by Geonn Cannon
It was a bittersweet moment. She had evidence confirming the theory that Muldoon was using the Newton Ice Rink as a drop-off point, but she’d missed Muldoon actually dropping it off. Still, it wasn’t a complete bust. She closed the camera as Oesterle put his skates on and headed out onto the ice. He had left his duffel bag in the locker. She could risk grabbing it, but she didn’t want Oesterle going over the edge like Aulie.
Her phone rang again, and she stared at it in disbelief. Maybe the rink had some kind of beacon that summoned calls. Her surprise turned to irritation when she saw who it was. She considered ignoring it, but knew the conversation had to take place eventually. She tapped the screen.
“Hello, Cecily.”
“Miss Willow. I hope you’re not busy.”
Ari said, “Would it matter?”
“I’d like you to come in this evening so we could discuss your progress on the Totems case. I presume you are making progress, correct?”
Ari looked toward the lockers. “You could say that.”
“Mr. Wiseman told me he arranged for you to be the team’s mascot. It’s nice to know you have an alternate career lined up just in case investigation doesn’t work.”
“What time do you need me there?”
“Six o’clock will be fine. Don’t be late.”
Ari said, “I’m counting the minutes.”
“Hm.”
Ari hung up on her, or vice versa, and got up to move into a position where she could see the ice. She didn’t know if the information she’d gathered so far was damning enough to justify removing Muldoon and his drugged players from the team, but all she could do was provide what she’d found. She hoped for the sake of the players Muldoon had gotten hooked on a dangerous drug that it convinced the team owner to change the roster.
Chapter Seventeen
Ari stayed until the team left, none of them even glancing her way out of the rink. She made a note of which lockers they got their stuff from and watched as Muldoon removed a small packet from each one. She videotaped that as well. She couldn’t confirm what was in the packets or what the players had taken out of the lockers, but it was at the very least shady behavior. She waited until Muldoon was gone before she left as well. She went back to the office so she could change and make dinner plans with Dale before going to GG&M.
She passed the window that looked into their waiting room and was startled to see what appeared to be a stranger sitting at Dale’s desk. She stopped and realized it was Dale, but she was missing about ninety percent of her hair. The back was cut short, tapering to a V at the back of her neck. It was longer on the sides, with two narrow wings hanging down in front of her ears. Ari knocked on the glass and Dale turned to reveal she had thick bangs that covered her eyebrows. She smiled and waved.
By the time Ari made it inside, Dale was standing up and teasing her bangs. “I’m not sure about this part. It might get hung up on my glasses when I wear them.”
“I think it looks great.” She reached up and stroked the stubble at the nape of Dale’s neck. Dale shivered pleasantly. “I thought you were only thinking about getting it cut.”
“I was, but I went for a walk to celebrate the fact I can walk again…” Ari’s expression changed to one of scolding. “…a short walk. It felt like the first day of summer vacation. I wanted to mark it somehow, so. I mean, hopefully you don’t hate it.”
Ari said, “I love it. You look beautiful.” She kissed the corners of Dale’s mouth. “I really like it. I mean, I’ll miss the long hair and having something to hold onto from time to time. But this shows me more of your face. And your throat…” She dragged her fingers down the side of Dale’s neck, making her shiver again. Ari laughed. “Sensitive?”
“Little bit, I guess.”
Ari raised an eyebrow. “I’ll have to take advantage of that. But later. Right now I need to get out of this get-up and put on some respectable clothes. Cecily wants me at her office at six o’clock to give her an update.”
Dale followed Ari into the office. “Do you have anything new to give her?”
Ari changed while she told her about the video she’d taken. Dale took Ari’s phone to the computer, transferred the footage, and took a few screenshots to print out.
Once Ari was herself again, she walked around the desk to look at the pictures as they printed out. She grimaced. “It’s not exactly damning.”
“It’s definitely shady,” Dale said.
“But it doesn’t prove anything.”
“Mm,” Dale stood and moved out of the way. “One step closer though.”
Ari nodded and took her seat. She spent the next few hours working on a progress report, listing what she’d discovered about Cyn and Muldoon’s connection to it. She listed her suspicions about Halphen taking the fall to protect the flow of drugs. When it came time to list the players who were involved, she hesitated. She was all but certain who was doping and who wasn’t. But were they being pressured? What if they were just representatives? Muldoon gave the drugs to four players who then passed it out to the rest of the team? In the end she decided not to name names just yet.
On her way out, she made dinner plans with Dale. Ari would drop her off at home to get ready, then come pick her up after the meeting. It would also give her time to decide where she wanted to eat, a process that took at least half an hour on a good night. She ended up in traffic and arrived at the Gilles Girard & Moreau building ten minutes after six.
The lobby was abandoned save for two women behind the front desk and a security guard posted near the elevators. She slowed as she approached him, but he nodded her on.
“Go on up. Miss Parrish said to be expecting you.”
“Thanks,” she said, a little surprised the guard knew her on sight. She took the elevator up and received another surprise when the doors opened to reveal Shannon was sitting at the desk. “Boss got you working overtime?”
“Something like that. Miss Parrish is waiting for you in her office.”
Shannon looked like she was holding something back, but Ari didn’t want to press when she was already running late. She continued through the normally-closed doors, now standing open. All of the offices she passed were dark. Not one secretary remained at any of the desks. She walked through the abandoned space to Cecily’s office, the only place that was still well-lit. Ari paused at the threshold and blinked at what she saw.
Cecily was standing behind the desk facing the window. Her dress, skintight and red with black accents, was made of a material that reflected light from the setting sun. She looked like sex, like a pin-up representation of lust and desire. The woman was a succubus, Ari reminded herself, but even that didn’t explain how absolutely fantastic she looked. Ari unconsciously wet her lips when Cecily turned and faced her.
“Uh,” Ari said.
“You’re here with the progress report,” Cecily said.
Ari glanced toward Wiseman’s office. “Shouldn’t… uh… the guy who actually hired me… shouldn’t he be here?” It was strange she couldn’t think of his name, but her attention was drawn back to the strip of Cecily’s right leg that was exposed by a slit in the dress.
Cecily said, “Mr. Wiseman was scolded for stepping out of bounds. He shouldn’t have given you the case without discussing it with me. The case is important and there is a time element involved, which is why he’s still employed with the firm, but from now on you’ll be reporting to me.”
“Okay.”
“Sit,” Cecily said. Ari moved to the seat across from Cecily’s desk. Cecily remained standing, arms crossed. “Report.”
Ari had an envelope with her typed report and the photos from that day at the skating rink. She handed them over and began to explain what she’d found. The more she talked, the less hold Cecily seemed to have over her. Cecily took everything out and examined it as Ari summarized. When she finished, Cecily put the pages down on her desk blotter.
“We’ll have Muldoon replaced immediately. As well as the player
s he’s supplying with this drug, once you provide those names.”
“I don’t think that’s the right move.”
Cecily brushed a stray hair away from her face as she turned her gaze back to Ari. “We’re only concerned with the Totems image. We don’t need to convict Mr. Muldoon. The mere implication of doping his players will be enough for Mr. Levitt to decide he isn’t worth the risk. There is a list of potential replacements.”
“If the owner fires Muldoon, he’ll just move on to the next town and start doing this to another team. The men he’s gotten addicted to Cyn here will lose their supplier. They could die.”
“That’s why I’m going to suggest removing them as well. Once we have their names. Your photos showed Mr. Oborin, so he’s one. Who are the others?”
Ari said, “I’m not going to reveal that. And I’m not going to suggest removing Muldoon yet, either. I’m close to proving what he’s been doing. We can get rid of him, make sure he never does this again, and get his players the help they need before their doping becomes fatal.”
“That’s not our concern. We were hired by the team to make sure they would represent the city properly. You have proven they won’t. Provide the names of the people you suspect of using the drugs and they’ll be replaced. At that point, your case will be closed.”
Ari stood up. “I’m not going to walk away and leave these men in danger.”
“I told you to sit, Miss Willow.”
“Fuck you.”
Cecily stepped closer. Her eyes dropped to Ari’s collar and she brought her hand up to touch a finger to the leather. When she spoke again, her voice was a rumbling purr just above the level of a whisper.
“I could make you my dog.”
Ari was so startled and offended she couldn’t even form a response to that.
“I could make you sit at my feet. Put you on a leash, walk you around. Would you like that?”
Ari couldn’t bring herself to say no, so instead she said nothing.
“I asked you a question, puppy.”
The spell was broken. Ari’s hand came up and closed around Cecily’s throat, just tight enough for her to know the threat was real.
“You don’t get to call me that,” Ari whispered.
Cecily held her gaze. Ari refused to blink first.
“You really don’t want to meet my wolf, Miss Parrish.”
“Very well,” Cecily said. Nothing in her demeanor changed, but there was new tension in her shoulders. Ari knew she had rattled her. “You may remain on the case. Muldoon will remain with the team for the time being. Until you can find enough evidence to bring in the authorities. Is that satisfactory, Miss Willow?”
Ari dropped her hand. “Never speak like that to me again.”
Cecily smoothed a hand over her hair. “I’m on my way out. Walk with me to the elevators.” Ari wanted to refuse on principle, but Cecily was already walking. If she remained behind, she would be left alone in the office. She waited for Cecily to get a head start before falling into step behind her. When they got to the waiting room, Shannon was standing up behind the desk with a small plastic storage box. She glanced up as Ari and Cecily arrived and gave Ari a weak smile.
“Everything all set?” Cecily asked.
“I think so.”
“Good. You are officially no longer employed by GG&M.”
Ari said, “Wait, you’re firing her?”
“She let you into our offices without permission. She allowed you to bribe her and promised you future unauthorized access in exchange for coffee that you were not in a position to offer. Our clients’ privacy is paramount, Miss Willow, and Shannon violated that trust.”
Ari said, “Look, I just didn’t want to sit around for no reason. She wasn’t—”
Cecily held up a hand. Her eyes hadn’t left Shannon, who fitted the lid on the box with a loud click. Ari wanted to argue, but she could see there was no way for her to win.
“It’s okay, Ariadne,” Shannon said. “I’m sorry for violating your trust, Miss Parrish.”
Cecily nodded almost imperceptibly. Shannon walked to the elevators, which arrived with blessed punctuality so she wouldn’t have to stand and wait for them. Once she was gone, Cecily moved to one of the other elevators and hit the call button.
“You made her stay late just to fire her in front of me? What kind of bullshit power trip is that?”
“The same kind you played by manipulating her into letting you bypass our security. You are very much the hypocrite, Miss Willow. You storm into my office, circumventing the proper procedures, to complain that I’ve violated your privacy by installing security in your office. Feel free to continue playing your little games with my staff, Miss Willow. They are all replaceable.”
“Message received,” Ari said. “Now give Shannon her job back.”
Cecily spoke without facing her. “That would defeat the purpose of my message.”
Ari moved to stand in front of Cecily. “Is this because I’m not taking your job offer?”
“I wasn’t aware you’d come to a final decision on that.”
“Consider this your official notice.”
Cecily drew in a deep breath and let it out through her nose. “That’s disappointing.”
“Yeah, not for me.” The elevator arrived for them, but Ari brushed past her. “I think I’ll take the stairs. Something tells me it would be bad for us to share an enclosed space right now.”
“Good luck with your hockey team, Miss Willow. The clock is ticking.”
Ari opened the door to the stairwell and departed without responding. She knew it was giving Cecily the last word, but she didn’t trust herself to say anything constructive in that moment. She chose to leave the building before doing anything she would come to regret. She hurried downstairs and ran across the lobby, slowing when she passed the security guard.
“Did a woman just leave here carrying a Tupperware box?”
He pointed her in the right direction. She waved a thanks to him and ran outside. Shannon had only made it to the corner and Ari called her name. She turned and waited for Ari to catch up with her.
“I’m so sorry about that.”
“It’s not your fault.” Shannon smirked. “Okay. It kind of was your fault. But I would do it again. That place… you follow the rules, you make Miss Parrish happy, you keep your head down and do your job. Helping you felt good. It felt fantastic to be on your side. To break the rules. It reminded me of who I was before I started working there. I’ll miss the benefits, of course, but I think a new job will be a lot better for me in the long run.”
Ari took out one of her cards. “Until then, sometimes I need help on stakeouts or with research. I can’t pay much, but hopefully it will tide you over.”
“Thanks. Honestly, they paid me so well here, I have a ton in savings. I should be fine. But I’ll keep the card just in case.”
Ari nodded. “Again… sorry for my part in it.”
Shannon shrugged. “The only thing I’ll really miss is the sex.”
“The… sex?”
“With Miss Parrish.” She realized Ari’s confusion. “Oh. Pretty much everyone at the firm has slept with her at one point or another. I thought you figured that out when you crashed her Christmas party last year.”
Ari said, “I assumed… I didn’t know… everyone at the firm?”
“Well, not the gay men or the straight women. She just watched them have their fun.”
“That’s…” She furrowed her brow and wondered if it would’ve been a requirement of her employment as well. Given the comment about being her dog, she was fairly sure it would’ve been. “No, I wasn’t aware of anything like that.”
“Oh. It’s not like she forced us.”
Ari wasn’t entirely sure of that. Cecily was a succubus; she could have forced anyone who was reluctant about becoming their boss’ sex slave into complying. The thought made her skin crawl.
“Maybe you should be thanking me for getting you ou
t of there.”
Shannon laughed. “Maybe so. I feel like I have a clear head for the first time in… ages.” She breathed in deeply and looked around at the street as if she’d just left a windowless cell. “And in the spirit of that clarity, I want to warn you. Don’t work for Cecily Parrish. Not on a retainer, not on a case-by-case basis. She gets her claws in someone and she very rarely lets them go. So… I guess I do owe you for this.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. Good luck.”
“Good luck to you. You’re the one who has to go back. Take care, Ariadne.”
Ari watched Shannon go, then turned and looked up. She wasn’t sure which floor belonged to GG&M, but the entire glass-fronted building looked ominous in the half-light of evening. She touched her collar, only partially aware she was rubbing at the spot where Cecily had touched it.
Chapter Eighteen
Dale called, “Hey, puppy,” from the bedroom as soon as Ari was through the door. She paused, grateful for the instant confirmation that Cecily hadn’t ruined the pet name. Dale came out of the bedroom in a dark green blouse and a black skirt. Her hair was still a shock, but it was a very nice shock. She looked even lovelier all dolled up for their dinner. “So I have it narrowed down to two…”
Ari cupped Dale’s face and kissed her hard. Dale made a surprised sound as she put her arms around Ari’s waist and sagged against her. It was intended to be just a step above a hello kiss, but her anger at Cecily plus the general aura of arousal that came from spending time with the succubus combined to make her more eager. She pulled back and pulled at Dale’s bottom lip with hers before flicking her tongue against it.
“How hungry are you?” Ari asked.
“Not as hungry as you are, apparently.” Dale kissed Ari and moved her hands up to the middle of her back. Ari moved them until Dale’s back was against the living room wall. Ari moved her hands to Dale’s collar and blindly undid each button until the blouse hung open. She glanced down and saw her favorite cream-colored bra. She smiled as she brushed her fingertips over the black lace on one cup.