Fragrance of Revenge (5 page)

Chapter
9

Mercedes
left no note, the bed was a mess, boxers were left between the sheets, and I
saw them leaving together with suitcases.

Despite
what it looked like, this didn’t make any sense to me.

Mercedes
might have been upset with me about my doing investigations, but she didn’t
know anything about her father asking me to do an investigation for him.
Or,
did she?

I tried
to recall last night’s conversation after my nightmare. Maybe I talked in my
sleep about his request for me to do an investigation for him. I found myself
sitting on the bed still holding the boxers.
What would a true detective do
in this situation?

I turned
the material inside out and shook it over the off-white bed cover. The sheets were
black so I knew I wouldn’t be able to see anything. I wanted to see if anything
appeared, but I really didn’t want to see anything.

There on
the bed cover were two short black hairs. My fear was confirmed. Ralph had
indeed been with Mercedes in bed and nude. I threw the underwear, which hit the
bedside lamp knocking it off the nightstand. The shade hit the wall and the
lamp base bounced on the rug.

I stood
and pulled the bed cover off to the floor and then the top sheet. I felt the
bottom sheet to see if it was warm, but it felt cool. I rushed into the
bathroom and found two wet white towels discarded in the corner.

Mercedes
always hung her towel over a hook or at least over the shower rod. Now I knew
the naked truth. They made love in bed and showered together. As hard as it was
to believe Mercedes could actually do that with someone else…the facts didn’t
lie.

*.*.*

As much
as I tried to deny the facts there was no other explanation. If Mercedes really
loved me, she might have just been vulnerable today. I just couldn’t accept
what I had seen. Then it hit me.

She knew
I still had a key and would find the condition of the bedroom, the bathroom and
worse his boxers. She did this on purpose to send me a message.
I got it.

I didn’t
know why I was rushing around the apartment getting
all
of my stuff
together, but I was. They were not coming back anytime soon. I felt like a ton
of bricks was lying on my chest—it was so hard to breathe. My head was spinning
with images of Mercedes and me at the cabin, with her in a towel too small for
the task. Those images were quickly replaced with Ralph in bed with her and
then in the shower.

I
thought we were in love and would be together for the rest of our lives. That’s
what we had talked about. I still couldn’t understand why this had happened…but
it did. The worse part was that she knew this would almost kill me when I found
her apartment this way.
I really had misjudged her. Maybe she’s more like
her sister than I ever knew.

I tore
the bed apart and punched the two pillows before throwing them across the room.
I realized the mess I made and sat down on the naked mattress. There was no way
I could blame Ralph for what happened. He would be defenseless to resist her
beauty. Even to this day I’m surprised she’s not married or at least engaged.

I fell back
on the bed and tried to calm down. I was still in shock, but now I knew I was
going to help Stephen with his investigation. I didn’t care how dangerous it
would be. Being safe didn’t matter any longer.
Why did I think I had Mercedes
all to myself?

I opened
my eyes and looked at the mess in the bedroom. My clothes were all scattered
everywhere. The last time I saw such a mess was when we came into her bedroom
and couldn’t wait to get our clothes off and feel our naked bodies touching. My
hand brushed against my shirt pocket.

I pulled
two pictures out. One was the one Maggie had given me showing her dancing at
her club. The other I hadn’t looked at. I looked at it and it had her phone
number on the back and ‘please call me’ written below it. I turned the picture over
and it was a XXX rated picture of her with a dance pole. I stared at the
picture too long, and realized Maggie sharing this picture with me told me how
she felt about me.

*.*.*

It was
only 9 pm, and I was headed up Mass Ave in the direction of Harvard Square. My
stuff was thrown in the trunk and the back of the car. Harold, the doorman, saw
me throwing my stuff in the car and just shook his head, and didn’t say a word.
Yes, Harold things have changed considerably…you won’t have my tips any
more.

My hand
was shaking, but it wasn’t nerves from what I was going to do near midnight. It
was what I was doing right now. I had time to think about what I was about to
do, but I was mad enough now to do it.

I
could only imagine Maggie’s eyes when she spots me watching her dance. Is this
really fair to her? Why not? She had more than gone out of her way to indicate
she likes me and most certainly wants me to see her dance…and I would say, more
than that.

*.*.*

It took
a minute for my eyes to adjust to the dark interior. It was not only dark, but the
smoke filled my nostrils and made it hard to breathe. It was crowded in the
strip club and the men shouting over the loud music made me consider what I was
doing here.

I was
about to turn and leave when fingers gripped my shoulder. “Would you like a
table near the stage?”

I turned
to the voice and was greeted by a petite blond whose assets were much too large
for her frame. I tried not to stare and noticed her smiling as my eyes went to
her face. “Sure, thanks.”

She led
the way to one of the two remaining tables near the stage. However, they were
on the side near the wall, not front and center. That was fine with me. I had
never been in a strip club before, and wished now that Mike was with me. I was
glad the eyes were not on me, but on the ebony creature almost fully naked on
the stage.

“What
would you like to drink?” she yelled to me as I sat down and turned almost nose
to nipples.

“A draft
would be fine.” She started to move away. “Oh, is Maggie dancing tonight?”

“Who?”

“Maggie.”

“Oh, you
mean Bubbles.”

“She’s
scheduled at 10. Do you know her?”

“What?”

“Do you
know
her?”

“Yes, I
know her from the Harvard Pub.”

“Okay,
I’ll tell her the blond guy from the pub is here.”

“No…no
that’s not necessary.” However, she had already left.

What
the hell am I doing?
I looked at my watch
and I had twenty minutes until she appeared.

Vickie
was back with my beer and told me the amount. Her name was on her bow tie,
which I tried to focus on instead of other things. I gave her a five and told
her to keep the change. She did a slight double take and I realized she
appreciated the large tip.

I was
impressed with the next dancer and her routine. She was a tall redhead and her
body reminded me of Mercedes. When she removed the last of her outfit she was
completely bare. Her final routine was to scrunch down and pick up bills
standing on end. I was glad my view was limited, but my mind was racing. She
took her time leaving the stage.

My
mind was thinking about what Mercedes had done, and what she and Ralph might be
doing.

There
was a drum roll from somewhere and a leg appeared from between the stage
curtains. The curtain became part of the next dancer’s act. Although she had an
outfit on, her use of the curtain was erotic. Even I wanted to see what the
dancer looked like. She tumbled out from behind the curtain, landing with the
pole between her legs.

She
slithered up the pole and then swung around facing me. It was Maggie. Her arms
were over her head hanging onto the pole, and she gave me this big smile. She
mouthed ‘thanks for coming.’ She did some other things with the pole and I was
mesmerized. I also tried to discreetly adjust, which she observed, smiled and
winked.

She
danced around the stage, and men were inserting bills into her top and what you
might call a bottom. Then she came over to me and went down on her knees and
moved like a kitten stroking its body against a leg. I went to insert a bill in
her top, but as I reached the top disappeared. She threw the top in my face.
The five dollar bill was still in my hand when she flipped over and picked it
out of my hand with her toes.

She was
back to the pole and the rest of her act was a blur. However, my body reacted to
her performance and I was surprised at how well toned her body was.

I’ll
remember her final move for a long time—she put her toe into the bottom of her
g-string and slipped it off. It took easily over a minute to complete the
removal, much to the men’s enjoyment.

Before
she left the stage she came over and posed in front of me. I thought she wanted
her top back and I went to hand it to her, but she shook her head and once
again mouthed ‘thank you’ and dove under the curtain. I heard the applause and
added mine.

I was on
my third beer and checked my time. Two hands covered my eyes and breasts
greeted my ears. I looked up to see Maggie’s big smile. She slid her hands
around my shoulders and sat on the chair next to me.

“Thank
you for
coming
to see me dance,” she said, the smile frozen on her face.

“You
were amazing.”

“Were?”

“Okay,
you are amazing.”

The
waitress came over and Maggie shook her head. The waitress quickly turned and
left.

“Scott,
I hope you really liked my routine. But, I have to admit, I never thought you
would come. Are you okay?”

Maggie
had a white cut off T-shirt which barely covered the tops of her breasts. She
caught me looking at her top.

“You
like?”

I took a
deep breath and could feel my face flushing. I looked away for a quick second
and realized many of the men were watching us. “Maggie, you are incredible.”

“Thanks
Scott. Was that my routine, or my body, or both?”

“Everything.”

“Did my
second card do the trick to get you here, or is the redhead giving you a problem?”

I could
feel the emotions of the early evening coming back, and looked away.

She put
her hands on my knees, well actually a little above my knees, and bowed down so
we were nose to nose. I could see the tears forming in her eyes. The music had
stopped between acts and we could hear each other.

She
spoke, but the tears were rolling down her cheeks. “I know I really don’t have
a chance with you Scott, we’re from different worlds, but I want to thank you
for coming. I can tell something’s bothering you. Would you like to have coffee
when I’m done? I have one more routine to go tonight close to midnight.”

I
surprised myself and wiped her tears away. “Maggie, this isn’t fair to you.
Something did happen with Mercedes and me, and I think she’s seeing someone
else.”

“Scott,
I think you need more than a coffee. I’m willing to benefit from what happened,
regardless of where it leads. Wait for my last routine. I want to hold you
tight. I need you too.” She leaned over and kissed me.

I
couldn’t resist her and enjoyed her kiss.

“Maggie,
I’m sorry but I do have something to do around midnight. If I didn’t I could
really go for holding you tonight.”

She
studied me and was doing a mind read on my brain. “That’s one of the nicest
things anyone has said to me recently. Thank you, and thank you for coming
tonight. I’m sorry you’re concerned about Mercedes, but I’m glad you came.
You’re a special man Scott…and I would like to be part of your life, in any way
I can. You have my number, and you know where I work.” She rocked slightly and
her tears flowed again.

She got
up quickly and bent and hugged me, and her fragrance was as intoxicating as her
routine. She reached for her discarded top, and left quickly without saying
another word.

Now I
was even madder. The last thing I wanted to do was to upset her. I thought she
was just being a tease, but now I knew differently.
What the hell am I going
to do about it?

Chapter
10

It was
close to midnight on a holiday night. The money drop should have been done two
hours ago. He parked on an adjacent street to walk to the Dudley Street
station. Of all the places in Boston to pick, this might not be the best
choice, especially carrying money. However, it is what it is.

Chris
came around the front of the station and tried to casually check who might be
around. He saw no signs of any activity that might give him a reason not to
pick up the money. He darted inside the station entrance. The light from the
lamp pole outside was sufficient to light up the small waiting area.

He
jumped up on the metal bench and reached over the familiar sign. The bag wasn’t
there. His immediate reaction was that someone had seen the drop and had taken
the bag of money. He felt around the area, still nothing. He moved down the
bench and felt the other side, his hand touched on a paper bag. He looked
around one last time and pulled the bag out.

He
wanted to get out of this area as soon as his feet would accommodate. He
stuffed the small bag under his dark sweatshirt and headed out of the station.
There were three men in dark clothes crossing the previously deserted Tremont Street. He didn’t like the looks of the men or their focus on him. He turned and
headed around the building to his parked car.

He could
hear the beat of feet hitting the sidewalk and without turning, started to run.
He considered throwing the bag of money over his shoulder, but that was
something that he wasn’t quite willing to do. He could see his car parked on Columbus Ave, but he would have to cross the street. He heard the whoop of a police car, but
didn’t turn to see what it was doing.

He
unlocked his door and threw the bag on the passenger side floor. He started the
car and pulled out onto the road and noticed the police talking to the three
men across on the adjacent corner. One of the men was pointing at him. He
headed up Columbus Ave, but really wanted to be headed in the opposite
direction to Dr. Adler’s house in Chestnut Hill.

He could
hear sirens in the distance behind him and turned off Columbus, but didn’t know
what street he was on. He knew he was headed west, which was the right
direction. The neighborhood was not well lit and the street narrow since there
were cars parked on both sides. It was definitely not the place to stop or
break down. He noticed the blue lights flashing off the buildings around him
and in the rear view mirror saw the cruiser continue on Columbus.

His
heart was pumping and he wondered if he should select a different location for
a money drop next time, even though this could be his last request for money.

He was
coming up to a stop sign and slowed. Four men jumped out from both sides of the
street from between parked cars. They were intent on his car and now waiting
for him to stop. He wasn’t going to take the chance and gunned the car almost
hitting two of the men. They immediately starting running and he thought they
might be headed to their own vehicle.

He had
wanted to turn at that intersection, but now he was in a similar neighborhood.
A car was pulling out onto the narrow street ahead of him and he saw headlights
in his rear view mirror. He gunned the car again and almost hit the front
fender of the car as he passed. The car stopped dead in the road, the driver probably
in shock. The other car’s headlights were behind it now.

*.*.*

Fifteen
long minutes later he was parked around the corner from Dr. Adler’s house. Most
of these homes had garages and long driveways, so parking was easy. However his
car was noticeable along the deserted street.

He
opened the bag and felt the hundred dollar bills. He closed the bag and pushed
it under the passenger seat. There was no one on the street, which was not a
surprise since it was after midnight. He turned the interior light switch off
and opened the car door. Two minutes later he was at the good doctor’s house,
but the lights were all off.

Chris
knew the layout of the house having been there once before. He thought about
using his key, but decided to go around the back of the house to be sure there
were no lights on in the rear. He took his time making sure not to hit
anything. When he came around the back of the house he noticed a glow on the
grass. He silently headed to the light source.

It was
coming from two basement windows. He checked the rest of the house out and
there was only a light coming from an upstairs room. He went over to the
closest basement window and peered in. The light was coming from a small lamp
on a nightstand. Then he saw a nude figure on a bed.

It was
Alexis, and she was naked and tied to the bed posts. Her ankles were being held
by ropes. There were ropes also at the head posts. Although the window was
covered in dust he could make out her features. Her long red hair was spread
out covering the pillow and the top of the sheet above her head. She had her
eyes closed and looked like she was in pain.

He tried
to see if there was anyone else in the room, but he couldn’t see that far
beyond the foot of the bed. Her body glistened in the faint light of the room.
She was covered with sweat, but she looked as stunning as she did last night.
He saw her body move suddenly and then saw what had hit her.

It gave
the impression of a dozen separate shoelaces all attached to a single cord. Oh
my God, she was being whipped. The separate strands moved down across her naked
body. Then they quickly came down across her flesh again. He thought he heard
her scream, but couldn’t be sure.

He moved
to the other window and looked down into the room. This time he was near the head
of the bed and could see another person’s leg near the foot of the bed. He
strained against the far side of the window and saw the good doctor. Doctor
Adler was naked as she was and was obviously enjoying what he was doing.

He
looked back at Alexis and realized her hands weren’t tied, but were holding
onto the ropes. She was free to let go and stop this at any time. The lashes
crashed against her body, but it looked like she was either trying to move
away, or trying to reach the tendrils.

He lost
count of the number of lashes, but even with the dirt covered window he could
see the red marks on her pure white body. He was very excited and remembered
watching her shower the night before. He wondered if they had been doing this
or similar things for the hours since they left the care facility.

He
thought about his next actions.
If I entered the house and went downstairs
and confronted them, would they include me in their fun? If I just watched them
could I learn more about what motivates Alexis? He remembered her comment to
him about keeping his visits between them, and doing what she says next time.
Could he now turn the tables on her, and have her do what he says?

The doctor’s
sudden move brought him back to reality. He climbed on the bed and was soon soothing
the parts of her body that he had whipped. A minute or so later she was
writhing on the bed with her hair flashing from one side to the other.

He heard
her yell out as she dug her nails into the doctor’s butt. He thought he could
make out her tongue wetting her lips. He could only imagine what was on
her
agenda. Her head rolled towards the window, her eyes opened and she smiled.

What
magic did the doctor have to get someone so young and beautiful to give herself
this way? He was going to find out.

The
window was now fogged, but he didn’t care, he had seen enough.
He had also discovered
another way to make some money.