Chapter 2-Laurie
On the way to their meeting with the police, Laurie asked A.J. "How much do you trust this Captain Howard, is he a street type or just a desk guy?" He shrugged, eyes on the traffic, "I don't know, I've only met with him a few times, but he seemed pretty legit. Maybe it's a usual thing for tourists to go missing now and then, but he just didn't seem to get worked up about Rick or Jade Sagami."
"Well, to be on the safe side, if I hear anything that sounds fishy, I'm going to take your hand and squeeze it twice. Just so you know I'm not getting fresh or anything." She gave him a ghost of a smile and was rewarded with a reluctant grin. Just then A.J. pulled up to the gates of an old mansion, bronzed with age and marked with a discreet sign "The Gentlemen's Club". Parking at the curb, they waited until an unmarked car pulled up behind them, and a stocky, blond climbed out and came to Laurie's side of the car. "Mr. Simon, Ma'am, thank you for coming." "Captain," A.J. acknowledged him, as he opened her door and helped her out. "This is Rick's fiancée, Laurel Scott, Laurie, this is Captain Howard." She nodded politely as he took her hand and said "I only wish we were meeting under better circumstances, I've enjoyed your work, Ms. Scott." "Well, thank you, Captain, I appreciate everything you've done to help find Rick". She looked toward the gate of the club, which was now open. The policeman caught her glance. "If you're ready," then escorted her and A.J. inside and past a small turnaround to the open doors of the manor. Upon entering, they were met by a statuesque older woman, who stared at all three before speaking. "Captain Howard, I'm surprised you came yourself for this, incident," she stated, coolly. He cleared his throat. "Well, every case is important, Madame Kahane, especially when it involves a visitor to my town." He turned to A.J., "You met Mr. Simon a few days ago, I understand?' "Yes, he came to ask some questions of my staff." She turned and gazed at Laurie. "You look familiar, have you ever been to the club before?" Before she could reply, Captain Howard interjected "Ms. Scott is a well known author, perhaps you may have seen her at an appearance. She is the fiancée of Mr. Simon's brother". "Ohhhh, well, my dear, it's too bad you have to find out this way about him, but, well, maybe it's all for the best. Come this way."
She turned and walked through the entry way to a side exit, leaving an embarrassed Captain and Laurie and A.J. trailing furiously behind her. Catching up to Laurie, A.J. took her arm and mouthed in her ear "Don't say anything, she's trying to bait us." "No fooling." came the terse answer.
Going outside, they followed Madame Kahane through several gardens, until they came to a wooded Area surrounded by a fence, she turned and said, "If it wasn't for our monthly landscaping, we wouldn't have found Mr. Simon for a long time." "What are you talking about, what did you find:" A.J. spoke through clinched teeth. The older woman shrugged her shoulders. "Forgive me, but I thought you knew your brother came to ask more questions three days ago, just about dusk. One of my girls, I mean, staff, volunteered to speak to him about a girl named Jade, who he seemed to think was missing. " The younger Simon stared blankly at her. "I thought you said no one of that name or the description of Jade Sugami had ever been here?" Madame Kahane looked past him at Captain Howard. "I'm sorry, I didn't know my staff had employed her; she must have come on board while I was on vacation. I only found out about her when I questioned Mimi about Mr. Simon. She said he had a couple of drinks with her, then requested some private time with her. She declined, upon which he got rather angry and was asked to leave. Unfortunately, he apparently took the wrong way out and ended up out here. The gate was open for the workers to begin pruning the trees, but how he ended up out here." She turned and went through the gate, cautioning them to follow the path. After another few minutes of walking, she stopped in front of a sign featuring big black letters.
"Quicksand Ahead".
"No One Past This Point".
Pointing at the sign, Madame Kahane shook her head and said "Obviously, in his condition he didn't pay attention to this. Our groundskeeper was working just to the side of the off limits area when he spotted that". Following a small path back thru the trees, she indicated a section of smooth, green area about 10 yards away. Looking over to where she was pointing, Laurie gasped as she saw a familiar straw hat, resting in the middle of the danger area. "No.", she moaned, grabbing A.J. She turned and saw him go pale. She felt someone take her other arm, and realized Captain Howard was attempting to steer her away from the quicksand. "I..I don't believe he came out here, not even drunk", she stammered, glancing up at the big man. "I'm sorry, my dear, but when he and your brother came to see me their first day in Honolulu, I remember seeing him wear that hat." "Now wait a minute, Captain, how can you be sure that's..", A.J. started to retort, but Laurie interrupted him. "A.J., can we go, I, I think I need to sit down". She allowed the policeman to take her arm, but not before squeezing A.J.'s hand. Twice.
Walking back to the old house, Laurie listened as Madame Kahane chattered away to the Captain, indicating he could bring the coroner's wagon down a back drive. He tersely replied that his lab people would be out within the hour, then stopped at the exit of the manor and said "I trust the area around the hat will be left undisturbed, I appreciate your notifying us of your discovery." The older woman sniffed. "Don't worry, Captain, my staff knows to stay out of dangerous areas. And you,", she turned to A.J., "I hope you won't disturb my staff again. Ms. Sugami has indicated she will contact her grandfather and terminate your contract with him. I'm sure he will verify this when you speak with him." Glancing at Laurie, Madame Kahane paused, then."I am sorry for your loss, my dear, as I said, perhaps it's all for the best. Goodbye." She waved a be-ringed hand, turned and vanished down the hall.
Laurie and A.J. followed Captain Howard outside and through the gates, remaining silent until they reached the cars. A.J. turned to him and said, "I don't think she said one honest word in there, Captain, it was all lies." He looked at both of them, then slowly said "I know it's hard to hear something like that, but what other explaination could there be. Unless." He glanced at Laurie, who leaned against their car and said "I would have believed her about the hat, but did you notice anything about it, like how clean it appeared? Rick's hats always look worn". The big man stared at her, then A.J. , then suddenly grinned. "You're right, Ms. Scott, the hat was too obvious, like.." "It had been planted." A.J. finished, nodding in agreement.
Captain Howard glanced again at Laurie. "I knew you were no Mrs. Fletcher, but you almost fooled me in there. How long were you with the OSI?" Startled, Laurie replied, "How did you know I worked with them, you didn't even know I was here?" He grinned again. "When Mr. Simon here said he had to pick up someone at the airport; I had a man follow him just to make sure he wasn't pulling a fast one about his brother. I apologize for that," he turned to A.J., "but when someone tried to take Ms. Scott from the airport, I realized something bigger was going on." He pulled a bag from his car, and opened it to reveal a wilted lei.
A.J. looked at Laurie, who offered her hand to the Captain. "I don't know what to say other than I'm grateful you're on our side. I know that Rick is still alive, only we need to find where they have him, and how Ms. Sugami is tied in with the cabbies murder and The Club." The big man shook her hand, then A.J.'s, as he said "What Laurie says is true, I realize this is too big for us, we'll be happy to share whatever we uncover with you."
Captain Howard nodded. "I realize Madame Kahane's organization has been ignored way too long, it's time we put an end to it. I'm going to go back to headquarters and pull together whatever resources we need to put together a case. You two go back to the hotel and see if you can reach your client, I'll try to locate Ms. Sugami and call you later." Laurie and A.J. waved as he got in his car and drove away, then she turned to him and said, "Something doesn't sound right, can we trust him?" A.J. shook his head. "I don't know, I hope so. He sure kept his knowledge of what happened at the airport to himself. We'll know when I speak with Mr. Sugami if Madame Kahane was telling the truth."
As A.J. started the car, Laurie caught sight of movement thru the iron bars of the fence surrounding the club. Staring straight ahead, she quietly told him "We're being watched, I bet after we pull away, we'll find we're being tailed." A.J. drove away and turned at the next corner, then made a u-turn and came back onto the main drive, only to see an older sedan pull out of the gates and turn as if to follow them. "A.J., I think we'd better lose them and change cars at the rental agency; they seem to know this one too well." He glanced at the rear view mirror, then replied "Ok, but hold on." then sped up and made a quick turn onto a residential street. Going about a block, he turned left into a small alley, then back on to a parking lot facing the rear of a series of shops. Pulling thru to a loading dock, he turned off the motor and they watched as the sedan went past and disappeared into traffic. Waiting a couple of minutes, they backed up and drove directly to the local office of the Simon's rental. While A.J. filled out paperwork, Laurie excused herself and went into the shops next door. When he came out to the compact they had selected, he found a blond sitting in the passenger seat, filing her nails.
A.J. started to say, "Who are you," only to have her turn and give him a wink. "Laurie, you've got to be kidding me", he laughed. "Excuse me, sir, but you'all must be mistaken. I'm Margaret Scott, Laurie's cousin. I came to take a vacation and I couldn't help but notice the handsome man she was driving with." The southern accent made A.J. crack up again, and Laurie couldn't help but join in. "Seriously, A.J., how does it look?"
"It makes you look like a different person, this ought to throw them off". He started the car and headed toward the hotel, using the back parking lot to enter. Entering the lobby separately, Laurie went straight to the front desk and inquired as to her "Cousin Laurie's" room. Getting the once over from the appreciative male staff, she went up to her room, and once inside, checked the interior then knocked on the connecting door.
"Everything ok?" A.J. asked, unlocking the door. "By the looks from the wolves at the desk, this may work." she replied. "Did you call Mr. Sugami?"
"Yes." came the short answer, as A.J. pulled a couple of bottles of soda from the honor fridge and sat opposite Laurie. "Mr. Sugami told me Jade had called him, and explained her disappearance as being ashamed to tell him or her friends she was working at the club. He told me she was flying in to San Francisco tonight and he apologized for all the trouble they had caused. I got the impression he was under pressure to get us off her trail, but there was nothing I could do except accept his thanks and promise to drop the investigation."
She sighed, "A.J., I'm afraid her leaving the scene will encourage Madame Kahane to finish Rick off. With Mr. Sugami dropping the search, he's the only direct link to her presence at the club and the cab driver's murder. We can't wait for Howard to start an investigation." A.J. stood up. "You're right, but we have to see if Howard has any leads first, then we can plan on how to get into the club. Meantime, it's been hours since I ate, and I imagine even longer for you. How about I order room service?"
After calling in a spread big enough for three, Laurie called in to Aunt Ceci and the kids, and was rewarded by hearing Rob and Robin's belief that they would be able to find Rick. Cecilia nearly made her break down, so palpable was her anxiety, but A.J. took the phone and eased her worries somewhat.
"Whatever you do, A.J., do not try to take that place by yourself, promise me that. I don't want to lose both of you", she pleaded. "Don't worry, Mom, I've got backup", he grinned, looking sideways at Laurie.
Cecilia sighed. "All right, but be careful, and call us as soon as you know anything." "We will, Mom".
As he hung up the phone, Laurie reached over and squeezed his arm. "Thank you, A.J., that means a lot to me." He looked back at her. "It's true, hon, you did a good job today. Now comes the hard part, waiting."
Scarcely had he finished speaking when the phone rang. He picked it up and said "A.J. Simon here."
"Is Ms. Scott there?", a breathy voice asked. A.J. looked at her and handed the receiver over.
"This is Ms. Scott"
"Ms. Scott, this is Mimi, I'm the one who talked to Mr. Simon. It's not true he was drunk; he just wanted to know what happened to Jade."
Laurie tried to keep her voice calm, while signaling A.J. to pick up the extension. "Mimi, what did happen to Mr. Simon? I promise nothing will happen to you."
"Madame Kahane caught him coming in thru the back way to see if Jade was here, and he got beat up and put in the basement. They're going to throw him in the quicksand tonight, you've got to hurry, tell his brother." Suddenly she heard the girl say "Someone's coming, I have to go". The line went dead.
She stared at the phone, then hung up the receiver.
"A.J., we have to do something, what if she's telling the truth?
He clicked the phone, then said as he dialed, "Only one way to find out."
"Captain Howard, please". He motioned her to hit the conference button.
"Sergeant Williams here".
"Yes, Sergeant, this is A.J. Simon. Is Captain Howard there?"
"No, Mr. Simon, he was following up on that report about your brother. Can I help you with something?"
A.J. frowned. "Well, yes, I may have something on the Gentlemen's Club in relationship to my brother's disappearance. Do you know when he might be back?"
"I'm sorry, he didn't say. Can I give him a message?"
"Yes, could you have him call me when he gets back in. He can reach me or Ms. Scott at the hotel, he has the number. By the way, do you know if he requested the coroner to come out to the Club today?"
"Well, yes, he ordered the coroner to come out to the club, but not until daylight." The sergeant paused, then said "Mr. Simon, is there a reason you think your brother isn't dead?"
A.J. paused, then took a chance. "Yes, Sergeant, we got a lead as to where my brother might be. I'll wait on it until tomorrow, before I act on it." "I'll try to get ahold of the Captain, Mr. Simon, just stay where you are and we'll contact you." A.J. thanked the policeman, then hung up and turned to Laurie.
"Now you can say, I told you so". She shook her head, "A.J., I was hoping I was wrong, but if we don't do something, Rick won't last the night. The two of us can't go storming the place, but if one of us gets inside and lets the other in, we have a chance of getting Rick out alive and letting the police have a clear shot at the whole outfit."
Opening a table drawer, she removed a bag and opened it to reveal an electronic communicator. A.J. smiled, "You got more goodies like that with you?" She nodded, bringing out a matching earpiece and mini-mike. "And I know how to get in without suspicion", She picked up her blond wig and stuck it on her head. "Margaret deserves to see the sights, don't you think?"
Despite A.J.'s misgivings, everything went almost to plan. Waiting until almost 8, with the sun beginning to set, Laurie made herself up as Margaret, and had A.J. help her hook the mini-communication device inside her dress.
Sliding a thin knife-like shiv into the lining of her bra, she then came out of her room to find A.J. holstering his gun.
"Got one of those for me?"
A.J. looked up and did a double take. "Whoa, has Rick ever seen you as a blond?" She laughed. "No, why, does he go for the beach girl look? Maybe I ought surprise him." Suddenly she choked up and A.J. went over and put an arm around her. "Remember, we are going to get him out of there. Don't fold on me, ok?" She took a deep breath and replied "I can handle it, don't worry, I won't let you guys down". He squeezed her arm. "We won't let him down."
Going down to the lobby, they split up, with Laurie taking a cab and A.J. following close behind in his rental. With a silent tracking beacon, A.J. could watch Laurie's progress to the Gentlemen's Club from a safe distance. She was careful to stay in character even with the cab driver, and gave him a generous tip as he helped her out of the car. "Why, thank ya, honey, get yourself something nice". She watched as a large group of partygoers went through the gate, then quickly followed them, calling
"Honey, wait for me!" The doorman tipped his hat to her as she went past, and joined the well-dressed crowd as they entered the courtyard and went inside the mansion.
Talking, exchanging pleasantries, "Margaret" soon had a couple of older men vying for her attention and offering her drinks. "Nothing but juice, Laurie", came A.J.'s warning in her ear. "Oh, just a papaya juice for me, sugar.", she told one of the gents, a silver-haired businessman who was bragging non-stop about his land interests. Allowing him to walk her through the lounge toward the "Private" rooms, she angled her pace so he inadvertently bumped her arm, causing her drink to splash her skirt. "Oh dear, ah'm all wet", she cried, shaking her skirt and causing a few more stares. Amid the apologies, she excused herself from her admirers and went over to a hostess, who pointed her toward the ladies room.
Entering the vanity area, she went through the motions of blotting her skirt, then found a rear exit and went towards a staircase she had seen on her way in. Waiting until the area was clear, Laurie whispered to A.J. "I'm going down the stairs, as soon as I locate an exterior exit, I'll let you know." "All right, be careful. the first sign of anyone, come back upstairs and I'll try to get in the back".
Creeping down the stairs, she waited until she was in the shadows before pulling out a mini-flashlight and making her way to the bottom of the flight. Inching her way around a corner, she saw nothing down the corridor but a single door. Retracing her steps, she took a look down the opposite hall, and saw two sets of doors.
Turning her light down the hall, she quietly followed the beam, stopping at a sudden noise in back of her. Lights went on, and she spun around to see Madame Kahane and two men, one holding a gun.
"Have you lost your way, my dear?", she said, a calculating smile on her face. "or someone? Let me show you the way."
Laurie put a measure of bravado in her voice. "The only thing I want to see is where you have Rick Simon. The police will soon be here and .."
"Tsk, tsk, it's not nice to lie, Ms. Scott. No police will be coming, my friend will take care of that." She clapped her well-manicured hands together. "Let's reunite Ms. Scott with her fiancée, shall we?" One of the men grabbed her by the arm and twisted it behind her, as the other one frisked her and removed the small gun she had in her pocket. She heard A.J. in her ear, "Laurie, hold on, I'm coming in."
Thankful that they didn't discover her transmitter, Laurie struggled with the men as they marched her down the corridor to one of the sets of doors. Madame Kahane unlocked the door and flung it open, spilling light into a small storeroom and illuminating the still form of Rick, bloodied and bruised, lying on the floor.
On the way to their meeting with the police, Laurie asked A.J. "How much do you trust this Captain Howard, is he a street type or just a desk guy?" He shrugged, eyes on the traffic, "I don't know, I've only met with him a few times, but he seemed pretty legit. Maybe it's a usual thing for tourists to go missing now and then, but he just didn't seem to get worked up about Rick or Jade Sagami."
"Well, to be on the safe side, if I hear anything that sounds fishy, I'm going to take your hand and squeeze it twice. Just so you know I'm not getting fresh or anything." She gave him a ghost of a smile and was rewarded with a reluctant grin. Just then A.J. pulled up to the gates of an old mansion, bronzed with age and marked with a discreet sign "The Gentlemen's Club". Parking at the curb, they waited until an unmarked car pulled up behind them, and a stocky, blond climbed out and came to Laurie's side of the car. "Mr. Simon, Ma'am, thank you for coming." "Captain," A.J. acknowledged him, as he opened her door and helped her out. "This is Rick's fiancée, Laurel Scott, Laurie, this is Captain Howard." She nodded politely as he took her hand and said "I only wish we were meeting under better circumstances, I've enjoyed your work, Ms. Scott." "Well, thank you, Captain, I appreciate everything you've done to help find Rick". She looked toward the gate of the club, which was now open. The policeman caught her glance. "If you're ready," then escorted her and A.J. inside and past a small turnaround to the open doors of the manor. Upon entering, they were met by a statuesque older woman, who stared at all three before speaking. "Captain Howard, I'm surprised you came yourself for this, incident," she stated, coolly. He cleared his throat. "Well, every case is important, Madame Kahane, especially when it involves a visitor to my town." He turned to A.J., "You met Mr. Simon a few days ago, I understand?' "Yes, he came to ask some questions of my staff." She turned and gazed at Laurie. "You look familiar, have you ever been to the club before?" Before she could reply, Captain Howard interjected "Ms. Scott is a well known author, perhaps you may have seen her at an appearance. She is the fiancée of Mr. Simon's brother". "Ohhhh, well, my dear, it's too bad you have to find out this way about him, but, well, maybe it's all for the best. Come this way."
She turned and walked through the entry way to a side exit, leaving an embarrassed Captain and Laurie and A.J. trailing furiously behind her. Catching up to Laurie, A.J. took her arm and mouthed in her ear "Don't say anything, she's trying to bait us." "No fooling." came the terse answer.
Going outside, they followed Madame Kahane through several gardens, until they came to a wooded Area surrounded by a fence, she turned and said, "If it wasn't for our monthly landscaping, we wouldn't have found Mr. Simon for a long time." "What are you talking about, what did you find:" A.J. spoke through clinched teeth. The older woman shrugged her shoulders. "Forgive me, but I thought you knew your brother came to ask more questions three days ago, just about dusk. One of my girls, I mean, staff, volunteered to speak to him about a girl named Jade, who he seemed to think was missing. " The younger Simon stared blankly at her. "I thought you said no one of that name or the description of Jade Sugami had ever been here?" Madame Kahane looked past him at Captain Howard. "I'm sorry, I didn't know my staff had employed her; she must have come on board while I was on vacation. I only found out about her when I questioned Mimi about Mr. Simon. She said he had a couple of drinks with her, then requested some private time with her. She declined, upon which he got rather angry and was asked to leave. Unfortunately, he apparently took the wrong way out and ended up out here. The gate was open for the workers to begin pruning the trees, but how he ended up out here." She turned and went through the gate, cautioning them to follow the path. After another few minutes of walking, she stopped in front of a sign featuring big black letters.
"Quicksand Ahead".
"No One Past This Point".
Pointing at the sign, Madame Kahane shook her head and said "Obviously, in his condition he didn't pay attention to this. Our groundskeeper was working just to the side of the off limits area when he spotted that". Following a small path back thru the trees, she indicated a section of smooth, green area about 10 yards away. Looking over to where she was pointing, Laurie gasped as she saw a familiar straw hat, resting in the middle of the danger area. "No.", she moaned, grabbing A.J. She turned and saw him go pale. She felt someone take her other arm, and realized Captain Howard was attempting to steer her away from the quicksand. "I..I don't believe he came out here, not even drunk", she stammered, glancing up at the big man. "I'm sorry, my dear, but when he and your brother came to see me their first day in Honolulu, I remember seeing him wear that hat." "Now wait a minute, Captain, how can you be sure that's..", A.J. started to retort, but Laurie interrupted him. "A.J., can we go, I, I think I need to sit down". She allowed the policeman to take her arm, but not before squeezing A.J.'s hand. Twice.
Walking back to the old house, Laurie listened as Madame Kahane chattered away to the Captain, indicating he could bring the coroner's wagon down a back drive. He tersely replied that his lab people would be out within the hour, then stopped at the exit of the manor and said "I trust the area around the hat will be left undisturbed, I appreciate your notifying us of your discovery." The older woman sniffed. "Don't worry, Captain, my staff knows to stay out of dangerous areas. And you,", she turned to A.J., "I hope you won't disturb my staff again. Ms. Sugami has indicated she will contact her grandfather and terminate your contract with him. I'm sure he will verify this when you speak with him." Glancing at Laurie, Madame Kahane paused, then."I am sorry for your loss, my dear, as I said, perhaps it's all for the best. Goodbye." She waved a be-ringed hand, turned and vanished down the hall.
Laurie and A.J. followed Captain Howard outside and through the gates, remaining silent until they reached the cars. A.J. turned to him and said, "I don't think she said one honest word in there, Captain, it was all lies." He looked at both of them, then slowly said "I know it's hard to hear something like that, but what other explaination could there be. Unless." He glanced at Laurie, who leaned against their car and said "I would have believed her about the hat, but did you notice anything about it, like how clean it appeared? Rick's hats always look worn". The big man stared at her, then A.J. , then suddenly grinned. "You're right, Ms. Scott, the hat was too obvious, like.." "It had been planted." A.J. finished, nodding in agreement.
Captain Howard glanced again at Laurie. "I knew you were no Mrs. Fletcher, but you almost fooled me in there. How long were you with the OSI?" Startled, Laurie replied, "How did you know I worked with them, you didn't even know I was here?" He grinned again. "When Mr. Simon here said he had to pick up someone at the airport; I had a man follow him just to make sure he wasn't pulling a fast one about his brother. I apologize for that," he turned to A.J., "but when someone tried to take Ms. Scott from the airport, I realized something bigger was going on." He pulled a bag from his car, and opened it to reveal a wilted lei.
A.J. looked at Laurie, who offered her hand to the Captain. "I don't know what to say other than I'm grateful you're on our side. I know that Rick is still alive, only we need to find where they have him, and how Ms. Sugami is tied in with the cabbies murder and The Club." The big man shook her hand, then A.J.'s, as he said "What Laurie says is true, I realize this is too big for us, we'll be happy to share whatever we uncover with you."
Captain Howard nodded. "I realize Madame Kahane's organization has been ignored way too long, it's time we put an end to it. I'm going to go back to headquarters and pull together whatever resources we need to put together a case. You two go back to the hotel and see if you can reach your client, I'll try to locate Ms. Sugami and call you later." Laurie and A.J. waved as he got in his car and drove away, then she turned to him and said, "Something doesn't sound right, can we trust him?" A.J. shook his head. "I don't know, I hope so. He sure kept his knowledge of what happened at the airport to himself. We'll know when I speak with Mr. Sugami if Madame Kahane was telling the truth."
As A.J. started the car, Laurie caught sight of movement thru the iron bars of the fence surrounding the club. Staring straight ahead, she quietly told him "We're being watched, I bet after we pull away, we'll find we're being tailed." A.J. drove away and turned at the next corner, then made a u-turn and came back onto the main drive, only to see an older sedan pull out of the gates and turn as if to follow them. "A.J., I think we'd better lose them and change cars at the rental agency; they seem to know this one too well." He glanced at the rear view mirror, then replied "Ok, but hold on." then sped up and made a quick turn onto a residential street. Going about a block, he turned left into a small alley, then back on to a parking lot facing the rear of a series of shops. Pulling thru to a loading dock, he turned off the motor and they watched as the sedan went past and disappeared into traffic. Waiting a couple of minutes, they backed up and drove directly to the local office of the Simon's rental. While A.J. filled out paperwork, Laurie excused herself and went into the shops next door. When he came out to the compact they had selected, he found a blond sitting in the passenger seat, filing her nails.
A.J. started to say, "Who are you," only to have her turn and give him a wink. "Laurie, you've got to be kidding me", he laughed. "Excuse me, sir, but you'all must be mistaken. I'm Margaret Scott, Laurie's cousin. I came to take a vacation and I couldn't help but notice the handsome man she was driving with." The southern accent made A.J. crack up again, and Laurie couldn't help but join in. "Seriously, A.J., how does it look?"
"It makes you look like a different person, this ought to throw them off". He started the car and headed toward the hotel, using the back parking lot to enter. Entering the lobby separately, Laurie went straight to the front desk and inquired as to her "Cousin Laurie's" room. Getting the once over from the appreciative male staff, she went up to her room, and once inside, checked the interior then knocked on the connecting door.
"Everything ok?" A.J. asked, unlocking the door. "By the looks from the wolves at the desk, this may work." she replied. "Did you call Mr. Sugami?"
"Yes." came the short answer, as A.J. pulled a couple of bottles of soda from the honor fridge and sat opposite Laurie. "Mr. Sugami told me Jade had called him, and explained her disappearance as being ashamed to tell him or her friends she was working at the club. He told me she was flying in to San Francisco tonight and he apologized for all the trouble they had caused. I got the impression he was under pressure to get us off her trail, but there was nothing I could do except accept his thanks and promise to drop the investigation."
She sighed, "A.J., I'm afraid her leaving the scene will encourage Madame Kahane to finish Rick off. With Mr. Sugami dropping the search, he's the only direct link to her presence at the club and the cab driver's murder. We can't wait for Howard to start an investigation." A.J. stood up. "You're right, but we have to see if Howard has any leads first, then we can plan on how to get into the club. Meantime, it's been hours since I ate, and I imagine even longer for you. How about I order room service?"
After calling in a spread big enough for three, Laurie called in to Aunt Ceci and the kids, and was rewarded by hearing Rob and Robin's belief that they would be able to find Rick. Cecilia nearly made her break down, so palpable was her anxiety, but A.J. took the phone and eased her worries somewhat.
"Whatever you do, A.J., do not try to take that place by yourself, promise me that. I don't want to lose both of you", she pleaded. "Don't worry, Mom, I've got backup", he grinned, looking sideways at Laurie.
Cecilia sighed. "All right, but be careful, and call us as soon as you know anything." "We will, Mom".
As he hung up the phone, Laurie reached over and squeezed his arm. "Thank you, A.J., that means a lot to me." He looked back at her. "It's true, hon, you did a good job today. Now comes the hard part, waiting."
Scarcely had he finished speaking when the phone rang. He picked it up and said "A.J. Simon here."
"Is Ms. Scott there?", a breathy voice asked. A.J. looked at her and handed the receiver over.
"This is Ms. Scott"
"Ms. Scott, this is Mimi, I'm the one who talked to Mr. Simon. It's not true he was drunk; he just wanted to know what happened to Jade."
Laurie tried to keep her voice calm, while signaling A.J. to pick up the extension. "Mimi, what did happen to Mr. Simon? I promise nothing will happen to you."
"Madame Kahane caught him coming in thru the back way to see if Jade was here, and he got beat up and put in the basement. They're going to throw him in the quicksand tonight, you've got to hurry, tell his brother." Suddenly she heard the girl say "Someone's coming, I have to go". The line went dead.
She stared at the phone, then hung up the receiver.
"A.J., we have to do something, what if she's telling the truth?
He clicked the phone, then said as he dialed, "Only one way to find out."
"Captain Howard, please". He motioned her to hit the conference button.
"Sergeant Williams here".
"Yes, Sergeant, this is A.J. Simon. Is Captain Howard there?"
"No, Mr. Simon, he was following up on that report about your brother. Can I help you with something?"
A.J. frowned. "Well, yes, I may have something on the Gentlemen's Club in relationship to my brother's disappearance. Do you know when he might be back?"
"I'm sorry, he didn't say. Can I give him a message?"
"Yes, could you have him call me when he gets back in. He can reach me or Ms. Scott at the hotel, he has the number. By the way, do you know if he requested the coroner to come out to the Club today?"
"Well, yes, he ordered the coroner to come out to the club, but not until daylight." The sergeant paused, then said "Mr. Simon, is there a reason you think your brother isn't dead?"
A.J. paused, then took a chance. "Yes, Sergeant, we got a lead as to where my brother might be. I'll wait on it until tomorrow, before I act on it." "I'll try to get ahold of the Captain, Mr. Simon, just stay where you are and we'll contact you." A.J. thanked the policeman, then hung up and turned to Laurie.
"Now you can say, I told you so". She shook her head, "A.J., I was hoping I was wrong, but if we don't do something, Rick won't last the night. The two of us can't go storming the place, but if one of us gets inside and lets the other in, we have a chance of getting Rick out alive and letting the police have a clear shot at the whole outfit."
Opening a table drawer, she removed a bag and opened it to reveal an electronic communicator. A.J. smiled, "You got more goodies like that with you?" She nodded, bringing out a matching earpiece and mini-mike. "And I know how to get in without suspicion", She picked up her blond wig and stuck it on her head. "Margaret deserves to see the sights, don't you think?"
Despite A.J.'s misgivings, everything went almost to plan. Waiting until almost 8, with the sun beginning to set, Laurie made herself up as Margaret, and had A.J. help her hook the mini-communication device inside her dress.
Sliding a thin knife-like shiv into the lining of her bra, she then came out of her room to find A.J. holstering his gun.
"Got one of those for me?"
A.J. looked up and did a double take. "Whoa, has Rick ever seen you as a blond?" She laughed. "No, why, does he go for the beach girl look? Maybe I ought surprise him." Suddenly she choked up and A.J. went over and put an arm around her. "Remember, we are going to get him out of there. Don't fold on me, ok?" She took a deep breath and replied "I can handle it, don't worry, I won't let you guys down". He squeezed her arm. "We won't let him down."
Going down to the lobby, they split up, with Laurie taking a cab and A.J. following close behind in his rental. With a silent tracking beacon, A.J. could watch Laurie's progress to the Gentlemen's Club from a safe distance. She was careful to stay in character even with the cab driver, and gave him a generous tip as he helped her out of the car. "Why, thank ya, honey, get yourself something nice". She watched as a large group of partygoers went through the gate, then quickly followed them, calling
"Honey, wait for me!" The doorman tipped his hat to her as she went past, and joined the well-dressed crowd as they entered the courtyard and went inside the mansion.
Talking, exchanging pleasantries, "Margaret" soon had a couple of older men vying for her attention and offering her drinks. "Nothing but juice, Laurie", came A.J.'s warning in her ear. "Oh, just a papaya juice for me, sugar.", she told one of the gents, a silver-haired businessman who was bragging non-stop about his land interests. Allowing him to walk her through the lounge toward the "Private" rooms, she angled her pace so he inadvertently bumped her arm, causing her drink to splash her skirt. "Oh dear, ah'm all wet", she cried, shaking her skirt and causing a few more stares. Amid the apologies, she excused herself from her admirers and went over to a hostess, who pointed her toward the ladies room.
Entering the vanity area, she went through the motions of blotting her skirt, then found a rear exit and went towards a staircase she had seen on her way in. Waiting until the area was clear, Laurie whispered to A.J. "I'm going down the stairs, as soon as I locate an exterior exit, I'll let you know." "All right, be careful. the first sign of anyone, come back upstairs and I'll try to get in the back".
Creeping down the stairs, she waited until she was in the shadows before pulling out a mini-flashlight and making her way to the bottom of the flight. Inching her way around a corner, she saw nothing down the corridor but a single door. Retracing her steps, she took a look down the opposite hall, and saw two sets of doors.
Turning her light down the hall, she quietly followed the beam, stopping at a sudden noise in back of her. Lights went on, and she spun around to see Madame Kahane and two men, one holding a gun.
"Have you lost your way, my dear?", she said, a calculating smile on her face. "or someone? Let me show you the way."
Laurie put a measure of bravado in her voice. "The only thing I want to see is where you have Rick Simon. The police will soon be here and .."
"Tsk, tsk, it's not nice to lie, Ms. Scott. No police will be coming, my friend will take care of that." She clapped her well-manicured hands together. "Let's reunite Ms. Scott with her fiancée, shall we?" One of the men grabbed her by the arm and twisted it behind her, as the other one frisked her and removed the small gun she had in her pocket. She heard A.J. in her ear, "Laurie, hold on, I'm coming in."
Thankful that they didn't discover her transmitter, Laurie struggled with the men as they marched her down the corridor to one of the sets of doors. Madame Kahane unlocked the door and flung it open, spilling light into a small storeroom and illuminating the still form of Rick, bloodied and bruised, lying on the floor.