The car continues to sink into the pit, the oily black tar spilling in through the windows.
“Please help me!” Viola calls out, her voice shrill with terror. You look on grimly as her cries are abruptly silenced as the car sinks beneath the surface, with just the rear end now visible. Nancy glances up at you, intuitively reading your expression.
“She was no damsel in distress, Sam.” She reminds you. “She was a cold-blooded murderer. She got what she deserved.”
“I know, but it’s a damn shame.” You murmur as the last of the silver sports car slowly disappears into the depths of the tar pit. Nancy glances at you curiously. “It was a beautiful car.”
“I’ll call it in on the radio.” She replies. “It’s been a hell of a day and I for one could do with a drink. You wanna come back with me to my apartment?” Her gray eyes gleam with the promise of more than a drink and friendly conversation.
“Sure.” You grin.
An hour later, you follow her into her apartment building. It’s in the cheaper side of town and the halls look like they could do with a lick of paint. As you reach her door, Nancy glances up and down the corridor, perhaps ensuring that she doesn’t give her neighbors a reason to gossip. She slides the key into the lock and you follow her inside. It’s a cozy place and has that womanly fragrance of perfume and scent.
“You want a drink?” She asks you, closing the door behind you before stepping into her kitchen.
“I figure we’ve earned one.” You reply, glancing around the small living room. There’s a couch, a coffee table, a bookshelf and a side table with a radio sitting on it.
“I don’t have any whiskey.” Nancy calls out from the next room. “I’ve got a bottle of champagne? I guess we should be celebrating.”
“Any port in a storm.” You reply. She returns a moment later with a narrow flute in each hand, the champagne fizzing and bubbling within. She passes you one and you raise your glass.
“Cheers.” You grin before taking a sip. Accustomed as you are to the harsh and sharp taste of whiskey, champagne seems far too sweet.
“Cheers.” She echoes, holding your gaze as she takes a drink.
“A pity we couldn’t bring Viola Vandergraaf in alive.” Nancy murmurs, finally looking away.
“She was a murderer.” You shrug. “Probably saved the State of California going to the trouble of hanging her.”
“You’re all heart, you know that?” She replies, shaking her head, before glancing down at her uniform. “I oughta get changed. Help yourself to more champagne.”
“Sure.” You nod with a rueful glance at the champagne bottle.
As you drink your champagne, you hear the shower running in the bathroom. A few minutes later, you hear it shut off and a few moments after that, the door opens and Nancy emerges in a fog of steam. Your eyes widen at the vision before you. She is dressed in a crimson silk nightgown, her long hair loose and hanging down in dark, wet tendrils. The hem of the gown stops halfway down her thighs and her long slender legs seem to go on forever. The gown is tied around her narrow waist, accentuating her attractive figure.
“I’ll just be a few more minutes.” She smiles as she crosses the room to the door of her bedroom, pausing and glancing over her shoulder. She smiles coyly before disappearing inside, the door remaining open.
Follow her into the bedroom
This isn’t the time to rekindle something. Celebrate as a friend
“We’ll break the door down.” You whisper. Nancy nods and you step back before smashing your foot into the lock. The wood cracks and splinters and a second kick sends the door swinging violently open to crash against the wall. The room looks to be the master bedroom and Viola cowers by the window, her teary eyes wild. She holds a pistol in her hand.
“Drop it!” Nancy commands, her own pistol gripped in both hands and aimed steadily at Viola’s chest. The blonde flinches like she’s been slapped across the face and slowly stoops to place the weapon on the floor. The pistol has a silencer fitted to the barrel and you smile grimly, knowing this is the weapon that killed Carstairs. Viola moves to the bed and sits down as you follow Nancy into the room.
“It wasn’t me.” She tells Nancy tearfully, before glaring at you. “It was him.” She spits. “Harlowe was obsessed with me. He kept coming to the house even though I told him not to. Carstairs had to escort him forcefully from the premises. Harlowe told him he’d kill him and then the very next day…” She sniffs before burying her face in her hands. You glance at Nancy and roll your eyes. Probably just as well Viola abandoned her earlier acting career and married Vandergraaf instead. The dame’s not much of an actress.
“Save the melodramatics for the jury.” Nancy tells her, reaching out and clamping handcuffs around her wrists. “Might even keep you off death row.” Viola pulls her hands from her face and glances at the handcuffs before sobbing, her tears genuine this time.
You stand outside the house as the sun sets. The driveway is full of squad cars and cops and you watch as Viola is brought out of the house, her tear streaked face bowed. Neville Vandergraaf watches on in disbelief as she is guided towards one of the cars. While you’d been waiting, your mind had been doing somersaults. Something doesn’t quite add up and you know it’ll drive you crazy if you don’t get an answer. You flick your cigarette away and hurry after her.
“Wait a minute.” You call out to the cop just before he guides her into the back of the squad car. He glances across at you before giving you a reluctant nod.
“Why me?” You ask Viola. “Why put yourself under the microscope by hiring a private investigator? It doesn’t make any sense.”
“Doesn’t it?” She smiles grimly. “I asked around and the name that kept coming up time and time again was yours.” She tells you. “But not as a recommendation. I was told to avoid you at all costs. A washed up private detective. Shabby, lazy and a borderline alcoholic. You were ideal for my needs. I could flutter my eyelashes and you would eat up every word. I staged the attempt on my life just to ensure you were hooked and fed you crumbs to make you believe my husband was having an affair with Sabine Marceau and plotting to murder me. Only, you weren’t quite as gullible as I thought.”
“Sorry to disappoint you.” You glare at her. “Why kill Carstairs?” She glances around at the police around her, perhaps reluctant to incriminate herself further before sighing. Perhaps she was in shock. Maybe she knew the game was up. Or perhaps the guilt of what she had done was clawing at her soul and she needed to unburden herself. Whatever the reason, she answers.
“He knew of my love affair with Sabine.” She replied. “He was discreet, but I overheard his telephone call to you and knew he suspected we were plotting against my husband. I had to silence him, so I followed him to the observatory and shot him. It pained me to kill him, but I saw no other choice. Don’t you see Harlowe? I did it for love! For love!”
“Get her away from me.” You tell the cop, shaking your head in loathing and disgust. He nods and guides her onto the back seat, slamming the door behind her. As you watch the car move away, passing through the gates and speeding off in the direction of the city, Nancy joins you.
“Hell of a day, eh Sam.” She smiles.
“Hell of a day.” You reply.
“Just got a call from downtown.” She tells you. “They’ve arrested Sabine Marceau too.”
“Good.” You reply. “Reckon she’s an accessory at the very least.” Nancy nods, before glancing up at you thoughtfully for a moment.
“Listen, I’ve nearly finished up here.” She murmurs, leaning in conspiratorially. “You wanna swing by my apartment later this evening? I’m in the mood to celebrate.”
Sounds good
You’re not in the mood
You shoulder charge the hood, shoving him back against the thug. Their eyes widen as they teeter for a moment on the edge of the stairs before they both cry out, arms flailing as they topple backwards. They tumble down the stairs, grunting in pain before falling
into a heap on the landing below. You quickly descend the flight of stairs, tipping your hat to them with a smirk as you pass the dazed pair. Hurrying from the building to your car, you climb in and jam your foot on the gas pedal, the tires screeching as you accelerate away before the goons recover.
You reach Nancy’s apartment building ten minutes later. You ride up in the elevator and walk briskly down the corridor. One of the other doors opens a crack and an elderly woman eyes you suspiciously. You flash her a smarmy grin and she narrows her beady eyes at you before closing her door. You reach Nancy’s door and rap loudly on it with your knuckles. You hear light footsteps approach, a lock snap open and the door swings open. You blink at the vision before you. Nancy is dressed in a crimson silk nightgown, her long hair loose and hanging down in dark, wet tendrils. The hem of the gown stops halfway down her thighs and her long slender legs seem to go on forever. The gown is tied around her narrow waist, accentuating her attractive figure.
“Sam! I wasn’t expecting you so soon.” She smiles. “Give me a few minutes, I’ll put something on.”
“Don’t go to any trouble on my account.” You grin, noticing the outline of the buds of her nipples pressing through the flimsy fabric.
“Oh Sam!” She giggles, turning away and hurrying into her tiny kitchen. “You are incorrigible!”
“Let’s both of us pretend I know what that means.” You grin, closing the door behind you and stepping into the cozy living room. There’s a couch, a coffee table, a bookshelf and a side table with a radio sitting on it. Nancy returns a moment later with a bottle of champagne and two flutes.
“Thought we might celebrate in style.” She grins, passing you the bottle.
“Champagne!” You reply, studying the label. “Not my usual poison, but I guess I’ll grin and bear it!” You twist the cork and it pops loudly, the bubbles fizzing up out of the neck.
“I hope that’s not an omen.” She smirks, her gray eyes glinting as she holds out the glasses. You pour the champagne into each before setting the bottle on the table. She passes you a glass and raises her own.
“To you Sam.” She says, holding your gaze. “You’ve done me a hell of a favor today!”
“You’re welcome sweetheart.” You grin, your glasses clinking together. “It’s been good to see you again.” She smiles shyly and sips at her champagne.
“I really oughta get dressed.” She tells you. “I’ll only be a few minutes.” She moves across the room to the door of her bedroom, pausing and glancing over her shoulder. She smiles coyly before disappearing inside, the door remaining open.
Follow her into the bedroom
This isn’t the time to rekindle something. Celebrate as a friend
“So am I.” You grin. Nancy’s eyebrows flick up in surprise.
“That’s great!” She beams before her smile falters a little as she realizes she is being a little over enthusiastic. “I mean... I... ah...”
“I’ll see you in a little while, toots.” You grin, putting her out of her misery. “Now, if you could find one of these cops to run me downtown. It’s a hell of a walk!”
“Sure Sam, it’s the least we can do.” She replies, waving an idle looking young cop over.
A few minutes later, you’re sitting alongside the youthful cop as he drives back towards the city, the headlight beams sweeping along the winding road.
“A hell of a case!” He grins.
“You’ve got that right.” You reply.
“You know, I’ve never laid eyes on a woman that liked other women!” He tells you, glancing across at you.
“And how would you know that, son?” You reply.
“I guess you’re right, sir.” He chuckles. “Mrs Vandergraaf was married, after all.”
“If you’re gonna be a good cop, you need to learn that nothing is ever quite as it seems, particularly in this town.” You tell him.
Your sage advice given, the car soon pulls up outside your office. You climb out, enjoying the novelty of getting out of the front, rather than the back of a squad car and stony sober to boot. You wave the cop off and wearily climb the stairs to your office.
Having washed and shaved and pulled on a fresh shirt and suit, you switch the office lights off and lock the door behind you. You walk quickly along the corridor, looking forward to seeing Nancy again. As you step into the stairwell, you find your way blocked by the familiar sallow faced hood and his bulky henchman.
“Not you clowns again.” You groan. “C’mon fellas, haven’t we danced this dance enough already?”
“If you know what’s good for you, you’ll come quiet like.” The hood growls. The thug grins and cracks his knuckles.
Go with them
Push them down the stairs and dart past them
You sit down on the couch and sip from your champagne flute, grimacing at the sweet tasting bubbles and missing the hard, sharp kick of whiskey. While you were close to Nancy once, probably closer than to anyone else, it was a long time ago. You don’t need any complications in your life. Keep things simple. Besides, you’ve got Paige for your carnal needs. You empty your glass and reach for the bottle.
Nancy returns half a bottle of champagne later. With her long hair immaculately styled, her makeup in place and a stylish turquoise dress on, she looks a knockout all right. Despite that, her earlier bounciness has gone and her shoulders are slumped with disappointment.
“How do I look, Sam?” She asks, standing before you.
“You look stunning, sweetheart.” You reply honestly. “Suits you a damn sight better than that cop uniform.”
“Thank you.” She murmurs with a sad little smile before joining you on the couch and sipping from her glass.
You have a pleasant enough evening, reminiscing about the old days and laughing about what fools you both were, but there is a certain melancholy atmosphere between you. As you finish the last of your champagne, you glance at your watch.
“Oughta get goin’” You tell Nancy. She nods and you both get to your feet. You move to the door and she pulls it open for you.
“It’s been a swell evening.” You grin. “We’ll have to do it again some time.”
“Yeah.” She replies noncommittally. “Goodbye Sam.” She leans forward and kisses you tenderly on the cheek. She brightens a little and you realize that whatever candle she may have carried for you has finally been well and truly extinguished. As the door closes behind you and you walk back towards the elevator, you remind yourself that you’re not the kinda guy to get tied down to one dame. All the same, you feel a little downcast. Maybe you’ll give Paige a call on the way back. She’s always eager to please without getting all mushy about it...
Call up Paige
Call it a night
Setting your champagne flute down on the coffee table, you walk towards the open door. As you peer into the room, you can see Nancy sitting with her back to you at her dressing table. The room is dimly lit from the light of a single lamp on the nightstand next to her bed. She is running a brush through her hair. As you stand in the doorway, the brush pauses for a split second. You watch her reflection in the mirror as her eyes flick up and a subtle smile crosses her face. She continues to brush her hair, her eyes occasionally darting furtively in your direction. As you move silently into the room, you watch her reflection as her eyes widen and her lips pout in anticipation. You step behind her and put your hands gently on her shoulders, massaging them. Nancy’s eyes close and a low moan escapes her lips.
“Oh Sam! You shouldn’t be in here.” She breathes, a hand reaching up to cover your own before gently guiding it down past her collarbone. Your fingers glide over her smooth skin and as they slip inside the nightgown, you stoop, your lips nuzzling through her damp hair and kissing her cheek. She twists her head towards you, your lips brushing against hers. As your hand cups a breast, you kiss. It’s slow at first, tentative and gentle, but as you massage her firm breast, the nipple hardening against your palm, the kiss becomes harder and more urgent.
“Yes.” She murmurs into your mouth. Your tongue flicks over hers and you feel her fingers slide through your hair as she holds your head.
Continue to seduce her
Strip her naked and move things to the bed
Breaking the kiss, you pull her to her feet. Nancy’s lips pout with excitement as you turn her towards you. Your hands caress her body through the thin silk nightgown, gliding over her heaving chest, down over her toned stomach and lower to the narrow sash tied around her waist. You slip your thumbs underneath it and slowly pull it apart. Nancy gasps as the nightgown falls open, her cleavage, navel and pubic hair revealed. Even in the dim light, you can see her blushing as she feels your gaze on her body.
“Sam...” She murmurs, her arms starting to stretch across to shield herself but not quite making it. You reach out and stroke her cheek, both of you knowing she wants this as much as you do. You slip the flimsy garment from her shoulders. It floats down to the floor, leaving her completely naked.
“Lie on the bed.” You tell her. She nods and obediently lies back, her head framed by her loose, damp hair, her eyes gazing expectantly up at you. You kick off your shoes and take off your jacket, tossing it over the back of the chair. You pull off your tie and unbutton your shirt, discarding them both before reaching down to unbuckle your belt. Nancy cranes her head forward as you unzip your fly and let your slacks slip down to your ankles. Your cock has spent the last few minutes creeping up the inside of your left thigh and now juts proudly outwards, tenting your underpants. You tug this last garment down and watch as a smile creeps across Nancy’s face.
“Hello again, old friend.” She whispers, her gaze fixed on your straining member.
Tell her to touch herself
Go down on her
The bed creaks as you join her, your own gaze fixed on the puffy labia peeking out from between her legs. They glisten with her excitement and you salivate at the thought of her taste.
Sin in the City of Angels Page 26