Chapter 3 : A Strange Exchange
Chapter 3: A Strange Exchange
Jack
I pursed my lips appreciatively as I settled into the thick leather rolling chair behind my new desk. The small, but comfortable room was filled with new smells from fresh paint to the wooden furniture.
I knew several of my buddies at the station would kill to have an office like this, but honestly, I would’ve been just as appreciative if they had stuffed me in one of the storage closets. I was just glad to be alone instead of being in the middle of the chaos.
I sighed and started to thumb through a file that had just been dropped off at my desk. Frowning down at the documents, I scanned the headshot of the young blonde ballerina who was murdered in the city six months ago.
I didn’t even look up at the low whistle, easily recognizing the footsteps of my friend and partner, Theo Radley. “Already regretting the life of a homicide detective? Weren’t you essentially sucking ass to get this promotion?”
I ignored the jest and leveled him with a look. He put his hands up in surrender, chuckling as he rounded my desk to look over my shoulder at the picture of Abigail Fendley. He shook his head, his blue eyes darkening slightly.
“They originally closed this case because there was no new evidence.”
That made my head snap up. I waited, knowing Theo would explain further.
He smirked at me, waiting as well.
I rolled my eyes.
“Just spit it out, Theo.”
He frustrated me, but it was unfortunately undeniable that we made a good team partially due to our contrasting personalities. He often criticized me for being too serious, and I him for not being serious enough. I also had to admit that he was reliable when it counted, and that’s what mattered.
That didn’t mean that I would restrain from throttling him.
Theo’s eyes were thoroughly amused by my frustration, but he nodded once. “We were reluctant to reopen the case, but the woman’s family has been pressuring the precinct and they’re close friends with the mayor.” He shrugged and chuckled.
“In other words: it’s our problem again.”
I gave the photo of Abigail Fendley another once over, instantly remembering the girl’s red-headed roommate. I winced, the memory of escorting Mia Grimaldi back to the crime scene still painfully fresh. I pressed my lips together tightly when her glossy blue-gray eyes filled my mind. They were red-rimmed the last time I saw her, but still deep and vulnerable.
“Any new leads?”
Theo just shook his head before sweeping some stray strands of dark blond hair off his forehead. “Nope.”
I raised an eyebrow patiently. “Have there been any further interviews with the roommate following the initial one?” I tried not to think about how lost and broken Mia had looked when she emerged from that interview with Officer Williams.
Theo just shrugged, and I resisted the urge to throttle him again. I sighed and pulled out a much thinner file, skimming through Mia Grimaldi’s documents quickly.
I could feel Theo looking over my shoulder and he whistled low. “Principle soloist at the NYC Ballet?”
I hummed in an uninterested kind of way, but couldn’t help but find the occupation well-suited to the young woman I had met months ago, though it felt like just days.
I was already regretting this night as I followed a few of my fellow officers toward a well-lit and prominently marked doorway. I grimaced, feeling silly in my tight black button-up and the shiny gray mask that was covered in a gold vine pattern.
Theo threw an elbow into my ribs, causing me to give him a dirty look that probably didn’t look very threatening surrounded by gold vines. He rolled his eyes. “You gotta let loose, man. This is a bachelor party. Try not to look like you’re still at work.”
It was my turn to roll my eyes. Somehow, Theo didn’t look as silly as I would’ve liked him to look in his gray button-up and dark red vest, and matching red mask. He kind of looked like one of those cartoon devils. His metal mask even had tiny points on the corners.
Theo and I watched as Austin spoke to the bouncer at the door, likely mentioning it was his bachelor party. Austin was one of the quieter guys at the precinct, but get him just a little tipsy and he suddenly couldn’t be controlled.
I watched in disbelief as the normally reserved man clapped the large bouncer on the back, and shook my head when the guy unclipped one end of the red velvet rope, letting the dozen of us in.
I squinted as we passed through the glass double doors and into the club, allowing my eyes to adjust to the flashing multicolored lights. Bass-heavy music was thrumming through the space.
It was “Masquerade” night, evident by the big golden sign outside the door and the men and women milling about inside who all had intricate masks on. Austin could have made that a little more clear when he said that he was dragging us to Staten Island for the night and shoved our assigned outfits at us.
He suddenly appeared and threw an arm around my shoulders. “C’mon, Jack! This night isn’t just about me. We never celebrated your promotion!” He started to pull me deeper into the club, the others hooting and hollering behind us.
I chuckled. “Austin, you’re getting married! Tonight should be all about you, my man!”
Austin frowned at me through his purple mask. “You’re way too tense,” he noted. Then a mischievous grin spread out across his face, giving me a very bad feeling. “What old Jacky needs is a lap dance in a private room!” he yelled loudly enough for the rest of the guys to hear and they began to cheer.
I grinned pleasantly at him, chuckling darkly. “What’re you doing, buddy?” I asked through my teeth. He knew damn well I wouldn’t be interested in that sort of thing.
He just shrugged with an annoying little grin of his own. “Do it for me. You need to let loose!”
Theo suddenly appeared on my other side, giving me a punch in the arm. “That’s exactly what I told him earlier,” he agreed, giving me a devious look.
I punched Theo back, just a bit harder than he had me, and then raised an eyebrow at Austin. “I thought this was also about my promotion. Why am I doing this for you?”
“It’s still my bachelor party,” he said in a whiny voice, which I knew was used just to irk me. He looked past me at a girl clad in nothing but a tight, ruffly silver corset.
Austin reached into the pocket of his purple pants and threw a handful of cash at the girl, who gave him a shocked look through her silver mask before bending to pick up the bills.
He smirked down at her when she stood and held the money out to him. “Take my buddy here to a private room and give him your best lap dance.”
I felt my fists clench at my sides when the girl looked at me and shrunk back slightly. Austin was taking things too far, but I didn’t want to hurt her feelings, so I followed her as my so-called buddies cheered behind us.
“This way,” the girl said in a soft voice as we disappeared down a hallway. She opened a nondescript black door and gestured for me to enter before following me. She shut the door and hesitated a moment before locking it.
“Look,” I said, growing uncomfortable as I looked around the small space. The room was red and black, with a padded bench in the center. “I’m sorry about my buddies back there. I’ll pay you for your time, but I really have no interest in a lap dance.”
I looked up when the woman didn’t answer. She was leaning against the wall by the door and I realized her body screamed relief. She looked awkward and swallowed hard. “Is there anything else I can do for you?”
I smiled gently at her, trying to reassure her, but then felt a heavy weight go through my body and I lowered myself onto the nearby bench. I couldn’t get the case out of my head.
The woman sat down in a chair across from me and we sat in silence for a moment. “Are you alright?” she finally asked.
I pressed my lips together. “I’m fine, it’s just work stuff. I don’t want to bore you with the details.”
“I’m a good listener,” she said after a beat.
I chuckled, but relented, thinking that it might calm her down. “I just got promoted and I’m having issues with a case I was put on.”
“What kind of issues?”
I sighed, my hand going to my hair again. “I’m not allowed to go into detail, but I will say that the whole thing’s really weighing on me. I suppose I feel more pressure to crack this one specifically.”
The woman nodded, seeming to understand exactly what I meant, even though she would have no way of doing so. “More than any other case you’ve had?”
I grinned tiredly. “Yes.”
I tried to discreetly give her a look up and down. The mask I was wearing made that easier. She was stunning, the bedazzled corset accentuating the shape of her full body nicely. She had been so withdrawn when we first got to the room, but she held her head high now, confident and still somehow exerting a sweet vulnerability as well.
I jumped when I saw the corner of her smooth pink lips tilted up in a clear smirk.
She leaned forward, her tone teasing. “Perhaps you are interested in a lap dance after all?”
Maybe the mask wasn’t hiding my wandering eyes. Hopefully, it hid the heat that was now creeping into my face. I coughed and smirked back.
“Has it always been your dream to be an exotic dancer? You’ll have to tell me all about it. With all my issues at work, perhaps it’s time I look into a career change.”
She giggled and I felt my grin widen.
“Ahh yes, it’s been my dream ever since I was a little girl.” She sighed and then her mouth tightened slightly. “I do love dancing, so I suppose I should be grateful.”
I sensed some complicated layers behind that sentence but decided not to press the poor girl. “I’m sure you’re a very gifted dancer.”
Her head snapped in my direction, and I cursed the dim lighting in the room, wishing I could see the color of her eyes. I could tell they were large, and I would guess, quite expressive as well.
“How would you know if I’m a good dancer or not?” Her tone was still teasing. She tucked a strand of her thick purple wig behind her ear.
I swallowed, feeling my face heat again. “I have an eye for these sorts of things.” That was a blatant lie of course, but I could also easily see the young woman in front of me being an excellent dancer with her shapely legs.
“Hmm? That so?” The dancer hummed, leaning forward again, perching right on the edge of her chair. I leaned forward as well, wanting to close the space between us.
We jumped apart when a firm knock sounded on the door.
The woman stood up. “Time’s up,” she said, and I thought she sounded just as regretful as I felt.
I stood too, panic filling me once I realized I was out of time with this woman. I felt a strange connection to her. “What’s your name?”
She frowned and shook her head. “They call me Sapphire here. I’m sorry, I’m not allowed to tell you my real name. I’m sure you understand.”
I nodded, trying not to let my disappointment show. “Of course.” Without looking, I pulled out my wallet and emptied it, handing her a wad of bills.
Her mouth dropped open and she pushed my hands away. “No, I can’t accept this. Your friend already paid me.”
I took her hand gently and pressed the bills into her palm, closing her fingers around them. “Please take care of yourself,” I requested. Then, I chuckled lightly. “And thank you for listening to me complain about work. That was really worth way more than any lap dance.” I turned to go.
“What’s your case about?” she blurted once my back was turned.
I thought about refusing to answer, but I found myself saying, “A murdered ballerina.”
I watched as she stiffened and hugged herself. I could feel my eyebrows furrowing with concern and confusion. She nodded and thanked me, opening the door for me and ushering me out.
I wished her well before stepping out of the room. She shut the door quickly behind me. I stared at the door for a moment, wondering what to make of the strange exchange, before turning to go.