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scraped her blonde bob back behind her ears, peering down at the gardenias. 
    'I wish someone would buy me flowers like that.'
    '...Speculate to accumulate,' Curtis shrugged.  Alice playfully poked him in the ribs.  Curtis let out a girly giggle, grabbing her hand. 
    ...For Christ's sake, will you please get a room?
    'I'm sure he's lovely Eve,' Alice offered.
    'Oh listen to Polyanna!' mocked Curtis.              
    '...You know,' piped up Stacey. 'I read this story once, in Chat Magazine, right.  This woman met this bloke online...'
    Eve stared at her. 
    ... Mentoring from the office junior?  You have got to be kidding...
    '...He told her he was American, only he weren't.  It was some bloke in Africa...  Anyway, he says to her that his mum's poorly, and he needs some money to pay for...'
    Eve threw down her pencil with a clatter, slamming her elbows on the desk.  She buried her head in her hands with a groan.
    'Nobody is asking for money!'
    'Not yet...' pondered Curtis.  'Maybe that's not what he's after.  Maybe he just wants a good time...  He's probably married,' he nodded.
    'He isn't,' Eve told him.
    'Have you ever actually asked?' 
    Eve raised her eyebrows.
    'Did Alice ever actually ask you?'
    'So you don't know then,' Curtis teased.
    'Trust me,' said Eve,  'If he were married, I would have found something.' 
    Curtis paused.
    '...Have you been going through his bins?'
    Stacey's giggle bubbled up in the background.
    'No,' chided Eve 'There's this thing called Google —'
    'Cyberstalking?  Really, Eve!  You know, that's where it all starts.  You'll be boiling bunnies in no time...' 
    Eve pursed her lips.
    'Those lots aren't going to catalogue themselves.  Haven't you got anything better to do?'
    'Nothing this much fun!' Curtis grinned.
    'That's enough,' complained Alice.  'Stop embarrassing her.'
    'I'm not embarrassed in the slightest,' Eve protested.
    'Well, we look forward to seeing him at the wedding,' goaded Curtis. 
    Eve forced a smile.
    'I'm sure that can be arranged.'

CHAPTER 9
     
    Ben sat on the edge of the bed and kicked off his shoes.  He looked out through the swagged window, cracking open an undersized lager.  Pigeons flocked and circled, settling on terracotta roofs.  The sun was setting, tumbling through a cornflower sky, scattering the clouds with mandarin and gold. 
    A tinny church bell tolled, rising over the grumble and toots of the commuters.  Ben opened up his phone's browser, googling GMT.  She'll probably still be at work.  He sat back, propping himself up on his plump pillows.  Chewing his lip.
     
    EVE BLAKE
    Google threw back 9,000 search results. 
    EVELYN BLAKE
    13,000 results. 
    EVELYN BLAKE BRIGHTON
    Ben clicked on 'Images'.  There she was, smiling back at him from the top row; a tiny black and white head shot.  He clicked the photo and arrived at Stockman's Auctioneers' Specialists page.  Ben flicked through the profiles. 
    He'd always imagined auction houses to be run by the semi-geriatric.  Marcus Stockman fit the bill, but the rest were really quite young.  He clicked on the blonde guy - Curtis Stockman, heir apparent.  He didn't like the look of him at all.
     
    Evelyn Blake  BA  ASFAV
    Head of Ceramics and Glass
    Evelyn joined Stockman's in 2010 to head up the expanding Ceramics Department.  Her effervescent nature and wide expertise have earned her appearances on the BBC.  Evelyn contributes articles regularly to Absolute Brighton magazine.  She conducts probate, open market and insurance valuations.  Evelyn has a passion for ceramics and glass in general, specialising Lalique, Art Nouveau and Art Deco. 
     
    A smile creased Ben's lips.
     
    Prior to joining Stockman's, Evelyn spent over a decade at Bonham's in Knightsbridge.  Evelyn's interests include photography, travel and surfing.
     
    Over a decade?  ...Surfing?
     
    By the time Ben had finished trawling Youtube searching for her TV appearances (in vain), he found himself