The Angel of Eden Read Online Free Page A

acreage near Kingston. I explained the situation with the coyote hybrid. Startled to hear that a wild animal that big could end up in Manhattan, they sympathized with her condition but said their two mastiffs would likely maul her. They suggested I call a relative of theirs with a farm upstate; he declined as well. He didn’t give a reason and his gruff tone suggested he wasn’t interested in prolonging the conversation. I gave up, got a quick steak and salad at a nearby restaurant, and then picked up some dog food, a leash, and bowls at a Gristedes. Would a coyote walk on a leash? I’d soon find out.
    I showered, clipped my beard, and dried my hair. I chose a smart shirt, a Rick Owens leather jacket, and black trousers for my appointment with Strauss.
    Bennet’s call came at seven-fifteen. “I’m ten minutes away.”
    A yellow cab was idling by the curb by the time I made it downstairs. Bennet looked less disheveled than the day before, her red hair smoothed and held back on one side with a black barrette. She wore the same trench but had added a silk scarf and put diamond studs in her ears. Fake, no doubt, but they looked attractive.
    â€œYou look nice,” I said when I slid in beside her.
    â€œThanks. You too.”
    â€œWhere are we headed?”
    â€œA townhouse in Carroll Gardens. It should be an interesting evening.” She smiled at me, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
    â€œWhy do you say that?”
    â€œYou’ll see soon enough.” She turned her head and gazed out the window at the buildings lining the street as if to dissuade any further questions. “I love that church,” she said, indicating a Romanesque Revival structure of gray stone. “When I used to come to Manhattan during school breaks as a teenager, it felt so free being here. My friend’s parents were always traveling, so I’d stay at her place—it was just a couple of blocks away. The two of us had the apartment to ourselves. We’d often pass by this church when we went out.”
    I glanced out the window. “The Swedish Lutheran. I love the bright red doors. It’s an elegant building.”
    â€œYes. Not gaudy at all.”
    I realized I had no idea where she lived. “Did you move here eventually?”
    â€œOh yeah. I have a nice place on the eight hundred block, Fifth Avenue.”
    â€œOverlooking the park?”
    She nodded. “Great location, close to the shops.”
    Close to the shops. As in Saks, Bergdorf’s, Bulgari. “Ghostwriting must be lucrative.”
    â€œOh, it is. The advance for my last memoir just about covered my car insurance. I was kidding. I couldn’t afford to rent a closet on Canal Street let alone a Fifth Avenue apartment. Sure wish it were otherwise. How about you?”
    â€œGrew up here and feel the same way you do. Best place on earth.”
    â€œYou don’t by any chance need a live-in domestic, do you?”
    â€œRoom and board only?”
    â€œDeal.” Bennet laughed, but I had the sudden sense that she might be half serious. She kept up a running chatter as we drove, remarking on everything but the subject of our meeting tonight. I tried to pry the information out of her, with no success. If you ignored her in-your-face style she could actually be quite witty. Despite my frustration, I found myself enjoying her company.

Five

    T he cab pulled up in front of a stately townhouse set well back from the street. It was one of those places with a large front garden that the district was famous for. Bennet hopped out when we came to a stop, leaving me to fork over the tab.
    â€œI’ll need a ten from you to share the bill,” I said when I got out.
    â€œOf course.” She rooted around in her leather purse. “Oh, I’m sorry. I forgot to go to the bank and I’m low on change. Pay you back later?” Ignoring my frown, she grinned and reached for my hand as we went down the