Beautiful Regret

by MJ Nightingale

  “Jason was right. She is a high priced hooker.” Jason was one of her others on the side.

  “You know Jason?” she began to panic. She’d seen him last week, and she doubted he’d give her name to the cops.

  “Yup, picked him up last week in a sting op, and he was more than willing to give us names to get himself off the hook.”

  “That fucker. He has a wife.”

  “That’s why he gave you up, and a few others too.”

  “Shit.” This would be her third arrest. It would be no simple slap on the wrist, she’d do a few months. Damn it all to hell, she thought. What could she do? How could she get out of this? Think! Not Albert. He had heat on him and could implicate her. She wouldn’t give other names.

  “Let me see some ID,” she stalled. This undercover dick hadn’t showed her anything yet.

  The bigger man, also hot as hell, she noticed, handed back two badges, and she glanced at them.

  “Come on guys,” she pleaded. “I can’t do time. It’ll be my third.” She focused in on Roger.

  “You did the crime, and we have a quota in vice. We gotta eat,” he teased using her own line against him.

  She turned her head away. She needed to think. If Albert got wind of this, he’d go ballistic. So would the Master. They needed to keep their noses clean. The master was scary as hell. He’d scar her permanently or worse. The man was as vile as they came. He ran The Scene, owned it under an assumed name. But he was also well connected. If she gave names of clients there, she might be able to weasel her way out of this, but who?

  Shit, if she did that, the master would find out. He’d still be pissed because it would bring the cops to his door eventually. What the hell?

  Andreas gave Nikko a little nod in the rearview mirror. He could see Connie was stewing, and he saw a bead of perspiration roll down the side of her face. They needed to push her now.

  “Connie,” Nikko said softly, and she swung back to look at him. “You seem like a nice girl. Maybe we can work something out.”

  “Anything,” she stated quickly. “I can’t get arrested again.”

  “Who else is doing this sort of thing? Give us a few names.”

  “Joseph Murphy. He is for hire.” She rattled off the name of another role player. He had not worked at the club in a year, and she thought he was safe enough to give them.

  Nikko typed the name into his computer screen. “Already got that name,” he lied.

  “Michelle Sanchez.” She’d been fired three years ago.

  Nikko typed. “That’s a good one,” he said after a moment. “Keep going.”

  “What?” she exclaimed feigning shock. She knew they would want more than one name, but didn’t want to make it appear easy.

  This time the big guy in front spoke. “Lady, we want big fish if we are going to let you off. We got a quota, and we are almost at the station. So you spill, or we handcuff you and throw away the key. What about John’s? Who you got there?” Crap, all her John’s were club members, and The Scene was high end, the rollers were big ones.

  “I don’t get a lot of real names in my line of work,” she quickly retorted again trying to stall for time.

  “We are vice. We don’t want small fish. Come on, Connie, we have a name in mind, and unless you want us to ask point blank, and we will know you are lying, you better give us someone big.”

  Fuck, she was screwed royally. They couldn’t know about Albert could they? She’d go down for more than just prostitution. It had to be big. Albert had been a client, but he didn’t go there anymore. How big did they want?

  “Who owns the joint? His real name?” Andreas asked. It had been a gamble to ask. Her eyes in the mirror told him he hit pay dirt. Menacingly, Andreas asked again. “That’s the only name we want.”

  Fuck, they were after the Senator! She was fucking screwed. She really began to sweat. They knew, and just needed confirmation. What choice did she have? Better to give him up then them dig and find out about Albert. “McCarthy, you fuckers. Senator Wilson McCarthy.” It was go big or go home in a box. The master.

  Nikko and Andreas held back their excitement. This was big indeed. And it had to be the master. They didn’t let on, but they had to be sure.

  “The master.”

  Connie nodded, “I need protective custody.”

  “Sorry, sweetheart. We don’t do that unless it’s a capital offense here. Running a sex op is not capital.”

  Nikko pulled out a clipboard from the side door of the rented van. He was scribbling away furiously, and then handed it over to Connie to sign.

  “What’s this?” she asked seeing the official looking document. Hearing they only knew about the sex sent relief sweeping through her, but saying his name and signing this was sealing her fate. Asking for protective custody had been a stupid move. She hoped they didn’t think more into it.

  “Your statement, and our agreement not to prosecute you. But don’t leave town,” he added while handing her the pen.

  Connie signed the document. It just stated that Senator Wilson McCarthy was a former client of hers, and owned and operated The Scene. The van stopped, and they were just down the block from the police station.

  He offered Connie his hand to help her out.

  She took it.

  “Now don’t leave town,” he reminded her as she began to walk briskly away.

  Fuck you! That was the first thing she was doing, she thought, as she picked up her pace. Her parents had a condo in Puerto Rico. She would go there, convince them she had reformed, after emptying her accounts. Then she would get what she could from them, and start fresh somewhere with a new identity. She couldn’t stay here in New York. Things had become way too hot.

  When the van door closed, Nikko remained in the backseat, and Andreas pulled back out onto the street. There were a few lines blank on the document. He was going to add a bit more to Miss Connie’s statement. Tonight, Gio would be paying a little visit to Albert. They had no time to lose.

  Everything was going so well. So far.

  This was it. All or nothing.

  Gio sat in his new rental and watched the minutes tick by. He was waiting for the green light from Andreas that everybody was in position. Blaze had flown in unexpectedly that afternoon. He wanted to be here for his brothers. It was nearly ten o’clock and his brothers headed into the Dakota off of Central Park West, while he waited on 72nd street.

  Andreas called in some big favors to get them in through the service entrance as elevator repairmen. They would call once they were inside and in position. Architectural plans of the famous building found on the internet revealed a storage room in the hallway, used by the custodial staff. They could hide out and lay in wait just yards from the entrance to Albert’s 2,800 square foot residence.

  Gio wanted this to be over. His palms gripped the steering wheel remembering how they had practiced what would be said tonight.

  These past few weeks he had run the gamut of emotions, and now he was ready to live, with his son, and Lisa. He wanted to start their lives together, and he could not do that without gaining a confession from Albert. He hoped what they had was enough.

  Connie’s signed confession with their added sentences was a key ingredient. Albert just had to buy it. He hoped confronting him at night, late, would be enough to rattle him and get him to spill the beans. The confession wouldn’t be admissible, Albert’s attorneys were that good, but it would either scare him into turning himself in, or face the consequences of being exposed in his twisted lifestyle. Also the threat of exposing the mastermind, owner and operator of the club was up on the table. Senator McCarthy would be ruined and Albert would go down with him. Any jury would surely be tainted and one scandal with Rasmussen’s name attached would bring a whole heck of a lot of doubt into a jury’s mind if they were being asked to put Lisa away. All of this he planned to reveal tonight. It might make Albert realize it would be better to admit he faked the explosion and take his chances in court. He jus
t hoped Albert hadn’t been tipped off.

  Nikko had made sure Connie didn’t have her cell when she left the van, slipping it out of her purse as she got out, and Andreas had doubled back to her apartment ahead of her, jamming her land line. It didn’t mean she couldn’t call him, but it would make it more difficult. They were watching her, but they secretly hoped she tried to give the men on her the slip. They were told to just follow and report.

  There were just so many loose ends and unknowns, but it all came to this and tonight. And it had to be done tonight. If they gave Albert any more time, he would worm his way out of this and slip out of their noose before they had a chance to tighten the rope.

  Albert sat in his office and sipped from his glass of brandy. Having no contact with the outside world these past few days was grating, and he was lucky his father’s passing gave him the excuse to get out. The service had been private, his father’s wishes, and he’d wanted to be cremated and laid to rest with his wife. The arrangements had already been made and Albert only had to be there.

  The loss of his father had not fully hit him yet. He was already rich in his own right, but now he was practically a billionaire. His father’s luxury car business was just one of his investments and the one he chose to pass onto his son. Each car they had in their dealership was worth at least 100,000 dollars, but that was peanuts compared to the properties he now owned in Manhattan, the Bronx, and Queens.

  True his parents had lived in Rosedale, but that was because their roots had kept them humble, well humbler than him.

  Now he could do anything, go anywhere, and not have to run the dealership. But still he wasn’t thinking of that anymore, he was thinking about how in the hell he could clean up the mess he was in. All that money and power would mean nothing if he was found out. His life could be destroyed because of one stupid picture. The master hadn’t brought him into this world, but he surely had entrenched him there. He loved the lifestyle, the secrecy, the clandestine affairs, and the sex. He was also angry as hell with the master’s dictates. Who was he to command him any longer? Their sexual relationship had ended years ago. They were each their own men now. Each had pursued their own interests. True, they had remained friends, and scratched each other’s backs. It was good to have someone of your stature who understood and shared your world, and to protect you. Master had failed to do that twice now. Once all those years ago when he’d fled and left Albert trussed up at Beat, and once just two weeks ago when the bomb hadn’t killed Gio. He was losing his edge and Albert was now wealthier and more powerful. He could buy and sell the fucking Senator ten times over. Get him elected president, or destroy him.

  He slammed back his drink and finished it. Then poured himself another. His anger was rising. He had always had a temper and been rash. Master was all about control, had tried to teach him that. Finesse, he had called it. But that was not him. That was what had scared Lisa away, and what they had back then had been so good.

  Fuck, he needed to get laid, ram his fist into someone’s pussy. God, he became hard at the thought of it, and wished he could still reach out to Connie. She had met his needs, well, most of them. Kept his dirty secrets safe. He’d even called her an hour ago, despite the master’s warning and it had gone straight to her voice mail.

  He’d try her again, he thought ruefully, draining his glass. He’d take a shower and do that. He could sneak out and fuck who he chose when he wanted. Fuck Wilson.

  He needed a shower first though. He rose from his chair, and made his way around the big desk and began to leave the study.

  Then his phone rang. Connie!

  He went back to his desk where he left his cellphone. But instead of Connie, it was a number he didn’t recognize at all.

  Lisa was walking the apartment like a caged animal. Her nerves were on edge. The men had left hours ago, and she had heard nothing from them. She knew they were not planning anything until late, but the waiting was almost becoming too much to bear.

  Her sister was keeping her company. Mark had stayed home with the kids. They had kept the evening light, for Johnny, not wanting him to worry. After a movie and snack he had gone to bed.

  Lisa was beside herself with worry. It was nearly ten o’clock. Glancing at the clock every other minute wasn’t making the situation any better. She made her decision.

  “Mary?” Her sister looked up from the television. She’d been watching the news.

  Mary’s eyes narrowed. She knew that look. “No,” she stated firmly.

  “I’ve just gotta be there. Closer. In case.”

  “No,” Mary repeated getting up from her seat and getting closer to her sister. She’d tried to calm her down earlier, but knew it would be no use with her high strung sister. She was on pins and needles herself.

  “Listen, Mary, I’ve got to be there,” she tried to make her sister understand, but couldn’t find the right words.

  “Please, Lisa. Don’t do this. They know what they are doing. You will just get in the way. Plus, you have a restraining order against you, and Andreas has two guys outside, one in the hallway and one down stairs watching the lobby.”

  “I know, but I have to be there. I’ll wait outside. I won’t go upstairs,” she promised. “If something happens, I’ll never forgive myself.”

  “Oh God, is there nothing I can say to convince you to just sit tight?”

  “No,” Lisa was already moving. She slipped into the room she was sharing with Johnny, her sister at her heels. Johnny was already sleeping. She grabbed a black turtle neck, and softly came back out. Slipping it on over her pink tank top, with the black jeans she wore, she felt like she would blend in better, and not stand out. Now she just had to slip by the guard outside in the corridor. She peaked through the peephole. He was ensconced down by the bank of elevators, reading a paper. It would have to be the fire escape.

  “Please,” Mary tried again as she followed her sister to the window.

  “Stay with Johnny. I’ll call just as soon as I know anything.”

  Connie was frantic. She was waiting at JFK. Her flight left in thirty minutes and every minute that passed seemed to take longer and longer. When she arrived home she’d discovered her cell was missing, and her land line had been cut. Well, she wasn’t sure, but she had no service. That terrified her to no end. She thought somehow that master must have known and found out already, although it had taken her less than an hour to walk home. Those fucking police idiots acted faster than she thought. She knew her life was on the line. She began to toss items into her suitcases, and then went outside dragging the heavy luggage behind her. She hailed a cab at the end of the block, and had gone straight to the bank, tipping the cab driver one hundred dollars to wait while she went inside. In fifteen minutes she emerged and had one hundred thousand dollars. Practically all her savings. Looks like she would be losing out on Albert’s promise of a million. But she would convince her parents she was reformed, play it cool, and lay low until she thought things had cooled down. Their place in Puerto Rico was where she was headed.

  Without her phone, she had no idea about flights. But once there she would book something to get her closer to her destination. Anywhere but here. She was able to get a late flight to Atlanta. There was no immediate flight connecting to her final destination, but she didn’t care. She could sleep in a hotel and catch another flight in the morning. She wanted out and as each minute crept buy, her nerves began to get the best of her. When they finally announced boarding, she clamored to get to the front of the line. Ass in seat was her only thought. Get all your fat asses in those seats people, and get the plane off the god dammed ground. Albert, baby, you are on your own, she thought sadly, thinking of the million. Perhaps someday, if he wasn’t implicated in this thing, she could come back and collect, but for now, it was all about saving her hide.

  Andreas, Blaze, and Nikko were all in position. Blaze was monitoring the equipment in the custodial closet. They had climbed through the duct work, and slipped a camera, and audio
device over Albert’s study, and his living room. The apartment had an open concept and the panoramic device gave them good visual of the living room, dining area and kitchen. The study, although small, was the only other room, other than the bedrooms, and bathrooms. It was the best they were able to do on short notice.

  Nikko climbed up the fire escape and was waiting for any message or alert indicating there was trouble.

  Andreas was going to monitor the hallway. As soon as Gio was inside, he’d slip out of the closet, and fiddle with the electrical panel by the elevators, pretending to be doing some repair work. There were only two other apartments on this wing, and with a little digging had been able to confirm the other owners of those co-ops were both out of town. Most of the people who lived in the building weren’t full time residents. He felt confident he wouldn’t be noticed, but he wanted to look busy just in case.

  With everything in place, they would do one final sound check, and then give Gio a call. All was nearly ready.

  Gio nearly jumped out of his skin at the soft tap on his window. He had been looking down at his phone. When he saw the red under the baseball cap, he immediately grew angry and rolled down his window.

  “What the hell? Lisa, get in the car,” he whispered vehemently.

  She heard the click of the door lock releasing, and whisked around the front and got in. She had spotted his rental, and approached the vehicle, not hesitating. She had only momentarily thought about staying hidden in the shadows, but knew he would be even madder if she kept any secrets from him.

  “I’m going to wait in the car,” she promised sliding inside.

  “Lisa, of all the stupid . . .” his words faded when he received the notification from Andreas.

  Andreas: All set. You’re up.

  He read it quickly and replied with a K. Then he focused on her. “God dammit, Lisa. You had better wait in the car. We have vests. You don’t. Stay. In. The. Car.”