Dark Handsome

He was appalled. "Why?"

"Because if you've suffered that much abuse and are still with her, there is nothing I or anyone else could do for you. Unless you can give me a good reason to help you right now, I don't want to waste my time and your money. Why now?"

In answer he held out a picture. Twins, they looked to be about ten. "This is why. Up to now she's left them alone, but yesterday she snapped at our son and hit him so hard she knocked him down. He has a bruise on his cheek. Instead of apologizing, she stood over him and told him this was just a taste unless he toed the line. My daughter was crying and she threatened her. It was the last straw."

"What do you want us to do?"

"No one, looking at our size difference, would believe me. I want you to wire my house with video and audio. I figure one week will be enough. The evidence should be enough to get her out of the house and get a restraining order. The house is in my name alone, if that makes any difference. I have to protect my children, Mr. Hansen."

I knew I was going to do it. "We'll need about three hours. That will give us enough time to install everything we need, including coverage of the garage and yard. You can't be there because you might give the camera locations away. Act normal, if you can. We'll download everything, but I have to warn you, the first time she harms one of the children we'll show up with the cops, and you may both lose custody. Do you understand, Mr. Jones?"

"You're gonna be watching?"

"No, but we will be on call in case anything happens. We will monitor it for a few minutes periodically, just to make sure it's working properly. Try not to look around for the cameras, and if she does something stupid like abuse a child, grab them and run. Call the cops and call us. You got it?"

I got Gerry, short for Geradine, to wire it up. Actually, everything was wireless and small, I just stayed outside to watch in case the woman came back and to check the quality of the cameras. They were up and running quickly, so she checked sound balance and focus before we pulled away. She was quiet for the first few miles.

"Do you believe him?"

"Yes I do. He fits the profile, someone so in love with another they will tolerate just about anything. I'm glad he drew the line at the children, or it could have been bad."

I looked over at her, the way she huddled in the seat, and something clicked. At some point in her young life (she was 23), someone had been abusive towards my cute little geek. Then I thought about her boyfriend, a patrol corporal I had introduced her to, and decided he needed to know. He was pretty sharp, so he might already know. I reached out and held her hand. She locked down on it in silence, the quiet speaking volumes. She was better when we got back to the office, grinning as she strutted off, her short skirt swishing over those great legs.

Alice smiled when I walked by her cubicle. "Some girl named Sharon called. Said you would remember her from the bar. She sounded nice. Her number is on your desk."

Alice was determined to marry me off. She says I'm too good a man to deprive some woman of a decent husband. Nothing she'd tried had stuck, but it didn't slow her down.

*****

It took me a minute before I remembered who she was. I called immediately. She sounded extremely nervous when she answered. I tried to put her at ease.

"Look, the case is over, just another unsolved homicide in the Land Of The Fruits And Nuts. I just want to make sure we didn't miss anything. It just bothers me to think a killer may walk the streets because I didn't do my job well enough. I'm just after what you know; I'm not going to judge you or your life choices. God knows I could never be the first to cast stones."

She calmed down a bit and we made arrangements to meet at a trendy little coffee house not far from the club where she worked.

I was shocked at her appearance, still picturing her in her working clothes. She had on a simple tee and really well fitting jeans. There was no makeup on her face and her hair was pulled back in a ponytail that hung halfway down her back. Her startling blue eyes looked even better in the daylight. She looked a lot younger than I first thought.

"How old are you?"

She seemed surprised at the question. "Not that it's any of your business, but I'm 23. How old are you?"

I grinned, trying to put her at ease. "Not that it's any of yours, but I'm 27."

I saw the beginnings of a small smile, but it disappeared instantly. "What do you want? I don't have any money, so there's no use to try and blackmail me. All my family has passed or disappeared, and the ones still alive could give a rat's ass what I've done."

I sighed. "Look, Sharon. I don't care. Really. Not in the least. I don't want any money. I just want you to answer a few questions, none of them about you personally, and then you'll never see me again. You understanding me?"

It was her turn to sigh. The deep breath did wonders for her tee, her chest was really impressive. She caught me looking and just grinned sadly.

"All men are pervs. Enjoying the view?"

"Absolutely. A woman of your attributes and beauty should be enjoyed and appreciated. It doesn't mean I want to jump your bones, it just means I appreciate the visual. Now, could I ask the questions I came here for?"

My honesty surprised her, and she really did grin. "Okay, ask away. Just remember, my eyes are up here."

"How well did you know Joe Morgan? How did you meet? Did you notice anything unusual, any conversation or interaction that stood out?"

She was close to tears. "I'm going to tell you the whole story. Nobody has ever heard it, and it might do me some good to get it off my chest."

She stopped, almost daring me to look down. I kept my eyes locked on hers. I'd seen plenty of breasts in my life, but never eyes that blue.

"I was like everyone else; I came to Hollywood to be a star. I studied drama in college, but had to drop out in my junior year over family issues. My mother got sick, and never got better. She just slowly declined. I was working a dead end job, so I came here, hoping to break into the business and make her life easier. I know now how innocent those expectations were. I pounded the pavement, went to casting calls. I got gigs as an extra a few times, but never any speaking roles. I was working another dead end job, just barely surviving, when the call came."

She stopped for a minute, gathering her strength. I let the silence take over, until she started to calm down. Before she started up, I asked if she'd like another drink, maybe a snack. Sugar was good for stress, I hoped. She nodded quickly, so I got her another iced drink with all kinds of flavor in it, and a really large, really decadent looking chocolate muffin. She munched on the muffin until she was halfway through before speaking again.

"Mom had passed. She didn't want anyone to tell me so I wouldn't be distracted from chasing my dream. She was at the funeral home, and the man was asking what kind of funeral she wanted. I told him her wishes, and he totaled it up. Forty three hundred dollars for the service, the cremation, and the urn. I had eighty-nine dollars in my account, and rent was due. She'd signed over her life insurance to the facility that was caring for her, and it ran out pretty quickly.

I was totally lost until I remembered the card. Joe had given it to me at the restaurant I waitressed at, telling me if I ever wanted to make real money to look him up. When I checked into him I threw the card in my dresser drawer, thinking it would be a good story later."

A small sob came out, and I silently handed her a napkin. She dabbed her eyes, and started to speak when I held up my hand.

"You can stop now. It's obviously very painful, and I don't want you reliving that again. I'll just go. Thank you for your time."

She grabbed me, holding on to my arm. "Please stay. I need to get this out."

I sat back down and she locked down on my hand, half, I suspected, to make sure I didn't leave, and half for reassurance.

"I was desperate. I had no savings; nothing I could sell that would bring in that much money. I thought about Joe. I called; he invited me to his office. To shorten the story I was hired, two films, five grand each. To seal the deal I had to give him a blowjob. I threw up three times before I got home.

I'm just thankful I don't remember the details; I think I went into shock. I have fleeting images. four guys and another girl. I did whatever I was told. We were done in two days, he gave me the first check, and I left town. It was just enough to cremate Mom and hold the memorial, plus airfare. I was home when he got murdered. No one knows what happened to the film, but so far it hasn't seen the light of day. I came back, one of the girls from the movie got me a job at the strip club, and here I am."

It had to be Honeypot. My opinion of her rose significantly. I let her breathe for a few minutes before I spoke. "Thank you. I consider this information confidential; no one will ever hear the story from me. I'm sorry for the loss of your mother, sorry for what you had to endure. I'll be going now, thank you for your time."

I was halfway across the shop when she called me back to the table.

"I remembered something! Did you guys look in his safes?"

"Yeah, we looked at the one on the wall of his office and the one in his home. There was a few grand, and that was about it."

Sharon looked confused. "I didn't mean those safes. I meant the one in the floor under his desk, and the one behind the false wall of his closet. I saw them when I went in for my interview. His assistant, Amberly, let me go back a little early and he was transferring things from one to the other. He blew up when he saw me, and I had to promise on my life to never tell anyone. I think that's why he paid me so well for a first time, to buy my silence. It doesn't matter now, does it?"

I was stunned. I bet neither the cops or Jack knew about them. I was in a dilemma. I knew if I told Jack he'd get into the safes before the cops knew about them, if they ever did. Anything incriminating to our client would be removed and destroyed. I wondered once again who our mysterious client was.

*****

In the end, I decided not to tell anyone, yet. In my line of work you meet all kinds, and I'd made friends in high and low places, so I knew who to call.

Benny was a middle aged guy, going bald, with thick glasses, and a bit of a belly, just another average looking worker drone, but in his head were skills not to be believed. There was literally no safe he couldn't get into if he had the time, except for the super safes, and I was hoping these would be fairly simple.

I laid it out to him, without going into details. The less he knew, the better it was for him. He gave up his old career for a new one that paid well and didn't involve the risk of jail time. He was the guy you called to make sure your stuff was secured. His usual mode of operation was to try to break in, then explain in detail how he'd done it and giving them counter measures to make sure no one else could.

One CEO bet him five grand he couldn't, and told him the cash would be in the safe. He came into his office three days later to see the safe hanging open and the money gone. There was a note. "Thanks for the cash. I'll put it on my bill so you can deduct it as a consulting fee. Make an appointment, and I'll set you up so you never have to worry about it again." The CEO was so impressed he gave him another five grand, and put him on retainer, doing sweeps, quarterly, to make sure everything was secure.

Despite his turn to the light, Benny was not above a challenge.

"How much trouble will we be in if we get caught?"

"A ton. I don't want anything from the safes, I just want a peek at what's in them. After that, I'll tip the cops of through a voice distorted call from a burner I'll toss. The guy that owned those safes got killed, Benny, in a very painful, very gruesome way, so I don't want to dick around with this or have it come back to me. I'll pay you going rates, do everything I can to see we don't get caught. If you think it's too hot, pass it by. I'll see if I can get Mo."

Benny laughed for the first time in the conversation. "Mo can't open a can of pork and beans, much less a supposed burgle-proof safe. I'll do it, I owe you at least that much. However, if it goes south, I'll rat you out in a minute to save my own ass."

I agreed, laughing. Benny could have given up several people when he got caught, all bigger fish, but he had his own code, and said nothing. Two of the ones he protected 'loaned' him the money to start his business when he got out. I had no fear of Benny telling, but heck, I was going to be right beside him if he got caught, so it didn't really matter.

*****

It took us almost a month from inception to execution. We weren't worried, apparently no one knew about the other safes or they would have been raided by now. I had a hard time meeting Jack's eyes a few times, and he probably picked up on it, but he had no reason to suspect why. Cases came and went. The abused husband got enough footage in a week to lock in a divorce on his terms. The wife, all five one, one hundred ten pounds of her, went berserk when she was served. She tried assaulting the server in her rage, which got her a kicked ass and charges filed. The server, a willowy blonde who looked like a teenager and popped bubble gum to distract her targets, stood over her and grinned. "Bad move, bitch; I'm not some guy blinded by love. I just wished you had put up more of a fight; I could have used the practice. I'm going to take my heel off your throat, and you're going to lie there like a good little girl, aren't you? If you get up before I get into my car, I'll consider it a threat, and I really will kick your ass. You got that? Good. Oh, have a nice day now."

I thought about it as we cased the converted warehouse. It was in a depressed area, not a lot of other businesses around, just a few buildings widely spaced that were only used on a temporary basis. No one in their right mind would store anything valuable for very long in this area. We planned it down to the last detail. We sat for several nights in one of the vans we had just for purposes like this. We timed police patrols, traffic patterns, even observed during working hours to see if there would be a better opportunity then. The place was locked down, in bankruptcy since the death of Joe and his house of cards tumbling down. There was still police tape up, but it was so old it had broken and discolored. Word had it the bank was trying to line up purchasers when the bankruptcy cleared.

In the end, we chose a Friday night, just after one. We picked the almost antique locks on the doors, and proceeded up two stories to the main office and his private lair. We didn't have to pick the lock; it opened when I tried turning the knob. We were in.

We agreed on a minimum of talking, and decided to go for the floor safe first. Rather than slide the chair, I picked it up and sat it to the side. Benny felt around the floor until he found what he was looking for, and pulled gently. A three by three portion of flooring slid out, revealing the safe. It took Benny about three minutes to open it, only to be disappointed, as it was bare. He shut the safe and pulled the flooring back into place.

The closet was a large walk in. Many of his suits were still hanging on the rods, and the dressers were full of his socks, underwear, etc. There was a locked filing cabinet, and I fooled with it while Benny looked for ways to open the false wall in the back.

I was in the file cabinet first, because it was a lot less complicated than finding a hidden wall safe. It seems Joe was old school, preferring paper to the cloud. It was files and financial records mostly. I noticed a new folder titled 'Princess' and pulled it out. Princess was the name Sharon said he gave her for her work. I rifled through it, finding the contract, the receipt for the cash payment she had been given, and a couple of nude photos. She was just as stunning naked as I thought she'd be, but she wasn't smiling in the pictures. In fact, she looked miserable. Without thinking, I shoved the file into my overalls. I was going to erase her past as much as I could, so it wouldn't be following her for the rest of her life.

Benny had found the latch for the false wall, and the safe was huge! Fully six feet high by three wide, and we had no idea how deep it was. First, Benny checked it carefully for traps, in case it was wired. It could set off an alarm, or worse, start a process that would destroy what was inside. Then he set up a small device right above the dial. Again, I thought, with all the new electronic wizardry available, why would he go with an old fashioned dial safe? He really was a dinosaur.

Benny set the dial to zero and a green light came on. He rotated it all the way to the right and nothing happened. Then he went back to zero, and went a quarter turn to the left before a blue light flashed. He quickly went back to zero, going in the opposite direction. It took him all of three minutes before the tell-tale click came, and the safe was open.

I had no idea what to expect, but what was in there didn't come close. It was three feet deep, and the bottom two thirds were stacked with money, hundred dollar bills still in the bank wrappers. We counted the numbers wide, then deep, then high, and added it up. We had to use the calculator app on our phones. Six hundred and twenty thousand dollars. Wow.

The top part contained the tapes of his latest films, some documents, and a couple of flash drives. There was also a laptop. I had Benny stand watch while I took pictures of the documents, then I picked up the flash drives and dropped them into my pockets. I took one of the films, the one marked Princess. I hoped it was the only copy. I also took the laptop. After I looked at it, the police would get a tip leading them to everything we had.

We put everything back as exactly as we could, and slipped out. Benny was shaking when we got to the van. "Man! I've never seen that much money at the same time in my life."

"Thinking about going back?"

"Shit no! That much money is serious money, and serious money belongs to serious people. With that amount lying around, you can bet your ass someone is looking for it. I don't think it would be a good thing if they found I had taken it."

I grinned. "That's exactly right. That being said, we don't know if they know how much is in that safe. I liberated two stacks, leaving them exactly 600 grand. I doubt seriously they will look for twenty grand, even if they know it's missing. If they do miss it, they will just assume Joe took it. This stack is yours. I suggest you not deposit it, not discuss it, and not spend it all at one time."

"Thank you for that primer on how to avoid looking like a greedy idiot. I'll stash this, for a rainy day or a really nice vacation. A vacation that will be paid for from my business profits. I'll slide it into the account a few hundred at a time over a couple of years, and no one will ever know. What you gonna do with yours?"

"It's not for me. It's for a woman, the woman who told me about the safe. She could use the money, and deserves to get it."

Benny sighed. "It's always a woman, isn't it? I don't have to tell you to be careful, but, man, be real careful, all right? I hope she can keep her mouth shut. Now, I for one will never speak of this again. How about some breakfast?"

We went to Denny's and ate, old friends finishing a night out. I paid and kept the receipt, just in case. If anyone should ever ask where we were this particular night, the clubs we picked had no surveillance past the door, and it was usually pretty dark even then. We actually went to two, quick in and outs, and I managed to speak to a few people I knew.