by R Weir
“She can’t wait to get back to our room and get started.”
After paying we walked back taking our time. She held both of our hands, as Liam and I both walked on either side of her. I could feel her fingers caressing my palm and at times she rubbed up against me, her hand in mine rubbing my thigh. It was a crazy game I was playing, but I hoped once inside I could get away and search the other room. On the elevator ride up, we were alone. Miya leaned in, raising my shirt with one hand and kissing me on the chest, the other hand cupping my butt. I saw Liam watching us, getting aroused at the sight. It wasn’t my thing for a man to get off on my pleasure, but I played the part as best as I could. When we got into the hotel room, Miya left to put on one of her new teddies.
“Care for something?” said Liam. “Like I said, we have weed and some uppers that will put a smile on your face and a rush of blood to your groin.”
“I will take a pill or two and some beer,” I said.
He went into the adjoining bedroom and was back with a few pills, He handed me two, while downing two of his own.
“Grab a beer from the mini-bar. I’m going to light up and take a few hits.”
I pulled out a Bud Light and popped the top. I took a long draw and with some sleight of hand, dumped the pills in the trash with the bottle cap. I then pretended to put the pills in my mouth and drink down another long sip.
“Best seven-dollar bottle of Bud I’ve ever had.”
Liam laughed as he took a long hit on his bong that he had going now, while sitting on the sofa. I could smell the marijuana, but as long as I kept my distance I would be fine. I took a chair near the window where the air conditioning was blowing, keeping some fresh atmosphere to take in.
Out came Miya in her sheer white teddy. The material hid nothing, as I could see her naked body now. She grabbed a couple of pills from Liam and swallowed them down without any liquid. She took a long draw on the bong and then came over and stood in front of me.
“How do you like it?”
“Wow. Better than I imagined.”
She came and sat on my lap and put her tongue in my ear. It had an immediate effect on me, which she could feel.
“Someone, or something seems to be perking up,” she stated with a whisper.
“The pills must be kicking in.”
“Can I do anything to relieve the pressure?”
“Jarvis here likes to watch,” said Liam.
“Yes, you told me in the dressing room. Too bad you didn’t join us as well. While Liam was telling me about you and what you desired, he put his hands between my legs and got me all excited.”
“How about you two going into the bedroom and getting things started?” I said. “I will watch and when I’m ready I can join you.”
“Sounds hot,” said Miya.
She got off my lap and went over to Liam. She took two more draws on the bong and then pulled Liam to the bedroom. I followed and stood outside watching the activities. It didn’t take long before clothes were removed and the moaning began. About five minutes in they had forgotten all about me, completely engrossed in each other. I slipped away and went to the door that joined the two rooms. I slowly opened it, finding the room dark. I found a light switch and lit up the space, watching for any sign of someone there. But the room was empty other than for the contents of the person staying there.
The door had opened into the living area. Once there I found a notebook computer sitting on the table. It was powered off, so I powered it on to see if I could log in. Mandy had given me Logan’s password, at least the one that worked to access his email, and in this case the same to unlock his computer. It had automatically logged into the hotel wireless, so I grabbed my phone and made a quick call.
“I’m at his computer,” I said to Mandy who answered her cell phone. “Tell me what I should do?”
She gave me a web address to go to, LogMeIn.com. It was a remote access site that you can connect to, and allow a technician to take over your computer to troubleshoot. Once connected, she gave me the six-digit code and after a couple of other clicks she was in control.
“I’m in. Let me do my thing.”
“Ok. I’ll hang up and keep searching his room. Call when you need me to disconnect.”
In the living area I found a briefcase, but it had nothing other than papers, none of which were of any consequence. I checked the hallway closet, but found nothing there, other than the normal hotel items. In the bathroom, I went through his toiletries and the various medications you’d find for a man his age. Two different blood pressure medicines, antacids, allergy and Viagra. Apparently the sex machine needed help in the erection department.
From there I went into his bedroom and found some interesting items. In one of his bags were various sex toys. Toys for women and for men. You name it and it was there. Along with various oils and lubricants to keep the action going. Plus, there was some bizarre clothing that lead me to believe some wild role playing would be enjoyed this weekend. And more pills, marijuana and some white powder that had to be cocaine. I took pictures of all it, as evidence to show him.
I went through the room some more, finding nothing else of value, except for one thing. Sitting on the dresser was the envelope they give you when you check in. They always give you two key cards and since Logan was in the room by himself, the second card was there. I grabbed it, sticking it in my back pocket, leaving the envelope where it looked as if it had never been moved. He likely would never miss it and I now had access to his room. I walked back through, and Mandy called me.
“I got what I need.”
I said “Good” and ended the call. I powered down the machine, leaving it the way it was. I went through turning off all the lights and then back through the connected door. I could still hear moaning coming from the bedroom, the smell of marijuana still strong. Apparently the drugs would keep the action going for some time. I went over to the table in the living area and wrote out a quick note.
Sorry I had to leave. I got embarrassed and found I couldn’t go through with joining you. I hope you enjoy the rest of your stay.
I didn’t sign it, as they should know who left it—if they remembered any of the evening, since they were so high. I snuck out, holding the self-closing door so it didn’t slam shut, and headed back to my room. Into the bathroom I went; a long drenching under the rainfall showerhead was needed to wash off the stench and sleaze of the night. The plan was to go to sleep, hoping to dream of happier times other than the two naked bodies I’d manipulated to an end I needed, to force Logan’s hand. Believe it or not, I slept like a baby for the first time in a while.
Chapter 57
The next morning, I had room service deliver me some breakfast. Eggs, bacon, English muffins and some juice. It cost an arm and leg, but I didn’t mind. I was sleeping in ready for the big day ahead. After finishing, and showering, I called Mandy to see what she found when logged into Logan’s notebook.
“He had an email archive that wasn’t cloud-based. I got a copy of that and I’ve been looking through it. I found where he had been emailing some Chinese gentlemen about what to do about you snooping around. He wanted them to try and buy you off. If that didn’t work, hurt you to try and scare you off. Were you aware of this?”
I had not told Mandy of what had happened the first time I’d met Cong in my apartment. I looked down at my hand, which was still a little sore, but mostly healed now.
“Lived it. They offered me cash, which I refused and then dislocated my fingers.”
“You didn’t tell me.”
“No. Would have only worried you. It’s my job to handle those situations.”
“Found some other emails to that mysterious Yahoo account. Whoever he was emailing was warm for his form. Not sure why. Seems sleazy to me.”
“He is. But some like sleazy. Plus, he is a big-time executive with money. Sometimes that is all anyone wants.”
“There were communications to their legal department on how best to
handle, including one where he told them to write in the cause for the agreement I signed about not pursuing WANN in Aaron’s death. Said to make it vague and not apparent. Specifically, he said, and I quote ‘Don’t tell her any of this. Only say the money is for compensation for wages lost.’ Then later in the email he said, ‘If they didn’t get me to sign it, he was going to find himself a new legal team with the balls to do the job.’ The man is a corporate vulture.”
“Be sure you are sending all of this to Barry. We need him to have copies of everything, just in case.”
“I have been. He was salivating over these last ones I sent. Figures he can get a Stay on the Cease and Desist order.”
“Barry is a hawk in the courtroom when he has the evidence to back him up. Did you find anything else useful?”
“Nothing yet. But I’m still looking. Still trying to find a smoking gun about the coding issues. Apparently they were smart and removed those emails. Or everything was communicated verbally.”
“Keep digging. His ties to the Chinese and Russians are crucial. Be sure you are including that in your search parameters. Can I talk with April?”
After a couple of minutes, she came on the line.
“Enjoying yourself in Sin City?” she asked.
“Not really. I may need a delousing from all the sleaze I’m neck-deep in. But I’ve made progress and will have a big showdown this afternoon. I might even see about coming back a day early if all goes well.”
“Be good to see you again. So far all is quiet here. Neil and I mostly sit around reading, while Mandy works away on her computer. She’s only been sleeping about three or four hours a night. Nearly working non-stop. She wants these people in a bad way.”
“So do I. Just keep a lookout. Tell Neil thanks again for using his vacation on this. If I end up coming back tomorrow, I’ll let you know. If not, I’ll be in by ten Sunday morning.”
Logan’s poker match was starting at 1 p.m. Tess had told me they generally lasted a few hours, depending how quickly people get knocked out and how aggressive the bettors are. My intent was to walk down there close to two, and see how he was doing. I didn’t expect to see Miya or Liam there, as they had a pool day scheduled and told me they hated watching Logan gamble. Since I had time, I lay down in bed and set the alarm, falling asleep to some music playing on my phone.
After the annoying buzzer went off, I was up, alert and raring to go. Down the elevator and on the ground floor, I walked and walked and walked some more. At the very least I was getting exercise for my legs and feet. I found the poker room and stepped in. There were sixteen tables, all of which were being used, with as many as twelve people at each one, one of which was the dealer. If you were claustrophobic, you’d freak out, as everyone was tightly packed together. My eyes scanned the room and smack-dab in the middle was Logan, sitting at the end, checking out his cards. There were eight other men and two women playing, with stacks of chips in front of each of them, some with more than others. Logan was right in the middle, but had just won a hand that put him among those with the higher amount. There was nowhere to sit and watch. There was a small bar, so I went there and got a drink that cost a king’s ransom. I was wandering around when a security person came up to me.
“What are you doing, sir?” he said.
“Looking over the room. Amazing all the people in here. Wanted to see some of the action.”
“Some people get nervous when they see someone walking around, watching the tables and not playing.”
“I’m considering playing, just needed to see what games are going on. Looks like Texas Hold ’Em at many of the tables.”
“Yes that is the main game that is played, though some are more traditional poker games. If you want to stay in, you need to buy into a game or you can play some of the slot machines.”
I thanked him and then found a slot machine with a decent view and took a seat. I had no change to play with, so I just sat and watched. It was hard to see, but Logan seemed to be doing pretty well. I killed about forty-five minutes and then headed back out to grab a sandwich at the food court. Once I ate I walked back again and found Logan’s table was down to him and two others. So the end was near. So I went back to our tower, and with the key card, entered his room and took a seat in the dark, waiting and reading. I pulled out some printed papers I’d retrieved from my room and placed them on the table next to me. Time can go slowly when waiting for someone, but I was a patient man. I had made sure the connecting room door was locked, so if those two returned, they wouldn’t walk in on me. I heard the door handle twist and in lumbered Logan. Since the shades were closed it was dark enough that he couldn’t see me. He made a trip to the bathroom first, and after the flush of the toilet he walked in and turned on a light, startled to see me.
“Who the hell are you?” he said.
“Have a seat, so we can talk,” I replied.
“I’m calling security.”
“No you aren’t. All the phones have been unplugged. Please hand me your cell phone.”
“Why should I?”
“If you don’t, I’ll dislocate your fingers.” It was an idle threat, but payback would have been sweet. “Now do it and have a seat on the sofa.”
He was caught off guard and uncertain what to do. I stood up and pushed him up against the wall, hard. Twisted one of his arms behind his back and took his iPhone. I then spun him around and pushed him down on the sofa. He was flexing his arm, trying to get the feeling back.
“You didn’t have to do that,” he said.
“You were hesitating. Trying to decide what to do. You are a tech geek and anything stupid would have gotten you hurt. I wanted to make sure you understood you were out of your league when going up against me.”
“So I ask again, who the hell are you?”
“Jarvis Mann.” I pulled out my ID and flashed it at him. “I believe you have heard of me.”
“You are the detective that bitch hired.”
I waved my index finger at him.
“No need to call her names. Mandy Bailey or Mrs. Bailey is what you should call her.”
“I call that bitch whatever I want. What are you, the etiquette detective?”
“I am with you. Call her that again and you’ll be missing some teeth.”
He thought over his options. He may have been smart in the computer world, but not street smart. Still he had to know he was overmatched.
“So what does Mandy Bailey want from me?”
“To know why and who killed her husband, Aaron.”
He laughed. Not really sure why. Didn’t seem funny to me.
“I don’t know. The police said robbery.”
“No. You had him killed because of what he found out about your company and how it is stealing from your customers.”
“Silly notion. Why would we do such a thing?”
“Because it was the only way you could stay profitable. And because you were stupid.”
“How so?”
“The excesses of a wealthy man. You had a great deal going for you. A wife and daughter, a huge home and nice car. A life most could only wish of having. But it wasn’t enough. You had a taste for gambling, some drugs and sex with young men and women. Like Miya and Liam who are staying next door. Your wife found out and divorced you. Then maybe others found out and blackmailed you. Even leveraged you as a way to not only get a piece of the company profit, and steer it to try something illegal to save it from going under. Russian mobsters, and Chinese government enforcers.”
“You have it wrong. My wife was unfaithful to me.”
“I know different. I’ve talked with her. What keeps it friendly are the large alimony checks you send her way. You were a cheating bastard. They just needed to be young enough.”
“You don’t know shit.”
“I’ve seen your bag of toys. The pills you take to keep it up. Even have taken a picture of all it. Also got to know Miya and Liam. Seems with the right amount of drugs and dirty talk, they w
ill screw anyone.”
Logan was getting nervous. You could see he was contemplating something. He got up and made a dash for the door. I, though, was quicker and stopped him. This time I popped him in the stomach and doubled him over. Once he got his breath, I moved him back to the couch and dragged the chair to block the way, so his only option of escape was out the window.
“How dare you hit me,” he said, after a few minutes of composing himself.
“Need to work on your abs,” I said. “I didn’t pop you that hard. Next time it will be worse.”
“Do you realize who I am? I will sue you for everything you are worth!”
“No you won’t, because of this.”
I grabbed the emails and sat them on the coffee table in front of him. Flipping through them one at a time, I could see his mouth moving while he read them. He straightened up the stack and laid them back down.
“How did you get these?”
“How do you think? We hacked our way in and got them. Mandy is a pretty resourceful computer hacker.”
“The bit… I mean, Mrs. Bailey is a computer hacker?”
“Yep. Actually she was the computer genius in the family. Aaron was good, but she could run circles around him. You were going up against a two-headed monster, or maybe even three-headed if you count Wilmar, whom you also had killed. The problem is, one head still remains. And it’s coming to get you.”
“What do you want? I can pay you. Name your price.”
“Money won’t buy me or Mandy.”
“How about drugs? I have anything you can image to brighten your day. Or sex. Miya can please you any way you want.”
“Been down that road with her. And she doesn’t interest me in the least bit.”
He looked shocked that anyone would refuse living a sexual fantasy.
“What, then?”
“We want who killed Aaron. So you need to turn yourself in and confess to the crime. And then get your management to agree to fix your code so you no longer are stealing from innocent people.”
“We aren’t stealing. We are only data gathering.”