"Sure." Schwartzman's voice sounded relieved as he took a deep breath. "Take them both down. The other broad threatened me."
"Threatened you?" Chaz leaned forward. "What did she say or do?"
The other man stared at Chaz. Gabe could almost see the wheels running in his head, thinking of what to say. Interesting. He ran off his mouth, but when questioned further, clammed up.
"She was just . . . loud. Obnoxious."
"We can't arrest someone for being loud." Gabe typed in some commands on his computer. "It'll only take a minute to get this typed out. Then you can sign off and be on your way."
"Good. I'll do whatever it takes to get them out of business."
Chaz paused, an eyebrow lifted in response at the choice of words. "Out of business?" He flicked a glance at Gabe.
"We're not here to necessarily to get Casa de Massage out of business," Gabe replied. "The owner may not be aware of what his or her employee is doing." He hit the print key.
"What? If they're selling sex, then you should lock their doors and throw them out of business. How many times—?"
"What we do is really not your business, Mr. Schwartzman."
"Well, I think—"
"Leave the matter to us to decide whether to shut them down or not." Gabe pulled off the paper from the printer. "Here, sign this and leave us your phone number.
Then we'll start our investigation. We'll call you if we have any further questions for you." He laid the document down on the table and handed the man a pen.
Frank Schwartzman stared at the paper for a long time, deep in thought.
"Are you going to sign the paper, Mr. Schwartzman?" Gabe asked.
The man lifted his head and stared at both of them. "Yeah. I will." Finally he picked up the pen and quickly signed the document before shoving it back toward Gabe.
Staring at the man's signature, he had a feeling something was missing. What had really happened at Casa de Massage?
They'd have to tread lightly before they made any arrests.
Chaz stood up. "Thanks for coming in. We'll call you if we need more information."
"No problem." He glanced at Gabe. "I hope you act quickly. They shouldn't be in business."
Schwartzman left quickly, and Chaz quietly closed the door.
"Well?" Chaz murmured. "What do you think?"
Gabe chewed his lip as he sat back down. "Dunno. Something about the guy screams that there is more than he's telling. He seems more the type to go looking for sex than it come seeking him."
Chaz nodded. "I thought the same." He plopped down into the chair across from Gabe. "What's our next course of action? Shall we pay a visit to Casa de Massage?"
"We could. Of course, that might tip them off, and they'll be discreet and lay low for a while."
"Provided they're guilty, you mean?"
"Hmm . . . yeah." He turned to his computer. "Do you know anything about Casa de Massage? The name doesn't really ring a bell to me except I know it's supposed to be reputable."
"Not much. I heard the daughter of a rich, retired doctor owns it. Daddy might be the money behind the business as an investment."
"Yeah, and not be aware of what the employees are doing on the side." Gabe typed in a few keywords and hit enter. Several hits popped up.
"Hmm . . . says here"—he leaned closer to the monitor—"the place is owned by Cassandra Nichols. Provides massages, facials, and other spa services."
"The 'other services' could be sex."
"Maybe." Gabe printed out the pages and turned back to Chaz. "I have a suggestion. How about if one of us goes undercover and pays for the services provided by Casa de Massage?"
Chaz ran a hand over his jaw as he considered the idea. "Sounds good. Might give us an idea if the complaint is legit." His eyes lit up. "Say, you want me to go?" He rubbed his neck. "I have a little stiffness here."
Gabe laughed. "How about we both go? That way we can each get a better perspective."
"Sounds good to me. When are we doing this?"
Gabe glanced at the clock. "Let's call first thing in the morning and get started right away." He opened a file folder and laid Schwartzman's signed document and other pertinent information on Casa de Massage in there. "I'm bushed. It's quitting time, and all I want right now is a cool one. Are you game?"
"You bet!" Chaz rose. "Let me call the missus and tell her I'll be home a bit later."
While Chaz called his wife, Gabe filed the folder away, thinking about the allegations. Were they true? Well, tomorrow would be the first step to finding answers.
He hoped Cassandra Nichols and the rest of the Casa de Massage staff were upfront and not offering sexual services.
In the back of his mind he hoped a visit to Front Street would provide another opportunity to catch a glimpse of the mystery lady.
Chapter Four
"There you are, Cassie. I need your help with a scheduling problem."
Cassie dropped her purse onto the desk and pushed the hair away from her face.
The humidity in the air left her clothes sticking to her. Today had started out harried, and all she'd done was stop at a couple of supply stores while navigating Portland's morning rush hour traffic. She smoothed down the blue and white broomstick skirt she wore with her usual white T-shirt and braced herself for bad news
"What's the matter?" she asked, wincing at the way-out eccentric outfit her employee wore.
Today Lola had on a pink sweatsuit outfit topped off with a matching bright pink boa. A strange combination, but on Lola it didn't look too bad. A bit offbeat, but okay.
Lola squeezed her hands together with a worried expression on her face. "We've had a rush on appointments. Two men called within ten minutes of each other and insisted on two o'clock appointments. I didn't want to turn them down and wasn't sure if you had plans this afternoon and would help out?"
Cassie agreed with Lola's point of view. Normally she assisted, but the loan financing had been keeping her busy lately.
"Well, I need the money right now. The bank said they'd let me know in a few days." She poured a cup of coffee. Dani and Becki were in the back talking to their customers as they performed massages. Troy was due in a few minutes for his shift.
"What are you going to do if you can't come up with the money? I'd hate for us to close."
"Me too, Lola. Wish me luck. I'm hoping the bank will come through."
She glanced at the day's schedule. They were indeed busy. Cassie could fill her day from six in the morning until eight at night with customers—if she survived the stress—and she fit in extras all the time. But in reality, she needed to keep things strictly to a workable schedule.
She ran her finger on the log checking the appointments. "Hmm . . . the men are new to me." Most of their clients were women, and to have so many men in two days was unusual. She raised an eyebrow at Lola. "Have either been in here before?"
"No. And it's odd because they called within ten minutes of each other and wanted the same time. I couldn't say no since I thought you'd help out." Lola grimaced as the phone rang. "If you hadn't, I'd taken them on myself." She raced to pick the call up on the third ring.
Cassie smiled and checked the names again. Judson Banks and Charles Stonebridge. Interesting both wanted the same time. Casa de Massage had an excellent return customer base and rarely needed to advertise. Some customers even sent gifts at Christmas to show their appreciation of the services they received.
She sat down at her desk and mulled over her current circumstances. If the bank didn't come through with the loan, she'd have to move.
As she glanced around the reception area, she reflected on the white and pink décor with the relaxing watercolor paintings on the wall. Incense drifted throughout, a fragrant, peaceful aura she'd always wanted when she dreamed of opening her own spa.
The early days were tough, but with Dani and Lola's help they'd built a good business, often working long into the night while they provided massages during the day. S
he knew Lola, at age sixty-three, depended on this job to supplement her widow's pension. Cassie didn't pay Lola a lot, but her friend gave one hundred percent back for her efforts.
She'd met Dani at massage school. The two hit it off as they discussed the latest techniques after class. Later, she'd supported Cassie's vision of Casa de Massage. Dani could go anywhere and get a job, but her friend always gave her loyalty to Cassie and she hated to disappoint her.
Taking a sip of coffee, she sighed. Things had to get better. She grabbed her scrunchie and finished fixing her hair.
Lola ended the call. "Are you okay? You look . . . I don't know. Restless, maybe?"
She couldn't hide her emotions from her friends. "I'm a little worried about the loan and getting the money to buy out Winkler. If I don't . . . ." She didn't know what she'd do if she didn't come up with the loan. Her father, probably . . . but he'd add conditions. She preferred to remain independent from her parents.
"We'll make it. You're a hard worker and a diligent business owner. If you want, I can cut corners around the spa . . . ."
"I know, and thanks, but still." She sighed again. "I'll talk to my father and ask if he has any suggestions . . . ."
"You'd sell your soul to him?" Lola stared at Cassie, shock evident on her face.
She'd experienced her father's wrath firsthand when he'd come into Casa de Massage once and tried to throw his weight around. Lola had stood tall and gone toe to toe with him, winning the battle. Now he rarely came in because he didn't want to face "that creature." Cassie always smiled when he said those words. Sweet Lola wouldn't hurt a fly.
"Maybe. No. I don't know." Cassie's insides clenched as she thought of the battle she'd face with her father if she had to go to him and grovel. The first thing he'd demand would be she move off Front Street and get out of what he called the
"disreputable Burnside area." Doing that wouldn't save her building, only her business.
Plus moving meant higher rent, and she couldn't afford the swanky areas of Portland.
The door jangled as the next customer entered. She checked first to make sure the room was ready and then tossed all thoughts of her personal woes to the side. For now.
* * * * *
"Okay, I did Ginny Barnea. Who's next?" Cassie stood at the bathroom doorway as she dried her hands. She'd finished another full body massage on a patient, and was anxious to get the day over.
Dani, dressed in one of Casa de Massage's signature pink smocks, sauntered into the room. Of course, the outfit clashed with her bright red hair, but Dani didn't seem to care. "I caught sight of the two men who came in." She fanned her face. "Woohoo! The one is really hot." She winked at Cassie. "You get first dibs since I'm taken." Though Dani and Cassie sometimes joked about their customer's looks, Cassie had made it clear she wouldn't allow any fraternizing.
"You're dating? What happened? Found yourself another Bill?" Cassie chuckled as she thought about Dani's penchant for guys named "Bill." The Bills, Billies, and Williams of Portland weren't safe from the Bill-loving Dani.
She got a pout in return. "His name is Willie. Just because I'm attracted to guys who happen to all have similar names . . . ."
"Well, Willie is another variation of Bill." Cassie shook her head. "Sweetie, you need to get out more if all the men you can find are named 'Bill.' There are other names for datable guys." Dani always went gaga over men if she found out their names were Bill or William.
"He's really sweet. I met him at my sister-in-law's house. They work together."
"Want to bet she's well aware of your Bill attraction? I'll have to introduce you to guys not named Bill one of these days. You need a little variety in your life," she joked to her friend and coworker.
Dani stuck her tongue out before she laughed and turned away. "Still, I'll let you take the hot looking guy. I'll do the massage on Stonebridge and you can have Banks."
"Mmm . . ." Cassie took a sip of her water. "Is he drop-dead handsome?" As a rule, she didn't date her patients. She couldn't afford to get romantically involved with anyone she'd likely see here even after the affair ended. She generally "fell" into her relationships. Like meeting Gavin at the airport.
Dani handed her his card. "Yeah, Banks is the good looking one. Trust me, he'll have you drooling." She winked at Cassie, who rolled her eyes. No man could be good enough to lose saliva over.
She shook her head and perused the card in her hand. Nothing unusual per his answers to health related questions. Probably came here on a recommendation from someone who was a regular.
"Your mother called while you were busy." Lola entered the room, interrupting her thoughts.
"Oh? What did she want?"
Lola leaned closer. "She needs a facial and wants to know if you'd be available to do the procedure. I told her you'd probably squeeze her in. She also said she wanted to talk to you about your cousin's wedding." She gave Cassie a questioning look.
Cassie grimaced. The last thing she needed was her mother putting pressure on her to attend the wedding. Unlike her father's gruff personality, her mother's gentle prodding usually convinced her to come to functions she deemed important.
"Thanks for warning me. It'll be good to visit with mom and also give me a chance to prepare myself for the onslaught of pressuring me about Junie's wedding."
Fanning the card across her face, she strode down the hallway to where her client awaited. This should be her next to the last appointment of the day, and if she got lucky, she'd have some time to make some calls to other banks about loans. She'd decided she couldn't wait for her bank to come through. Lola had also told her earlier Mr. Winkler called again, demanding to speak to her. She couldn't let him get the upper hand. Her livelihood—and that of her employees, was at stake.
Quietly opening the door, she glanced at the man lying on his stomach atop the table. After dimming the overhead light, she flicked the switch for the mood lights, transforming the room into a peaceful, muted environment. She flipped the switch on the CD player, and soft music soon drifted throughout the room.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Banks. My name is Cassandra, and I'll be your therapist today." She kept her voice quiet, to help sustain the mood. "Are you ready to get comfortable and lift the stress away?"
He stiffened for a moment, but then he relaxed and nodded, his eyes remaining closed.
"Good. First thing I'll do is lift the towel and move this down." Lowering the towel to his hip area, she gave a silent oomph at the sight of his well-tanned and broad back. Dani wasn't kidding. If his back was anything like the rest of him, he had to be a hunk.
As she oiled her hands, she stared at him and goose bumps rose on her arm.
Why did the sight of his well-toned back give her the shivers? Shaking her head, she began her massage. He tensed, and she responded to that reaction by pressing her palms down. Her fingers were strong from years of giving massages. A professional at her job, she got into the task of providing a relaxing rub down. Her body relaxed, and she began to hum in time to the music. Lost in thought, he soon became an objet d' art for her, and not a person.
* * * * *
Gabe relaxed as the masseuse's skilled hands worked their magic on his tight muscles. He hadn't gotten a glimpse of her, but he bet the rest of her was just as competent. When she'd first spoken, a sense of déjà vu had hit him. The husky voice sounded familiar. He'd run all the names of the employees at Casa de Massage and none rang a bell. He'd been working too hard lately, stressed out a bit, and so perhaps cases were starting to blend together.
He burrowed his face into the soft towel, eyes closed, as she rubbed his shoulders. Her fingers dug into a particularly tight spot, and he couldn't bite back the groan escaping his lips.
"Feels good, doesn't this?" she murmured close to his ear. The smell of incense filled the air, adding to the relaxed mood.
He mumbled something incoherent that even he couldn't understand, unable to string two words together right now if his life depended on it. The th
erapists certainly were well trained. It'd been years since Gabe had a massage. Once his caseload lightened a bit, he planned to schedule a few mind clearing ones. She would be at the top of his list.
"I can tell you haven't had a massage in a while. You're tight—"she pressed a vulnerable spot and Gabe nearly came off the table—"here."
Damn, she was good. Yet, again he detected some elusiveness about her tone of voice that he couldn't put his finger on. Had he met her somewhere before? He reminded himself he was on assignment and forced himself to focus on her actions and not the sound of her voice. So far, she hadn't done anything suspicious, but he needed to keep his ears open.
Her hand snaked down his back to rest on the small of his back. He tensed.
"Just relax, Mr. Banks, while I loosen your tense muscles." Her hand dipped underneath the towel and pressed.
"Jesus," he muttered.
"Hurts at first, but after a few minutes you'll feel relaxed." She moved her second hand to join the first one and pressed even harder.
Gabe grunted as she found another tender area, but he had to admit the pain felt good after a few minutes. If he wasn't on duty and needing to keep his eyes and ears open, he would've likely been asleep by now. She was that good.
The tempo of the music changed to a salsa beat. He didn't know how she did it, but the Latin rhythm pulled him into the sensual mood. Soon he ignored the fact he had a strange woman's fingers on him as his body warmed.
Her light touch drifted along his sides, working his waist area. Feathery fingers massaged his hip. The towel slipped lower, and he held his breath, afraid he'd expose more skin than he liked. She paused, and he wondered if this was going to be it—an overt sexual move.
Then she adjusted the towel, moving the material higher. A sense of loss enveloped him at her action. Why did he want her to put the moves on him? He wanted to turn his head and check her out, but not seeing her made it almost an erotic game of
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