“Would you rather talk with him alone or with me? Tell him your special ops mate is looking into the deaths. See if he knows the owner where Apple worked. Have you found out where she worked?”
“Yeah, a decent place in the suburbs from the website. All legal and above board. Girls choose to work at the legal ones. I have no idea about the illegal ones.”
Damon nodded. “I have no idea about any of it to be honest, but Kat’s right, prostitutes don’t deserve to be murdered. We need to stop the bastard who’s doing this.”
“I’ll call Aiden and call you back. Bye.”
“Thanks, Brent. Bye.” Damon walked back up the stairs and joined Kat at the front desk.
“So, Brent beat me to the research? Has he found anything?”
“He installed a security system at a business in the city. The owner may know the people Apple worked for. They’re more likely to talk with me if they’re introduced. He’s going to ask about Trinity too.”
Kat beamed. “That’s wonderful. Hopefully, we, I mean you, can get this guy.”
Damon touched her shoulder. “We’re still a team, Kat. You just need to stand to the side like I did with the monster who hurt Avery and Sheridan.”
Kat put her hand on Damon’s. “That must’ve been hard for you. I’ll try to be as gracious about it. I love being in the firing line, so to speak, but I’m not special ops, you must enjoy it even more.”
“It’s not that I enjoy it more; it feels wrong letting a sixteen-year-old girl be in the firing line. I’ve been brought up to protect women and children. I know what we’re doing is to protect all of you but…” A group of three women in their twenties walked in. Damon smiled at Kat “Saved by the…” and scanned the women in.
Brent’s ringtone sounded. “Hey, Brent. I’ll take the call downstairs,” Damon said as he started hurrying down the stairs.
“What time tomorrow morning from ten is good for you to meet at Beachside? I’ll send you the address. It’s about a fifty-minute drive from your dojo.”
“Any. I need to be back here by four.”
“Can I make it ten? Aiden will be there with the owner and as many of the girls who knew Apple as they can get. I think they’ll all be cooperative. It may take a while.”
“Ten’s great. Thanks, Brent, for everything.”
“Thanks for not judging.”
“You’re a great guy, and we all have needs, except me right now. Every time I get hard, I see Bethany dying in front of me. Total erection killer. I have literally no sex drive right now.”
“That’s terrible, mate. We’ll keep trying to change the world, and then maybe one day things will get better.”
“I’m fine having no sex drive right now. I still need a lot of time. Do you have time to come for a workout tomorrow after the meeting?”
“Definitely. I’ll see you tomorrow. You take care, okay.”
Damon drove into the industrial area in Beachside and saw Brent coming from the opposite direction. He waved and followed him down several streets and turned into the car park for several buildings. At the end, with ample car parks was a modern building with Black Velvet printed on the front in black script.
Damon got out of his car and greeted Brent. “This isn’t exactly what I expected.”
Brent smiled. “So you didn’t Google it first?”
Damon grinned. “Haha, funny man. Do we go in or wait here?”
Brent returned his grin. “So it’s just not computers you’re clueless about. Don’t be nervous. They’re actually quite nice and not what you’d expect either. Even with your looks, if you’re not after a date, I doubt they’ll hit on you. Remember, this is their job and they lost a friend. It’s all going to be okay. I think the silver Mercedes is Aiden’s. Let’s go in.”
They walked in the glass doors to a black velvet quilted reception desk.
The well-dressed receptionist who appeared to be in her late forties smiled widely. “I’m Valerie. How may I help you?”
“We’re here to see Jerry and Aiden,” Brent answered.
“I thought so, but the gym uniform rather than a military uniform made it necessary to check.”
“I’m ex-special ops. I no longer follow orders.”
Valerie’s eyes twinkled. “So you’re not married then?”
Damon took a step back. “Um, I’m gay.” He felt eyes upon him as two men walked into reception.
A stylish man in his early fifties who appeared to pay fine detail to how he dressed chuckled softly. “Never use that excuse around a gay man. We’re much bolder.” He offered his hand for Damon to shake. “I’m Jerry. Did you lose her through cancer?”
Damon looked at him oddly and shook his hand.
“You look like a man who’s lost someone. Your nerves around women with the way you look and your lie to avoid them backs up my theory,” Jerry continued after Damon’s silence.
“She was murdered in front of me in Afghanistan,” Damon answered.
“I’m sorry. Do you want to find the killer because of your lost love?”
Damon nodded. “That’s part of it. A friend of mine was devastated when she heard about Trinity. When Apple was murdered, she needed to help. She’s sixteen. She’s not going up against a killer.”
Jerry nodded. “You seem happy to.”
Damon smiled. “I am. I hate men who hurt women. I want to find him and end him. I don’t want him to kill any more girls.”
Jerry smiled at Valerie. “Beautiful and being honest now. I like him.” He turned to Damon. “Just say you’re asexual which for now you are.”
“His army partner’s my brother. We usually leave the army part out,” Brent said.
Jerry shook his head. “Wouldn’t stop me from trying if he were gay. Most gay men over thirty have a fucking good gaydar.”
Damon’s eyes blazed at Jerry’s swear word, but he remained silent.
Jerry smiled. “We’ve had so many military men in here over the years, I know you wouldn’t be shy of swearing, it’s in front of a lady that boils your blood.” He looked at the Knightly Karate Gym insignia on Damon’s shirt. “You really are a knight, aren’t you? We’ll start out here to show you the check in procedure. We’re both pretty good at reading people, but nights and weekends get quite busy. If he wasn’t outwardly aggressive, we may not have noticed.” Jerry walked behind the desk and got a large book.
Brent took the opportunity. “Aiden, this is Damon, saying he’s a good friend is an understatement.”
Aiden shook Damon’s hand. “We really appreciate your help. Most people say they care but won’t do anything.”
Tears filled Valerie’s eyes as she let her guard down. “Apple didn’t deserve that. I know the world is angrier that children found her than her being killed. They view us as disposable sex toys. Most people view us being murdered as an occupational hazard.”
Damon’s eyes blazed. “That is so wrong. I will find the monster who did this, and I will kill him.”
Valerie smiled through her tears. “Thank you. Over the years, at least fifty girls I’ve known have just vanished. Five have been found murdered. Many have been bashed and even more have had their clients run off without paying. Working in legal businesses prevents a lot of that, but it still happens.”
“Oh my God! That’s terrible. How long have you been working in this industry?”
“It was forty years this year but…” Valerie watched Damon turn white as his eyes blazed at Jerry. She stepped in between them. “I’m sixty-two. Don’t hurt Jerry. He’s a good guy. I hide my age well. I married at eighteen to a man who treated me like a punching bag and a whore. I left him when I was twenty-one but had no money and nowhere to go. At twenty-two, I got more respect from the men who paid me than I had ever got from my husband.”
“I really hate my gender sometimes.” Damon put his hands up a little to symbolise peace. “You can step out of Jerry’s way. I’m not going to hurt him.”
Valerie stepped to the sid
e. “For a moment, I thought you were going to kill him.”
Jerry nodded. “I’ve been in some sticky situations, but that’s the first time I thought I was going to die. Let’s help you find this killer. He’s toast.” Jerry brought the book around. “These are the girls we have working for us. Every shift we put the profiles of the girls working in the folder on the desk.” He took out Apple’s profile and handed it to Damon. It was the same picture as they had seen on the news. “As you can see, she’s a pretty Asian girl. You wouldn’t be interested in the stats on her profile like cup size. The stuff off the profile is better. She was born in Australia. Her real name was June Li. She may’ve done drugs occasionally but wasn’t a frequent user. She also did escorts in her own time. I don’t encourage it, but I certainly don’t forbid it. It can be dangerous, though.”
Brent looked at Damon. “I’ll make standard earrings for all the girls who work here and at Aiden’s. If they get in trouble, they can hit the panic button, and I’ll let you know where they are.”
Damon nodded. “Thanks, Brent. I’ll put in to help cover the cost. It won’t be cheap for all those girls.”
“Hang on a sec,” Aiden interrupted. “What do these earrings do? It sounds like they have a panic button and maybe a tracker.”
Brent smiled and nodded. “That’s exactly what they have. I make a standard set of studs that both have a tracking device and panic button in case one gets pulled out.”
“How much do they cost?” Aiden asked.
“I make them for about fifty bucks a pair, depending on parts.”
Aiden smiled. “Sold. I’ve got one hundred and three girls on my books at the moment with new girls coming in all the time. I’ll get them a pair each. I’m paying.”
Jerry nodded. “Me too. I’ve got fifty-three girls here. We don’t get as many girls as the city but still get quite busy. I’m always trying to recruit more, so sixty when you can. How much will the surveillance cost?”
“Nothing,” Brent and Damon answered at the same time.
Aiden smiled. “Then I’m covering Holly’s fee from now on. I’m more than happy for you to increase your visits too.”
Brent shook his head. “You already cover the room cost. I want to help her.”
“And tutoring her for uni and possibly saving her life doesn’t help her? No arguing. It’s settled.” Aiden folded his arms to show he had made up his mind.
Brent smiled. “Thanks, Aiden.”
Damon looked at Brent. “Is Holly Sabrina’s real name?”
Brent blushed, prompting Aiden to answer for him. “Sabrina left four years ago. Brent and I’ve known each other for eight. He’s only been with two of my girls, and he tutored both of them through uni.”
Damon smiled. “That sounds like Brent. Even I’ve been with more girls than that in the last eight years, and I was engaged for two and mourning for one.”
Jerry smiled and raised an eyebrow. “I’d be interested in who you did for the other five years.” He turned to Brent. “You say these earrings are standard. What are the above standard earrings like?”
“They also have a listening device. Your girls won’t need them,” Brent replied.
Jerry cocked his head to the side. “Who needs them?”
“Just one person so far. She’s worked a few cases but not against killers, two rapists and a woman basher who grooms young girls. I’m not going to let anything bad happen to her,” Damon answered.
Valerie looked at both men as though she’d seen a unicorn.
Jerry smiled. “I’ll show you how this place works and introduce you to the girls. All the girls who were working on June’s last night are here as well as the girls she was close with.” He took several steps back to the desk and looked at Valerie. “I’ll be the customer. You be you.”
Valerie took her place behind the desk and smiled. “I’m Valerie. How may I help you?”
“I’m after some company for an hour or so.”
“Are there any special qualities you’re looking for?”
Aiden spoke before Jerry could answer. “This is where some men say their taste in women like big breasts, slim, blonde, Asian, whatever. Some say their sexual desires like BDSM, anal or the girlfriend experience.”
“Girlfriend experience?” Damon asked. “I thought it was just for an hour.”
Aiden smiled. “Kissing, cuddling, that sort of thing.”
Both Brent and Damon looked at him strangely. “Isn’t that included?”
Aiden laughed. “For you it is, Brent. Sabrina and Holly adore you. The girlfriend experience is usually extra if you ask for it before you meet the girls. If you’re nice like you or look like Damon, most girls throw it in for free. If you’re rude, ugly or smell, the girls charge through the nose for every extra.”
Valerie laughed. “That we do. The nice, good-looking guys, we enjoy ourselves with. Most of us love sex and enjoy our time with the nice guys. When we get regulars we trust, an hour may turn into two at no extra charge especially if we go to their place.”
Brent blushed. Holly stayed over most Wednesday’s and would only accept money for an hour.
Jerry glanced at his audience and turned back to Valerie. “I’m not really sure.”
Valerie handed him a folder. “These are the ladies available right now. I can set up an introduction with several, and you can see who you have a connection with.”
Jerry flicked through the folder. “I’d like to meet the girl with the big boobs, the Asian and the blonde.”
Valerie smiled. “I’ll let them know.” She turned to Brent and Damon. “I text them and take him into the meeting room. Come this way, please.” They followed Valerie through the first door into a room with two sofas. “The other two rooms are the same. The girls will come in one at a time until the man chooses.” Valerie opened the door at the other end of the room and walked into a hallway. She pointed at the door in front of her. “This is where the girls wait. The hall leads to the bedrooms.” She knocked on the door and walked into a large room with six sofas and a large screen TV. All the sofas were filled with girls, and six sat on the floor. One of the girls sitting on the floor caught Damon’s attention. She was, without doubt, the most beautiful stranger he had ever seen. Her hair fell to her tiny waist like a curtain of blonde silk. She had big, bright blue eyes, full lips, large breasts that sat exactly where they should and long, slender legs. No other girl in the room came close to her beauty.
Valerie spoke, bringing Damon back to now. “Hi, girls. This is Damon, Brent and Aiden. As you know, they’re here to talk about June. They’re going to find the bastard who hurt her and bring him to justice.”
A petite Asian girl started clapping. The others joined in. When they had finished, she stood up and walked over to Damon and Brent. Although she was wearing stilettos, they were head and shoulders taller than her. “I’m Chrissie. I’m Vietnamese. June was Chinese. I came to Australia when I was eight and met June at school. We were best friends.” Tears filled her eyes. “What can I do to help? What do you need to know?”
“Was June scared of anyone? Do you know if anyone wanted to hurt her?” Damon addressed the rest of the room. “Do any of you know?”
“There were a couple of guys over the last six months who treated us badly because we were Asian. They didn’t hit us or anything like that, but they were really rude. Most truckers are lovely, but one I had a few months ago was really rude. He tried to see June but Val told him all the girls were busy. Do you think he may have killed her?”
Damon thought back to Trinity. She had bleached blonde hair and fair skin. “Was he rude to anyone else here or did he try to see girls other than you and June?”
Valerie shook her head. “I remember him. A big brute of a man. He was only interested in Asian ladies. Most men have a type, but he turned out to be a racist bastard.”
Damon looked at Chrissie, “I’m sorry that happened to you. If you feel threatened by anyone, please let me know.” He addr
essed the room, “If any of you feel threatened by anyone, please let me know. Did any of you know a girl called Trinity?”
A tall brunette, sitting on the floor cross-legged wearing shorts and a t-shirt, stood up. “I knew Trinity a few years ago. I didn’t talk with the cops when they found her because I hadn’t seen her since the year before last when I lived on the other side of the city. I don’t even know her real name. She worked freelance. She mostly went to their place or hotels. I’d only just started working when we met. She told me it was better working for yourself, so I tried it once. Never again. It was a quick shag in the back of his car. I’ve never felt like more of a whore. This is so much better. We pay taxes and are part of society. True, a lot of people still think we’re scum, but it’s better.”
“I’m not being rude. I want to know. Why do you do it if most people think you’re scum?” Damon asked.
“People are going to judge you no matter what. I didn’t know what I wanted to do and was earning fifteen dollars an hour at a fish and chip shop. I earn ten times that here.”
“Wow. I used to get paid to kill people and they didn’t pay me that much.” Damon stopped himself from laughing at some of the looks on the girls’ faces. “I was special ops for the military, not a hitman.”
The tall brunette laughed. “You had me worried. So if you’re ex-special ops and have killed people, you can help us, right?”
Damon nodded. “I certainly hope so. It may be best to talk with you one at a time. I’ll start with you and then Chrissie. What’s your name?”
“Trudy.”
Damon walked into the meeting room with Trudy and shut the door. He glanced at the camera.
“It’s turned off. It’s on when we meet new clients for our safety and to see how we act with them. You can tell by the red light. Jerry knows none of us would talk if we’re being recorded. This is just between us, okay?” Trudy stared at him with big brown eyes.
Our Cause (Let the Monsters Live in Fear Book 1) Page 23