As soon as the question was out of Billy’s mouth Temptress broke down.  Her shoulders shook as the tension of her promise to Kate reached its breaking point.  They moved to the side and sat on an upholstered bench near the window.  It took a while for Temptress to calm down enough to speak.  She whiped her eyes, took at deep breath and released it in a long slow exhale like someone does after confessing to a crime.  She spoke to her handkerchief.<br/><br/>“She loved her dad.”  She shook her head.  “I mean in a good way.  They were really close.  Not like most father/daughter relationships.  I mean they really seemed to understand each other.  And boy did he love her.”<br/><br/>She looked at Billy, her eyes smudged and tearful.<br/><br/>“You know?  I mean it’s crazy the way they were.”  She paused and looked at her hands.  “I wish me and my dad were close like that.  We’re not ya know?”<br/><br/>She wiped her eyes again and sighed deeply.<br/><br/>“Kate’s father died when she was eleven.  Well you know that already I guess.”<br/><br/>She paused.<br/><br/>“Kate blames herself for that.  I don’t know exactly what happened.  All I know is that they, Kate and her dad, were out in their backyard.  He was helping her put together some kind of telescope…you know…one of those things to look at the stars and stuff?”<br/><br/>She blew her nose.<br/><br/>“Anyway, something happened.  A heart attack or a stroke or something.  I guess he kind of keeled over right there on the lawn and I guess Kate just kind of froze up.  There was a phone on the porch and Kate knew how to call 911 but she just stood there watching her dad.  I don’t know, maybe she was in shock or something, but she did nothing…just stood there.”<br/><br/>She looked at Billy.<br/><br/>“Can you imagine what that must have been like?  I mean her dad laying there dying and she just froze?  God…I don’t know what I would have done.”<br/><br/>She looked at her lap.<br/><br/>“He died right there…right there in front of her.  And she’s blamed herself ever since.  She made me promise not to tell anyone.  She made me promise.  For six years I’ve kept my word and she’s only gotten worse.  She needs help man.  She needs to know it was not her fault.  She needs to stop punishing herself before something bad happens.”<br/><br/>Temptress sobbed and looked towards the entrance to the Basement Club.<br/><br/>“But it might already be too late.”<br/><br/>She broke down and leaned into Billy.  Her body trembled.  Through her sobs she added:<br/><br/>“I’m never coming back here again.  I love her and I can’t watch her destroy herself like this.”<br/><br/>She looked up and glared at Jeffery who was still talking on the phone.<br/><br/>“And that motherfucker will kill her for sure if someone doesn’t stop him.”<br/><br/>She tore herself away from Billy’s embrace and headed for the doors.<br/><br/>“I can’t stay here man.  No fuckin way!”<br/><br/>She reached the doors and turned back to Billy.<br/><br/>“Man…if you care for her like I think you do?  You better do something fast or she’s going to vanish off the face of the earth…you hear me?”<br/><br/>Temptress ran out of the club and hailed a cab.  Billy watched as the cab drove off.<br/><br/>It was starting to rain.<br/>