laps as they lounged in the overstuffed sofa chairs, but most milled around aimlessly, waiting for the mid-afternoon doldrums to be replaced with the evening rush.
A trio of girls, two humans and an elf, approached us. The lead cheerleader twirled her golden curls with a lazy finger. “Hi boys. Looking for a good time? And don’t worry, sweetie—” She placed a hand lightly on Shay’s forearm. “We’ll take care of you, too. Our man candy is second to none.”
I cleared my throat. “Um, thanks for the interest, but we’re with the police. We’re investigating a crime.”
The finger-twirling came to an abrupt halt. “Oh. Talk to Fanny at the bar. She runs the place.”
The two human girls flitted away, but the elf girl, who wore a sleek little number that paired nicely with her long, jet-black hair, lingered for a moment and wiggled her hips as she turned.
“If any of you change your mind…” She lifted an eyebrow and ran a tongue across her lips as she pointed to a far corner of the room.
“Alrighty then.” Shay clapped her hands as the elf girl undulated off. “Daggers, let’s talk to this Fanny lady, see if we can find Passion. Rodgers and Quinto, why don’t you two split up and canvass the rest of the girls and staff. See if you can learn anything about Gill we don’t already know.”
Rodgers looked at Quinto. “Want to flip a coin to see who gets the girls and who gets the staff?”
I tried to keep my eyes from drifting off toward the elf girl’s rear. “Um…I could talk to the girls, too.”
Shay gave a tight-lipped smile. “I’m well aware of that. Come with me.”
Shay took my arm and led me to the bar, where a middle-aged woman wearing a low cut dress with copious amounts of ruching over the bust worked the marble. “Can I get you two anything?” she said as we approached.
“You Fanny?” I asked.
She nodded.
I showed my badge.
“So?” she said.
“We’re with homicide.”
“Crap.” Fanny knew as well as we did that even though brothels policed themselves, murders were our business no matter where they occurred. “So what happened? Someone get a little too frisky with one of the girls on the street, or did the hired muscle use too much vigor in teaching someone a lesson?”
“Neither, most likely,” said Shay. “We found someone tortured and murdered in their home, a Mr. Darryl Gill. We understand he came here frequently. Was sweet on one of your, uh… service providers , should we say. Passion Faust?”
Fanny sighed. “Damn. Yeah, I know Darryl. Knew him, I guess. Good guy. Good customer.” She sighed. “Hang out for a minute. I’ll get Passion.”
Fanny scurried off, leaving Shay and I to wallow in the splendor of the 9’s. I passed my eyes over the interior of the club, trying not to let my eyes linger on any one bulging bosom too long. Through my peripheral vision, I could tell Shay was watching me.
“I should’ve asked for a drink before Fanny left,” I said, hoping to distract my partner from my wandering eyes.
“We’re working, remember?” said Shay.
Someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around to find myself face to face with a really, really, really, ridiculously good-looking dark elf dude wearing nothing but a sequined G-string. He stood with one hand on his hips and his head tilted to the side, his golden blond hair—dyed, surely—draped across the side of his face. “Hello, there.”
“Um, thanks, but I’m not interested,” I said.
“I’m confused,” said the dark elf. “You asked to see me?”
“Excuse me?” I said.
“I’m Passion Faust.”
10
“Wait, what?” I passed my eyes between Shay and Passion. “He’s a dude. You’re a dude.”
“In the flesh.” Passion held out his hands and gyrated in a manner I’m sure most women would find extremely seductive.
I looked at Shay—partly just to get my eyes off Passion and his nearly naked body. “Am I crazy? Gronk said Passion was a ‘she,’
A trio of girls, two humans and an elf, approached us. The lead cheerleader twirled her golden curls with a lazy finger. “Hi boys. Looking for a good time? And don’t worry, sweetie—” She placed a hand lightly on Shay’s forearm. “We’ll take care of you, too. Our man candy is second to none.”
I cleared my throat. “Um, thanks for the interest, but we’re with the police. We’re investigating a crime.”
The finger-twirling came to an abrupt halt. “Oh. Talk to Fanny at the bar. She runs the place.”
The two human girls flitted away, but the elf girl, who wore a sleek little number that paired nicely with her long, jet-black hair, lingered for a moment and wiggled her hips as she turned.
“If any of you change your mind…” She lifted an eyebrow and ran a tongue across her lips as she pointed to a far corner of the room.
“Alrighty then.” Shay clapped her hands as the elf girl undulated off. “Daggers, let’s talk to this Fanny lady, see if we can find Passion. Rodgers and Quinto, why don’t you two split up and canvass the rest of the girls and staff. See if you can learn anything about Gill we don’t already know.”
Rodgers looked at Quinto. “Want to flip a coin to see who gets the girls and who gets the staff?”
I tried to keep my eyes from drifting off toward the elf girl’s rear. “Um…I could talk to the girls, too.”
Shay gave a tight-lipped smile. “I’m well aware of that. Come with me.”
Shay took my arm and led me to the bar, where a middle-aged woman wearing a low cut dress with copious amounts of ruching over the bust worked the marble. “Can I get you two anything?” she said as we approached.
“You Fanny?” I asked.
She nodded.
I showed my badge.
“So?” she said.
“We’re with homicide.”
“Crap.” Fanny knew as well as we did that even though brothels policed themselves, murders were our business no matter where they occurred. “So what happened? Someone get a little too frisky with one of the girls on the street, or did the hired muscle use too much vigor in teaching someone a lesson?”
“Neither, most likely,” said Shay. “We found someone tortured and murdered in their home, a Mr. Darryl Gill. We understand he came here frequently. Was sweet on one of your, uh… service providers , should we say. Passion Faust?”
Fanny sighed. “Damn. Yeah, I know Darryl. Knew him, I guess. Good guy. Good customer.” She sighed. “Hang out for a minute. I’ll get Passion.”
Fanny scurried off, leaving Shay and I to wallow in the splendor of the 9’s. I passed my eyes over the interior of the club, trying not to let my eyes linger on any one bulging bosom too long. Through my peripheral vision, I could tell Shay was watching me.
“I should’ve asked for a drink before Fanny left,” I said, hoping to distract my partner from my wandering eyes.
“We’re working, remember?” said Shay.
Someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around to find myself face to face with a really, really, really, ridiculously good-looking dark elf dude wearing nothing but a sequined G-string. He stood with one hand on his hips and his head tilted to the side, his golden blond hair—dyed, surely—draped across the side of his face. “Hello, there.”
“Um, thanks, but I’m not interested,” I said.
“I’m confused,” said the dark elf. “You asked to see me?”
“Excuse me?” I said.
“I’m Passion Faust.”
10
“Wait, what?” I passed my eyes between Shay and Passion. “He’s a dude. You’re a dude.”
“In the flesh.” Passion held out his hands and gyrated in a manner I’m sure most women would find extremely seductive.
I looked at Shay—partly just to get my eyes off Passion and his nearly naked body. “Am I crazy? Gronk said Passion was a ‘she,’
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