I make a face.
“It’s five hundred dollars a pound,” she notes.
I almost choke on my next sip. “I promise not to leave a drop behind.”
She shrugs. “My benefactor sends it to me.”
“Are you ready to talk about what we’ve learned?”
Erin sighs and looks out her office window. “I suppose.”
I pull out bank records for the two employees involved. We’ve eliminated the names so Erin can first concentrate on the details, not the betrayal. I point to some highlighted transactions. “Here’s the first deposit of twenty-five thousand, here’s the second, and here’s the third. They all coincide with the days photos were taken.”
Erin breathes out. “This sucks.”
I smile, but I have to forge ahead. “Here’s the list of people we think were hit, but we can’t be completely sure until you tell us we can talk with them. Obviously, Judge Michael Williams; Joshua Applegate, head of California Alcohol Beverage Commission; Nicolas Garamaldi, creator of the poker app; and Felicity Newsome, head of the teachers’ union. When we added Carmen Platt, the senior partner who sent you the pictures, to the list, it helped solidify who might be behind this.”
Erin tilts her head, and her brow wrinkles.
I brace myself for her reaction. I’ve had clients become irate and others go into deep denial when we show them the employee who broke their trust. “Monica Jones is one of your blackmailers. She was involved with Carmen, and when they broke up, Monica didn’t take it well. And of course, having Joshua Applegate in her pocket was a way to possibly revoke your liquor license, which would make it difficult to maintain your business.”
Erin gasps. “She works at the bar. How could she do this? I mean, literally. If she pulled a camera out, twenty people would see it.”
“We think she used her knowledge of the members, and there was a second person who actually took the photos.” I pull out the pictures that show the iron cross. There’s a similar shadow over each top left corner. “We think the shadow was caused by the palm plant in the bar area.”
“That bitch! I’ve bent over backward. She claimed her beloved dog had passed, and I saw on social media that she went skiing in Tahoe. She’s going to pay for this.”
I nod. “In more ways than she ever expected.” I brace myself for the next one. This will be harder for Erin. “Evan was also involved.”
“Evan who?” She looks at me, confused.
I allow her a moment to connect the dots. He’s one of the few who have access to this part of The Dungeon, and it was easy to determine his involvement.
She leans forward. “Evan Winters?”
I nod. Evan is her personal slave. I can’t even imagine how deep this cuts. He’s been in her office for multiple sensitive meetings.
She stands up and points at me. “I’m going to cut his dick right off.”
I laugh out loud, relieved that she seems mostly rational. “It’s not worth it. Judge Williams and Carmen Platt will have better plans. Remember, Monica and Evan were each paid seventy-five thousand dollars to get these pictures, and in all five cases, whoever paid them demanded a half-million dollars in blackmail from the subjects. We think we know who’s behind this, but we need Evan and Monica to turn her in. In exchange for that information, they’ll get the minimum for extortion, which is eight years in a medium-security prison.”
Erin sits back. “Evan never liked to be impaled. I have a feeling he’s going to grow to love it.”
“You’re very bad,” I admonish with a giant grin.
“So, who do you guys think is paying them to take the pictures?”
Bash walks in. “Sorry I’m late.”
“Perfect timing,” I say. “Erin now knows which of her employees are implicated, but she was just asking who was behind the scheme.”
“Would you like a cup of coffee?” Erin asks. “I have the good stuff.”
“That means animal poop, so be aware,” I warn him.
Bash’s eyes grow wide. “Oh, you got another delivery of kopi luwak?”
Erin is out of her seat. “I’ll have a cup for you in just a minute.”
While Erin is busy, Bash leans in. “You look beautiful today,” he says softly. “Must be the afterglow.”
I wink at him. “You’re naughty.”
He kisses me as Erin turns and catches him. “You know, if you two want to come and do more than watch, you’re always welcome.”
“Maybe one day,” I tell her. “Bash does need some disciplining.”
He gives me a look and clears his throat, signaling that we should get down to business. “You told her about Monica and Evan?”
“I did.”
“Okay, perfect. Both Evan and Monica have a number in their text messages that doesn’t match anything in the phones of the other Dungeon staff. And they weren’t friends outside of work because they didn’t even have each other in their contacts.”
“Evan isn’t rich enough or female enough for Monica,” Erin notes.
“The number belongs to a burner phone that it turns out our friends in the government agency that doesn’t like to be named sold to Cindy Liu.”
Erin stands and begins to pace. “That little cunt. She’s been aiming at my business for years. Her operation attracts a clientele that likes their girls young and doesn’t always acknowledge boundaries. It’s dangerous, but she’d like my building and my higher-end customers.”
“It seems she’s attracted the alphabet soup,” I tell her.
She looks at me, puzzled.
“The FBI, ICE, the DOL, SFPD, and I think the CIA since she may be not just importing girls but exporting State secrets,” Bash says.
Erin stares out the window. “That’s the ugly side of the business... What do we do next?”
“I have one of the Assistant US Attorneys ready to have the FBI arrest Evan and Monica,” Bash says. “They’re scheduled to be here tomorrow by three.”
“You don’t think they’ll run?” Erin asks.
Bash shakes his head. “I don’t think so. The only people who know are the three of us, Maureen on Fi’s staff, and the US Attorney who assigned one of his top attorneys to handle this.”
“I’d say this is going to be a good Christmas for you,” I tell her.
She smiles. “Much better than I thought. And if they’re arrested at three, some of the staff will be here to see it, but not many clients.”
“I think it will send a clear message that you protect the privacy of your clients,” I assure her. “Do you need us to write a statement for your clients and staff?”
Erin’s eyes widen. “Are you kidding? That would be fantastic. I think that’s the part I’m most terrified of.”
I slip a sheet of paper in front of her. “Look this over. You may lose a few clients, but I think it will endear you to most. And if someone is stupid enough to do this again, you’ll have the full backing of the US Attorney’s office behind you.”
Erin nods, and we ask her to excuse us a moment to finalize the arrangements for the arrests tomorrow. She looks a little shell-shocked as we go.
As we walk down the hall to a conference room, Bash looks in at the various room setups. “Does any of this interest you?” he asks.
I shrug. “I dabbled with the lifestyle at one point, and that’s not for me, but I don’t know... I have trust issues, and I’ve never been with anyone long enough to be comfortable having them blindfold me or tie me up.”
He doesn’t push.
“If you need this, I’ll understand,” I tell him after a moment. “But I’d have to think about what I can be comfortable with.”
He stops and turns to me. “I don’t need this. But I think it could be fun. However, it needs to be consensual. I want you to be comfortable above all else.”
I pull him into the room and our lips meet and our tongues dance. When we break, I breathe, “You are the sweetest thing ever.”
“You can’t get rid of me. Not e
ven the IRA is scaring me away.”
I blow out a big breath of air. I’m not ready to deal with that. When I tell them I’m too well known to take their job here, they could move me back to Ireland or someplace in Europe. This explanation we’ve cooked up isn’t guaranteed to work. Plus, Bash isn’t Irish, and I’m sure he’s had decades of “Pontius” Pilate references, but that doesn’t bode well for our union in their eyes.
I don’t know how to tell him. I did talk to Sinead this morning, and she agrees that the generals could move me elsewhere and threaten Bash if I don’t leave him behind. If his life is on the line, I’ll have to do it. I have to keep him safe, regardless of what that means for me. He’s too caring and wonderful.
“Your father, David, and Sinead all agree that we need to meet the generals together.”
“You’re not a member of the IRA. You’re not even Irish. They may not allow you in the room.”
“I can be persuasive. Look, you said you weren’t going to move in with me, and look at us now.”
“It’s only until I find a new place to live,” I remind him.
“Have you started looking?”
“It’s Christmas.”
“Places aren’t for sale at Christmastime?”
I roll my eyes. Sometimes he infuriates me. “Do you want me out of your place?”
“Not at all. I want you to stay with me indefinitely.”
My eyes grow wide, and he leans down and kisses me.
Then he dials the Assistant US Attorney and lets him know Erin will be ready for them when they arrive tomorrow afternoon.
When we return to Erin’s office, her eyes are red-rimmed, and I’m positive she’s been crying. “Sweetheart, it’s going to be okay. We’re set for tomorrow. Do you want me to stay with you?”
Erin wipes her eyes. “No. I’ll be fine.”
“I know you want to hurt them both physically, but please don’t. It will be much more effective if we do it the way we’ve discussed.”
“I know. I just feel so violated.”
“I understand.” I put my arm around her. “Evan has sat in on how many meetings in here?”
“Too many to count.”
“Why don’t I stick around tonight? We can make it a slumber party.”
She shakes her head. “That’s not necessary. However, I was thinking—it’s going to be crazytown with everyone talking about what’s going on here. How do you suggest we manage it?”
“Let’s work on that together. We can write up one of your newsletters and set it to be sent out at three-thirty tomorrow afternoon. That way everyone gets it shortly after the FBI makes their arrests.”
“Okay.”
Bash stands. “I think that’s my cue to head out. Erin, you did nothing wrong. These people were approached because they’d gained your trust. You can’t do this all yourself, so I hope you won’t be afraid to rely on your employees going forward. You have good instincts, so keep doing what you do best.” Bash turns to me. “I’ll see you at home later?”
“Yes. See you later.”
He kisses me goodbye and is gone.
“I must admit I’m a little jealous,” Erin says when the door closes. “Any other guys that might be worth checking out at Clear?”
“Maybe. What are you looking for?” I ask.
“A man who isn’t intimidated that I own a sex den.”
“What do you tell your parents?”
“That I own a club.” She doesn’t make eye contact with me.
“And that’s good enough for them?”
“They don’t ask, and I don’t tell.”
We spend the rest of the day setting up the letter. I wrote it so it shows her zero-tolerance policy for breaking the rules and will encourage people to come forward if they see them being broken. It’s laid out with a white background with The Dungeon logo, which is really just a pair of handcuffs, so it looks like a letter sent on letterhead with Erin’s signature.
We work on through lunch, and it’s nearly seven when we finish.
“Let’s grab some dinner,” I offer.
Erin agrees, and we find a hole-in-the-wall place in Chinatown. I’m stunned when she speaks to the woman in Mandarin as she orders.
“You’re a woman of surprises,” I tell her, sipping hot tea.
“Actually, my benefactor lives in Shanghai, and I learned much of the trade there—and Mandarin.”
“You can go toe to toe with Cindy Liu?”
“If she sticks to Mandarin, I can speak the four main dialects. But if she drifts into Wu, which is the second-most spoken language in China, I’m screwed. I can limp through some Cantonese.”
“How come I didn’t know this? You’re a girl from Iowa City. It’s not like there’s a lot of Chinese spoken there.”
She chuckles. “No, definitely not. I went to Asia to model and found myself attracted to the lifestyle. I found a benefactor, and when I was ready to return to the US, he set me up.”
“Would he have anything to do with Cindy Liu?”
“No way. When she came by about a year after I opened, I mentioned it to him, and he had people pay her a visit. I don’t know what’s changed, but I’ll call him tomorrow night after Monica and Evan are arrested to mention it.”
It doesn’t take long for our food to arrive, and as we eat, we make conversation about other people who’ve approached her to franchise The Dungeon. She’s not interested, and never will be, though she would likely be willing to sell outright to the right buyer. I share a few choice stories from my work, and after a long, stressful, emotional day, we end up howling with laughter.
When we finish, I offer again to stay with her, but she assures me she’s fine, so I text Dominic and prepare to head home. He’s close by, and it takes only a few minutes for the car to arrive. I offer Erin a ride, but she’s already called a rideshare and is off before my door is closed. As Dominic drives, I watch the City around me on a holiday Monday night. It’s busy but very low key. A lot of people have already left town.
“Hey, Dominic, are you single?” I ask him.
“Why?”
“My friend Erin owns The Dungeon, and she wants to date, but I don’t know where to send her. I was never sure where to go to find dates when I was single. Where should I direct her?”
“She’s single?” He looks at me through the rearview mirror.
“Yes, and she owns one of San Francisco’s most exclusive BDSM clubs.”
“Does she practice BDSM?”
“She does.”
“Does she have monogamous relationships?”
“I believe so. She’s a dominant, but I’ve seen her out and about, and she dresses in normal clothes and doesn’t advertise.”
“Let me think about it. I’ll let you know.”
“Thanks.”
When we arrive at the building, Dominic gets out to open the door and also walks me in. He calls the elevator and notifies Bash that I’m coming up.
Bash meets me at the elevator when I get upstairs. It’s almost eleven.
“How’s she doing?” he asks, giving me a kiss.
“She’s lonely and feels betrayed. I can’t blame her.”
We walk in, and Bash has a large glass of red wine waiting for me. I sit on the couch, and he picks up my feet to massage them. I take two sips of my wine and start to fall asleep.
“Come on,” he says. “Let’s go to bed.”
I nod, and he helps me undress—exchanging my black leather dress for a pair of men’s boxers and a T-shirt—before I crawl into bed. He snuggles in close, and within moments I’m out.
***
I meet Walker in the morning at the hospital, both to check in and to take his mind off what’s going on. They’re hoping to bring Marci home today, which is excellent news.
I bring him up to date on the situation with The Dungeon.
He leans in close. “Do you think if Marci and I wanted to play there, we could?”
I grin. I always wondered. �
��I could help you do that. There’s a masquerade ball a few times a year. That might be a nice introduction.”
“Let me know. I’m not sure how Marci would feel about it.” He looks away.
If I didn’t know better, I’d think he was blushing.
“Okay. Don’t worry. I’ve uncovered all your secrets, and they’re safe with me.”
He chuckles. “I suppose that’s true. Thanks. But I still have a few you didn’t uncover.”
“Whatever you say.” I look at my watch. “I need to get out of here if I’m going to get anything done before I head over to The Dungeon this afternoon. Keep me posted!”
I manage to get through my email on the drive to the office and forward things to others to manage while I’m out. My attention turns to Hunter once I arrive at my desk. We’re so close to wrapping up his case. I think only a few of the things we’ve been tracking down remain outstanding, and they should have them today. That’s not a moment too soon. We’re back in front of the judge tomorrow, and I’ve got a lot to get organized and prepared before then.
Shortly after two o’clock, Bash calls. “We’re on our way over. Dominic is ready to escort you downstairs.”
I roll my neck to release some of the tension between my shoulders. This should be easy, but I’ll be a little nervous until we have Monica and Evan in custody. “On my way,” I tell him.
I tuck my purse and computer into the safe beneath my desk and head out front. Dominic is standing with his hands clasped in front of him.
“Are you going with us?” I ask.
“No, Bash has a team with him, and he wants me to stay here in case the SFPD decides to do a last-minute search before court tomorrow.”
“Okay. I put my purse and computer in the safe in my office.”
He nods. “I’ll call if they show up. Do you think I should expect them?”
I trust Wang-Fang Leong about as far as I can throw him. I shrug. “Desperate people do desperate things.” He’s on administrative leave, but it’s not like everyone knows that.
The wind is blowing, so I move toward the car. I can see Bash inside.
“You can give my number to Mistress Erin,” Dominic says suddenly. “If she’s not interested in me, I have a friend who might be interested.”
Unwrapped: Clear Security's Holiday (Clear Security Holiday Book 2) Page 19