve wrinkled her brow. “It was like I was returning from a deep sleep. Things drifting in and out, then slowly coming into focus. I found myself in a strange apartment.” She looked down and took in a deep breath. “I must have ordered lots of take-out food, because there were empty pizza boxes, Chinese-food cartons, empty McDonald’s wrappers.”
Eve was pale, and her hands were shaking. Rina took her hand. “You’re doing great,” she said. The young woman gave her a grateful smile.
Decker persisted. “And you didn’t have any ID on you?”
“No, sir.”
“No traces from your past?”
“Nothing. Even the clothes in my closet had been recently purchased. The price tags were still on.”
“You don’t remember buying them?”
“No, sir.”
Calling him “sir,” Decker noted. Respectful. “You must have had money to buy food and clothes.”
“Yes, I must have had.” Eve averted her eyes. “I don’t have anything now except what I earn from my job.”
“You work?”
“Yes, sir. I do invoicing for Anya’s Accessories. It’s a midsize manufacturing company. They make all kinds of small leather goods, things like wallets, key holders, belts.”
“She’s been working at Anya’s for three months,” Rina added. “They love her down there. She’s already gotten her first raise.”
That was Rina-everyone’s mother, Decker thought. He said to Eve, “You’ve worked there for three months. And how long have you had the memory lapse?”
“As far as I can tell, I’ve been like this for around six months.”
“So what were you doing before you got your job?”
“Trying to adjust.” She let out a mirthless chuckle and clasped her hands tightly. “That’s a joke. How do you adjust to something like this? But the will to survive is great. I needed to live. And to live, I needed money.”
The will to survive is great. To Decker’s ears, she sounded as if she was quoting somebody. “How’d you manage to get a job, Eve?” he asked. “You had no ID-no driver’s license, no Social Security number, no credit cards, no past job history. Most companies ask for references. How’d you fool them?”
Eve bit her lip and remained silent.
“Did you invent a job history?” Decker asked. “Maybe even pay someone for bogus ID?”
Eve looked up at the ceiling. “Are you going to arrest me?”
Rina stepped in. “Eve, you came to me to discover the truth. If you still want that, you have to tell Lieutenant Decker everything.”
There was a long pause. Then she said, “I was a person with no identity. I knew I had to survive. I knew I had to be some-body-to have a name and an ID. I went to one of those gigantic bookstores that have information on everything-on how to disappear, on how to reinvent yourself to avoid creditors or irrational ex-boyfriends…”
“Go on.”
“I followed the procedure step-by-step. You go to a county registrar’s office and look up death certificates of people who would have been your age. Then you pretend you’re that person and apply for a birth certificate, saying you lost your original one.
I found the name Eve Miller and decided to use it because… I don’t know, it sounded familiar. Then, once I had a birth certificate, I got a Social Security number and a passport.”
Pretty savvy for such a young woman, Decker thought. What was she running from? “Why not a driver’s license?” he asked.
“I don’t have a car, sir.”
“But you know how to drive.”
“Yes, sir, I do.”
“Why’d you get a passport? Were you planning on going somewhere?”
Eve opened and closed her mouth. “I really don’t know why I applied for one. I just thought I should be prepared.”
Prepared for what? Decker wondered.
Eve shook her head. “I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t believe any of this. It sounds wild to my own ears. But I’m telling you the truth.”
Decker scribbled more notes. “You do invoicing. What software do you use?”
Her answer was immediate: “QuickBooks.”
“What other programs do you know?”
“Microsoft Word. I can also do spreadsheets.” She smiled, allowing herself a bit of crowing. “I think that’s why they hired me. I was versatile with the computer.”
“How’d you learn to use a computer?”
Eve hesitated and blinked back tears. “I don’t know.” She wiped her eyes. “You can’t imagine what this feels like! I’m sure something… traumatic must have happened to me. But I don’t know what. Please help me!”
“You need to see doctors, Eve-a medical doctor and a psychologist. They can help you more than I can.”
“I know that, Lieutenant Decker. And I swear I will get medical help. But first, I need to know who I am. Can you help me?”