by Ford, Angela
She followed Cory behind the wall in the reception area. The main room beyond reception impressed Renee with its spacious layout. Beyond four desks she noticed a glass wall with a large room comprised of an antique cherry table and leather chairs. Cory opened the brushed bronze door and motioned for Renee to have a seat in the conference room.
“May I offer you a beverage? We have coffee, tea and water.”
Cory stood by the antique curly maple buffet. With the exception of the antique table and buffet, the remainder of the office furniture seemed modern and inexpensive. Renee wondered if the new owners were young and inexperienced, but she was desperate to get her daughter back.
“Water is fine, thank you.”
Renee watched Cory kneel down to the small refrigerator nestled inside a buffet door. She politely thanked the girl and nodded when Cory announced one of her detectives had returned. Renee watched her saunter into the main area. She noticed another young woman enter the area of the four desks. She appeared older than Cory but not by much. Her long dark brown hair tied in a high ponytail, bounced behind her. The young woman was more professionally dressed than Cory. Renee took notice of the pressed white cotton shirt beneath a navy blazer. A matching skirt rested just above her knees. She stood a few inches taller than Renee with the three-inch heels she wore. Renee observed the caramel highlights when the young woman stood under the lighting. A hand reached out with a pleasant smile.
“Hello, I’m Shay Brooks, one of the partners here at Miss Demeanor. How may I help you today Ms. Mills?”
Renee was impressed Cory had given her name to the detective. Her first shocked opinion of the eccentric Cory quickly changed. Her caring nature and professionalism changed her mind about the girl.
“I need your help to save my daughter.”
“Please have a seat, Ms. Mills.” Shay took a seat across from her. “Is your daughter in danger? How old is she?”
“Twenty-two, and yes, she’s in danger.” Renee began to tell Beth’s story and Shay listened until she heard Renee state she’d lost all contact since her daughter met Rick.
“Is Rick her boyfriend?” Shay enquired with such concern in her eyes, it touched Renee’s heart. She knew she’d made the right choice to ask for help. She needed someone who cared.
“Yes, I suppose he is. Beth hasn’t introduced me to him. From what I’ve heard, he’s in his forties. He owns that high-end strip club called Bare. I’ve heard it’s a cover for drugs. It must be. Beth had everything going for her until he got her hooked on drugs. Since he came into her life, she’s dropped out of college and from what I gather, is stripping. Can you help me save her?”
Chapter Three
Shay returned to her desk after Renee left. She promised to call her as soon as she spoke with her partners. Her heart went out to the woman. Renee seemed so worried about her daughter. Shay looked up when she caught a glance of a Hawaiian shirt. She knew in an instant her partners Maile Kuhiwinui and Cassie Holmes had returned. They had run out to pick up a few office supplies and lunch.
Maile always sported aloha shirts and wore her long dark hair in a loose bun. Her petite build and youthful looks surprised anyone she told her age of thirty-three.
Cassie came from Arizona. At the age of thirty-one she’d also been fed up and frustrated in climbing the ranks. The tall, tanned blonde, had become Shay’s running partner. They spoke about joining a local gym together once they settled in with the agency.
“Cory mentioned we have a potential client.”
Maile set down the bags she carried. Cassie handed Shay a deli sandwich as Cory joined them with bottles of water.
“We do. I’m waiting for River to return and then I’ll fill you all in while we eat.” Shay took a bite and moaned in delight. “You were right, Cory, this is a damn-good-sandwich.” Laughter spread around the table. Shay knew they remembered Cory’s exact words when she suggested the deli. Cory, alone, had already brought excitement to Shay’s new world with her eccentric looks and choice of words. She said it the way she saw it. Shay liked that about Cory.
“What’s all the laughter about?”
River Nightingale returned and grabbed the last unopened sandwich. She was often mistaken for a teenager at only four and a half feet tall. But the thirty-year-old pixie-sized blonde could handle herself. Shay referred to her as ‘small but mighty.’ She wasn’t a woman you wanted to mess with.
“Shay’s having an orgasmic experience with that damn-good-sandwich.”
Cassie’s remark brought about more laughter.
“Well, it has been some time, a little sad that a sandwich is providing pleasure.”
Shay winked at them and bit into the sandwich again. She knew they all enjoyed the same pleasure as they ate without another word spoken. Shay finished first and reached for a napkin.
“A potential client, Mrs. Renee Mills, stopped by and wants us to save her daughter.”
Shay figured an abrupt start would entice the ladies to take the case.
“Save her? Is she missing?” River placed her sandwich back on her plate. Maile and Cassie sat waiting patiently for Shay to continue.
“Beth Mills isn’t missing. She’s twenty-two, and was a straight-A student at the University of Washington. Her mother lost contact with her when she started seeing this Rick guy. Beth dropped out of college. Her mom believes Rick has her hooked on drugs and stripping at a club called Bare.” Shay passed around Beth’s picture Renee had given her.
“And her mom wants us to save her from Rick? Rick, who? Does anyone know about this club Shay mentioned?”
Maile reached for her tablet when everyone shrugged.
“Beth is an adult. We can’t tell her what to do,” Cassie added to the conversation while Maile Googled for a club in Seattle called Bare.
“Her mom can’t tell her either. Beth won’t return her calls. Renee is sick with worry. She swears this isn’t like her daughter. She never rebelled as a teenager and had been focused on nothing else but becoming a lawyer. Renee believes it’s the drugs and Rick that have steered her away from her life’s goals.” Shay knew she’d reach their hearts with the emotional tones she used.
“But what exactly does she want us to do? Bust the place for drugs, have Rick jailed and then whisk her daughter away to rehab?”
River’s questions were the same ones Shay first thought when she met Renee.
“Renee isn’t sure what she wants us to do. She’s just lost and desperate to save her daughter from a world of drugs.”
Maile interrupted the conversation with her findings.
“B.A.R.E. is an acronym for Business Associates Reserved Establishment. From the pictures I found, it appears to be somewhat of a gentleman’s club like you’d find in England.”
Maile looked up from the computer.
“You know those high-end clubs for men only?” She read from her tablet that the annual membership fee was five-thousand dollars after the initial twenty-five thousand initiation fee, and an invitation.
“So it’s only for the wealthy?” Cassie piped up with sarcasm in her tone.
Maile nodded in agreement and continued reading. “The wealthy and the famous; New York has a few of them too. It says here that Richard Newark is the club’s owner. Must be our ‘Rick’ in question, and a very striking man he is.” Maile turned the tablet so everyone could view his picture.
Shay agreed he must be Beth’s new interest. “Renee mentioned he was in his forties. She also called it a strip club. It doesn’t appear to be one.”
Maile turned the tablet back and brought up another article she’d found about the club. She read aloud that the club was believed to include an escort service, but it had yet to be proven. Some believed the thirty rooms within were used for private massages and pole dances. “Guess that’s the reason f
or the acronym.” Maile snorted and continued, “It says the owner strongly made it clear that it was a private club for elite business associates.”
“And possibly one with a hidden drug operation. What do you think ladies? It sounds like Beth Mills could use our help. Should we make our mark in town and bust Seattle’s secret drug operation?” Shay asked.
Everyone around the table agreed the case enticed them and they’d like to investigate the place. River asked Maile to continue her research on the club.
“So, we’re taking the case?”
Shay excitedly did a drum roll on the table with her fingers. She looked at the blank expressions around the table. “What? I’m excited. We have a client. The first client I interviewed. Let me have some glory.”
“You’ll get glory, sweetie. You are the only one of us who waitressed in college. Guess who’s going undercover as a waitress at Bare?”
River laughed when the corners of Shay’s smile dropped.
She wondered what she’d gotten herself into and then it hit her.
“I have no connections to get a job there. Do I just knock on the door and apply?”
River stood. “Yes you do have connections. Uncle Mike. I’ll call him now to see if he can help.”
Shay sunk lower in her chair. This is it, my first undercover assignment. She returned to her desk and confidently placed the call to Renee Mills as promised.
Chapter Four
“May I help you, Miss?”
Shay looked up from the glass cabinet her hands rested against and asked the eager salesclerk, “What do you have in a small pistol I can easily conceal?”
Shay only used a select few from her collection of assorted guns. She needed a smaller weapon for her new potential job. One she could hide with a belly strap under her uniform. Mike called River back within a couple of hours of her request with success of an interview scheduled for late morning. Uncle Mike described, what he remembered, the waitresses wore the one time he’d met Rick at the club. Some were dressed in classic black cocktail dresses while others in elegant short black skirts and tops. Shay hoped for the skirt-top ensemble and then she could wear the belly strap she wanted. Either way she could always sport her thigh strap under a cocktail dress.
The clerk reached for a brochure and handed it to Shay.
“I just received shipment of the 1911 series EMP—Enhanced Micro Pistol. I believe you will like this style. It packs an amazing amount of punch in one of the smallest 1911s ever. Excuse me for a moment while I grab one from the back.”
Shay skimmed over the brochure. Not only did she like that it was an eighth inch shorter than the original, there were several advantages for the shooter. She looked up when she heard the clerk return with the 1911 EMP in-hand.
“The short grip radius will give a comfortable shooting experience. Its shorter dimensions increase reliability—crucial for a concealed carry pistol.”
“Does it have the same features as the original 1911?” She hadn’t read much in the handout before he returned with the pistol.
“The EMP comes loaded with all the features you’d find in the original. The low profile 3 dot tritium combat sights and the match grade fully supported, ramped barrel. Its new innovative design makes it the perfect concealed carry pistol.”
“You had me at 1911.” Shay chuckled. “I own the original but to have the same amount of punch with this size—” Shay held the pistol in her hand. The clerk nodded in agreement.
“You have to shoot the EMP to believe how controllable it is. But first, Miss, I’ll need to see your concealed weapon license.”
“Of course.” Shay reached into her purse for her license and handed it to the clerk. He thanked her and reached for his book to record the sale with her license. He chatted while he filled out the form.
“Will you need a thigh or ankle strap with this today?”
“I own both but I’m interested in the belly strap if you have it.”
He nodded. “I do. I also have the purse defender and the bedside backup in stock if you’re interested.”
Shay informed him that she owned the purse defender but would be interested in a new bedside backup since hers cracked in the move.
“New to town?” The clerk looked up momentarily and smiled.
“Yes, and I believe you are my new best friend.” She laughed at his comeback.
“I wish all the good-looking women said that to me. You seem to be a weapons’ enthusiast.” Shay nodded. “Very much so; the original 1911 is a favorite of my collection.”
“I keep a list for my enthusiastic collectors. Can I add your name to the list? I’ll contact you whenever I come across something of interest.”
She agreed. “Please do.” He excused himself for a moment to retrieve a new bedside backup stand for her and returned with an extra box.
“You mentioned you own the purse defender but I thought this might interest you. They’ve added a smaller version of the modular style holster that is perfect for the EMP.”
He handed it to Shay. She noticed it had the same Velcro-lined panel to fit securely inside any purse or carry bag to keep the gun stabilized. She liked that about the one she already had. Other models on the market would cause her purse to tip over, but the modular holster along with the Velcro panel ensured the firearm was safe and secure where she put it.
“Perfect, I’ll take this too. I love the fact that we no longer have to carry an ugly concealed carry purse.” Shay filled out the remaining form for her purchases and handed it to the clerk along with her credit card.
He reviewed the form. “I wondered if you were in law enforcement or just an enthusiast.”
Shay laughed. “Both.”
He thanked her and told her if she had any trouble with her purchases to come back and see him.
Excitement for her new purchases had her preoccupied. Shay stepped outside McCarthy’s Firearms to hail a cab and didn’t notice him. The collision jolted her bags from her hands. She started to apologize but the beautiful man she viewed left her speechless.
“Whoa! Someone is in a hurry.” His hands landed on her upper arms. The heat that generated against her bare skin from his touch left her dazed. No man had ever had that effect with one single touch. His dark lashes encircled his hazel eyes and held her stare. She desperately fought the urge to run her hands through his darkened sexy mess of hair. Then plant her lips on his perfect pout. Snap out of it Shay. This man is a total stranger.
“I’m sorry.”
Her heart skipped a beat when he smiled. “Not to worry.” He bent down to retrieve her bags. One item had fallen out of the bag and he reached for it. “Bedside backup,” he read the label on the box and then placed it back in the bag. He handed Shay her bags with a raised eyebrow. Before he could tease her about it, she figured she’d make the first wisecrack.
“Every single girl in the city needs one.”
He laughed. “Good one. But it is always good for a single girl to remain safe in this city.”
Shay smiled. A hot guy with sensitivity and smarts must be attached to someone. The good ones always were. Saddened by that thought, she apologized again and opened the cab door. She looked at her watch as the cab pulled away. She still had enough time to go home and change before her interview at eleven-thirty.
Shay looked up at the sign. Business Associates Reserved Establishment. The nickname given to it still stuck in her memory. She assumed many still called it—Bare. The sign on the door instructed members only to swipe their card for entry and visitors to ring for service. Nervously, she pressed the button on the door. She heard a female voice come through the speaker.
“Good morning, may I help you?”
Shay announced she had an appointment at eleven-thirty with Richard Newark and gave her name. The woman tol
d her to come in and she heard a buzz. Shay reached for the handle and pushed the door open.
She felt as though she’d stepped into a different world—a world of wealth. She walked into an open area with a marble water fountain in the center of the room. The water flowed through white lights which sparkled like diamonds. A seating area to her left had a dozen tables and chairs, small table lamps accented with gold trim and white shades. A bellboy stood beside the elevator. Shay noticed there were buttons for five floors.
She turned to her right. An elegant, burgundy leather finished bar, sat in the center of the large room. It had tiny white lights built-in along its edge. There had to be at least twenty leathered burgundy cushioned stools. Both ends curved to enclose the glass wall behind it. She couldn’t begin to count the number of bottles and glasses on that wall. To the left of the bar she noticed more tables and chairs of the same sort that sat to her left. To the right of the bar were leather couches and chairs in front of a stone fireplace. The same gold-accented table lamps sat on each table around the furniture. Beautiful young women moved elegantly between the tables and couches serving drinks. Some dressed in classic black skirts and tops and some in elegant black cocktail dresses just as Mike described.
Shay turned her focus back to the bar and a man’s stare.
Oh shit! It’s that man I bumped into in front of McCarthy’s Firearms shop earlier. Thank God I never introduced myself. I hope he doesn’t suspect I’m here undercover. She smiled nonchalantly and waved. His returned smile weakened her already nervous state. Who cares if he’s attached? He’s probably in on this secret drug ring. Damn! All the good ones are untouchable. Her attraction for him diminished with that thought. A strikingly handsome man came toward her. She recognized him from the pictures Maile showed her. But the pictures didn’t do him justice.