Aversions Tampa was close to the I-75, allowing easy access to clients coming from Naples to Ocala. Here, certain deviances could be found for the right money. Eli paid thousands in fines and kickbacks yearly to keep away prying eyes, which he saw as a necessary business expense.
Eli eased himself into the multi-layered rooms, looking for one of the girls. He had his eye on a young Puerto Rican, new to the state. He craved her dark skin and he loved tattoos, which in her case adorned much of her stunning body. Aversions provided a personal buffet for Eli and the girls never refused—could never refuse.
Eli spotted his quarry. There she was, the tattooed vixen, getting ready to start a show. He decided to watch, sitting a few tables back. He could detect the nervousness in her movements. It wasn’t every day the Boss sat to take in a show. The girl would know what it meant for him to watch a show. Girls will talk.
CHAPTER EIGHT
“DO YOU MIND IF I smoke?”
Jack looked at Janie as he drove through Ft. Myers traffic, heading toward I-75 North. “I know we haven’t known each other for a long time . . . Well, we have, but not on a day-to-day basis. Have you ever seen me smoke?” He smiled coyly.
Janie nodded. “Just askin’ . . . in case you were a closet smoker, maybe you might have one.”
“Not a chance, smoker girl,” he smirked. “I don’t know why someone like you would even consider having another one. You’ve got that voice. If I were you, I’d write the thought off. Really, it’s not attractive for a girl.”
Janie shook her head slightly at the quip. Girl? She took the Southern gesture as a compliment. “So, we’re going to pay that strip joint up in Tampa a visit first?”
“Suppose. Any better ideas?”
Janie sat up a bit straighter. In the beginning, she’d liked Jackson. When they first met, he looked almost innocent. He appeared a little cocksure since they’d been assigned the case. Janie didn’t know if she liked the trait.
“Nope, let’s follow Peter’s orders and drive to Aversions.” She’d checked the place and its location out earlier. There wasn’t much of an advertisement on the web page, only a cover stating it was a gentlemen’s club, and an address, which usually meant you had to pay a nominal membership fee to get in the door. Your ID would be scanned and they’d know more about you in a few minutes than you could imagine.
Jack’s phone rang through on the hands-free. “Jackson Walker?” the husky female voice crackled through the car speakers, sounding South Florida all the way.
“Yes . . .” He didn’t give his cell number out freely. Silence.
“Jackson, my name is Lolita.”
Jack looked at Janie, shrugging, not recognizing the name or voice. “Okay, Lolita. How’d you get my number and who the hell are you?”
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you, but suffice to say it was easy to locate you if you know . . . how and where to look.”
“Okay, you have my attention. For a minute.”
Janie gestured to Jack to keep the woman talking, her hands forming a quick little windmill.
“Jackson, do you believe in the occult?”
His hackles went off. His thoughts went to Gramps. He didn’t know if there was any validity in what the old man said, but he believed in it with some hesitancy, as did many of his cousins. “I have an understanding of it. I don’t know that I totally believe in it.”
“Good. Jackson, please listen to me when I tell you this, and don’t treat it as horseshit. I don’t know you from Cain. But I do have a warning for you, unsolicited. You can choose to ignore my advice, or you can take my help at no cost.”
“No cost?”
“Zero. Can I meet with you?”
“You’re sure there’s no cost? You’re not just saying this to get me in there for the sales pitch? I’ve been to those gigs before.”
“I give you my word. I know that’s not much because you don’t know me, but it’s all that I have to offer.”
Jack glanced at Janie. She shrugged and whispered, “Sure, why not?”
“I’ll send you a text with the time and location.”
“Can I bring someone with me?”
“That’s entirely up to you.”
The phone disengaged.
Janie shook her head. “Jackson, strange trouble seems to follow you like flies to dog shit.”
He smiled. “I agree, though I don’t appreciate the analogy.”
****
The two-hour drive passed quickly, and Jack pulled off I-75 at the Brandon turnoff. Aversions was located a mile off the interstate. Jack pulled into a parking spot in front of a massive, Southern plantation-style building with a faded gray tin roof. The establishment’s only indicator was a five-by-five sign out front announcing the Aversions Gentlemen’s Club. The parking lot, however, was packed. People clearly knew about the club and certainly knew how to find it.
Janie turned to face Jack. “We’re here to gather information. I know you say you want the lead, but I’ve done this a hundred times. You don’t hit it on the head, remember. You’re a junior lawyer researching a case, not a cop. Maybe you should follow my lead for your first time?”
“No. I’m good, Janie. I got this!”
“Your call.” She touched his arm. “I gotta admit, I feel a little uncomfortable going in. I’ve been in nearly every beer joint between Tallahassee and Key West, but I’ve never been in a strip joint.”
“No worries. Lots of couples come to these places.” Jack tried his best to hide his grin.
“Really?”
“Yep, get primed up for the night, fuck like rabbits later.”
Janie rolled her eyes. “So, am I your date?”
Jack pondered the comment for a moment, smiling. “You could pretend to be the cougar with the young guy if you want, but I’m not so sure about the fucking like rabbits later part.”
“I don’t fuck like a rabbit anymore, Jackson, and that ain’t happening anyway. Lead away.”
****
The interior spread out before them, dark and vast with several stages where females danced in various degrees of undress. Strobe and neon lighting turned the joint into a decadent playground for the perverted hoard of people filling the place. Jack called prior to the drive to set up a meeting with the owners, but he’d been left on hold for half an hour and finally hung up in frustration. He decided they would risk coming unannounced.
They were required to take out a nominal membership—ten dollars each, to be exact—and their IDs were taken and analyzed. Jack retrieved their driver’s licenses after they’d been scanned, giving the woman behind the glass a twenty to cover the charge.
Jack sauntered in as if he’d been to one of these places before. He wanted to appear cool and shot little sideways glances at the girls. Jack played the part perfectly, checking out the naked one on the stage to the left as they passed. He eyed her massive breasts as he approached one of the several bars lining the interior, Janie on his tail. A female bartender, dressed in what could loosely be called a bikini, smiled at them. “Drinks?”
Jack looked to Janie to order first and she said, “Vodka on the rocks.”
“Okay,” he said, “vodka for her. I’ll have a Miller Lite.” As the scantily-dressed barmaid poured Janie’s drink, he asked, “Is the owner in today?”
Her eyes shot to his. “Why you ask? Eli’s in, but he doesn’t like to be bothered unless it’s for a good reason.”
Jack smiled. “We have a mutual friend, who said I should ask for him if I was ever in town.”
“I’ll let him know. He’s only here two days a week, so you’re lucky. What’s your name?”
“Jackson, Jackson Walker.”
“Hey, I know that name . . . and I thought you looked familiar. You played for the Gators, right?”
Jack took a deep breath. “Yep, a few years back.”
“Okay, Eli likes sports. I’m sure he’d have a few minutes for you.”
They waited for the better pa
rt of an hour. Janie was fascinated by the power the strippers held over the crowd. Though she knew there existed a dark underbelly to the trade, she briefly thought that it might have been a sexy thing to do when she was younger. “You know, Jackson, there was a time in my life when I might have been tempted by this.”
Jack turned, his eyes wide. “Yeah, and you would have had it going on!” he chuckled.
She answered his comment with a nasty glare and then a big smile.
“No, really, it’s a bad scene. Thank your lucky stars you didn’t. I knew a few girls back in high school who got into the trade. One’s dead and the other disappeared. Friends of one of my girlfriends. They make good money, but there’s a lot of shit that’s so easy to access, you know—drugs, prostitution, pornography. Jessica White, she was prettier than all get-out, like a Barbie doll. Heard she died a few years back strung out on heroin. I saw her before the end, barely recognized her.”
Jack put a hand on Janie’s leg as he spotted a tall man with jet-black, short-cropped hair walking toward them. He was dressed in designer jeans, a white shirt with a suit jacket, and the man’s shiny shoes were impeccable. He looked Eastern European and Jack couldn’t read his expression.
Before Jack could say anything, the man said, “Jack Walker?”
Jack stood and shook the man’s extended hand. “Yes.”
“Eli Romanov.” The man’s thick accent, to Jack’s ear, sounded Russian. “My girl says that you are a football star!” He motioned for Jack to sit. He looked over at Janie. “Is this your mother?”
Jack did his best not to chuckle. He saw Janie’s consternation. “No, Eli, I was a football star, long past that now. And no, Janie’s not my mother. We work together.”
“Florida Gators. I love Gators.” Eli extended his arms, making a chomping motion with his hands to emulate the Florida Gators fans’ signature motion.
Jack smiled. “I love ’em too, but I’m relegated to being a fan like you now. Nine years since I played for the University of Florida. I’ll tell you, though, if I could go back in time, I would. Good times!”
“What brings you here, Jackson? I did some checking on you before I came out. You’re a lawyer now, is that right?”
Jack saw Janie tense up. He was sure Eli didn’t miss the reaction. “I am. I work for Robertson and Robertson down in Myers.”
“Criminal lawyers, no?”
Jack got the feeling Eli knew exactly where the conversation was going. “Yes, serving the unjustly accused for over a hundred years.”
Eli’s face tightened. “Okay, no more bullshit, Jackson. Why are you here? It’s not getting a free blow job because you were once famous?”
A bead of sweat formed on Jack’s forehead. He pondered what to say before deciding on the truth as the best course of action. Eli had all of the pertinent information before they’d appeared. If Jack hoped to get anything out of the conversation, he’d better appear forthright. “Eli, we’re here investigating a case. Your establishment was referenced by our client.”
“Client?”
“Roberto Lopez.”
“I don’t know this name, Lopez. What is this connection you speak of?” He glared at Jack and never wavered.
“Pornography.”
Janie groaned.
“Pornography? We run a first-class establishment, Mr. Walker. High-end girls.”
A quick glance around gave Jack the impression the man had lofty ideas of where his establishment sat in the hierarchy of strip clubs. The place looked definitely second rate, as did the girls. Many of them looked cheap, little potbellies hanging over their bikini bottoms, overdone makeup. “My client has been arrested and is now out on bail for charges of possession of child pornography.”
Eli chuckled to relieve a tinge of nervousness. “And this has something to do with me, of course?”
“I’m not making any insinuations, Mr. Romanov. Just following up on information given to us.”
Eli’s cheeks reddened. “Like fuck you are.” Eli snapped his fingers. Within two seconds Jack and Janie were surrounded by four men. Each had a hand on a gun inside their blazers. Eli stood. “Nice meeting you, Jackson Walker. It’s time you left. Too bad. I wanted to chat about football. I love American football.”
The four men ushered Janie and Jack to their feet and moved them to the exit. Eli followed. “Let me tell you something, Jackson. The man you speak of is a rogue and a renegade. We no longer have any association with him.”
Jack stopped, gaze steady. “Mr. Lopez stated he’d received the files from you a week or so ago. Did you cut ties last week after the porn ended up on his computer? We could file for a subpoena and have your computers looked at, if we wanted. And, by the way, I thought you hadn’t heard of Lopez?”
“Maybe you should just do that, Mr. Walker. But you better be correct, because I now know who you are and where you work. We’ve given nothing to Mr. Lopez. He’s delusional.”
“Is that a threat, Mr. Romanov?”
Eli smiled, turning his head slightly away from Jack. “I don’t make threats. I state fact. If you accuse me of something, you’d better have your facts straight, otherwise I’ll find you and cut your fucking balls off.”
Jack nodded. “Nice.” He grabbed Janie’s arm and moved her toward the door.
The four men formed a wall, which effectively pushed them to the exit, Eli looking a bit punk standing behind his men. “Don’t come back here, Jack Walker. You’re on the blacklist.”
As he and Janie were ushered outside, Jack chewed on his cheek for a moment, pausing in his tracks. Janie tried to drag him to the car, but he insisted on getting in a last word. He looked at Eli. “You’re hiding something, but don’t worry. I feel like I need a shower just being in there. You’re on my fucking blacklist, too.”
Eli said something to one of the men in Russian. Before Jack could react, he and Janie were physically steered out the door. Once outside, one of the men grabbed Jack’s arms, forcing them behind his back while the second man punched him in the gut, doubling him over. The next shot hit Jack’s jaw, stunning him. They let him fall to the ground and moved back to the door.
Janie dropped to his side. “Jack, you all right?” She lifted his head from the pavement.
He slowly shook his head, the stars disappearing from his vision, and felt around his mouth with his tongue. He spat a tooth into his hand. “Felt better.” When he got to his feet, he stumbled for a second.
Eli spoke calmly at the door. “Just a love tap, Walker. Don’t come back unless you want to fuck.”
Janie guided him back to his Jeep before he said anything else. “I’ll drive.”
He didn’t argue and slid into the passenger’s side as two of Eli’s men took note of his plate information.
Once they were back on I-75 Janie asked, “Really, are you okay?”
“My gut hurts and my mouth is on fire. Funny enough, I think we found out what we needed to know.”
Janie pondered his words before nodding. “They’re in on it.”
“Not necessarily, but they knew Robert Lopez.”
“True, but I think it might have been better if you’d softened him up a bit before you started accusing him of shit. You know, like talking about the Gators; he gave you the in. It’s no wonder you got yourself into so much trouble with the Church of Set. We need to teach you some tact and diplomacy! Well, what’s done is done. What’s the next step?”
“I hoped you’d tell me. My head hurts too much to think. Besides, this is supposed to be your thing.”
“I’m glad as hell to hear you say that. Acknowledging your apathy is a good first step.”
“Apathy? What the crap do you mean by that, and first step? Geez, Janie.”
She shook her head in wonderment. “Just what I said. If we’re working together, we need to be on the same page. I know you’re the strong macho type, but if that man had punched me, he’d have broken my face. I don’t need that.” She tapped her fingers on the steer
ing wheel. “Surveillance! We need to get something on Mr. Romanov.”
“We’d need to bring the police in on it, and we don’t have anything on him.” Jack probed his jaw with his left hand for a moment. “Lopez. Remember I told you that he said he’d been referred to me by friends? There is a connection. I think Lopez needs to come to the table with a bit more info; otherwise, we’re at a dead end and it’s purely going to come down to the evidence against him, which at this point ain’t looking good. We need to talk to Lopez again.”
Out of the blue, Jack remembered the lady who called earlier. He checked his phone. He’d received a text with a Bonita Springs address and a time: 6 PM tomorrow.
“That lady, Lolita—do you have a text?”
“Keep your eyes on the road. Yep, tomorrow evening. You don’t have to come. This is personal.”
“No, Jackson, I’m not letting you out of my sight. I’ve learned that lesson the hard way.”
“Look, I’m a grown man. You and Gramps—”
“What about him? I love that man!”
“He thinks the damned demon spirits are aligned against me again. Called me down to Everglades City a week back; says he’s gonna sick Josh on me, like a bodyguard.”
Janie nodded. “See, that’s it. Your gosh darn apathy oozes out of your pores like sweat. You think you’re invincible until it’s too late, then all hell breaks loose and we’re all pulled in hook, line and sinker to save you.”
“Won’t happen again, girl. Let’s get back to Myers and we’ll grab a happy hour drink at the Outrigger.”
“You’re living on Ft. Myers Beach now? And, by the way, stop calling me girl. You’ve been listening to too much country music.”
“Yep, south end. Got a sweet spot on the back bay, boat dock, all I need. C’mon, I’m only saying girl ’cause I like you. I’m not fucking apathetic, by the way.” He looked out the window. “Just like a spoiled little kid.”
The Palm Reader Page 4