New beginning: Billionaire love story

Chapter 162

Chapter 162 The tattoo guy

Claire and Matthew stood in front of a tattoo shop, the neon sign flickering against the darkening sky. Claire had told Matthew about the wings tattoo on the man, and she had an idea to visit tattoo shops in hopes of finding this person. There were many shops in the area, but Claire hoped they might get lucky.

"Are you ready for this?" Matthew asked, adjusting his cap as part of their disguise.

Claire nodded, tugging the brim of her own hat lower over her eyes. "We don't have much to go on, but it's worth a try."

With that, they stepped inside the shop. The air was thick with the smell of smoke, maybe even weed, making Claire wrinkle her nose. They approached the front desk where a woman with tattooed hands and facial piercings sat, looking thoroughly uninterested in her job. "Hello," Claire greeted politely, trying to mask her discomfort. "I was wondering if I could ask you a question."

The woman glanced up, her expression bored. "Yeah, sure," she replied in a monotone voice.

Claire pulled out a picture of the wings tattoo on the man's neck that she had printed out. "Do you recognize this tattoo? We're trying to find the person who has

it."

The woman glanced at the picture and shrugged. "A lot of people have that tattoo," she said dismissively.

Claire exchanged a look with Matthew before leaning in slightly. "Could we take a look at your customer book? It's really important."

The woman sighed, clearly annoyed, but slid the book across the counter. "Make it quick," she said, rolling her eyes.

Claire nodded. "Thank you. We'll be fast."

Claire and Matthew quickly flipped through the pages of the customer book, jotting down names and dates. Matthew glanced at Claire, whispering, "What's the plan?"

Claire didn't look up from the book. "We take pictures of each guest's name and visit date. We can identify them later."

done, they handed the book back to the woman

Claire immediately pulled out her laptop and started working from the passenger seat while Matthew drove. She typed furiously, cross-referencing the

of these

back on the road.

to another store. We can't

"Alright, let's

drove to the next tattoo shop on their list, parking a few blocks away to avoid drawing attention. The process was similar: disguises on, a quick entry, and a polite but determined request to

Claire.

feeling the strain of their efforts. "I don't know,

another customer book, and another round of hurried picture-taking. As they left the shop, Matthew looked

more shops do you want to hit

more. Let's try one

for the night. This one was quieter, with a lone artist working on a design behind the counter. Claire approached, greeting the artist and showing

his expression thoughtful. "I've seen this

a beat. "Do you remember who

was a guy named Tom.

with Matthew. "Do

info. But I can tell you he usually comes in

"Thank you. That's really

left the shop, Claire felt a surge of optimism. "We might finally have a lead," she said

smiled. "Looks like our

and keep an eye on him if he visit the

"Roger that, Claire."

just wait for

was heading to the tattoo shop. Without wasting a moment, Claire