New beginning: Billionaire love story (Claire and Alex) novel 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.” 

They worked swiftly, snapping photos of the relevant entries. Once they were done, they handed the book back to the woman and left the shop, breathing a sigh of relief as they stepped outside. 

Back in the car, Claire immediately pulled out her laptop and started working from the passenger seat while Matthew drove. She typed furiously, cross–referencing the names from the tattoo shop’s customer book with the citizen database. 

After a few minutes, she let out a frustrated sigh. “None of these people have the wings tattoo,” she said, looking up at Matthew. 

Matthew glanced at her briefly before focusing back on the road. “So, what do we do now?” 

Claire bit her lip, thinking. “We move to another store. We can’t give up now.” 

Matthew nodded. “Alright, let’s keep going.” 

They 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 look at the customer records. Each time, they repeated the same steps: taking pictures of the names and dates, then hurrying back to the car to cross–reference the information. 

As they sat in front of the fifth shop, Matthew turned to Claire. “This is exhausting. Do you really think we’ll find him this way?” 

Claire rubbed her temples, feeling the strain of their efforts. “I don’t know, but it’s the best lead we have right now.” 

Inside the shop, they were met with another disinterested receptionist, another customer book, and another round of hurried picture–taking. As they left the shop, Matthew looked up at the darkening sky. 

“It’s getting late. How many more shops do you want to hit tonight?” 

Claire glanced at her watch. “One more. Let’s try one more and see what we get.” 

They drove to the last shop on their list 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 him the picture of the tattoo. 

The artist studied it for a moment, his expression thoughtful. “I’ve seen this tattoo before,” he said slowly. 

Claire’s heart skipped a beat. “Do you remember who has it?” 

The artist nodded. “Yeah, I think it was a guy named Tom. Comes in every few months for touch–ups.” 

Claire exchanged a hopeful look with Matthew. “Do you have his contact information?” 

The artist shook his head. “Sorry, can’t give out personal info. But I can tell you he usually comes in on Fridays around 7 PM.” 

Claire smiled gratefully. “Thank you. That’s really helpful.” 

As they left the shop, Claire felt a surge of optimism. “We might finally have a lead,” she said to Matthew. 

Matthew smiled. “Looks like our persistence paid off.” 

“We just need to wait and keep an eye on him if he visit the shop. Matt, I need you to hire someone to keep an eye on Tom.” 

“Roger that, Claire.” 

“Now, we will just wait for him.” 

After a few days of tense waiting, Claire finally received the call she had been anticipating. The man she hired to keep an eye on Tom informed her that he was heading to the tattoo shop. Without wasting a moment, Claire relayed the information to Matthew. 

They quickly throw on disguises, ensuring that no one would recognize them or follow them to their destination. 

Arriving at the tattoo shop, Claire stepped inside, her eyes scanning the room. She approached the woman at the counter and leaned in. “I need you to close the 

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