by J. S. Peck
“I don’t blame you,” I mumbled and left the room.
My stomach was a bit upset and the coffee tasted bitter. I put it down and went to get the Tarot cards. “Gram,” I called out. “I don’t know what’s going on with me. Am I being stupid to get even more involved in all this?”
I felt the air move around me and smelled her scent as I heard her response, “Rosie girl, there comes a time in life when we step out of our comfort zone to be or do something so very different from what we know or are comfortable with. That is what life is all about.”
“I know,” I responded, sounding like the little girl I had been long ago.
Just as she had done when I was little, she said the same thing she used to say, “Maybe you should simply listen to your heart. You’ll know what to do then.”
“Thanks, Gram. You’re no help at all … but I still love you,” I said with a smile.
“Love you too, Sunshine.” Off she went into the atmosphere, her special scent trailing behind her.
I sighed, got out my Tarot cards, and began to shuffle them. I closed my eyes and asked the cards out loud, “Is it in my highest good to stay involved with PUP and the Purple Passion Lounge?”
As I drew one card out, there was another stuck to it. I pulled them apart face down. Slowly, I picked up the first one to find the two of swords. Its meaning wasn’t going to give me a clear answer. It was, “Don’t put up a smoke screen. Dare to explore and look inside yourself, go beyond the obvious, indecision.”, Yet, it was a number 2 card meaning partnerships.
I decided not to look at the other card. I quickly shoved it back into the deck, but caught a glimpse at what might have been the Death card. Maybe if I didn’t pay any attention to it, nothing would happen. Shaking off how ridiculous that seemed, I was determined to move forward with the investigation, with or without the Death card. After all, “In for a penny, in for a pound.”
The doorbell rang. I glanced at the clock wondering who could possibly be at the door at the early hour of 6:00 a. m.! I peeked through the peep hole as Sweet Pea bounced down the stairs and stood barking at my feet, her tail wagging in expectation. Sure enough, the only fool up this early and out was Brian. I cracked open the door and could smell him before he even stepped inside. “Whew! You smell like booze and cigarettes!”
“I know. I just left the Purple Passion. What a night!”
“Please. The only details I’m interested in are those that have anything to do with our investigation, okay?”
“Party Pooper,” he teased. “How about some coffee?”
As I watched Brian maneuver toward the kitchen a thought came to me. He really looked and acted drunk, but somehow I knew he wasn’t. Was it all an act?
“Cowboy?”
“Yes, Sunshine?” There it was again. My grandmother had just called me Sunshine a few minutes ago and here he was with the same nickname. Odd.
“You can stop play acting now,” I tested.
Brian immediately stood up straight and laughingly asked, “Did I fool you?”
“I have to admit that you’re pretty good.”
“Well, let’s hope the people at the Purple Passion Lounge think so, too. I’m beginning to understand how they work it there and it’s a bit scary. Certainly profitable for them, though.”
“Here’s some coffee. Tell me what you found out and I’ll see if it matches with what I know.”
Brian looked excited as he said, “Well, I’m certainly beginning to learn a bit more about Tony Angelo, the guy who owns and manages the Purple Passion Lounge. All the girls are hush, hush about what really goes on there. They’re afraid to cross Tony and end up like Melissa and Sally. But one girl there said she thought Sally was Tony’s cousin or some other family member. She overheard him on the phone yelling at his mother, defending himself against Sally’s death. As soon as another girl came by, she immediately shifted onto my lap and … well, you know,” he added with pink cheeks. “Oh, sorry, Rosie,” he added, looking not at all apologetic.
I ignored him while trying to figure out how the man I saw pushing through the crowd at the time of Sally’s death fit into all of this. I came up with nothing.
“By the way, I saw David Masterly, the guy who’s in charge of the girls. He looks like death warmed over. The girls say he’s lost a lot of weight since Melissa’s death and is not himself. He can’t even speak her name without tears filling his eyes. The shock of Sally’s death while he was in Hawaii, added to Melissa’s, has him ignoring all the girls, they say.”
“Wow! That’s too bad. Maybe his relationship with Melissa was more than her being one of the girls. What do you think?”
“Certainly worth looking into again. Oh, and David’s wife dropped in to see him while I was there. Let me tell you she is a piece of work! Even the hairs on my neck stood up when I saw her. I don’t envy him dealing with the likes of her!”
“Oh, my! Really as bad as all that?” I pondered.
“For sure. What did you learn at PUP yesterday, Rosie?”
“Guess who the silent partner of The Purple Passion Lounge is?”
He threw his hands out. “I give up. Who?”
“You mean you’re not going to even guess? That’s no fun.”
“Howdy Doody?”
“Ha, ha! Try B. B.!”
“You mean the same guy who gave the diamond ring to Melissa?” he asked as his cheeks grew even pinker.
I noticed his sensitivity to B.B. and his glowing cheeks. I ignored them and answered, “One and the same!”
“No clues as to who it is?”
“Nope. Even Sophia doesn’t know. In the books, anything to do with him is always referenced to as B. B. By the way, did you know Sophia is part-owner of the Purple Passion Lounge as well? She was furious when they kept upping the sexiness there, and now she’s even more upset with all that’s happening there. She’s vowed to find out who B. B. is and set things right.”
“Hold on! Sophia better be very careful. What she’s doing could get her hurt! And YOU! You could be in big trouble, too.”
I remained silent, lost in the truth of what he’d said.
“How much longer are you working with her there at PUP?“
“Just one more day. After that, I begin training as one of the hostesses at the Purple Passion. But not until Monday.”
“Right.” Brian responded, looking a bit uncomfortable. “Well, here’s my plan. I’ll continue looking into the ownership of the Purple Passion Lounge and see what I can find out. I’ll also check out the ownership of PUP. I should’ve done that before now, anyway,” he added with disgust at himself. “My boss has been keeping me busy on all sorts of stories regarding any and everything not related to the deaths of Melissa and Sally. That’s why I’ve let things get behind.”
“I’ll see what I can do on my end. I’ll pump Sophia for more information.”
“See if you can record anything. That’s the most important thing you can do right now.”
“That’s not so easy when we are face to face, but I’ll do what I can.”
“Okay, then.”
He checked his watch and jumped up. “I’d better be off. See you later at Sam’s?”
“I’ll have to let you know, okay?”
I looked at the clock and realized I had better get going, too. I sighed. Another day, another dollar.
CHAPTER 17
I was late for work. There was a car accident which had cars trapped for miles on the highway. I knew better than to have taken this route, I fumed. I promised myself from now on I would always take the back roads. By the time I arrived at PUP, I was in a snit and ready to bark at anyone who even looked at me wrong. Intuitively, before I went in, I knew to set my phone on record and vibrate.
“Hey, girl. What happened to you?” asked Sophia when I got inside the door. As
soon as she saw the look on my face, she added, “No worries. Come in, fix yourself a cup of coffee and unwind. “Were you caught in that mess on the highway?”
I nodded, grateful for her not being upset. “Sure was. Honestly, what a mess with cars all over the place! I’m just glad I got here in one piece!”
“So am I,” she added. “We have a full day ahead right here. We’ll start training at the Lounge on Monday, sound good?”
“Yes. I’m looking forward to that just so you know.”
Sophia smiled and nodded her head. “Good.”
I was curious what she would show me next. After sipping my coffee and gathering myself together, Sophia called me over to her desk. “Rosie, pull up a chair and join me.”
As she pulled out a journal and laid it flat on her desk, she asked me again, “I can trust you, right?”
I nodded my head, saying, “Yes, for sure,” in spite of feeling dread.
“Okay, then. What I am about to show you is strictly confidential, something to keep to yourself or I could get in trouble. In fact, I’m not even supposed to be seeing this. The reason I’m showing this to you is there’s been a leak of some of this information. Obviously, it’s not me. They are trying to find out how she got the information in the first place and what she’s done with it. I also want to see if the code is too easy, something she would’ve been able to figure out.”
“Why don’t you just ask the girl who took it?”
“Not possible. That’s why I am trusting you.”
My heart skipped a beat. I could feel my face flushing. My God! I knew who she was talking about --- Melissa!
“Are you okay?” Sophia asked, as she searched my face.
“Yes, I am just having a hot flash from the coffee. It was a bit strong for me. I normally have decaf.” I quickly changed the subject. “Who else did you say has access to this information?”
“Just the three of us - my boss, B. B. and now me - no one else.”
“Where is this information kept?”
“In the safe. What you’re looking at is a special set of books for information only. Just so you know, we also keep a second set of financials for the IRS and tax purposes. Okay, let’s take a look here. Obviously, the figures are figures, but can you make out anything else?”
“Well, I can see some repeats, which I assume are names of clients?”
“That’s right. What else?”
“In addition, it appears there can be a different name connected with that same client name, right?”
“Yes, that’s right. Can you decipher anything else?”
I studied the information and could see it was filled with anagrams along with some numbers. Yes, it would take me a while, but I believed I could make this right if given enough time. Instead, I hesitated and lied, saying, “Gosh! I’m not sure I’ll be able to, Sophia! It’s so complicated. Maybe if you give me some more time?”
“Hmmph. I think I know exactly what is going on,” she said in a harsh voice, looking at me intently. My heart began to race, making me question if she had guessed I had lied.
“This has something to do with B. B. I just know it! Just take a bit more time, Rosie. Then we’ll move on to something else. Wait, don’t even bother! I guess it doesn’t really matter, for I know in my heart of hearts, it all ends with B. B.”
My heart lurched as I felt the phone in my pants pocket vibrate. My phone was still recording from the time I had programmed it to do so before entering the office. I didn’t want to bring any attention to my having a phone on me, especially since we had been discussing confidential material. I needed to walk away. I rose abruptly, saying, “Damn! I can’t wait any longer! Sorry, but I need to use the bathroom now.”
As I headed toward it, I grabbed my purse and called back, “Too much coffee.”
Sophia just stood there with a funny expression on her face. I think she may have heard my phone vibrate in spite of the message alert sound being short. Because of its shortness, perhaps I had gotten away with Sophia not hearing it. Time would tell. Once in the bathroom, I looked at the phone which showed a message from Brian, “Give me a call on your way home. Can’t meet you tonight.”
Now what? I wondered. I felt a letdown at the thought of not seeing Brian and sharing information. Oh, well. I hurriedly flushed the toilet, dropped my phone into my purse and rushed out of the bathroom to meet Sophia.
“Okay, Boss. I’m ready to go!” I called out to an empty room.
“Over here, Rosie.” Sophia was speaking with an older gentleman. He was wearing typical work clothes with the label “PUP” sown on the pocket of his shirt. He was speaking to her in a soft voice and waving his finger in front of her.
I could barely make out his words, “I don’t like this one single bit.”
“Not now, Sam. We’ll talk later.”
As I approached them, he looked at me with a flicker in his eyes as if he recognized me. He smiled and in a slightly Irish brogue said, “Hello, there!”
I extended my hand and looked intently at him. “Do I know you?”
“You probably don’t remember me but I would know you anywhere with that mop of hair,” he said with a laugh, a twinkle in his eyes.
At my expression, he laughed again. “I used to know your grandmother years ago. I remember you from when you were just a wee little thing. You have her same hair, and look like her too. She was a great lady,” he added with a smile.
“Ohh,” I said.
He gave me a friendly pat on the shoulder and turned away. “Well, I must be pushing off, Sophia. I have another car to do. Don’t worry. Take it easy, we’ll talk later.”
Sophia nodded her head and gave out a long sigh. She seemed to be lost in thought until I gave a slight cough. She turned my way. “That man sure is a good man.”
“I noticed he’s wearing a PUP uniform. What does he do?”
He inspects the car of those who want to become a driver for PUP. He’s the one who installs the trackers in them as well for those chosen few.”
“He seemed a bit upset. Is everything okay?”
“Not really,” she answered mysteriously.
“Does anyone who fills out the application get their car inspected by him?”
“No, not necessarily. Just those who have been approved by my boss and me. Not everyone who applies is allowed to drive for us.”
“How come?”
“Well, they are only chosen if they are willing to be drivers for the Purple Passion. And, truth to be told, we only want a limited number of those drivers.”
Things were beginning to make sense. PUP was nothing more than a shell company quickly established and doing just enough business to look legitimate. So what was the real deal?
We continued listing the drivers who had trackers on their car, placing them under the Icon labelled Recipes on the computer. Sophia looked at her watch and said, “I’m so sorry, Rosie, but I have a splitting headache. I don’t feel well. I’m going to have to lay down for a bit. Do you think you could finish up here by yourself?”
When I looked up, Sophia was standing with shoulders slumped and her face a pasty white. “Are you sure you’re okay?” I asked.
“Don’t worry. A short nap will fix me up just fine.”
“Okay, I sure hope you feel better. Let me know if you need anything. I’ll knock on your office door in a little while to make sure you’re okay.”
“That’ll be fine, Rosie. Thank you.”
As I watched her make her way to her office, I sensed something was really wrong. She was walking in a crooked line, somewhat out of balance. I called out, “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yes, just a spot of vertigo, I think.”
“Okay, just let me know if I can do anything.”
She waved her hand at me and continued on. I went back to finish up
the list we’d been working on, filling in as much detail as I had. Hours later, the thought came to take advantage of this time alone to use the thumb drive I had in my purse and download this list onto it. I grabbed my purse, pulled out the thumb drive and installed it into the computer to begin the download. Just as I did, I heard the back door slam open and Sophia’s boss yell out, “Dammit, Sophia, where are you?”
I could hear Sam right behind him, “Now just calm down. She’d do nothing to hurt you and you know that!”
“Sophia?” her boss hollered again. He slammed open another door, presumably Sophia’s office door. Then came complete silence for what must have been close to a minute before the wailing of the two men began.
As they both cried out Sophia’s name, I began to tremble. I intuitively knew what must have happened. I crept to the doorway. There was Sophia laying on the couch in her office, unmoving, appearing as if she were sound asleep. It was the color of her lips which gave her away. They were blue and set in a grimace. Tears filled my eyes and I began to weep. It was that noise which made the two men turn my way. Sophia’s boss was the same man I had seen in my vision at the time of Sally’s murder. He was staring at me now with anger. “How could you have let this happen? Why didn’t you call for help?”
I stood still, paralyzed by his accusations. Before I could even respond, Sam came to my defense. “Don’t go there. You can easily see she must’ve had a heart attack. Nobody can help that!”
I blurted out, “Sophia said she had a headache and wanted to rest. Take just a short nap, she said.”
Her boss looked at me with anguished eyes filled with tears spilling over. “Sam, get her the hell out of here!”
As I turn to flee from them, he added, “And stay with her, and make sure you lock the door after her. Don’t let anyone in! No one can find her body here after all the bad publicity we’ve gotten between PUP and the Purple Passion. We’ll have to move her body later.”