Chapter 3

The Following Day

Hauling her suitcase up the stairs Syd made her way to Rebecca's door. The hallway was crowded with students hurrying to make morning classes. "Can I help you with that miss?" came the familiar voice of Matt Sumner. Syd turned to see the young ranger dressed in security garb; he and Trivette were going to be patrolling the residence.

One of Gage's informants had given him a viable lead to who might be organizing the clients for the club. They were going under the name of "Frat Parties Inc." Gage and Walker were trying to work it from that end.

"That would be so terrific," she gushed smiling at Matt dropping the suitcase at his feet. Going on ahead she stopped at Rebecca's door, stopping to wrap on it then let herself in.

Rebecca was halfway to the door as Syd waltzed in introducing herself as Lisa Masters and pleased to make her acquaintance. "Guess we are stuck with each other until the end of the year unless I can't get a job and in that case I'll be out before the semester gets really half way through," she added hoping that the right person would pick up on things.

"Just any where handsome," she told Sumner who still held her bag. Walking over to him she smiled sweetly saying, "Thanks for your trouble."

She batted her eyes at him as Sumner stumbled over his words. "Yeah… no problem… anytime… you're welcome," he replied setting down the bag and backing from the room Syd following to close the door.

"Now what?" Rebecca asked.

"We go about our business and hope we get a bite," Syd smiled seeing the apprehension on the girl's face. "Rebecca are you all right with things here?" she asked. "We can always find you somewhere safe to stay if need be."

"I'm all right Sydney honest I want to stay," Rebecca answered her trying to put on the tough exterior from yesterday.

"All right," Syd agreed squeezing the girl's hand. "We had better get to classes then."

Rebecca nodded her head while Syd opened the door for both to exit, the women parted ways both going to their classes. Sydney spent her lunch studying over the job bulletin board making a few notations as if looking for work in earnest.

"Finding anything interesting?" a deep voice behind her asked giving her a start.

"If you like slinging drinks, if I wanted a bunch of men groping me and drooling over me I'd want to get paid for it," she retorted recognizing the man behind the voice to be that of Roberto.

He grinned at her saying, "A woman with convictions how refreshing."

"Convictions or not if I don't find a job that pays a lot of money real quick I can kiss my schooling good bye," Syd replied focusing back on the board.

"You know I've been watching you for a few minutes here… uh…" he paused waiting for him to tell her name to him.

Syd obliged him turning for a moment to announce that she was Lisa.

"Well Lisa I may just know someone who could help you get through college quite comfortably if you are the type of girl who could handle the job," he smiled at her lifting his finger to brush her cheek.

"You've peaked my interest… uh… you have me at a disadvantage you know my name but I'm afraid I don't know yours."

"Roberto," he smiled his eyes darker then hers taking her in. An uneasy hypnotic feeling of evil overwhelmed her as she forced a smile. "The work isn't for everyone…"

"Why don't you tell me what it is and let me be the judge of whether it is for me or not?" Syd shot back.

"On average you make a couple of grand a week maybe more maybe less." Again he smiled at Syd commanding her attention.

"And what would a girl have to do to make this kind of money?" she questioned.

"Not much just be extremely giving to our elite male clientele," he answered her.

"How giving?"

"Until they are completely satisfied."

"This sounds like something I could really be interested in," Syd replied. "When can I start?"

"We have a little frat party tomorrow night, I'll have the car sent for you."

"Can hardly wait."

The Following Evening at a Luxury Hotel Downtown Dallas

Gage stood with Walker at the entrance of the hotel's small guest lounge both in casual dress jacket, shirts open at the neck expensive Stetsons. They had checked in earlier as businessmen from Houston there for the Cattleman's Association meetings that were to begin the next day. Tonight though they were going to try to leave the impression that they were looking to party with some of the Dallas lovelies.

Taking a seat at the bar Gage ordered them a couple of beers as they both turned around to look at the bar's patrons. "Can you run us a tab?" Walker asked the bartender half turning to face him.

A couple of nice looking women came in and took seats at the bar and Gage pretended that they caught his attention. "Hold on Cory," Walker looked at his eager partner. "Big Ron told me that if we hooked up with Mitch we would have more partying then we could imagine. College girls too."

"So what are we waiting for?" Gage hooted back.

Walker laughed slapping him on the back laughing again as he watched Gage go into his act that he was desperate for some female company.

"Did you say that you were friends with Big Ron?" the bartender asked having been watching what was going on between the two of them.

"Yeah he's a friend of ours has a big spread down Houston way," Walker answered. "You know Ron?"

"Yeah he's been here quite a bit always looks up Mitch Delmonico when he's here. Mitch runs a little operation called Frat Parties Inc. In fact I think Mitch has something going on tonight let me make a phone call," the bar keep obliged.

A cell phone at the other side of room rang and both rangers craned their necks to see where the sound was coming from. Across the room Walker caught sight of a young dark haired man talking on his cell. He quickly glanced their way and continued his conversation.

"I'll let them know," the bartender said ending his conversation and turning back to Walker. "Its all set up car will be here at ten thirty to pick you up."

"That's another twenty minutes," Gage grinned.

"Yeah and if you let your Momma know I took you there…" Walker's voice trailed off as Gage broke into a fit of laughter.

"Truman she is the last person I want finding out anything about tonight," Gage laughed again bringing his beer to his lips.

The Delmonico Estate Just Outside Dallas

Along with a half dozen other girls Sydney had been brought by limo to Charles Delmonico's sprawling estate that was just north of Dallas. Charles and his wife Sophia were on an extended vacation out side of the country leaving their son Mitchell on a loose leash and a small allowance. Nothing near what he needed for the cocaine habit he needed to support or how he was accustom to living.

Roberto as he liked to be called whose real name was Robert McClain was Mitch's supplier together they had cooked up this scheme to use the mansion for their parties. Mitch fancied himself the brains and Roberto the brawn. Things had been going wonderfully until Lily Henderson had wanted to quit; it had been right then and there that they had implemented their policy that once you became one of the girls you were in until they said different…

There were all ready six girls there when Sydney and the rest got out of the car and went inside. Mitch was there to greet them like always. "Look alive girls the cars will be arriving any minute lets make sure everyone is looked after tonight," he instructed. The girls turned to help themselves to some champaign as Mitch called out to Syd. "Lisa is it? You do know what you are suppose to be doing don't you?"

"I think Roberto laid everything out very clearly," she smiled back just as the front doors opened.

~~~~~

Two more limousines had pulled up front of the estate and the 'gentlemen' callers were emerging from the cars. Stepping from the lead car Gage's eyes began looking for his wife. He had talked to her a couple of hours earlier and he knew that Trivette and Sumner were keeping close tabs on her but he still couldn't help himself.

Finally he saw her conversing with an older balding man, he had leaned forward saying something to her, which in turn she had smiled and giggled. Grabbing two flutes of champaign from the table Gage walked boldly up to his wife announcing, "You're the one I want."

"Now wait just a minute here I saw her first…" the older man sputtered.

"I don't care what he's paying for you I'll double it. Hell I'll triple it," Gage emphasized his words reaching in his pocket for a wad of bills.

"Cory isn't it?" Mitchell was right behind him, "You don't think three thousand dollars is a little rich for your blood?"

Catching Syd's eyes Gage spoke as if his wife was the only one there, "She's worth any price."

"Well then you just bought an evening with the lovely Lisa," Mitchell told him slapping him on the back as Syd put her arm through his leading him upstairs.

They walked down the hallway to the room that Syd had been assigned making small talk as they went. "I'm Lisa," Syd was saying, "And your name Cowboy?"

"Cory, Cory Denton," he replied pulling her roughly into a kiss.

"Umm well Cory Denton lets go inside and make ourselves more comfortable," she murmured pulling away from him so she could speak.

"Now you're talking Shorty," Gage smiled at his wife following her inside the room.

With the soft click of the closing door he reached once again for Syd as she quickly backed away signing to him video camera before letting his arms encircle her.

"Where?" he whispered.

"I don't know," she answered letting her lips tease his ear as she whispered.

"Oh Honey you're bad," he sang out loudly for the benefit of anyone who might listening.

"How bout you give me just a second here Tiger then I'll see about showing you a really good time," Syd smiled giving him a peck on the cheek as she ran her hands down his arms stopping to hold his hands for a moment before pulling away completely.

He watched as she moved towards the bathroom she stopped looking over her shoulder saying, "Make yourself comfortable I'm certainly going to."

Gage grinned at Syd finding it hard to get his mind back on work. He walked to the dresser and stood in front of the mirror noticing it seemed built out from the wall. He stretched out his arms and pulled his jacket off hanging it over the mirror to cover the most of it.

"Cory," Syd called. Gage turned quick to catch sight of his wife standing there wrapped in a towel. "Care to join me in the shower?" she invited as the steam rose behind her from the all ready running water.

"I don't have to be asked twice," Gage smiled walking to stand in front of her hiding her body with his own before pulling the towel from her. With his arms around her and his lips on hers he backed her into the bathroom kicking the door shut with his foot behind them.

Charles Delmonico's Office

"What the…" Mitch hollered wiping his hand across his father's desk clearing the whole thing in anger. He and Roberto had just sat down and turned on the television to watch the new girl with her date. Roberto had just finished saying, "Let's see if Lisa is worth three grand," when the dumb cowboy had tossed his jacket over the mirror covering the video camera and their show.

"They went in the bathroom anyway," Roberto commented, having business to discuss with Mitch other then the new girl's performance. "What about this teacher? You didn't scare her off she's been talking to the cops, they're showing my picture around."

"Then I guess you know what to do only this time don't leave any witnesses around," Mitch half smiled.

"I don't see you do any of the dirty work," Roberto accused.

"I pull my share around here," Mitch shouted standing to face his partner.

"You just remember Mitchell I go down we go down together," Roberto answered his eyes cold and calculating.

"Just take care of that teacher."

"Once the last limo leaves to take the girls home I'll look after this loose end."

Sydney and Gage's Appointed Room

"Francis," Syd murmured trying to recover from the kiss he had bestowed on her. He pressed his forehead against hers looking down at the black lace of strapless teddy that barely covered her breasts.

"I thought you said you were saving that for me?" he asked with a slight pout.

"This is you that I'm sharing this with isn't it?"

"What if I hadn't have got here in time?" he countered.

"Then I guess I would have had to leave my clothes on," she answered her eyes meeting his.

They stood silent for quite a few minutes before Syd began relaying what she had learnt. "It seems that quit a few of the rooms have cameras in them and they use the tapes to blackmail clients for money. Susan Maxwell some how found out and she told Diane and Donna. All three tried to quit and all three died," Syd added.

"Are Roberto and Mitch the only two involved in this or is there someone higher up?" Gage asked.

"As far I can tell just the two of them. All we need is the proof that they killed the girls."

"Here's something that will interest you Mitchell Delmonico is a computer major at Anna B's college. It wouldn't have been that hard for him to break into her office and send that message to her," Gage told her.

"Like I said all we need is proof. We know they are connected running the call girls and so called frat parties. But I want these two for the murders," Syd emphasized.

"I know Shorty and we will," her husband replied pulling the pins out of Syd's hair.

"Aren't we working here?" she asked pulling back looking at him sternly.

"I am working just keeping our cover intact," he smiled as his fingers brushed through her hair. "Think we should go make some movies now," he teased.

"Gage!" Syd cried completely mortified.

"Take it easy Honey," he laughed pulling her against him, "Our private moments are going to stay just that our private moments.

"I just never know with you…" she smiled poking him in the ribs with her fingers. "I guess we should go mess up the sheets a little," she challenged back.

"Now you're talking Lisa," he laughed holding her close.

TBC