"I ask because the face looks familiar." His nose twitched, like a rabbit. His pencil moustache moved side to side. "This appears to be the young man who was here some days ago. He claimed to be waiting for a friend."
"Did you see this friend? Do you know where they went?"
"That just the thing." His nose twitched again. "I turned away from my work at the counter for just a moment. When I turned back, the young man was gone."
"Could he have gotten past you and into the building somehow?"
"I should say not." Charles looked ruffled. "We are quite secure here."
"Suppose he had help from someone in the building? Someone who lives here?"
"No. Absolutely not. Our residents would never do that. This building is home to judges, members of the state legislature, the city council. It would be unheard of for anyone here to breach our security."
"Unheard of, but possible?"
"Anything is possible," said a voice behind me.
I turned and saw a man in a uniform looking like a military officer who'd wandered away from his base. Tall, young, and intense, he stared at me.
"That's what I thought." I looked him up and down. "You must be Head of Security."
"Are you from the Police Department, Mr. Fontana?"
I wasn't going to lie outright. Having them assume was one thing. But I wasn't about to mislead them.
"I'm a private investigator. That doesn't make the case any less urgent. Missing persons cases are time-sensitive. I'm sure you know that."
"I do. But why aren't the police involved?"
"The family doesn't want that." Okay, so that was a lie but StripGuyz was Nando's family, too. And Anton didn't want the police involved.
"I see," Jerome said. "I'm afraid you'll have to take this up with management. Tomorrow."
"You've got to be kidding. Anything could happen. He could die. Do you want that on your conscience?"
"I'm going to have to ask you to leave." With that he maneuvered himself between me and the counter and began, ever so subtly herding me out the front door. "Ask for Mrs. Winters. Tomorrow."
In a building like this, you don't make a fuss.
On the sidewalk again, Luke and Chip stared at me.
"You have clients in this building, right?"
"A few. My guys love this gig. They're big tippers," Luke said. "The apartments are large, I get to charge higher fees. It works out all around."
"Can you get a crew in today?"
"Sunday? Building staff might think that's odd."
"If we tell them it's an emergency?" Chip said.
"No. They wouldn't believe their residents would call my company about an emergency without notifying the front desk."
"Any of your clients in this building on vacation?"
Luke checked the schedule in his smartphone and smiled.
"Two of them. The schedule says we're to skip those apartments this month."
"I have an idea," I said. They leaned in to listen.
***
Less than an hour later, we returned. Luke and three of his guys who worked Pier Four regularly. Chip and I were also in uniform. I had a hat pulled down over my forehead and I'd stuck on a pair of sunglasses.
"All set?" Luke said. Like a military commander leading us into battle, he looked us over, nodding approvingly. He moved forward and signaled we should follow.
Luke marched up to the counter where Mr. Waxed Moustache was stationed.
"Clyde!" Luke said. His professional demeanor firmly in place, he oozed authority. Clyde gave him a submissive look. His waxed moustache seemed to droop.
"Mr. Guan. So nice to see you." His smile appeared forced. "What brings you here on a Sunday? Surely your company doesn't work Sundays, too."
"Not normally, Clyde, but I received a call from Mr. Beglighter."
"The penthouse. He's away. On vacation." Clyde's eyes widened. "Is everything all right?"
"Everything's fine. He thought he might return early and asked if I could have his place cleaned in advance."
"I understand completely, Mr. Guan." Clyde gave the rest of us a perfunctory glance, as if looking at us might contaminate him. "Will you be needing anything?"
"I've got my staff. We shouldn't be very long. As I recall the place was immaculate. Mr. Beglighter just wants to be sure."
"I won't be on the desk when you leave, so I'll wish you a good day." Clyde gave a slight bow.
Luke nodded and motioned for us to move to the elevators.
We entered one of the ornate elevators and were zipped to the sixth floor where we huddled to make our plans.
"Should be one of the apartments that faces the water," I said. "It'd be easier to hear both the sounds of construction and boats from those. We'll limit ourselves to them."
"You know this could cost me my contract here," Luke said.
"I won't let that happen, Luke. I promise." I squeezed his shoulder. "You've all got the script and the photos. We're checking reports of leaks. No embellishment."
They mumbled assent.
"I'll take the second and third floors. Chip you take four. Luke will take five and six. If you encounter a situation, call me. Let me take care of it. Got it?"
They all nodded.
"If you do find Nando don't rattle him. Say you made a mistake and call me. Then wait by the door till I arrive. Don't let Nando out."
We paired up with Luke's workers and made our way to our assignments.
The second floor was quiet. A bright, crisp October day, not many people were likely to be at home. I went to the first of the apartments facing the river and knocked.
Silence.
Knocked again. Nothing.
I nodded to the guy with me and we moved to the next place.
Knocked and waited. After a few moments we heard the shuffling of feet.
"Who's there?" The woman's voice had a wary tone.
"There've been reports of leaks in some units and we'd like to assess the damage."
"I've got no water damage," she said. Then the sound of feet shuffling away.
I decided we shouldn't push it since she could easily call the front desk and find out the truth.
"Thank you, ma'm," I said.
One more apartment on the floor fit the bill and no one was at home.
The third floor was much the same, with the exception of a guy who answered the door in his bathrobe. Medium height and overweight, he smiled broadly when I mentioned water damage.
"Damned building. Been like living under a friggin' waterfall." He cheerfully led us through one room after another where leaks had caused damage. "Can't believe management is finally taking this seriously."
"No guarantee they'll do anything," I noted. "This assessment will take a while. Management will outsource the work. Best you wait until they contact you. You know how it is."
"Oh, I know. Next time they hear from me it'll be through my lawyer." He smiled. "How long do you think I should wait?"
"Give it three, four months. Contractors, what can you do?"
There was no one other than the man in the apartment. He kept the place tidy but with all the leaks, it was depressing. We left him to his watery Sunday morning.
"Now what?" My mostly silent partner looked at me.
"We head to the next floor." I pressed the elevator call button. The doors swooshed open and as we entered my phone rang. "Fontana."
"Sixth floor. I think he's in an apartment up here," Luke whispered.
I hit six on the panel and called Chip to meet us there.
"The apartment belongs to Dr. Wentworth. Sound familiar?" Luke said as soon as we got there.
"Wentworth. Sugardaddy Wentworth? One of the regulars at Bubbles?"
"One and the same. He's a client of mine." Luke moved toward the apartment. "He's away for the season. He's got a place in Florida and one in Tuscany and another one or two."
"And he lives here?"
"Well, it's not his only condo in the city. This is
one he uses in the summer. I'm thinking Nando broke in."
"I saw Nando giving Wentworth a few little extras at Bubbles, if you know what I mean. I had to warn Nando to play by the rules."
"He must've made an impression on Wentworth."
"How do you know he's in the apartment?"
"I knocked and someone answered but wouldn't open the door. The voice was familiar. Slight accent. I questioned him about Wentworth. He said the Doctor would be back later. He's probably lying to get rid of us. I'm guessing it's Nando."
"Maybe Sugardaddy gave him a key," I suggested. "Especially since this isn't Wentworth's primary residence."
"We'll never know if we don't go in," Chip mumbled.
"Let's do it," I said. "He'll know my voice. Chip, how about you coax him to open up?"
"What should I say?"
"Make something up. Like the computer wiring needs to be checked or the place will short out and the building will have to be evacuated. Sounds good and serious."
"Who'd fall for that?" Chip looked incredulous.
"You'd be surprised," Luke said.
He knocked on the door so lightly, I didn't even hear it.
"Gotta make some sound. Gotta make it look urgent, remember?"
Chip pounded on the door.
"Wh-who is it?" A soft voice, quavering with fright. I recognized Nando immediately.
"We've got an emergency here," Chip lied. He sounded authentic. "Faulty wiring needs to be repaired or we'll have to evacuate the whole building. We've got to check the wiring in your apartment."
Silence.
"Sir?" Chip pressed. "Sir, this is urgent. Can you open the door, please?"
I heard mumbling, as if Nando were talking to someone. My heart beat faster both at the thought of finding Nando and with the idea that my bet with Anton might have me dancing on the bar. In my skivvies. Soon.
Chip pounded once more for effect, I supposed. But it did the trick.
Slowly the door opened.
And there was Nando, all five-feet-six, dark sleepy eyes, thick brown hair. Dressed in a translucent silk lounging robe, he appeared happier than I ever remember.
"You got to be quick, I'm just a guest here and..." Nando looked around as he spoke and stopped when his gaze fell on me. "M-Marco? What are you doin' here?"
"Finding you. There's a lotta people worried, Nando. You all right?" I stepped forward. "Call Anton, Luke. Let him know."
I moved quickly but gently into the apartment and Luke followed.
"Who is it this ti..." Kent wandered into the living room, bare as a bird. His eyes widened and he dropped the red apple he'd been eating. It bounced once then rolled into a corner.
I felt the others behind me staring as if they'd never seen a naked man. I was sympathetic, though. Kent was perfect. Lightly muscled, everything in perfect proportion, light brown eyes offset by chestnut hair, his skin grazed by a summer tan which had never left.
"Get some clothes on, Kent. We're going back to my office. You, too, Nando," I ordered before they spoke a word.
I followed them both back through the apartment. I wasn't about to lose track of them again. The apartment was long, narrow, and had lots of windows facing the river. As we walked I heard a tugboat as it passed by churning water.
The place was decorated in an understated yet elegant way. A seaside theme, with lots of blue and beige. We passed empty rooms, doors open. Kent looked back at me nervously as did Nando. They were hiding something and they looked desperate to prevent me from finding it.
"Can we have some privacy?" Kent asked, positioning himself in front of the bedroom door.
"You've had plenty of privacy for days now. So, no."
Neither of them moved.
"What's it gonna be, boys? If I have to dress you myself I will." I stepped forward and they flinched.
"You gotta..." Nando started.
"Don't say anything, Nando," Kent interrupted.
"All right, I don't have all day." I placed my hands on their shoulders, gently turned them around, and pushed them lightly into the bedroom.
The master bedroom was large and bright, one wall of windows gave it a spectacular view, it was as if you were dangling over the river as it flowed beneath you.
I heard the shower running in the bathroom.
"Who's in there?" I demanded.
"Nobody," Nando fumbled. "I... I was gonna take a shower."
"Well, I'll shut the water while you two get dressed," I said, figuring that whoever they were hiding was in the shower. I could guess who it was.
"No!" Nando said. "I mean, I can do it. Don't bother."
"No bother at all." I moved quickly to the bathroom and cut them off. The steam floating in the bathroom obscured my view. I pushed forward to the tall glass doors. A slender figure stood soaking under the noisy showerhead. Head back, pelvis thrust forward, he was letting the warmth seep in.
Tapping on the glass didn't get his attention. He was on another planet. I didn't want to yell and I didn't want to yank him out so I rolled up my sleeve, stuck my arm in, and reached for the controls. With one move I shut the water.
For a moment he didn't react. Eyes shut, standing as if he expected the water to continue, he was still in a trance. Then his eyes shot open and he looked around. Seeing me he tried to cover his genitals with his hands as he backed into a corner of the spacious shower stall.
"Jared." I kept my voice calm and didn't move other than to dry my arm on a towel and roll my sleeve back down. "I kinda thought I might find you here. We need to talk." I tossed him a white towel.
Chapter 37
Luke dropped us all at my office where Anton was waiting. The place was eerily quiet. It was Sunday morning and the whole neighborhood was on hold until evening.
"Nando! Are you all right?" Anton placed an arm around his shoulder and guided him to a soft chair. "Did he hurt you?" He turned toward Kent who looked confused. "What kind of twisted mind do you have?"
Anton was about to grab Kent by the collar when Nando's cry stopped him.
"No, no, Anton. You got it all wrong." Nando said.
"He kidnapped you," Anton insisted. "We've been searching for days. You've had us all crazy." He turned to glare at Kent. "You'll spend a lot of time in a cell for this. I'll see to it."
"But, I didn't do anything. Honest. Ask Nando. He..."
"I think you might want to hear him out," I said.
"Tell us what happened, Nando. You don't need to be afraid just because he's here. I won't let anything happen," Anton said.
"I'm not afraid, Anton. I'm happy." Nando went to stand with Kent. "After that night, you know, when Kent came in with the... you know... I began to think how much he must love me." Nando paused. "To do that... is a lot of love."
Kent placed his arm around Nando.
"I didn't know what to think. And Kent, he was being so nice. He stayed away. Never bothered me. Just like he promised to Marco."
"So why did he take you away with him? Why was he hiding you?" Anton demanded.
Kent flinched, closed his eyes, and waited.
"It was..." Nando hesitated. "It was me. I took Kent away. I told him about the Doctor's condo, that I could use it any time. We needed time together without anything else. Not my job, not anything. I'm sorry if I made you worry. I am."
"This was all your idea, Nando?" I asked, smiling. I'd won the bet but I wasn't about to gloat just yet. "You're sure?"
"Yes. How would Kent know about the condo? It was all me. I realized I need Kent. We needed to talk. But we were ready to come back," Nando said. "We... we can come back, Marco? We can have our jobs back?"
"Only if Anton agrees." I turned to him. Better to let him make the decision.
"If it's all right with you, Marco," Anton answered. "But..."
Everyone waited for Anton's conditions.
"The next time you two decide to run away together, let us know in advance." He frowned but I saw he was relieved.
"Then
you guys are back on the payroll. But I have one question, Nando."
"Yes?"
"If the two of you wanted to be alone, why was Jared there? Or is this a three-way relationship?"
"Three... oh, Marco... you play with me. No. There is no three-way," he looked over at Jared and giggled. "Jared is a friend. He was running away from that monster. He needed a place to stay. Can I refuse a friend?"
"Clears that up," I said and gave Nando a peck on his cheek. "Glad you're back and all in one piece."
"I'll take the lovebirds to Bubbles and we'll discuss Nando's schedule," Anton said.
"And Kent?" Nando said.
"And Kent's schedule." Anton relented.
On their way out, I heard Anton ask Kent, "You think you want to dance for us?" and I knew things would be fine.
I was alone with Jared and he looked uncomfortable.
"Jared. Boy, do I have questions for you."
He shifted uneasily in his chair and his eyes didn't meet mine.
"You've had some bad times lately. Scanlan, Helmut."
"Like you care."
"I care about my case," I said. "I talked to Colt. He tells me you helped him with a client he had.
"I didn't."
"Why would he lie, Jared?"
"He lies. He's a lowlife."
"Seemed like a kid who had a lotta bad breaks. I don't think Colt lied. Be straight with me or we just go down to the police."
"I... didn't do much. Just introduced a guy to Colt," he said. Jared was smooth and intelligent. But he was a bad liar. He wasn't telling me the whole story.
"I need to find that guy."
"I don't see how you're gonna find him. He was wrapped like a mummy. Couldn't see his face."
"What about his voice?"
"He had an accent. Like he came from somewhere else. It was a nice voice but maybe he disguised that, too."
"Did anything at all that strike you as familiar about him?"
"When you say that, it makes me think there was something about him that maybe I'd seen before. But it can't be. I couldn't see his face."
"What did he want?"
"Colt didn't tell you?" Jared said.
"I want to hear it from you."
"He said he needed to throw a scare into somebody. Nothing serious, just scare him. Wouldn't say more than that. He asked if I knew anybody who'd do that," Jared grew uneasy. He sat on his hands but his foot began to tap nervously.
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