Marcus
"Ready to play detective?" Jacqueline says to me as I pull my black Mercedes into a spot at the corner of the street.
"I’d rather play good cop bad cop with you," I say slowly, my voice lowering naturally because, yeah, you know why. Can you blame me for what’s on my mind when I’m around her for being nothing but a walk fucking hard on?
"Maybe later," Jacqueline says with a wink. "But I get to be the bad cop."
That’s what I love about Jacqueline. She’s always up for anything and full of surprises. It’s not easy to find a woman who can keep up with me sexually but Jacqueline’s libido is equal to my own. It’s more than that though. What I feel for Jacqueline goes beyond the physical. I’ve been drawn to her since the moment I saw her. She’s everything I’ve ever wanted in a woman. More than that, I think she’s what I need. Or at least part of what she needs. And the fucking thought just really thrills me.
As we approach Prescott Towers, Emma’s apartment building, I see the concierge sitting behind the security desk she looks early twenties. "I’ve got this it’s going to be easy."
"We’ll see," Jacqueline says stepping into the building’s lobby as I hold the door for her.
Jacqueline walks straight up to the girl behind the desk. "Hi, I’m Jacqueline Dupont and this is Marcus Avery.
"Hi. Aimee," I say looking at her name tag and giving her guaranteed to make any woman swoon smile number thirty-seven.
"We’d like to ask you some questions," Jacqueline says with a congenial smile. She makes an effort to sound friendly.
"Are you cops?" Aimee asks already starting to look nervous.
"No, we're attorneys," Jacqueline says and Aimee wrinkles up her nose like she smells something bad.
"We're just fighting the good fight and trying to get justice for Emma," I say with a half-hearted little grin because, well, I know how to work just about any angle. I angle my body at hurt and offer her this little question in my best professional-yet-implying filthiness-voice. "Why don't you help us."
"Are you from the DA’s office because I already to somebody there," Aimee says folding her arms, but I see her looking sideways at me, trying to figure out how she feels about me laying on some charm.
"No, Aimee, we’re defense attorneys," I say leaning on the security station. "I'm sure this case must be close to your heart. Emma was young, smart, and beautiful. Just like you. I’m sure you want to see the right person punished for what they did to her."
She blushes and looks down.
"I guess I could help you," Aimee says looking at me and emphasizing the word you.
"I think I left some phone in the car," Jacqueline says, and exists smoothly because she and I are a good team. Jacqueline has to know that, no matter how I used to be, the only person I truly have eyes (or cock) for is her.
"So," I say leaning in to look Aimee in the eye. "Did you know Emma?"
"Only a little. We talked sometimes when she came in, she was nice," Aimee sounds genuinely sad.
"Did you ever see her with her boyfriend," I ask gently.
She smiles. "You mean Damian Cain? Everyone saw them together. Emma was always talking about them and they were always all over each other. You couldn't miss them if you tried."
"I see did you ever see them fight?" I ask in the same hushed voice that makes this all feel private enough that Aimee, likely a little shaken, will still open up to me.
"Those two," she says and her voice raises a little and she starts talking faster. "They couldn't unlock lips long enough to fight. I can't believe he killed her." Her smile fades.
"Nobody knows who killed her yet," I interject. I lean further over the desk and look at the security TV screens. "We have some footage of the night Emma was killed. Footage of the lobby," I say.
As I speak I notice that she starts to shift from foot to foot.
I continue, "And there's an irregularity."
Aimee swallows. "An irregularity?"
"Yes." I pause. If you’re silent long enough most people will start talking, even if it’s not in their best interest. People hate silence. It creeps up around them, and for a few seconds escaping that silence will make them say things they would have otherwise kept secret.
"Look," Aimee says taking a deep breath.
That didn’t take long at all.
"I don’t want to get anyone in trouble and I don't want to lose my job." She puts her hands up.
I take one of her hand. "You won't lose your job. I promise." I do mean that. I’m not going to let her lose a job, which she probably needs damned bad, because she helped me.
"There's a guy that comes in sometimes at night late. He doesn't want to be seen on camera and he pays to have security pause and unpause the camera for him."
Oh, hell yeah, this is what I need to hear. "What's his name?"
"I don't know, "she says.” I swear I've never seen him. That's not normally my shift I covered it once so they explained the deal to me, the night shift guy did I mean, but the guy never showed."
"What's the night shift guy’s name?" I press.
She bites her lip and looks up at me.
"Aimee." I say “This could save someone’s life. I need to talk to who ever saw this guy."
"You promise you won't say I told you."
"It will be our secret, Aimee. I promise this conversation never happened."
"Okay…his name is Harry. He works the 7pm to 3am shift. I covered for him once and he told me this guy was important. When he comes in you turn off the camera until he’s in the elevator and when he leaves you turn it off until he’s out of the building. He gives Harry five hundred dollars a week to do it. He told me we would split the money with me but like I said the guy never showed up."
"How were you supposed to recognize him?" I ask calm and cool but Aimee doesn’t know she’s changing my life right now. I can’t wait to tell Jacqueline.
"He calls on a burner phone he gave Harry."
"Sounds like this guy comes around pretty regularly."
"At least once a week, I gather from what Harry told me. He said he made an extra two grand a month. I know that's probably not a lot of money to somebody like you but Harry has three kids. He won't lose his job will he?"
"No he won't, and neither will you."
"Do you think this guy could be dangerous?"
"Maybe." No point in lying, this is a pretty shady thing she just revealed to me and the inherent danger in it makes her willing to keep this information secret, and perhaps helps her understand that of course I’d do the same.
"So, you think he killed Emma?"
"I think he’s got something to hide and people with secrets can be dangerous, Aimee. So I need you promise me you won't tell anyone about this conversation."
"I promise," she says, looking into my eyes, "my lips are sealed."
"Thanks Aimee." I shoot her a smile. "You've really helped." I slip her a fifty for her trouble and leave.
I get back to the car and before I can even shut the door Jacqueline’s pumping me for information.
"We have to talk to Harry," I say, adrenaline focus keeping me from explaining myself right away.
"And who might Harry be?" Jacqueline asks, pulling me back to reality.
"Harry is the guy who turns off the camera for 500 bucks a week." I explain and watch for the intended reaction.
"What?" Jacqueline eyes go wide.
Yeah.
I knew my girl would get excited at this lead. She loves the thrill of putting the puzzle together as much as I do. Maybe we should have been private detectives…but I’m not sure that high powered lawyers isn’t the perfect fit.
"Well," I say, "My new friend Aimee informed me that there's a guy who pays the night attendant 500 a week to turn off the camera's when he enters and exits the buildings. He calls the desk beforehand on a burner phone."
"So I'm guessing this guy has a wife…and a girlfriend." Jacqueline says.
"Or he's high profile, real high profile," I counter.
"It's a possibility, but wouldn't your little friend have recognized him?"
"She hasn't seen him," I explain. "But Harry has."
"So I guess we wait to talk to Harry." Jacqueline says, "But in the meantime, Jason needs to know about this." She’s right.