This Girl Who Was A Ghost, page 18
part #2 of Near Future Series
“The shrink was a he, smart-ass, and it was for a story.”
“If you say so.”
Maria stared at her with a curled lip and clenched teeth. “Anyway, it wouldn’t hurt to ask his opinion on the whole mask thing. He was a bit of a publicity hound, but what he said made sense.”
“So what’s next?”
Maria looked Sammy over. “You have anything nice to wear?”
“Why? You going to take me to a fancy restaurant?”
“We’re going to a certain strip club tonight as customers.”
“The Pleasure Palace?”
Maria nodded. “We’ll keep our ears open and ask a few innocent questions.”
“Why don’t you just ask Cindy? She’d know who to ask.”
“The biggest buzz is always the next night, and we want to be there to hear it. We can ask Cindy anytime. Who knows? We might just get lucky.”
“I wouldn’t bet on it.”
Maria tilted her head toward Sixth. “Come on. We have to get ready for the big night.”
“They won’t let me in the front. I look too young.”
“We’ll have to fix you up, then. I have a couple of wigs. I’ll see if I can get one to fit you.”
They crossed Sixth. “I have a wig.”
“Aren’t you full of surprises.”
“I did it for a bet and made money,” Sammy said. “When are you going to give me mine?”
“You don’t trust me?”
“I’d trust you a lot more if you paid.”
“Tomorrow?”
“Fine.”
Cass rolled quietly behind them.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
________________________________________
Sammy slogged in her platform shoes to the end of the line for the Pleasure Palace. They had roped everyone off like herding cattle. She pushed up the stuffed bra.
Maria tugged on her blonde wig, which seemed to ride too high. “You look like you’re walking to your execution.”
“Feel like it.”
“We’re going to have fun.”
“I’m guessing you’ve never been here.”
Maria looked over the place. “I’m sure it’ll be an interesting experience.”
Sammy would die if Johnny spotted her. She could imagine him laughing his ass off with his guerrilla friends joining in. He’d probably take the bra to check for weapons.
“Don’t you think you went a little too big on that bra?”
“The bigger the better in skin joints.”
“Do you plan on getting up on stage?”
“Yeah, it’ll be like a magic trick to see how much shit I can pull out of this thing.”
Maria bent over, laughing.
Sammy feared Maria’s wig would fly off and try to mate with Johnny’s toupee.
“Like those tricks with the endless scarves,” Maria said, holding onto Sammy.
“More like endless stuffed toys.”
Maria straightened, taking in deep breaths. “See, we’re having fun already.”
The line moved pretty quickly, surprising since nobody left. The next ten or so ahead of them had to stand by a panel to check for weapons. One lady had to take her shoes off because the heels looked suspicious.
“Hope that thing doesn’t check for stuffing.”
“I’m sure you’re safe.”
Johnny strolled out, looking like the mayor ready for a ribbon-cutting ceremony. There was about a five-foot space between the panel people and them, so they were out in the open. Sammy lowered her head, not sure if she should run off.
“Ladies, this way,” Johnny said, waving them forward.
Maria nudged her. “That’s us, Sam.”
Sammy trailed behind Maria, figuring it’d draw more attention if she ran.
The doors opened and Johnny strutted through. He turned around a few feet in. “Welcome to my place. I’m Johnny.”
“I’m Maria and this is Sa—”
“Sasha.”
“Sasha,” he said, rocking on his heels.
Sammy kept her head down, waiting for him to burst out laughing and call her a gnome.
“Pretty name for a pretty girl.”
Didn’t expect that. “Thank you.”
“Thank you for gracing my establishment.” He waved at somebody.
“Yeah, Johnny?”
“Be a doll and get them whatever they want,” he said. “And if you ladies need anything, just ask for Johnny.”
Maria thanked him. Sammy felt as if she was waiting for the punch line that never came.
The hostess pulled out her tablet, looking up at them. Sammy had seen her before, but never got her name. “So what will you have?”
Maria ordered a red wine, and Sammy didn’t want anything.
“You can have anything you want. It’s on the house.” The hostess leaned in. “This doesn’t happen very often.”
“Okay, I’ll get pineapple juice.”
The hostess leaned in as if she didn’t hear. “You want pineapple juice?”
“Wait. Is he going to know?”
“You want him to know?”
Sammy waved her hand as if she was erasing what she’d just said. “No, forget it.”
Maria tapped the hostess’s arm. “Get her a wine spritzer.”
The hostess jotted it down and dashed off.
Maria gazed back from the hostess to Sammy. “What are you so jittery about?”
“Johnny.”
“You afraid he’ll sweep you off your feet?”
“Don’t even joke about that.”
“You should be flattered.”
“Feel like I got the hives.”
Maria chuckled. “Cass did a great job on you.”
“I don’t know which is worse: that bot touching my face, or Johnny coming on to me.”
“He’s not so bad. Could get a better hair weave.”
“Yeah, to go with a better personality.”
“You know him?”
“He’s either mesmerized by the phony boobs, or he’s got something planned. Probably will have a couple of his goons hold me down and yank off my bra, spilling out the stuffing like a struck piñata. They’ll all have a good laugh at that.”
Maria grinned. “You have a good visual imagination. You might want to think of going into video editing.”
“What are you, my guidance counselor?”
The hostess brought them their drinks. Sammy’s tasted like fizzy turpentine.
“How is it?”
“Don’t know how you drink this shit.”
Maria fished out three small discs that looked like chocolate candy with sprinkles on one side. “Here. You do one side of the room, and I’ll do the other.”
Sammy held them in her palm. “What are they?”
“The bugs I talked about earlier.”
“I thought that was your own little project.”
“There’s two of us.” Maria took a sip from the wine. “Just press the back against any flat surface, and it’ll stick. Choose spots with a lot of people.”
Sammy looked at her side for possible spots. All she had were large tables of guys drooling at the big-boobed dancer. What was she supposed to do? Drop in on one of those tables and plant a bug on some guy’s forehead?
Maria was at the bar.
Sure, she had it easy. Sammy had a mind to toss them and say they didn’t work. She walked up behind a table with seven guys and stuck the bug on the back of the middle chair. “Good enough.”
Maria came down along her side and mouthed, “Under the tables.”
Sammy rolled her eyes. The next big table had eight, but at least there were two women, and one of them had a thick diamond-studded necklace. Arnie would hand her the keys to the place if she showed up with that thing. Sammy leaned over the table and planted the bug underneath. “I love your necklace.”
The lady’s eyes lit up, and she pawed at the diamond links. “Thanks, hon. It was a gift from Salvatore.” She grabbed the arm of the middle-aged bald guy sitting next to her.
Salvatore looked like a guy who spent most nights dropping bodies into the harbor, and the only time he smiled was when the bubbles stopped coming up. He looked Sammy over without moving his head.
Sammy waved. “Enjoy the show.”
There was one table of six guys, all in their twenties.
Maria left a table of guys all imploring her to come back. She held up two fingers. Did that mean two more to go?
Sammy hobbled down to the table as if she had a pebble stuck in her shoe. “Do you mind?” Sammy asked, placing the wine spritzer on the table. “Got something stuck in my shoe.” She planted the bug under the table while shaking her shoe loose.
“Get up, Glen, and give the girl a seat.”
“You get up.”
The guy at the end pushed away from the table. “You can sit on my lap.” The guy looked as if he had a hard-on.
Sammy picked up her drink. “I think your lap is doing fine without me.”
“Oh, shit, Dougie,” one guy shouted. They all laughed.
Maria sat at a VIP table.
Sammy didn’t plan on barging in. She could always hide in the ladies’ room and wait for this nightmare to end.
Out from the restrooms strutted Golden Boy in golden splendor like the first night they met. He was headed toward the small section of VIP tables to the right of Sammy, three tables total. He stopped for one of the gorillas to open the rope. He turned slowly, facing Sammy. “Sugar?”
Sammy gave him a little wave. “Hi, how are you?”
“Better now that you’re here,” he said, flicking his hand to the chair next to him. “Come here and tell me all about your trip.”
Did Cindy tell him she went on a trip?
He pushed the seat back for her. “So how was the beach?”
Sammy sat so she wouldn’t be blocking the table behind them. “What are you talking about?”
“Was she lying or are you lying? We’ll get a bottle and spin it, and if it points to you then you’re lying, and if it points the other way, she’s lying. If it points to me, then I’m just dying.” He laughed, pounding the table.
“How many of those psychedelics have you had?”
He grinned and sipped his wine. “It’s okay. You can tell her all is forgiven.”
Sammy put down the glass. Was he talking about Tatiana? He must’ve been the only one in the city who didn’t know she was dead.
“I know what this is.” He gazed at her over the wineglass. “This is a heist. What are you going to steal?”
Sammy shook her head. Maria was still sitting at the other VIP section across the room.
“Diamonds. Say diamonds.”
“Yeah, there’s a diamond mine underneath this place. I’m going to steal that.”
“Diamond mines aren’t any good. They’re just rocks. You want the cut and polished kind.”
“Now you tell me.”
“Sugar, when you want to know value, you come talk to me.” He sipped his wine and peered out over the room. “Tell her she can have her old job back, but I might not be as generous.”
Should she tell him that Tatiana was dead?
“I’m on my third driver now, someone by the name of Dmitri. One’s duller than the next.”
“You can forget about Tatiana driving.”
“What did she say?”
“Sayonara.”
“She went to Japan?”
“Someplace a lot hotter and with pitchforks.”
“She went back to her childhood home?”
“That would explain a lot.”
A blonde girl with big boobs bounced over to the table. “Buy me drink, Bernie?” She had a heavy Russian accent.
“Sure, scrumptious, grab a seat.”
The rope parted and the girl sat on the seat as though she were going to take a dump. “Who’s your friend?”
“Scrumptious, this is Sugar.”
“Where do you work?”
Bernie laughed. “She does private work.”
“Does it pay good?”
Sammy spotted Johnny smiling her way. “If you can get your money.”
Janine stopped by. “Want another red, Bernie?”
He drained the glass. “You know I do.”
“Janine, make mine stronger.”
“You have another show, you know.”
Scrumptious pouted.
Janine sighed, jotting something down. “The psychedelics are very popular around here. Johnny insisted I say that.”
Scrumptious stared at Sammy. “Johnny like her?”
“What do you think?” Janine asked.
Bernie had a coy grin. “Oh, a secret admirer.”
Sammy sighed. “Not so secret.”
“Secret admirers are the best.”
Maria came up behind Janine. “Can anyone crash this party?”
“I love to crash parties,” Bernie said. “I once even crashed my own party.”
“How do you crash your own party?” Sammy asked.
“I locked myself out and had to crash through the window.” Bernie laughed and pounded the table.
Janine seemed antsy, turning back and seeing Johnny. “Please, take a psychedelic, just one.”
Sammy looked to Maria. “You want to try one?”
“I have to drive, but I’ll take a red wine.”
Bernie waved Maria over. “Girl, you sit next to me. Forget the glasses, Janine. Bring a bottle of your best Cabernet Sauvignon.”
Janine nodded and turned to Sammy. “You’ll take a psychedelic?”
“Can I save it for tomorrow?”
“You can crush it up and dance under it for all I care.”
Sammy shrugged. “I guess.”
She mouthed, “Thank you.”
Scrumptious shifted over to the last chair, and Maria sat next to Bernie.
Bernie moved his chair closer to Maria. “Girl, whatever you’re making, I’ll double it.”
Maria looked over at Sammy. “What did you tell him about me?”
“He wants you to be his driver.”
“Chauffeur?”
“Chauffeur sounds like a guy with a black suit, white shirt, and cap. I have one of those already named Dmitri.” He leaned into Maria. “Boring.”
“Well, it’s very generous—”
“Anyone who likes to party crash has to be exciting. I should ask how much you’re making. I have a trust fund to consider.”
“She does drive fast,” Sammy said. “Good for getaways.”
Bernie beamed. “Screw the trust fund. You’re hired.” He searched the room. “Where is she with that wine? We have to celebrate.”
Sammy tapped Bernie’s arm. “I think you should insist she wear the cap.”
Maria glared at Sammy.
“No, a veil. They’re so mysterious.”
“Tough to drive with a veil,” Maria said.
Bernie spread his fingers into a V and ran them over his eyes. “Cover everything but the eyes.”
“She does have mysterious eyes.”
Bernie squeezed Sammy’s arm. “Doesn’t she?”
“You having fun?” Maria asked.
Sammy nodded. “Ever since you crashed the party.”
The ropes parted for Janine. She gave Scrumptious her drink and Sammy a small silver tray with the pill centered on a napkin.
“We’re celebrating, Janine. I have a new driver.”
“A veiled, mysterious driver,” Sammy said.
Maria shifted in her seat. “Do I have a say in this?”
Bernie tapped Maria’s arm. “You can pick the veil you want. I’d suggest a dark lace.”
Scrumptious sucked on her straw. “This is same as before.”
“Johnny’s watching this table, Valentina,” Janine said, pouring the wine.
“Forgot princess was here.”
Bernie turned toward Sammy. “I never did finish that ‘save the princess’ story.”
“You keep working on it, Bernie.”
Bernie nodded, seemingly lost in his thoughts.
Janine left the bottle and stepped past the parted ropes.
Maria took a sip from the wine. “So you’re Valentina the Russian dancer?”
“You see show?”
“I caught some of it. At another table someone mentioned that you knew the girl who was killed.”
Valentina sucked on her straw. “She was friend.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“Tragedy.” Bernie took a sip of his wine.
“She come for job. Johnny say she spy for Xanadu. Because she is Russian, she is spy?”
Maria glanced behind her. “He must be paranoid.”
“Don’t know what he is.” Valentina stirred the drink with her straw. She smiled, gazing at Sammy. “Lovestruck for princess, yes?”
Sammy looked down at the lone pill on the tray, wishing there were more.
Bernie spun in his chair toward Sammy. “You come by tomorrow, Sugar, and we’ll hash out that princess story in no time.”
“I’m hoping the psychedelic will purge tonight from memory.”
“Don’t say that, Sugar, tonight is one of the best nights I’ve had in a long time.” Bernie put down the glass, gazing at Valentina. “Sorry, Scrumptious.”
Valentina ran her finger around the rim of the glass. “You did not know her.”
Maria leaned in. “Did you spend much time with her last night?”
Valentina shook her head. “She tried for private party.”
“Did she get one?”
“It makes no difference now.”
“But it might help to find out who killed her.”
“Everyone says Russians, so it must be Russians.”
“But you know differently.”
Valentina nodded, looking behind her. “Albanians.”
“Any Albanians in particular?”
“If you know Albanians, you know who I mean. Walls have ears.”
“Some tables too,” Sammy said.
Valentina nodded. “Ears everywhere.”
Maria pulled her phone from her purse. “Can you write it down?” Maria offered her a stylus.
“If I write down, you erase.”
“I’ll just look at it, then erase it. Won’t say a word.”
Valentina took the stylus and jotted it down.
“Is that a first name or a last?”
“It is only name needed.”
“It’s a holdover from his earlier musical career,” Sammy said.
