'Karen!' hissed Annette. 'Press the bloody button before we all have a seizure!'
The screen cleared to show the first floor corridor from the direction of the main stairs.
'I didn't know he had cameras there,' said Karen. 'I hope they're not on our floor too.'
'Definitely not,' answered Valerie, 'but they're all over the place on the first and he could record anyone going by up the stairs at the front or -'
Her eyes widened and all four leaned forward.
'Bloody hell!' breathed Annette.
Two figures had appeared from the direction of the back stairs; one male, one female. They hurried along the corridor and stopped at the door of the first guest room. Pauline, in black catsuit and high-heel knee boots, unlocked the door and ushered her visitor iniside without hesitation.
'You know who he is, don't you?' asked Karen, looking at the three intent and illuminated faces close to hers.
'I think we all do,' replied Angela. 'It's Inspector Gautier of the gendarmerie.'
'F for Francois,' added Valerie.
'F for frantic,' added Annette, 'because that's what Sonia's going to be. We do have an arrangement with Gautier and some of his pals but I don't think -'
'Look!' cut in Angela.
The scene changed to the inner sanctum of the guest room, the area behind the curtained-off archway. Pauline had changed her attire and had on a short-sleeved, white chiffon, open neck blouse, transparent enough to show her ample breasts clearly through the material, naked but held up and emphasised by a black sling bra which cupped them beneath. Around her neck was a black patent leather choker with a ruby red stone set into a gold cameo at the front. Her arms were encased in shoulder-length black latex gloves, sleek and skin tight, catching the glow of the spotlights which were switched on above. Equally sleek and moulding to her figure was the latex mini-skirt with high waist and glittering metal ring at the front where the zip began. The subtle sheen of gossamer black nylon on her long legs was complemented by the crisp sharpness of the black, patent leather open sandals with their cross-over ankle straps and exaggeratedly high stiletto heels. Karen freeze-framed the picture.
'Doesn't she just look the part,' breathed Annette.
'I'm impressed,' added Valerie. 'She obviously means business!'
Karen said, 'Well, James seems to have taken the time to edit the thing so I guess we'll only have the juicy bits.'
'Yes, he's such a helpful soul,' commented Valerie as Karen released the picture hold.
Inspector Gautier was stocky, bordering on stout, and aged about 40. His suntanned, rounded face was topped by short, curly hair which receded at the front and grew thin on top. The diminishing hair above was more than adequately compensated for by the ample growth about his chest and other places which were clearly visible due to his nakedness. As the scene cut from one angle to another, it became obvious that Gautier's hands were manacled behind his back. As Pauline, braided whip in hand, walked slowly around the standing figure, his arousal was equally apparent. She stopped in front of him, looked him up and down and, appearing to berate him, pointed with the coiled whip at his erection.
it's a pity we don't have the sound,' remarked Annette.
The scene moved into close up, the compliant Gautier riveted to the spot with his eyes fixed on the strutting dominatrix before him. She appeared to shout louder, then, in a sudden movement, brought the coiled whip smartly down against his rampant penis, causing him to jerk involuntarily and screw up his face in anguish. His erection at once wilted and Pauline began to circle again, moving around him three times before stopping behind. She uncoiled the black whip and, taking half a step backwards, brought it down sharply across his behind. Though his eyes remained closed, his mouth flew open in what must have been a loud cry. The whip fell again, Pauline mouthing silent abuse at her victim as her hand was raised for a third and a fourth time. The effects of the whipping were evidently not all detrimental as Gautier once more developed a prominent erection. Pauline moved around to his side to observe it, pointing at it with her left hand. She applied the whip again and again, her mouth all the time dispensing silent vehemence, her face a mask of ridicule. Nevertheless, Gautier did not move and despite the continued application of the whip, or perhaps because of it, maintained his erection firmly, to the apparent disgust of Pauline who wielded the instrument of persecution even harder.
The angle changed once more and the immobile Gautier could be seen from the side.
'Oh God!' exclaimed Karen. 'Just look at those marks on him - he's red raw!'
Annette leaned towards her and whispered, 'Are you all right, dear? Would you like a glass of water?'
'What... me ... I
'Of course she's all right!' cut in Valerie.
Angela smiled to herself and Kim winked at Karen.
The scene cut and they saw Gautier down on his knees in front of a gesturing Pauline. She applied the whip several times across his back then stood before him, pointing at the metal ring on her skirt waist and then down at her shoes. Backing away momentarily, she pulled over an upright chair and sat down, crossing and re-crossing her legs provocatively in front of his attentive eyes. After a short time, she thrust a foot out under his nose and at once, Gautier began to kiss and lick her shoe. The scene appeared in close up for ten or fifteen seconds before changing.
Now Pauline was standing, with the inspector still manacled and on his knees in front of her. This time he was occupied in attempting to pull down the metal ring of her skirt zipper with his teeth, encouraged by the occasional flick of the whip across his inflamed behind.
'He's obviously had plenty of practice,' remarked Valerie as they watched the zip open and the tight latex stretch away at either side. The zip fastener ended over the firm flesh above her sex and Gautier released the ring, Pauline, with her pelvis close to his face, peeled the rubber skirt down slowly to reveal the open body tights and nakedness of her sex with its fine brown hair.
'What did I say about peroxide?' muttererd Annette.
Pauline sat down and spread her legs wide to give Gautier a full view of her most intimate place. He did not move, as though under orders to remain still. The command was given when Pauline tapped the coiled whip against her knee. Without hesitation, he shuffled forward, his erection bouncing up and down in time with the movement of his knees. Pauline shook the whip out as he pushed between her parted thighs, his face showing the look of a little boy having been given free access to a candy stall. He lowered his head and at once his tongue found the goal of his desires. He pressed home eagerly and she spread herself wider still, watching him intently, her left hand gripping the edge of the chair, her right slowly raising the whip. When she judged the time right, down it came across his already streaked behind as if to drive him on to greater effort. It fell repeatedly, with less force than before, though upon much abused and tender flesh. It appeared to work, for Gautier was like a starving man fallen upon an unexpected feast, his tongue darting and playing inside her until she threw down the whip and gripped both sides of the chair, pulling up her legs and wrapping them tightly around the back of his head, almost levering herself up against him as the climax overtook her.
The screen went dead. Nobody spoke for a moment.
'Now I've seen everything!' said Kim at last.
'Sonia can't know about this, can she?' said Valerie, looking from one to the other.
'I wouldn't have thought so,' answered Karen, 'otherwise Gautier wouldn't have been leaving notes, would he?'
'And I don't suppose Pauline's doing it for nothing either,' added Annette.
'Right,' put in Valerie, 'so that means she's freelancing. He's paying her directly if he's paying at all.'
'D'you think we've got her?' asked Angela.
Too bloody right I do!' replied Valerie. 'And I say we sort her out before Sonia gets back!'
'Let's have a look at those stills,' said Annette.
Karen pulled open the envelope and shook three co
lour prints out on to the table.
'Yes, all the best bits!' said Valerie, looking at each in turn by the light of the TV screen.
'You know what I think?' said Karen. There was a silence.
'Well?' prompted Annette.
'I think we should put her on trial.'
Valerie smiled and said, 'Now that sounds worth consideration. Let's find ourselves a little corner in the village cafe and work it out over dinner.'
Pauline sat in her jodhpurs, blouse and knee boots, over a half-finished lunch in the conservatory, a newspaper propped against the table. Annette entered from the direction of the bar, smiled at Lorna and Rachel, then walked casually over to Pauline's table.
'How are we today, dear?' asked Annette, placing a white envelope down in front of her.
Pauline regarded Annette for a moment with expressionless blue eyes then looked down at the envelope. 'What's this for?' she asked coolly.
'Why not take a little peep?' said Annette mischievously. Pauline watched her walk back through the bar room before picking up the envelope. She examined it casually then slowly eased open the flap and extracted the contents, seeing first the note which read, There are more pinned up in the beauty parlour if you care to see them.'
She looked at the photograph.
'What's got into her?' remarked Rachel as the figure hustled by, knocking aside a chair and disappearing out into the main corridor.
'Looks like she's seen a ghost!' answered Lorna.
'Somebody's in for it,' added Rachel.
Pauline hurried along the ground floor corridor, reached the blue door of the beauty parlour and hesitated. With a shaking hand, she reached out to the brass handle and pushed. The door opened. The light was on in the small passage but the inner door was closed and she could hear no sound beyond. She released the outer door and, walking cautiously forward, heard it click shut softly behind her.
She stood before the inner door. Still there was silence.
With an expression of cool determination she gripped the handle, pushed open the door and strode in.
She met the gaze of three figures, seated on stools at the near end of the long wall mirror. Annette, Valerie and Kim each wore shimmering black catsuits in stretch vinyl with wide, red, vinyl belts and red leather high-heel sandals.
'Do come inside, deary,' said Valerie. 'We're all waiting.'
Pauline stepped forward, clutching the white envelope, and waved it before them.
'I'll take the rest of these now!' she demanded in the glare of the spotlights, for the room was brightly lit throughout.
'You'll take nothing!' came the voice from behind her.
She swung around to see Karen, dressed exactly as the others, pushing shut the inner door and leaning back against it with arms folded.
'Oh!' declared Pauline, starting towards her. 'So Miss Prim and Proper's in on it as well, is she?'
'Yes,' answered Karen in a low voice, 'and I assure you I'm not lying my mouth off about having a video tape, because that's what the stills are taken from.'
'Well,' responded Pauline, turning to face the other three, 'hand it all over to me and nothing more will be said. If you don't, you're all finished.' She swung to face Karen again, including this bloody little dyke who I suppose is behind it all!'
Karen, with eyes blazing, stepped quickly forward and at once slapped her hard across the mouth. Pauline lurched back, her face a mask of outrage.
Valerie and Annette caught hold of her before she could respond in kind.
'I don't damn well care what I am!' Karen shouted. 'But at least I'm with people who understand! And I don't have to spit venom or take it out on others to make myself feel important!'
'She speaks for all of us!' added Valerie.
'Yes,' said Annette, 'all of us tarts and floozies, Pauline! One big happy family you don't belong to at all!'
'You're all bloody well mad!' shouted Pauline. 'You'll all be out on your arses before the end of this week and I'll see to it!'
'We'll see!' responded Valerie, nodding to Annette and Kim.
Valerie and Annette seized her arms and Karen, stepping forward, took hold of her blouse and ripped it asunder from neck to waist, exposing the black lace brassiere which held her full and firm breasts in place. Pauline looked at each in horror as the blouse was pulled from her arms, the fastening at the back of the brassiere released and fingers pulled at the belt about her waist.
'Damn you!' she screamed and began to struggle and kick out.
Valerie struck her across the mouth twice in rapid succession.
'You'll do as you're told and keep calm!' declared Valerie. 'Or you'll get this!'
She reached down, picked up the black, braided whip and held it coiled under Pauline's nose. Pauline took a deep breath.
'You ought to recognise that,' said Karen. They continued to hold her as Kim appeared in her field of vision, holding something dark and ominous in her hands. The aroma of latex at once became evident and Pauline, naked above the waist, resumed her struggle, if you keep this up,' announced Karen, 'I'm going out to the bar and I'm going to pin the rest of the photographs up where everyone can see them!'
'Yes,' said Annette, 'then they'll all know, Pauline, and you'll never look anyone in the face again.'
'And if Sonia finds out who you've been at it with,' continued Valerie, 'and how he's been getting into the house at night, you'll wish you'd never been born.'
'So let's do it the easy way, shall we?' said Karen, stepping back to allow Kim to move forward.
'You mean you won't show those to Sonia?' Pauline glowered as first one arm and then the other was pushed into the embrace of the heavy rubber sleeve until her arms were folded together across her chest.
'We're going to come to an arrangement with you,' said Valerie as they drew the straitjacket over her shoulders and around her upper body.
Kim moved behind Pauline while Valerie and Annette held her still and Karen stood with eyes fixed upon her. The swish of laces being threaded through brass eyelets was all that could be heard for a minute or so as the heavy latex began its inexorable tightening. Valerie joined Kim for the final adjustments as the two edges of the garment were drawn together. Annette held Pauline steady at the front until the tugging ceased and the laces were knotted securely at the back of her waist.
Pauline stood enveloped in the darkly gleaming rubber, her arms enclosed within its secure grasp looking at her captors.
'Well, that wasn't as difficult as it might have been,' remarked Valerie as she and Annette loosened and eased off Pauline's knee boots.
it's a pity Angie had to go out this afternoon,' said Karen.
'Perhaps it's as well,' replied Annette, 'she's far too forgiving.'
When they began to,undo the buttons of her jodhpurs, Pauline once more became animated, pulling back and saying, 'No, I won't have this! Do what you bloody well like with the tapes and the photographs - undo me now! This minute!'
'Too late for that, deary,' replied Valerie, 'but you can leave here any time you like just as you are.'
Pauline looked agape at her, tensing visibly against the restraint, only now beginning to realise how the situation was developing. Kim appeared behind, holding something up in her hand for Valerie to see over Pauline's shoulder.
Valerie glanced at Kim and nodded. That was enough. And though Pauline should have known what was coming, for she had often carried out the action herself, her face showed startled disbelief as the rubber harness was pulled over her head and the black latex plug implanted between her open lips, stifling the shriek of protest which had barely stirred in her throat. Annette and Valerie held her firmly as the web was stretched and buckled like a heavy elastic cage, the soft rubber ring on the inside of the mouth cover sealing her lips against the plug.
She twisted about with a muffled 'Mmmm!' Her eyes darted from Valerie to Karen then to Annette.
'Oooh! If looks could kill!' remarked Valerie.
'Well, they can't,' foll
owed up Annette, 'and neither can her mouth now.'
'Sit on here!' ordered Valerie, propelling their prisoner back towards one of the chairs before the long mirror. The others gathered about her. 'All right,' began Valerie, 'we've all got reasons for wanting you here, some more than others, so you may as well hear mine first. You've manipulated me several times in the past; worst of all when Karen arrived last year and you tricked us both. I know you keep notes on me and I know you try and find out from others what I do when I go out on my own in the evening.'
'And me,' put in Annette. 'You've had tabs on me ever since I arrived and I know how much you've delved into my past when it's none of your bloody business!'
'And Kim,' continued Valerie, 'despite the fact that she is my assistant, you've taken it out on her when Sonia's been away, knowing she would keep quiet because she didn't want any upset, and causing me problems in the bargain!'
Karen moved forward to face her. 'You've had it in for me since the day I arrived. You've resented me for no good reason I can see other than the fact that I'm close to Sonia. Well, it isn't something I've done to annoy you. It isn't anything to do with you and it never was! Everybody else understands and accepts me except you. You've always been resentful because you couldn't take it out on me the way you do on Angela and the others. And you should never had done what you did to Jackie and Rose, let alone to me! It's ironic, isn't it? You're the one who is supposed to keep order here and make sure the rules aren't broken yet you are the worst transgressor of all! Sonia wouldn't have been put out too much by anthing we've done. But you! Bringing in the police inspector by the back door!'
'And how much was he paying you on the side, dear?' asked Annette.
'Yes,' added Valerie, 'you had better have a good answer for that one in a day or two!'
They regarded Pauline for a time. Her expression of defiance was gone. In its place was a countenance of resignation and she no longer looked any of them in the eye.
Kim, who had been absent for a number of minutes, reappeared and announced, 'Everything is ready!'
House of Intrigue Page 25