She served the drinks and made as brief eye contact with Jeff as she could. She made one quick glance at him, but that was enough. His eyes tracked her every move again, as they had previously.
The chills intensified. It was as if somebody was taking an ice cube and running it from the base of her spine all the way to the top of her neck. There was something about him that was just not right.
She looked away as soon as Jeff’s eyes met hers and locked on to her.
His stare was like a Maverick missile locking onto a laser-designated target.
She was the target and indeed part of her didn’t want to be. Part of her did.
He was the missile.
Charlene put her finger up and spoke to Jeff. “It’ll be a minute.”
As she got back to the bar, she leaned over to Randy. “You serve him. I’ve seen him in here before and I really don’t like being near him.”
“Really?” Randy asked. “He’s a good-looking dude.”
“Really! I’m not serving him. He’s your customer. Watch the way he stares at me. It’s creepy.”
Randy watched Jeff’s eyes follow her as she moved to the opposite side of the bar to check on the surfers. Maybe Charlene’s instincts were right. He went over to Jeff’s table mindful of what Charlene had said.
“And what can I get for you?” He probed, wanting to smoke him out. “I see you like my girlfriend. I can tell, because you keep staring at her. She is pretty darn cute if I do say so.”
He waited for a response. He wanted to see if Charlene was telling the truth about this person. She could be devious at times trying to get him jealous. It had happened more than once. Was this one of those times? Jeff was an attractive man. What was Charlene sensing? Was her intuition accurate, or was this one of her games?
Jeff caught the ploy but didn’t bite. Slither brain came forward. “Oh, I was thinking how much she reminds me of someone I used to date. Same eyes. Same hair. Same smile. I was just reminiscing. I didn’t mean to be rude.”
He broke lock with Charlene and turned his attention to Randy in spite of the fact he wanted to continue to watch her every move and dream about what he’d do to her and what she would do for him.
And then the snake struck.
Jeff lashed out.
“Listen, the barmaid knows what I want to drink. Ask her. In fact, I don’t wish to order from you. Tell her she knows what to get me.”
Jeff waited.
Randy could see that his arguing wouldn’t do anything but potentially cause a fight. He didn’t want to start anything so he backed off and went back to the bar.
After a brief discussion with Randy, reluctantly Charlene left the bar and went to Jeff’s table. It was as if she were walking with chains wrapped around about her body. Every movement was a struggle. She did not want to be where she was.
She stood in front of him, staring down at the table avoiding eye contact, lips pursed, struggling inside trying to not physically manifest the mixture of fear and attraction she felt for him.
“Okay, what is it you want to drink?”
Slither brain went into charming mode. “Oh, come on. You remember now don’t you? Or are you stupid and playing with me?”
No response.
He softened his tone and smiled at her. “Look, I didn’t mean to call you stupid. I wanted to see if I could get a rise out of you. I do that sometimes to just have fun with people. I’ll have my standard rum and coke, please. He looked straight into her eyes, pleaded with his, half-closing them and grinned again.
Charlene did not remember what he drank, but she couldn’t forget him. He was indeed handsome. And he seemed so much more sophisticated and intelligent than Randy did. In her heart of hearts, she knew she should stay away, but she was still drawn to him.
The moth is drawn to the flame in spite of the danger.
She struggled. In her core, she was scared of this man, but at the same time, intrigued by him.
He appeared professional and successful all the previous times he came in except the first time when he explained he had come from an impromptu costume party. Today he was in a three-piece Armani business suit, starched collars, silk tie that was certainly worth more than one hundred dollars, gold cuff links, and shoes so shiny she could use them to do her makeup. He was certainly more successful than Randy was or would ever be. He might be a long-term solution to her financial problems. She didn’t know anything about him, but she was willing to ignore her inner feelings of dread and find out.
Seeing her demeanor change, Jeff ventured further. He wanted her. He needed her. He needed to convince her he wasn’t threatening. “Okay, honey, make that a straight up rum on the rocks. Forget the coke. I’ve had a very prosperous day. I closed a $6 million dollar real estate deal. It’s my time to celebrate.”
This wasn’t what he usually drank, but his reptilian brain was excited and his logical brain knew that he needed a double to calm the snake down. He needed to put the snake to sleep. This girl was worth the wait and he wanted to let it play out as long as it could. The longer he took to play the game, the better the outcome.
Charlene smiled back. This man had money. He had charm. He had her with that last comment about closing the real estate deal.
Randy approached her. “Hey baby, what’s up? Is everything okay?” He didn’t understand her rapid change in attitude. Moments ago, she didn’t want anything to do with the newcomer. Now everything seemed better. Maybe she was playing him--again.
“Sorry Randy, I was being weird earlier. You were right. He seems OK. He started coming here the first week I was here. He was here two days and then disappeared. Still, when he’s here, he keeps staring at me. It’s as if he is undressing me with his eyes. It unnerved me. I overreacted earlier.”
“Hey, he’s no different than any other guy or me for that matter.” He pulled her close and gave her a hug. “Gorgeous don’t worry about him.”
She pushed him away, which was an unusual reaction, but she didn’t want to appear to lovey-dovey in front of Jeff. It might scare him off.
Just then, Todd was standing up after his third Todd water and trying to explain how to manage the sails on the boat using his hands to describe winching in the jib when coming close to weather. He was acting it out, pulling on the imaginary sheets and trying to demonstrate how the boat would list to one side while it picked up speed as the lead sail was tightened. He was over-enthusiastic in his acting. With the last tug on the imaginary sheet, he lost his balance and crashed backward onto the floor.
With help from John, Stephanie and Jeff, (who saw the whole thing while coming back from the bathroom); Todd got up from the floor and settled back into his chair. “Maybe I’ve had enough,” he said when Randy arrived with a mop to clean up the drinks that were now strewn about on the floor.
Jeff joined them and sat down opposite Stephanie.
Their eyes locked. Even though Stephanie wasn’t blonde, her eyes and the shape of her nose and mouth were perfect, mirroring his stepmom.
“Here’s trouble.” Jeff mused.
Because he had already downed three drinks, his reptilian brain was now asleep so his logical brain took over.
“So what brings you guys to this place?”
Stephanie looked into his slate-gray eyes and answered, totally ignoring her husband, who wasn’t the least bit interested in joining in. He had turned his attention to Charlene the same instant Jeff turned his attention to Stephanie.
Serpent serendipity!
Conversations droned on for an hour, but in that time, Charlene had become even more infatuated with Jeff and John had become infatuated with her. Stephanie was also extremely interested in Jeff.
They all parted company after midnight.
On his ride back to Malibu, Jeff studied the business card given him by Stephanie.
It piqued his interest.
Although she was not a blonde, she had such similar traits to his stepmother she was another potential target, an
d because she gave him her card and invited him down to her yacht by writing the slip number on the back of her card, he knew he would see her again.
Life is good.
He had two new potential victims.
Let the games begin.
Chapter 26
Detective Alvin Riddick was 45 years old, married, had two kids, and had been on the Los Angeles Police Department for over 15 years. He was average build, and had two outstanding features: he had bright red hair and freckles, and his nose was the size of a potato. But other than that, he was an average Joe living an ordinary life except for his occasional involvement with several strippers he had met while he was on the vice squad.
His wife overlooked his disfigured nose when they were dating and agreed to marry him in spite of it because he had a kind soul and he treated her like a queen—except when he was with the hookers, about which she knew nothing.
He was seated with his feet resting on his desk when Fred McCallister walked into his office.
“So Fred, getting ready to retire, are you? I’m jealous.”
“Of course you are. You have another 20 years to go before you can start collecting Social Security. At the rate your spending money with the strippers and keeping it from your wife, you’ll be lucky if it’s only 20 years.”
Alvin grinned. “I’m not the sharpest tool in the shed, and I have this big old honking nose, but my package is even larger. The hookers like it, but my wife not so much. If it weren’t for our two kids, I would be out of that relationship now. You know I love my wife. But sometimes a man’s got to do what a man’s got to do.” He grinned, crossed his left leg over his right and leaned back, bragging.
“Enough of your bullshit, Alvin, I’m not here to talk about your infidelity. I’m here to see if you found anything out about that killing knife from China we found at Dockweiler. I interviewed one of the people you sent me information on, but I’m about to strike him off my list. He showed me the knife his wife bought him as an anniversary gift. Have you received anything else from the manufacturer? I need to see records of who else purchased that knife that go back at least two years.” Fred was adamant.
His voice was edgy.
It was starting to grate on Alvin.
“Look, Fred. I’ve been busy working two other cases. I’ll get to it when I get to it.”
“Look, Alvin, that’s not good enough! I only have a couple of more weeks on the force. I want to close this case and will if you help me. Get real! Get me the information. I mean it!”
Now Alvin was pissed. He took his feet off the desk and leaned forward to emphasize his point. “Look, buddy. You don’t need to get in my face about this. I’ve been busy balancing my life. You know what I mean.”
“I know exactly what you mean. You’re balancing your time with your stripper friends and your wife. This is a murder case. I won’t tolerate any more of your bullshit. Do your fucking job and get me what I need. I might let your wife know what you’re about if you don’t.” Fred didn’t really mean it, but he was sincerely trying to close this last case before retiring.
He needed help. Pressuring Alvin with the threat of revealing his secret life was his last resort.
Alvin might be able to provide it if he could get over himself and spend the time needed.
Fred continued to harp on his friend.
On hearing Fred’s threats about possible disclosure of his illicit activities to his wife and the ramifications that would have on his life, Alvin set up straight in his chair and pointed his finger at Fred. “Listen, old man, don’t you threaten me. I’m doing what I need to do to keep my life in order. I’ll get to it when I get to it.”
He then had second thoughts.
His wife would divorce him if she found out and it would cost him plenty. He had seen what other officers had gone through when their wives found out their spouses were cheating.
He wanted none of it.
He couldn’t afford it.
He softened his tone. “You’ll have your information soon. I promise. Now get the fuck outta here!”
Fred gave him the one-fingered salute and left abruptly. As he got to the door, he turned back. “You’d better have that list to me in a week or I AM going to tell your wife. I mean it, partner! Get me the list or your wife finds out who you really are. I’m dead nuts serious!”
He slammed the door as he left knowing he had made his point.
Chapter 27
The next day, Jeff Dawson picked up the phone and called Stephanie at her office. Although she was with a patient performing liposuction, when her receptionist announced over the intercom that he was on the phone, she interrupted the procedure and took the call.
The surgery could wait. She was interested in knowing what Jeff had to say. She was smitten with him. She knew it would be good being with him. She knew it. After a brief conversation, she agreed to meet him at Arachne at 6 PM.
Jeff arrived at King Harbor at 5:45.
Slither brain was working overtime. He had his gym bag packed and ready for service in the trunk of his car. He had every intention of using it and he had convinced himself this would be a dress rehearsal for his real target, Charlene.
He needed a release.
Stephanie would be nothing but foreplay.
Stephanie had several other patients that day but managed to leave Beverly Hills by 4:25. She was very excited about spending quality time with Jeff and didn’t want to be late.
After Jeff had called her in the morning, she took a long lunch and bought a very expensive negligée from Macy’s, down the street from her office. It was a red camisole, with garter belts and a see through sheer thong pair of panties.
When she tried the outfit on in the store, she got wet with anticipation. Mr. Dawson would not be able to resist her.
She was sure of it.
Unbeknownst to Jeff, Stephanie had got to the boat fifteen minutes before he did.
She had already chilled the Don Perignon and had a bottle of Morgan’s spiced rum and several cokes chilling in her Subzero refrigerator. She remembered what Jeff drank from the night before and decided she would start with the rum and cokes, leading later to the champagne, her favorite.
She knew how to play the game, in spite of the fact she hadn’t been in it for a while and didn’t want to appear to be too forward, lest she might scare him off.
In her mind, he was the perfect person with whom to start her new life of pleasure. She saw the way he dressed when they met yesterday.
He had style.
He had the look.
He wasn’t a Neanderthal like her husband.
He has substance.
She has substance.
They were meant to be together.
He was also ruggedly handsome. Although he wasn’t as young as she would have liked him to be, he would still do. Hell, he would more than do.
She hoped he was as good in bed as she imagined he could be.
She went out of her way to make everything perfect for him. She wanted everything her way and to be perfect for her and for him--as it should be.
She might write him off later, but tonight was going to be her night.
She scripted it.
She was in control, or so she thought.
Later, if the sex was good, she might give up some of that control.
But right now, the night was hers.
She was a catch and she knew it.
Jeff might be a catch, but the jury was still out.
She hoped he was as good as she imagined he would be.
She would make the decision how good afterward.
She was dressed in Daisy Duke short cutoffs, which accentuated her backside and had a pullover T-shirt with an advertisement for Morgan’s rum plastered on the back. She wasn’t wearing a bra.
Promptly at 6 o’clock, she left Arachne and walked down the dock to see if Jeff had arrived.
He spotted her immediately.
She was even more stunning in th
e late afternoon light than he remembered her being at HBYC.
Slither brain was excited, coiled and ready.
He imagined how tightly he would put the ligatures on her arms and legs and spread-eagle her on her bed in her new yacht before playing the games he so wanted to play.
He grinned like a Cheshire cat, got out of his car and walked to the gate.
Jeff was dressed in his three-piece business suit. He specifically didn’t dress casually. He sensed Stephanie was a woman who appreciated a man in a suit, so instead of dressing down by putting on jeans and a Hawaiian shirt, he went for the full on corporate look down to and including diamond studded 24-karat gold cuff links with a matching diamond-studded tiepin.
When he arrived at the gate, they couldn’t appear to be more mismatched. He made up some bullshit line about being in meetings all day because he knew, in the back of his mind, that’s what she wanted to hear.
He was right.
Stephanie opened the gate.
“Well, mister. You look like you’re ready for a business meeting, not a night on a yacht. But I like the look. I really like the look.” She reached out, took his hand and gave him a peck on the cheek, promptly turned and led the way back to her yacht intentionally accentuating the sway in her hips as an appetizer.
He stared as she walked in front of him, his mind racing at the thought of them getting intimate.
Slither brain smiled and commented sarcastically. “Don’t give me any crap. I’ve been in meetings all day long. The $6 million deal that I did last week was about to blow up in my face, but I met with the lawyers and I salvaged it. I’ll get my $60,000 commission check tomorrow.”
Stephanie turned around as she was still walking. “Not bad for a week’s work and then added to get the upper hand, “I only made $50,000 today with a liposuction and two nose jobs.” She continued down the dock. This was going to be fun.
Jeff was easy to tease and to play.
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