by D J Small
She started to think about what their next move would be when Billy interrupted her musings. “Before you go any further down that rabbit hole, I thought you should see this.” He held up a small evidence bag.
Inside it was a familiar business card, and the shimmering, dark purple ‘P’ immediately caught Eliza’s attention, changing her line of thinking completely. The Pleasure Inc. business card gave her a connection, and she started to formulate a number of possible theories inside her head.
Taking the evidence bag from Billy, she said, “Looks like I know where our next stop will be.”
“Off to see the madam?”
The question completely derailed Eliza’s train of thought, and her eyebrows drew together as she thought further about what he had asked. She looked at him with a contemplative gaze. “If she is a legitimate businesswoman who owns a registered business, which just so happens to be in the sex trade, does that make her a madam?”
Billy, ever the simplistic thinker, shrugged. “Not sure, but I do know that if we keep showing up there, they might start charging us.”
“Then their staff needs to stop getting murdered,” Eliza countered as she made her way out of the room. “Let’s go to the precinct so I can drop my car off, then we can pay Ms. Hillbrand a visit.”
Billy nodded as he fell into step next to her. “Got it. So, we’re off to the station? I thought you were supposed to taking a ‘day off’?” he asked, using air quotes to emphasize how ridiculous the order was.
Eliza pulled off her latex gloves when they got into the hallway, tossing them into a nearby garbage bag. “It’s stupid to have me take a day off in the middle of a case,” she pointed out while waving goodbye to Jenna. “Captain Espinoza can write me up if she has a problem with it.”
“It’s wonderful to see that your brief time off has made you a happier person.”
Eliza scowled at him, then huffed in annoyance.
As they made their way out of the apartment building, Eliza began to compare Simon’s case with Angelique’s. The two cases had too many variables that didn’t connect. The lack of information on top of the incoherence of their appointment books both frustrated and worried her. She needed to establish a pattern soon, so she could try and figure out their killer’s motive before more people were murdered.
With Pleasure Inc. showing up in both cases, it was obvious the murderer was targeting their staff members, but the reason why eluded her. Had they been solely after sex workers in general, Eliza believed the killer would have targeted the staff of other sex firms, but as of right now, they weren’t.
Eliza chewed on the inside of her bottom lip. She needed to get a handle on this case as soon possible. Too many murdered sex workers would turn her investigation into a media and political shitstorm.
◊◊◊
“Detectives, I’m assuming you’re here because you have more questions,” Veronica said, leading them into her office and walking over to her desk. She seemed to be annoyed that they were back again.
Eliza moved to one of the visitors’ chairs sitting in front of Veronica’s desk and sat down in it. “We do have questions, but not about Angelique.”
“Oh?” Veronica said. Though she sounded surprised, the emotion didn’t show on her face.
Billy opened the manila envelope in his hand and pulled out a picture of Simon that they had pulled from his social media page while they were at the station. “Does he work for you?”
Eliza patiently waited for Veronica’s response as she viewed the picture, studying every minute facial movement that she made. The impassive mask slipped when she sighed, and aggravation filled her face. “This is Simon Barton. He doesn’t work for me, at least not officially.” She pinned Eliza down with a pointed gaze. “Why are you asking me about him?”
Not missing a beat, Eliza stated, “Mr. Barton was killed. Presumably last night or early this morning.”
The glossy eight-by-ten slipped from Veronica’s fingers and landed on her desk. “No,” she said softly. “Another one?”
The disbelief etched on Veronica’s face seemed genuine, and Eliza believed she was truly upset about Simon’s death. She sighed. “I’m sorry there wasn’t a better way to tell you, but we do have a few questions about him.”
Veronica gave a small nod, but the shocked expression remained on her face.
Eliza hated asking questions after delivering such news. “You said Mr. Barton didn’t work for you officially. What does that mean?”
Veronica picked up the glass of water sitting on her desk and took a long drink from it. Setting it back down, she gently cleared her throat and said, “He was in the process of joining our firm.”
Curious about Pleasure Inc.’s hiring practices, Eliza asked, “What does that entail?”
The question brought Veronica out of her stupor, and she narrowed her eyes at Eliza. “What does this have to do with Simon’s death?”
“It gives us a better understanding of the events leading up to it,” Eliza said smoothly. No matter the situation, it was her go-to phrase to get more information from someone who wanted to make her job more difficult.
Veronica stared at her for a long second, then answered the question. “We have a strict hiring process at Pleasure Inc. It follows the same process that is utilized by the state and federal governments for when a person registers as a sex worker. We go a step further in some areas, however, that is after the hiring process.”
Eliza nodded. “So you’re telling me that you make all your applicants go through mandatory therapy, STD and HIV testing, physical exams, physical testing, background checks, and everything else the New York Board of Sex Work requires for someone to become a licensed sex professional?”
“It is the New York Board of Licensed Sex Professionals, but yes.”
The simple response stunned Eliza. “What if they’ve already completed these tests, say in the last six months?”
Unblinking, Veronica replied, “They do them again.”
It sounded like overkill to Eliza, but then again, she couldn’t wrap her mind around the concept of people selling themselves for sex either. She shifted in her chair. “And where was Simon at in the process?”
Veronica angled her body in her office chair so she could reach her computer keyboard. Several keystrokes and a few mouse clicks later, she said, “He still needed to meet with our therapist, and with one that is certified by the board.”
Eliza was surprised that people didn’t go crazy after being forced to have that many therapy sessions. “Did Simon tell you how he found out about the position here?”
“No.” Veronica’s lips turned up in a wicked smile. “His resume was submitted through our website, but it was his area of expertise that caused me to consider him.”
“Area of expertise?” Eliza repeated, uncertain as to what else a sex worker would be proficient in. She thought sex alone was enough. “What area would that be?”
If it were possible, the smile on Veronica’s face became more devilish, and Eliza wondered what cliff she had just jumped off of. “Simon was a dungeon master. If you need clarification on what that is, I’m sure I can have one of the staff members show you the room. It’s on the first floor.”
“No, thank you,” Eliza said, much too quickly for her liking, but Veronica’s smile mixed with the knowledge of Simon’s specialty had her wanting to get the hell out of the building. The items in the chest at Simon’s apartment made complete sense now. “Did he mention anything about troublesome clients when you met with him?”
The smile on Veronica’s face vanished, and she became the CEO and owner of a sex firm once more. “He didn’t mention anything during his first interview. He even took pride in how satisfied his clients were with his work and abilities.”
Eliza gave a slight nod and moved to get out of her chair. “Thank you, Ms. Hillbrand, for your time and for answering our questions.” She paused, then suggested, “You may want to tell your staff to be careful. I also reco
mmend that the company doesn’t take on any new clients until we can figure out what is going on and catch the person doing this. I think someone is targeting Pleasure Inc.’s sex professionals.”
Veronica held her gaze for a few seconds, then her eyes dropped, and she focused on the computer screen in front of her. “I will take it under advisement, Detective. If we are done here, you can show yourselves out. I have a meeting to prepare for.”
Eliza studied her for a split second, then she and Billy exited the office.
As they walked down the quiet corridor, Billy spoke in a loud, excited whisper. “Dungeon master?”
“We are not talking about it,” Eliza said, pointing a finger at him.
Billy gestured and made several incredulous noises as he worked through his astonishment. “We’re not going to talk about it? The man tortured people for pleasure. How can we not talk about it?”
Eliza shook her head. Billy had to have been dropped on his head as a baby. It was the only explanation for his one-track mind. They were walking through the overlook above the comfort zone when Eliza saw Dax appear at the top of the stairs that went down to it.
A pleasant smile instantly filled his face the moment he saw her. “Detective Legs, like two magnets coming together, I see we meet again. What brings you to this fine organization?”
Inhaling a slow deep breath, Eliza tried to find the mental fortitude to deal with Dax Collins, but unfortunately, she had none. “Mr. Collins.”
His smile diminished into a smirk. “Detective, Dax, please. I insist. So, what brings you to Pleasure Inc.? Looking for someone to break through that tough exterior and turn you into a quivering mess?”
Eliza inhaled sharply through her nose, and her eyes almost fell out of their sockets. It took a long second for her to recover. “Mr. Collins, I would appreciate it if you respected my position as a law enforcement official and did not speak to me like that.”
Dax held up a hand and gave a solemn nod. “Yes, Detective. My apologies.” His impish grin returned. “However, if you do find yourself in such a situation, may I offer my services? Free of charge.”
“Mr. Collins,” Eliza bit out as she fought against the intense urge to punch him into next week.
Billy stifled several spurts of laughter next to her.
“Ah, I can see by your deadly glare that I’ve gone past a friendly hello.” The smile remained on his face as he gave Eliza a playful wink. “Until next time, Detective.”
He walked past her and made his way to the door that led to Pleasure Inc.’s reception area.
“Mr. Collins?” Eliza called out before he reached the door.
“What are you doing?” Billy muttered next to her.
“Detective?” Dax returned spinning on his heel to face her.
“Do you know a man by the name of Simon Barton?”
Dax chuckled and shook his head, closing the distance between them. “Of course I know the bastard. He’s a dirty cheat at poker, and there’s not a day that goes by where he isn’t trying to get me into his bed. Why?”
Here was another connection, and quite possibly a suspect. Eliza mentally swore to herself, then asked, “Did he also know Angelique?”
Dax’s smile fell. “Yes, we all used to work the same areas together before legalization. We also took care of one another.” He sighed. “He was devastated to hear the news about her. We have plans to meet later so we can talk about her memorial service.”
“Do you know anything about his clients?” Eliza faintly grimaced at her callousness, but she needed the information
Dax shook his head. “No. Simon is a dom who doles out some serious punishment, and he’s all top. Our client lists are night and day.” He grinned. “However, there are times where he’ll bottom for the right tool.” Dax brought up his hands and held them apart a fair distance, adding a visual aid to his double entendre.
“So you two have never worked together? Did he ever work with Angelique?” Eliza asked, chasing a possible theory.
Dax laughed softly. “Definitely not to both questions, Detective. Not my type of sandbox to play in, if you get my drift.”
Unable to stop herself, Eliza asked, “And what is your sandbox, Mr. Collins?”
An alluring smile spread across Dax’s face as a sensual glimmer came to his eyes. He leaned into Eliza’s personal space, and when he spoke his voice held a low and seductive timbre, which—much to Eliza’s dismay—sent a delightful sensation down her spine. “I am a sensual practitioner, and I make sure my clients are not only fulfilled physically, but also mentally. There is more than one way to have sex, Detective.” He stood up straight and smiled at her for a second He cleared his throat and said, “Simon, on the other hand, is a brutal, unforgiving dom who gives his clients exactly what they want.” Cocking his head slightly to the side, Dax said. “If I may ask, why are you inquiring about Simon? Did your investigation lead you to him?”
Eliza was still trying to shake off the physical response her treacherous body had had to Dax’s voice and the invasion of her personal space. The fact it had turned against her and responded to his overtures aggravated her immensely.
She ignored his question. “Ms. Hillbrand informed us that Simon was in the process of joining Pleasure Inc.’s staff. Do you know anything about that?”
Apprehension played on Dax’s face briefly, then he said, with some hesitation, “Yes. Simon frequently uses their facilities, so Angelique suggested that he send in his resumé, since they don’t have a proper dungeon master.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “Are you going to tell me what’s going on, Detective?”
A serious expression had taken up residence on Dax’s face, and he and Eliza stared at one another as she weighed the decision to tell him about Simon’s death or not. She didn’t have to, and she needed to find out more information about Dax since he was a potential lead and possible suspect in both Simon and Angelique’s cases. “I would like it if you came down to the station so we could talk, Mr. Collins.”
Dax stepped forward, his intense eyes boring into hers. Irritation shone in them, but alongside it were fear and worry. Seeing this harder side of Dax intrigued Eliza. He wasn’t putting on a show, nor was he full of bravado. In this moment, Dax Collins showed he was afraid, just like everyone else. “I’m not doing a damn thing until you tell me what’s going on.”
His penetrating gaze didn’t bother Eliza, but the worry and fear in his eyes caused her to switch gears. She drew in a deep breath and released it in a long, slow stream. “Walk out with us.”
Surprised by her request, Dax stared at her for a few seconds before nodding. The three of them walked to the reception area and left Pleasure Inc. Eliza didn’t say anything as they walked, and when they stepped onto the elevator, she remained silent.
The elevator reached the lobby, and as they headed for the main entrance, Dax said, “I may seem like a man who has an infinite amount of patience, Detective, but trust me when I say I don’t. You are treading in dangerous territory.”
Eliza glanced at him over her shoulder but didn’t acknowledge his frustration. When they were outside, the three of them went over to the unmarked car that Eliza and Billy had gotten when they had stopped at the precinct earlier.
Eliza opened the back door for Dax, and he raised an eyebrow. “Are you arresting me?”
Eliza smirked. “Not at the moment. Hop in.”
With some trepidation, Dax got into the back seat of the car, and Eliza closed the door behind him. Before Billy walked over to the driver’s side, he asked softly, “What are you doing?”
Eliza sighed. “I’m going to tell him about Simon, and then we’re going to find out where he was last night.” Dax’s connection to both Angelique and Simon couldn’t be ignored, but something in Eliza’s gut told her he wasn’t a murderer. She chalked it up to him being a pretty boy.
She and Billy got into the car, and Eliza said, “I wanted to talk to you privately because I have something to tell you.”
“About Simon?”
Eliza turned in her seat so she could look at Dax, giving him a solemn nod. “Yes.” She took a second. Finding a better way to break this kind of news still eluded her. “He was killed, Mr. Collins, either last night or this morning. I’m sorry.”
He stared at her, unmoving and silent, for a long moment. “No,” he said firmly, shaking his head. “It’s not true.”
Eliza’s gaze softened. “I’m sorry, but it is.”
Tears began to shimmer in Dax’s eyes, but they didn’t fall. Lost in his grief, Dax’s eyes stayed on Eliza, but he wasn’t looking at her.
She felt for him. In less than a week, he had lost two people that he was close to. It was a crap deal.
Dax’s stare suddenly focused on Eliza, and the grief in his eyes was quickly replaced by an abrupt knowing. “You think I did it, don’t you?”
Rather than answer the question, Eliza said, “I have a few theories, but first I need you to tell me where you were last night. Starting at eight and going up to ten o’clock this morning.”
Dax ran a hand over his head and blew out a breath. “Yeah, sure.” He took a second, then said, “Let’s see, at eight I had a late client at my apartment, and the appointment lasted until ten. At eleven, I met up with a few friends at Expressions, the nightclub. I want to say I left the club around one with a woman by the name of Madison. We went to her place, which is a few blocks from Expressions. I didn’t leave her apartment until six this morning. I went home, took a shower, then left for the gym at seven, I think. I was there until about eight thirty. I arrived back at my building about eight forty-five. I took another shower, and at nine thirty I met my first client of the day in the lobby of my building. That appointment accounts for the rest of the time.”
“Does this Madison woman have a last name?”
Dax gave her a wry smile, but it didn’t reach his sorrow-filled eyes. “It was just an encounter, Detective.”