Chapter 1 Couvett's party

The jacuzzis

It was such a party! A vulgar party. Even though it was organized more or less in my honour, I knew immediately that I would hate it. Too many sparkling things; floors, dresses, hairdo, mirrors, chandeliers, drinks, teeth, everything possessed an annoying, headache inducing sparkleness. It was crowded in the main chamber. A polished dark woman was crooning into a microphone, every other female drew a perfume aura around her that made me dizzy. I planned on working my way towards the open doors to the veranda, but I was held back by more crowdedness

Thank god, the official part was over, where my praise had been sung by that perversely rich, suntanned idiot; George Couvett. I thought from the moment I met him that he was one of the biggest, most pompous pricks I had ever met, but his fee (topped up with a nice bonus, if I solved the case in three months, was too nice to turn down. "The murder of a horse.'' Great! I'd never done that before.

Of course a vindictive mistress was the perpetrator, it was boringly easy. Couvett never thought she would have been able to bring herself to killing the beast (noble or not, a beast it is) she loved so much...Hah, he should have read his classics..a woman scorn..

I had been in a bad mood since a week ago, when Janice told me, I was invited so explicitly, that there was no getting out of this party. For the unblemished name of the National Police force's sake, I had to go. 'But', she added, 'drinks are free and his bar is well stocked.' I intended on getting drunk quickly and took a detour to the bar, instead of the veranda, moving slowly weaving my way through the crowd like a mountain stream through rocks. I ordered two doubles of my favourite whiskey. I took the see-through stairs, which kind of gave me the creeps, to the first floor. I stepped into another large room/hall where dancing was in progress. I amused myself looking at all the too-deliberate sexiness. Although I was entertained, something dark and sombre flowered in my stomach. It could efficiently be extinguished with whiskey, I knew that.

An hour later I was very well on my way, no longer nostalgic, but amusing myself watching the garden from the balcony. It was a large balcony and there were a few other small flocks of people, but in my corner, amongst the palm trees in pots, I rested mercifully alone. I watched the ladies and gentlemen and categorized them. There were a lot of particular types of party-attenders and it was always fun to see if the next gathering would live up to my expectations, or if any surprises would occur. Tonight nothing out of the unusual apart from a young girl, looking like a plain fairy, sweet and innocent. What was she doing here? I brooded over the girl for some time. The party decreased rapidly, not in number of guests but in decorum. I stumbled downstairs to get myself some more whiskey. Janice would not be pleased if I let myself completely go tonight. I found my way back with a new drink and occupied my usual spot. My attention was drawn by the jacuzzi's there was rumour and a lot of people were in the water. Amongst exited shouts a figure rose out of the water, as far as I could see completely naked. Damn foggy water, I wanted to see what was going on. I couldn't see whether it was a man or a woman but I could see all the others were leaning towards it. There was a lot of grabbing going on there, my god, it was going to be that sort of party, a orgies-in-the-jacuzzi sort of party. The drinks felt uncomfortably hot in my stomach, I felt light-headed. What was up with me, since when couldn't I hold my liquor? I felt sweaty and in need of fresh air but, I was outside already, where was I gonna find fresher air? And how could I be in need of fresh air and want to be in the jacuzzi at the same time? I needed to sort my shit out. I poured my last whiskey in the palm tree, wished it cheers and got up to get myself a large glass of orange juice. I looked over my shoulder one last time,

a person with a flash-light was just passing by, on the other side and gave me a full foggy silhouette of the people in it. I saw the same figure, this time I could see it was a woman, slender and gracefully arcing backwards, her nipples pointing at the sky, riding the guy under her. I could imagine what she would look like close-up, her eyes closed, her mouth a little open, freckles on her nose, silky white skin, droplets of sweat on her upper lip...I could see her clearly in my minds eye..a siren calling...i hesitated, should I engage into the sex-party in the jacuzzi's, possibly endanger my reputation and that of the national Police-blah? Who cares? Nobody here cares!

Janice cares. That's what it boiled down to. And who could make my life gritty for at least several weeks? (Or forever, I bet she''d wanted to get rid of me on multiple occasions.) Not that alluring creature in the bathtub, that's for sure.

Boy, was I ever wrong.

the angel

Just as I was served my glass of orange juice at the bar, I ran into that prick Couvett, who was well on his way to wasted town himself and had one fat arm around the fairy, I had not been able to categorize earlier. I looked at them...could it be? I searched for a resemblance but found none. I also skimmed my memory of the case, the meetings, the times (there had not been many) I had been to the house or the stables... If the prick indeed had, as I was beginning to suspect, a lovely-though-bit-plain daughter, why did I not see her at the stable's, grooming her horse, as girls do? Couvett unravelled the mystery by introducing me to his daughter 'Claire'. I got to shake her lifeless little hand while Couvett praised my impeccable detective skills and told me Claire was a model and studying in Princeton on top of it. I looked at the girls haughty, subtly bored pout and thought: '' Yep, perfect for the job, a models face.'' By feigning to be rather urgently in need of a toilet, I got rid of the pompous prick, who threw me a party and his impenetrable daughter. Now the evening seemed without a mystery to solve for me. I leaned on the bar with my orange juice, accompanied by yet another whiskey. I did not quite remember ordering, and looked at the party and the dancing going on, here in the main chamber as well, now. I saw someone on the opposite wall looking back at me. He/she was leaning on one of the three Romanesque pillars supporting the balcony, half hidden in the shade. I could not make out whether it was a man or a woman but it was a rather tall, slender person, dressed completely in soft white. In something that was not a dress, but not a pant-suit either. It contained lot's of cloth but made of a material so light and delicate that it was as if that person was a genderless angel, dressed in feathers, or clouds. Neither of us changed position. We stood there, facing each other, between us a party. I tried to catch a glimpse of the face, but it was almost completely hidden in the shadows. Still I was sure he/she was looking at me. The person stretched a slender arm to the standby table nearby and took a glass that was on it, tilted it's head backwards and took a generous swig. The arm, the graceful movement and especially the tilting of the head, made me think of jacuzzi-girl. But how could it be her? What ever happened to that kinky party in the tub? That could not be over yet, could it? That was about half an hour ago. I looked at my watch: too soon. I was intrigued, the evening seemed to have some magic left in it. I wanted to finish my drink and make my way over there but when I looked up the pillar spot was empty. She was already coming to me. I watched her meandering her way through the groups of guests with an elegance and ease that was quite spell-binding. I wasn't the only one thinking so, I saw people turn wherever she went. I could now distinguish her face, I could still not completely tell for sure whether it was a man's or a woman's face but it was symmetrical , honey blond, slightly curly hair, big eyes, curvy lips, just beautiful, stunning! She cast her eyes on me, not smiling, grey, as far as I could guess by the dim party lights. Until she was actually there, I had not been able to convince myself entirely of the fact that this almost mythical creature was indeed coming for me, had targeted me. I was half expecting her to change direction and steer off to someone else, or linger at one of the groups who had tried to lure her into their midst with cheers and outstretched drinks, or disappear into a little white could, all seemed possible. But there was my angel. Preceded by a whiff of a delicious smell, fresh and zingy like a lime, but a sweet undertone accompanying it, like lilly-of-the-valley...Ah, gorgeous! I was taken aback a bit by my own reaction. I wanted to bury my nose in this person.

"Sergeant detective Mc'Caully?" a husky voice, nearly a whisper. Girl? Boy?

"Yes." I replied, quite loudly, I wanted to steady myself, I felt a bit faint and embarrassed. "How do you know me?"

"I was asked to look out for you. I have a special gift for you, for this evening, courtesy of the host. Would you have a drink?"

"I already have a drink." I pointed at my orange juice and whiskey, the latter of which had miraculously emptied its self.

" Your whiskey could do with some topping up." The boy/girl smiled, took my glass and placed it on the bar invitingly, where it was immediately filled up.

"A special gift?" I said

"Yes" She was looking at her feet that were elegantly packed in silver flatties, "the gift requires you to follow me, it needs a quieter place."

The music was indeed loud and the DJ was gravitating towards oldies and goldies. It would not be long before Meat Loaf or Elvis would enter the building

"Okay" I rather shouted, how could this elvish person nearly whisper and still be perfectly audible to me? she gestured me to follow her and took off, through the crowd again. I followed in her slipstream and in that aura of delicious perfume.

the gift

We weaved through the crowd towards the see-through stairs again, I was intrigued to the max and recklessly drunk. I was now beginning to suspect the gift had to do with sex. Had Couvett send me an expensive whore to end the evening with? But a girl? Had my reputation of preferring the non-obvious seeped through to his environment? Should I care? Or was it an exotic boy he had send me? After all, this person just reminded me of jacuzzi-girl, I had no confirmation of the fact yet...while I was pondering I followed the fluttery white robes. We ascended the large staircase and turned a corner to a corridor, a giggling couple passed us on their way downstairs, another couple whispering in the hall way. She (to me she was still jacuzzi-girl; unless proven otherwise) stopped by a large wooden door with carvings. Everywhere in this house his pompous prick-ness bloomed. She produced a key and pushed the door open, which required some force. Her outstretched arm found a light switch and I stepped in, holding drinks in both of my hand. It was very much a bedroom, not to say a boudoir, it was dominated by a huge canopy bed, with burgundy cushions. I stared at the enormous bed and then turned around at my companion. She ''d closed the door and was leaning against it with her back, her hand spread, her fingers touching the carvings, that were also on the inside of the door. There was a little smile on her face, I couldn't work out whether she was embarrassed a little by the obviousness of the whole scene or otherwise amused.

"I heard you have particular tastes for the bedroom, sergeant detective... I am rather particular."

"How are you particular?" She started untwisting some knot that seemed to be holding her garments together.

"Mr. Couvett is convinced that you like boys as well as girls...is that true?"

I laughed, "so Mr. Couvett is giving me a night with you? The old pervert, he must be thrilled by the idea of two girls in one of his fancy beds!"

She seemed unmoved, the knot was untied but no clothes were falling yet, she looked at me pensively,

"so it is true?"

"Yes, I said quite hot headed, "yes it is very true. Were you going to bring a friend?"

"I won't need to. You seem old enough to remember, you have heard of iconi, haven't you?"

I stared at her, she seemed illuminated, light eyes, slender limbs, genderless, or actually not 'less' at all...'more' I would say. My mouth turned dry. I was absolutely astonished.

"You cannot be serious! I thought you disappeared, all of you!"

She tore away the cloth belt in one swift movement and as I suspected all of her clothing dropped down at once..

Iconi.

A boy/girl. Both-ways.

Shimmeringly beautiful with very white smooth skin, long limbs, perfect breasts..beautiful penis, not erect, but alive. Probably a vagina behind it as well.

I stared for a long time, the iconi stared back, totally unembarrassed to be naked. I took a swig from one of my glasses. I winced for it was sour; the orange juice. I took a swig from the other glass. Eventually I found my tongue,

" Iconi."

" Yes. That's multiple, though, in my case, I would be icone."

" What's your name?'' he froze for a very short moment . Would not many people ask? Would most people just go right down to business?

"Aias."

"Does your passport say you are a boy or a girl?"

" A boy."

"Aha." I sat down on the bed. Aias picked up his cloth, wrapped it around himself and took a step to me.

" I thought it would be quicker showing you."

"It certainly was more dramatic! Are you Jacuzzi-girl? Or are there more of your kind around to spice up the party?" I was being crude, merely by the shock of it all, I think. That son-of-a-bitch Couvett! He did send me an expensive whore to cover every variety of preferences!

Aias smiled a little resigned, "it was me, just me here on this party."

" I thought you had all gone extinct, or undercover. Mr Couvett is very much breaking the law by hiring you and on top of that ordering you to offer services to a cop! How did that seem like a good idea to you?"

He looked at me, his head down, from under his hair, some of the clothes were slipping down his shoulder, still that tiny smile, not resigned, rather sly now.

"You are a special cop. You don't play by anyone's rules. You will, or you will not accept the gift, but you will not condemn me."

Ha! Indeed, that sly creature, touching on my supposed soft spot. My loyalty to the misfit's and the weirdo's.

"Your faith in me is touching."

He sat down next to me on the bed and looked at me with a dazzling smile.

"Isn't it?...now would you like to travel further into lawbreaking territory and wrap me out of these clothes again?"

His hands first hovered then touched my knees with light fingertips. I could feel their warmth, I was mesmerized... I look at those long fingers I can feel his warmth burn right through my trousers, he leans in slowly, that gorgeous face coming closer as in slow-motion, eyes closed, mouth pouting outwards slightly, ready to kiss. I close my eyes. I am a sailor hearing the siren's call. I tuck my lips and lean towards him, our lips touch each other. Ah! So soft! Whole hands on my knees now, not moving but so warm. We sit there on the bed turned to eachother, our lips on eachother. "Hmmmmmn" he hums, I can feel his lips vibrate. Then the lips part, I hold my breath, my heart is beating like a madman on a drumkit , ow, the tension, the tease...any moment now the tongue will come...but no tongue comes..i relish the sensations, I feel her breath into my mouth, I smell her delicious perfume, I feel the warmth of her hands spreading through my body. The soft opening before my lips the knowledge of the waiting tongue in that soft dark hole..I cannot wait any longer and I stick my tongue into it. She sucks me in softly, I am overcome. A little firework explodes in my body, a big one is coming..I pull myself away, gasping for breath. Did I just come? Sort of? Aias sat back, although his hands were no longer there, I could still feel them.

"ooff," I sighed, my voice embarrassingly weak, "what was that?"

"People tend to come quickly." Aias murmured, more to himself then as an answer to me.

"Is that how you worked your way out of the jacuzzi so fast? Make them come quickly?" I felt a hot pang of something, (jealousy?) damn that jacuzzi..the steam the shiny bodies, the figure rising out of it. Aias gazed at me, I couldn't decipher her expression.

"Let's not talk about me fucking other people she said, soft and compelling, "let's talk about me fucking you."" she leaned towards me again, shuffling closer, so our knees touched eachother, with one hand she stroked a strand of hair out of my face and touched my jaw with her fingertips,

"what would you like me to do to you, sergeant?" her face was very close now, I could feel a puff of every word on my face. I closed my eyes, I longed to make love to that person more than anything, at that moment, I had, over the last half hour or so, very rapidly fallen in love. Or lust, I find it hard to tell the difference. Especially when drunk.

"I really, really regret but I can not." I sighed, "I must go home as soon as possible. I will be getting myself into all sorts of trouble. Really..I must decline."

the fingers stopped stroking my face, the presence of a near body retreated I opened my eyes, Aias was no longer very near, but sat back on the bed and looked at he with that pensive gaze again.

"I am sorry. I wish it wasn't Couvett's party. I wish he didn't hire you or pay you. I wish you weren't illegal. I am sorry. I won't accept the gift. But I won't rat you out either."

An amused smile passed over his face but made way for the pensive gaze again, what was he thinking? He should not be disappointed now, should he? I am just one you don't have to fuck. Or maybe this party is not over for him, and I was just a welcome break from the group thing.

"I could sneak out and let you have the room for yourself for a while..if you need a break or something?"

he got up, his movement were like liquid, as if his limbs contained no bones like ours, more flexible, less solid, somehow. The smile was back on his face, not an amused grin, but a kind, almost tender smile.

"Don't worry about me sergeant Mc' Caully, I never need a break. I will declare your non-cooperation to Mr. Couvett, that should keep you out of trouble."

he laughed irony was twinkling in his eyes, he'd heard about me and my getting into trouble. Hmpf.

He suddenly leaned over and kissed me on the cheek,

"don't be sorry, I should be sorry for asking you, I am looking forward to meeting you under different circumstances" he whispered in my ear, his mouth so close to me gave me another shiver..and whoosh, he was by the door, magically produced the keys again (are there pockets in all these cloth? How does one find them?) stuck it inside the keyhole and was off.

Immediately my body started aching, a dull throb. Dammit dammit . Hush ovaries. He/she is no reproduction material (how right was I) Way out of my league. Forget him and his her gorgeous, naked, two-sexed body, forget it! I noticed half a whiskey, poured it inside myself and stumbled off, leaving the key where Aias had stuck it. Although getting out of the house must have been a tedious struggle through people and coats I don't remember much of it. My head was full of Aias, I cursed myself I had declined the gift, silly cow, I wanted him to ask me one more time... I do remember standing on the large driveway fumbling my phone out of my pocket to call a taxi when my hazy eye spotted a blinking motel-sign, about a quarter of a mile away. That was doable. Music pumped from the open terrace doors into the garden. I took a deep breath full of cool night air and tottered on my way.

I still, sometimes am not absolutely sure that I really did see you again that very same night, or that I dreamed it. "She only got one half of her head on her shoulders," my dad used to say," the other half is in the clouds." So I am suspicious.