Prostitute or courtesan; we care
Prostitution is
one of the branches of the sex industry,
with various legal status from different
countries. Depending where you solicit, it may lead to a punishable
crime or a mode of income. Estimates place the annual revenue generated from
the global prostitution industry to be over $100 billion. Not bad for the "the
world's oldest profession". But killing outranked it in terms of death; be
it legal or illegal. I got the call that a lady was murdered in a lavish
expensive penthouse in downtown; the end where the rich lived with their own
peers, and watched the three quarters starve or worked hard.
I once knew a
classmate in my high school, he told us he was there temporary until his
parents decided on his 'princely' school. He left us after one week, and bought
us all fried chicken for lunch. We took it compared to our school lunch which
was less appetizing. His parting words was 'see ya, scoundrels and laid back'.
We threw the chicken bones at him.
"We found a
name in her bag." The uniformed handed the name card. "Honey Tiffany.
Call me at 3XX 2XX 3XX."
I asked for the
bag and was handed an expensive reptile skin one. I bought one for Jenny, and it
was a wallet that cost half my pay check. I checked the contents, and
discovered the driving license.
Jennifer Lilian
Tobias.
Later I ran some
checks on her and found out the apartment was in her name although she used to
work as administrator in the law office of Riordan and Noys. But back at the
crime scene, Dan arrived and inspected the body. He stood up and told his
apprentice to bagged it.
"No initial
assessment on the victim?" I asked Dan.
"Looked like
overdose but I can't be sure until I run the tox test." Dan walked off. He
was in a foul mood. Then I recalled; he hated the filthy rich. He was from the
rags to moderate background. I had the place searched for drugs and found half
a dozen from amphetamine to Viagra but no hard drugs like heroin. I went down
to the security office and asked them statements. Those guys there worked like
the crime lords; we ain't talking until we see our lawyers. I dragged all five
of them to the Precinct with the day's recording on the camera. It was cameras;
the place had more cameras than my old High School bathrooms.
After a three
hours of checking, I got two visitors in my section. They were with the
Commissioner.
"This is
Edison Thames, personal aide of Mr Jameson Munch. Thomas Mathew, Attorney at
Law. Riordan and Noys" That last name ran deep into my nerves; the man own
some high income buildings, including the tower which Jennifer was laid to
rest. Mr Thames was a former army officer in the Rangers, and a tougher one at
that. He stepped forth to state his reason to come into the section. It was not
our decor; it was his boss decor.
"Mr Munch
wants this case solved fast and low profile." With that the personal aide
left us. I got the usual grilling from the Commissioner. He was a nicer person
before he become Commissioner. I went back to my evidence contents and found
like who's who had the need to have the name on the society page. At that time
of Jennifer death, three person was at her level, and only one was seen going
in the suite next door. And then he left.
Clarence Thames,
the son of Edison Thames.
We picked him up.
"I don't know
any Jennifer Tobias." I shoved the photo to him. Then the one when she
died. He puked on the flooring.
"Her name
Mary Anne." Clarence spoke the truth soon after. I was to asked more when
the lawyer barged in. Thomas Mathew, the attorney with one thousand an hour was
paid by the father's employer. They marched me out and soon the son was out on
lack of reason to hold him. So I went over to see Di Angelo.
"Do you remember
Archie Matheson?" Di Angelo was digging deep into his memory for that
name. I fished that guy out of the bathtub when one of his mistresses dunked
him there after he got number seventh for the week. Archie insisted all his
ladies are called courtesans. In the words of Archie, they are paid to service
only myself.
"Well, I
found out that old man Munch had a mistress named Tiffany." Di Angelo was
better than most Federal servers but how could I questioned a man which only
the Secret Service approached. If I could not approached the victim' direct
parties, I went for the dealers who supplied the drugs. I looked to the drugs
seized, and found the druggist that sold the drugs.
"Mr.Marcel, I
could get the warrant to check your records and probably digged up more dirt
than one customer of yours." The druggist was compliant to reveal the
records of Jennifer Tobias aka Tiffany. She do sometimes have some one picked
it up. We got the name.
"Mr.Thames,
do you also work for Jennifer Tobias or you were her client too?" I looked
hard at the older Thames. He was unfazed by my glare. All he said was he would
wait for his lawyer. I opened the door to tell the uniformed to hold young
Thames.
"Detective,
you let my son of this or I would had you flayed alive." Older Thames was
in rage. He gripped the table edge hard with his strong grip. I stepped back in
and smiled.
"Okay, it was
not me. Sometimes Clarence picked it up. Mr Munch sent him. I never agreed but
who was to argue with him. He was the Boss." Elder Thames spilled it out.
"The old man could not get it up or last the pace. He needed the
'pacesetter'."
Pacesetter? I
think I needed more than that. Then Dan called me up. "Jimmy, she was held
down from the marks we got from the arms. We are getting prints checked."
Damned! The case
was more than an overdose and now murder. The prints came when I was driving to
the penthouse. I changed the direction at the corner. I hate those overcharging
professionals.
"You found my
print on Ms. Jennifer Tobias and blamed me for killing her. I did meet her, or
more than that. I was in her bed the night before. She would take on anyone who
would satisfy her." Mr.Mathew made his statement. "I work for the old
man only he pays my bills. I am no charitable attorney."
I looked at the
Attorney. He smiled.
"I pays I
work. I don't pay to get the lady to the bed. They pay me with satisfaction for
my millions." With that the Attorney walked out.
As usual we were
screwed. Or more like she was screwing.
I went back to the
evidence then next day. I checked the cameras. I traced back to the three
previous days. I saw the Attorney arriving. He went into the unit. There were
some visitors but there was one whom I could not recognised. He went into the
next unit which Clarence was in. He left after Clarence did on that day. I send
them for photo recognition.
I picked up my
jacket and re-visited the neighboring unit. The unit was bare of furniture but
it had a two way mirror on the wall. There was a tripod mark on the flooring
before the mirror. There was also a hidden door to the other unit.
I called in the
Forensics.
At near supper, I
had a new warrant. I knocked on the door of the Munch family. Older Thames
answered the door. He tried to block us but we moved in regardless. I asked for
the man himself.
"I am Jameson
Munch. Say what you want and leave. I would get my lawyers to reply to
you."
"Mr Jameson,
we found your prints at the neighboring unit, and we have a warrant to search
your house." I told the man. He went up in rage. He refused us and we had
the Attorney there citing personal rights and million dollar suits. It was then
I saw Clarence driving out. I shouted to the Uniformed to stop him. He did not
stopped but raced out. I got the car chased by two patrol cars. They chased him
over three streets before he crashed into the street lights. We found in his
back seat the camera and tripod with a portable hard disk.
We ran the tests
on the hard disk and found more conclusive evidence. Clarence was questioned in
the morning.
"I was paid
to filmed the others. It was Jameson' request." Damned the man needed more
than drugs to move his fire engine.
"Who was in
the unit besides you?" I asked Clarence. It was then Thomas walked in. I
was actually waiting for him too as he was on one of the clips. So maybe he had
a motive.
"Did you know
about the recording?" I confronted the Attorney. He denied it all until I
said we would had the clips released to the networks to find the participants.
That was when he confessed.
"Yes, I went
berserk. I confronted her but she denied it all. Then after a few hard push and
reminding her of her previous attachment. She was sleeping with the clients for
us until the old man discovered her unique talents. He paid for her to be his
personal courtesan but she wanted more. She came back to me. We did when he was
not around."
"I did not
kill her. I may had hurt her but I did not kill her." Thomas declared his
innocence.
So it boiled down
to the unknown man who met Clarence. I called for Clarence but he had left with
his old man. I set up a BOLO for him and the old man. They found the duo on the
hills. I raced there with Di Angelo hot dogs. I found the old man sitting with
his son at the edge of the forest. The man was armed with a gun but the uniformed
officers held back. So was the SWAT team. I walked up to the father and son. I
saw the gun was aimed at the son. There was more; the father had some C4 tied
to his son.
"When I knew
of the filming, I went to check. I went to look for Clarence. He confessed to
me that he was doing it for the old man. I went in rage,and chased him out. I
then saw the door and went in. She was half dazed. I grabbed her and lowered
her to the bed. She was screaming me for the drugs and I fed her. I just kept
on feeding her. I was in rage and did not care."
I knew that look.
I told him.
"Don't..."
But he was past listening. He was too proud to let it go. I turned and ran but
at my age, it was easier with the downhill slope. The explosion was directed
upwards, with both of them blown up.
"I represent
Mr Munch. He wants the hard disk which was taken by your forensic." The
one thousand dollar Attorney came in representing Mr.Munch.
"We had them
returned by general mails. You know, budget cuts." I replied. He would
know later when the networks run it.
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