Private Detective: BENNINGTON P.I.: A thrilling four-novel political murder mystery private detective series...

by D. W. Ulsterman

  “Is it Kate? Is she ok?”

  Eunice Latner’s voice was as her husband had known it to be for many years – cold, measured, with just a hint of always present contempt.

  “Kate is fine, Joe. I’m calling you about a conversation I had with a man from Florida not twenty minutes earlier. He said you two had already met. His name was Sparks…Stephen Sparks. Did you in fact meet with him earlier?”

  The congressman paused, not wanting to divulge too much information to his wife just yet. If she sensed even a whiff of possible self promotion, her demands upon him would be unbearable.

  “Yes, but it’s nothing you need to concern yourself about.”

  Eunice did something she rarely did anymore – she laughed.

  “Really, Joe you don’t think the possibility of being the next Vice President of the United States isn’t my concern? This Mr. Sparks certainly did.”

  Latner closed his eyes. His wife was already sensing opportunity, more power, and improved standing - all the things she had always obsessed over.

  “It’s very preliminary at this point Eunice. Just…just a lot of talk. What did Sparks want with you?”

  Eunice was silent for several seconds before finally responding.

  “If the Mendez campaign was to pick you as their running mate Joe, they would want to make certain you could in fact deliver Ohio. That requires my family’s influence, our donor contacts. Mr. Sparks wanted to make certain I was open to providing that kind of support. Some wives don’t wish to be involved in national campaigns you know, and have the added scrutiny invade their own lives.”

  The congressman clenched his jaw.

  “That’s never been a problem for you, so what are you holding back? What’s the real reason you called me?”

  Eunice’s tone grew even colder.

  “You need to clean up your way of life, Joe. No more girls, do you understand? We need to present the same, loving family we always have during your elections, but this time even more so.”

  “I know how to take care of myself. I don’t need you trying to tell me what to do.”

  Eunice’s contempt took full bloom as her reply seethed through Latner’s cell phone.

  “Don’t be such a child. You and your whores are now officially a problem for your career, do you understand? This is no time for immaturity. I’ll tell you this just one more time – no more girls. Oh, and I want you back here at home by this weekend. Father wants to sit down together and talk through this opportunity. None of us want to blow this Joe, and I know you don’t either.”

  The congressman’s wife was right about that. He did want to further his political career. The thought of actually winning the White House someday infected almost all D.C. politicians, and Joseph Latner was no exception.

  “Alright, Eunice I’ll be there by Saturday afternoon.”

  “And what about the girls, Joe?”

  The congressman ended the call and then inhaled and exhaled deeply as he sat on the living room couch in the gloomy darkness of his Georgetown condo. His mind once again wandered to images of Kat, and a growing fear he would be unable to see her again.

  He needed to call her, to hear her voice.

  She picked up on the second ring.

  “I’m going to send the limo. I need to see you.”

  The congressman could hear Kat’s soft breathing, though she gave no reply.

  “Kat, please, I have to see you again. We need to talk.”

  “You hurt me. Ivanka knows, and she’s not happy. Arman wanted to hurt you back for me.”

  The congressman’s doorbell rang, followed by Frank Bennington’s voice shouting from the other side of the door.

  “Open up asshole! Let me show you what you did!”

  Bennington sounded drunk.

  “Joe, who is that?”

  The congressman looked toward the entrance and then spoke into his cell phone.

  “I’m sending the limo to get you. Be ready in twenty minutes.”

  Latner ended the call with Kat and then phoned the D.C. limo service he and many other power players in the city used and told them he wanted Kat picked up and brought to him. Bennington continued to shout from outside.

  “Open the damn door, Joe!”

  Upon opening his door, Congressman Latner saw Bennington and the new guy the office had just hired standing outside. Bennington’s nose was nearly double its normal size and his clothes were covered in dirt.

  “Christ, Frank what happened to you?”

  The younger man, who looked to be in danger of shitting his pants, began apologizing to the congressman.

  “I’m sorry, Congressman, he insisted. There was some kind of fight, he won’t tell me exactly what happened. We were at the Off the Record. He’s uh, he’s had a few.”

  Bennington glanced at Colin, shooting him an angry look.

  “I’m not drunk. Not anymore. But I am pissed, and want some answers Joe, so let us in.”

  The congressman opened the door wider and stepped to the side, his face alternating between concern and annoyance.

  “Come in.”

  Frank strode toward the living room and sat down on the couch in a lumpy pile of exhausted indifference.

  “Bring me a drink.”

  Congressman Latner glared at Colin and then walked into the dining area, returning a few minutes later with a freshly poured glass of scotch and ice.

  “Ok Frank, now tell me what the hell this is all about.”

  Latner emptied the contents of the glass just handed to him and then closed his eyes and smiled.

  “What this is about, Congressman is that I just had my ass kicked by some Russian who made it real clear that he’d do it again if YOU hurt the merchandise. I’m assuming he was talking about that nineteen year old piece of ass you’ve been hanging out with for the past few months? The same one we were just talking about?”

  Congressman Latner’s jaw tightened as he glowered over at both Frank and Colin.

  “Did you get the guy’s name, Frank? Was it Arman?”

  Bennington nodded.

  “Yeah, that’s who Samantha said he was. He’s Ivanka’s brother apparently. The guy looked like real serious business, Joe. Not the kind of guy you want pissed off at you. And I’m guessing this beating was supposed to be for you, but because you’re a congressman, they decided to pass it off on me. I’m not being paid to take beatings for you. What the hell did you do to that girl to piss them off so much?”

  Congressman Latner looked away.

  “I didn’t do anything to her. Nothing…nothing that bad. You know the Mendez campaign called my wife today? And then she called me and said…she’s telling ME I have to drop the women. Then you show up like this? I’m a United States congressman dammit! Who do these people think they’re dealing with?”

  Bennington rubbed his face with both his hands before looking up.

  “Eunice called you? And she was contacted by the Mendez camp? On the same day they spoke with you?”

  Latner nodded.

  “Yeah, same guy who talked to me this morning also called my wife.”

  “And what did Eunice say?”

  The congressman’s lips curled up into a sneer.

  “What do you think she said? She’s all over this idea, you kidding? It’s an in to the White House. It’s her dream. She’ll have the whole damn family in on it by tomorrow. In fact, I’m supposed to fly back to Ohio this weekend to have a sit down with her father. I’ll have to kiss the old bastard’s ring so he’ll let the Mendez campaign know that Ohio is a sure thing if I’m on the ticket.”

  The doorbell rang.

  Bennington glanced at the congressman before his eyes looked back toward the condo entrance.

  “Who’s that?”

  Congressman Latner’s face became slightly flushed as his eyes avoided looking back at Frank.

  “Oh, you have got to be kidding me, Joe. It’s her, isn’t it?”

  The congressman remained sitting d
own, giving only a small shrug of his shoulders as a response.

  “Colin, go answer the door. Have her come in.”

  Colin O’Shea nodded back at Bennington and made his way to the front door. He was not prepared for what stood there. It would be a moment his mind in the years following, would never allow him to forget, regardless of how hard he tried.

  She was stunningly beautiful. From her flawless smooth skin, arched eyebrows, blonde hair, full lips, and slight, yet still very feminine build, Colin found himself completely mesmerized by every detail of Kat’s appearance.

  Her smile hinted at just a hint of shyness and uncertainty, while also leaving Colin feeling himself grow weak in the knees.

  “Hello…is the congressman here?”

  Colin nodded rapidly as he struggled for words.

  “Yes…uh…please come in. He’s right inside. My name’s Colin by the way.”

  As Kat walked past him, Colin enjoyed her lingering scent – a mixture of rose and soap. He watched her from behind as she walked slowly into the living room, hypnotized by the movement of her body encased in the tight, form fitting leather pants and jacket, and matching three inch high black heels.

  Kat gave a slight smile at Frank Bennington before sitting down next to the congressman, who placed his left hand onto her right thigh.

  “Gentlemen, this is Kat. She’s a very special young lady.”

  Bennington smiled back at the young woman and stared at the congressman for several seconds.

  “Kat, do you see my face? See how my nose is all busted up? Do you know who did this to me, and why?”

  Congressman Latner’s voice growled a warning.

  “Shut up, Frank. She had nothing to do with that.”

  Bennington ignored the congressman’s order.

  “This was done by your friend Arman because him and your boss Ivanka apparently weren’t happy about the congressman there playing too rough with you. So because he messed up, I had to take a beating.”

  Both of Kat’s hands covered her mouth as her eyes looked back at Frank Bennington in horror before turning to face the congressman.

  “Is this true?”

  Congressman Latner tried to ease Kat’s concerns.

  “It’s nothing, Kat just a little misunderstanding. Won’t happen again, I promise. Nothing you need to worry about.”

  Kat shook her head and then turned around and leaned over to grasp Frank’s hands.

  “I am so sorry this was done to you. Please forgive me.”

  Frank’s anger washed away under the imploring gaze of Kat’s eyes as he glared back at the congressman.

  “Hey, it wasn’t your fault. If I blame anyone, it’s him.”

  Kat gave a grateful smile and then returned to her place next to Congressman Latner.

  Bennington stood up and looked down at the congressman.

  “Ok Joe, here’s the deal. The governor’s people are watching you. Your wife is watching you. That means this thing here, whatever this is between you and her, it ends now. I’m not saying permanently, but for a while, you can’t risk it. I’m not just talking about protecting your chances to be part of presidential ticket, your congressional seat could be at risk. Seriously, you could piss off a whole bunch of people if this breaks badly, so like I said, this has to stop. NOW.”

  Congressman Latner stood up and pointed a finger into Bennington’s chest.

  “On one condition.”

  Bennington shook his head.

  ‘There’s no conditions here, Joe. You’re either in or you’re out on this one.”

  The congressman placed his left hand onto Kat’s right shoulder.

  “She no longer is with anyone else. I keep her for however long it takes, and then if I’m on the ticket, or not, whatever, after we’re all done with the campaign, we work it out to be together again.”

  Bennington looked in stunned disbelief from Kat to the congressman.

  Joe, all due respect, this young woman is a prostitute. She’s one of Ivanka’s girls. You can’t be seen with her. She can’t be with you, so what the hell are you talking about?”

  Congressman Latner nodded his head as he sat back down, his hand returning to Kat’s thigh.

  “What I’m talking about is simple, Frank. I pay whatever amount is needed so Kat doesn’t have to be with anyone else. The thought of her…I can’t allow that.”

  Bennington looked down at the congressman as if he had turned into some alien, so insane did the congressman’s plan sound to him.

  “You’ve lost it, Joe. I’m serious, that’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.”

  The congressman stood back up and walked toward the kitchen.

  “It doesn’t matter what you think, Frank it’s what I’m doing. If I at least know Kat isn’t with anyone else, I can entertain the idea of not being with her for a while. That’s how it has to be, or this won’t work.”

  Bennington looked at Kat.

  “How much money would you need Kat, each week, for Ivanka to ok this arrangement?”

  Kat’s back straightened as her mind processed what the congressman was hoping to do with her. The thought of not having to be with any other men was appealing, though she found it difficult to believe anyone would be willing to pay that much to make it possible.

  “At least two thousand a week, but I don’t want to be a prisoner. I still want to be able to go out, to shop, see movies. You can’t just lock me away Joe.”

  The congressman’s eyes narrowed before they settled on Colin.

  “Not a problem. The new kid can keep an eye on you, take you places. Keep you out of trouble. He can use the limo service, pick you up, drop you off, whatever you need.”

  Bennington put both his hands up, his eyes wide as he stared back at the congressman.

  “For god’s sake Joe, you’re talking at least two thousand dollars a week! Have you lost your damn mind?”

  The congressman ignored Frank’s comment, instead walking up to where Colin sat.

  “You keep an eye on her for me, but keep your hands off, understand? I’ll break you in half if I find out you’ve touched her in any way.”

  Congressman Latner then turned back to Bennington.

  “The money isn’t a problem Frank, so shut up about it. I already told you, this is how we do it. Take it or leave it. As far as the outside world will know, I’ll be a damn Boy Scout. As long as I know nobody else is having her, I can do this. I can wait it out and be a part of a national campaign, and we get ourselves to the White House. So what do you say Frank? You want back in the White House or not?”

  Bennington shook his head, a low whistle sounding between his pursed lips.

  “Hey, whatever you say, Congressman. This is your world, right? We’re just the poor little bastards living in it.”

  “Shouldn’t we ask her if it’s what she wants?”

  Colin’s comment hung in the air between them all, as Kat looked back at him, a slow and grateful smile sneaking across her face.

  The congressman looked down at Kat, his eyes suggesting she really had no say in the matter.

  “This is what you want right, Kat? No more appointments with other men? Your time will be your own.”

  Kat’s eyes remained on Colin. He was just a few years older than she was, and she found his youthful, kind and sincere face a welcome change from the much older men she had spent so much time with over the last year.

  “Yes, I am ok with it, if Colin doesn’t mind babysitting me.”

  “I’ll do it, no problem.”

  As soon as the words left his mouth, Colin knew he said them with far too much enthusiasm. Thankfully, neither Frank nor the congressman seemed to notice, as both men’s minds were already dreaming of making their way into the White House.

  Kat noticed though, as her eyes peered out from under her partly lowered lids, her tongue peeked out for a brief moment to moisten her ample lips.

  Colin O’Shea was certain his life was about to take a very drama
tic turn.

  For better or worse, he did not yet know…

  Three weeks later…