Marcus
I pull up to the Crave club and hand the valet my keys. I walk right past the bouncer and past all the princesses and players waiting in line. As the door to the club swings shut behind me I can hear the people waiting in line complain about how I just walked in, but the throbbing music of the club drowns them out. I used to be a regular and there was a time when I would've picked a princess or two for the night from among the gorgeous girls standing in line, but not tonight. Not since I’ve met Jacqueline. The girls waiting in line don’t even register for me. Jacqueline’s the only woman who matters to me anymore. I’ve never felt about another woman the way I feel about her.
I weave my way through the crowd and go straight to VIP. My table is reserved of course. I tell the manager I want Meagan as my waitress tonight. Meagan brings the bottle of Ciroc and gives me a huge smile. "Join me for a drink?" I say.
"I’m working," Meagan says and she doesn’t even try to sound like she cares about her job. I know exactly how this game is played and put a couple hundred on the table.
"I guess I can sit for one drink," she says folding the bills and tucking them neatly into her cleavage as she sits down. "I don't do dates."
"Relax." I give her one of my killer smiles. "I just want to talk."
"Sure." She says like she’s heard that line a million times and I bet she as. I’m also willing to bet I’m the only guy who meant it.
"What do you want to talk about?"
"People." I have to lean is close so she can hear over the thumping music in the club. Up close her eyes look tired and she seems older.
"Okay fine who do you want to talk about?"
"Damian Crane, do you know him?" I jump right to the chase I have no interest in spending the entire night in this place. I see a flicker of recognition in her eyes. I can also see her weighing her words before she speaks.
"I've seen him on the news. He killed his girlfriend right?"
"Maybe, maybe not."
"Did you know her?"
"Who?" Megan tries to sound innocent but she doesn’t quite succeed.
"His girlfriend," I say.
"Why would I know her?"
I put another hundred on the table. "Because you live in her building and you found her body."
"Who the hell are you?" Megan stands up, but I know if she really wanted to end the conversation she would walk away.
"I work for Damian Crane, so why don’t you sit back down, unless you’d rather spend the rest of your night with them." I point to a table of junior broker types clearly having a bachelor party. If you looked up douchebag in the dictionary these guys would be the illustration. Meagan sits back down and takes my money. She’s smart.
"Crane killed Emma, so what do you need from me?" She folds her arms across her chest, and looks at me defiantly.
"You keep saying he killed her; did you see him do it?"
"If I did, we both know I probably wouldn’t be here."
I’ve got admit she’s not wrong about that. That’s what bothers me about this. Crane is an asshole but you don’t get to be a thirty-five year old billionaire by being dumb enough to murder your girlfriend and then leave her apartment in plain sight of the security cameras. It doesn’t make sense. “So you’re guessing?"
"Are the police guessing?"
"Yes."
"Isn’t it always the boyfriend?"
"You watch too much Law & Order Megan." She actually smiles at me.
"Maybe I do but who else would kill Emma?"
"That’s what I want to know."
"Why do you think I would know?"
“For starters because not everybody tips as well as I do and you don't do dates but you live in Prescott Towers; that money has to come from somewhere Meagan."
"I have a boyfriend, so what. It's not a crime."
Her voice sounds nervous. "A boyfriend? Look Megan I’m not judging, you’re smart, you’re hot and men like that. You use it your advantage."
"You could say that."
"And Emma did the same thing."
"Yeah."
"Did you and Emma meet boyfriends at the same place?" I ask
"Not always. We had different types. I met my boyfriend here."
"Where did Emma meet her boyfriend, and I don't mean Crane?"
“I’m not sure … some bar downtown. A nice one, probably the type you’d go to."
"Oh come on Megan you can do better than that for me."
"I could say the same to you."
"What do you want Megan?"
"Do you have a girlfriend? My boyfriend’s getting a little clingy, maybe it’s time for me to upgrade."
"Sorry, babe I’m off the market." It’s true I don’t even think about women who aren’t Jacqueline anymore these days. I give her another hundred to soften the blow.
"That’s a shame," she says putting the hundred with the others. "Emma liked older guys; some of them were married. They had a thing for her or I don't know maybe she had a thing for them. She'd been seeing this one guy for a long time though. I guess it was serious, as serious as you can be about a guy with a wife and family. Anyway, then a couple months ago she met Damian. They got serious really fast."
"And did the boyfriend know about Crane?"
"I don't think so, not at first. At first I think it was just a fling or at least that's Emma thought you know Crane is player." I nod and Megan continues. "Emma said she was going to break it off with her boyfriend."
"Did she?"
"I don't know. I never got the chance to ask her."
"What's his name?"
"I don't know." I reach for my wallet and Megan stops me. "No really I don't know. She never said his name at least not to me, but I might be able to find out. I need time."
I hand her my card. "Don't take too long Meagan. I don’t have time and neither does Crane." I put another hundred on the table and leave.