so will they finally find the killer? of course they will! let's see/read how ;)
Chapter 20 – Opportunity
After the first few awkward nights, Gail gained more confidence in her moves and tactics and it was not hard to make people talk, both men and women. Alas they still had no answers. During the last four weeks no one was found dead nor kidnapped, but what happened to those already missing women nobody knew. Nor Priscilla's new friend could sniff a thing in the journal history.
Traci did a great job at the background but the only thing they got out of files was a name of Jamie Wyatt and that man was over eighty years old, living at Toronto's sanatorium.
"What a weird Friday," the manager complained, looking around the almost empty club.
"Maybe we need some excitement to attract new people, like a new advertisement or something," Priscilla said, polishing glasses and preparing the bar.
"I am open to any idea."
"Well, free drinks, new leaf letters about some event –"
"More naked girls," Gail suggested, leaning on the bar and snatching for a bottle of water. Francisco looked from one woman to the other and smirked. "What?" she wondered.
He just shook his head, typing something in his computer. "Go back to your place."
The constable shrugged, took her bottle and left. Few minutes later, she heard her music which was her clue to get ready, so she got dressed in the furry white winter coat and stepped on her podium. What a surprise it was for her to see no one else than her working partner sitting on the customer's sofa, leaning against her left arm on an armrest while the right one was leisurely placed on the backseat. She tilted her head at Gail and raised her eyebrows. The blonde did a few spins around the pole until her companion/customer gestured her to come closer. In a cat walk she descended the stairs from the podium unbuttoning her coat. The undercover police worker leant forward resting her hand on her friend's knees. "What the hell?" she whispered.
"Not my idea, even though it's not a bad view," Priscilla grinned. "Just keep going."
Gail looked up to the manager who sent her thumbs up and a wide smile. She looked back at her colleague mirroring her grin. "So, any special desires?"
"Just have fun," the older woman kept grinning. "Well, according to your rising body temperature you already have. Maybe you should take off the coat not to get overheated."
The blonde laughed gently. "Two can play this game," she said sultry and climbed on her partner's lap and unbuttoned Priscilla's royal blue vest. When she completed her task she started moving in seductive waves, shaking off her coat. Seeing the eyes colour changing into emerald green, she leaned to her colleague's ear. "Obviously you like what you see."
"I do. Still for a stripper you are overdressed," Priscilla enforced her teasing.
Gail felt herself getting uncomfortable, seducing her friend whom she knew for long enough, yet still was not sure what to think about her, but the stripper refused to give up to the teasing. After all she had an advantage of the club's policy. "Let's see about that," she smiled evilly and started working on opening her companion's white shirt, revealing simple yet elegant white push up bra and toned abdomen.
"I see you are getting bold," the brunette commented the action. Gail's smile spread wider and she run her fingers along the ribcage from the hips up to the breasts which made her partner take a deep breath and the muscles to shiver and tighten under the gentle touch. They kept their eyes locked as the younger officer reached the hem of the white bra and run her fingers down through the middle of the abdomen, lightly scratching the soft skin and watching the eyes change into shining green colour. "You tease," said Priscilla letting out the breath she had been holding during her colleague's ministration. They both started chuckling.
"May I join you?" someone asked sitting on the sofa. Both women looked up as some man in late thirties almost drooled over them, holding a stack of bills.
Priscilla leaned close to the blonde's ear whispering, "Fun's over, back to work."
"Make my drink extra strong… or his," whispered Gail back and stood up from her partner's lap.
"So kind sir, what would it be?" asked the older police woman back into the bartender mode while closing her shirt and vest. "Sex on the beach, Heat of the night, Russian on the rocks?"
"Whatever this lady has," the man replied, watching Gail with hungry eyes.
The said blonde glanced around, noticing that the club was getting full. Francisco showed something to Priscilla on his computer and pointed to the entrance. The older officer punched his shoulder playfully, shaking her head. Gail looked down at her customer and sent him a sweet yet fake smile. Yeah, back to work.
The young woman could not believe how much men liked to brag about themselves, she did not even ask and a businessman told her about his successful career and offered her MDMA. Immediately he was cuffed by one of the guards who turned out to be a detective from a drug squad. He discreetly flashed his badge and took the businessman aside to search him, even the rest of police force scanned the house of the guilty man and they did find supplies, but no luck with missing women.
"This sucks," sighed Gail once they returned to their flat. "I so hoped we got him."
"Yea, me too. I can't believe we still don't have the culprit. It has been two months." Priscilla sighed and lied on the floor looking at the black ceiling.
"And another three before."
"We know who we are looking for, but cannot find them. Two dead bodies, here, three missing girls and still nothing. Statistically something must happen soon."
"At least we know he is still here, unless the victims are already under a maple tree and he took off."
"They say patience is a virtue… I totally disagree."
"Hmm. Damn, I am so tired. Hey, why did Paco want me to lap-dance you?"
"He filmed it and sent it to the plasma TV they had by the entrance. Obviously your display attracted some people after all."
They took a quick shower and went to bed. The next day they both had a day-off. Patricia visited but unfortunately she had no news about missing women, nor did their detectives or other undercover police workers.
"There is something we are missing," commented Gail. She searched through all the notes they had for umpteenth time.
"Gay bar!" yelped her companion.
"What?" the blonde turned her head to her partner.
"Yes, if the killer is a woman. But I need to clear my mind," Priscilla stood up and offered her hand to her friend. "I got some tips from the club."
"Hey, it's bad enough I have to lap-dance other people. I am not going to get hitch at a bar."
"For heaven's sake, Gail. Just because you cheated once on your ex, does not mean you are supposed to do it again. Just let's have fun, make new friends, enjoy the youth."
At the end the blonde took the offered hand and stood up. They refreshed themselves and dressed up, ready to hit the night. To be honest, it was a nice bar, nothing big but since it was Saturday there was a lot of people. The two women sat at the bar looking around sipping their first drink.
"Why did you become a police worker?"
Priscilla laughed at the question. "You won't give it a rest."
"Nope when you are willing to share. We met each other almost a year ago and I still don't know much about you."
"As I told you before, it was a deal between me and Judge Stewart."
"What kind of deal?"
"Hey, you are not interrogating me."
"No, just having a casual conversation to get to know you." Even in the dim light Gail could see her friend's eyes sparked the clearest blue she had ever seen in her eyes. "What is your story with the Stewarts?"
"I attended a public school and Holly the opposite building of a private school. So we knew each other by sight. One afternoon I saw her walking alone and since my foster brother and my some-kind-of-a-boyfriend were behind a corner waiting for their next bully victim I ran after her. I told those idiots off and accompanied Holly home. Since then we spent time together outside during breaks and after school. You see, I loved science myself. When my parents were alive I use to dream about being a famous science doctor, saving the world or explaining some difficult laws of physics. But my parents died when I was twelve and my brother had to stay actually here in Ottawa studying Economics. So I was sent to the foster care and my dreams went out of a window. Anyway we became friends, Holly and I, we had fun, enjoyed the life just like any teenagers. It was one day that I can remember like it happened today, when one of my 'friends' offered me fifty bucks to deliver a box to one of his friends. You see, I worked as a cleaner in a fast food and fifty bucks seemed great. I did not have to do anything just deliver the bloody box, so why not take the job, right? I tell you why. Because one of those friends of his was a police officer and the box was full of weed. And troubles started. Of course no one believed me, who would believe a child from the street, so foster parents kicked me out and I spent my time behind bars until Judge Stewart came to me. He said that he valued his girl and if I was half the person like she had spoken about I would take his deal. He would clear me of all charges, offer me a roof above my head and I would go to the police academy. So I took it immediately. And do you know what the best part of it was?" Gail shook her head but her companion was so deep in her thoughts staring into the liquid in her glass that she did not notice. "That evening, I came to their house, the door opened and Holly pulled me into a warm bear hug. She was crying, but so was I. For the first time in five years it felt like I had home. You see," she looked at the blonde with watery eyes. "She gave me home. Not just a house to survive in or a roof above my head, but real home and good education. The rest of the family invited me in warmly and I became a part of them."
"Why police officer?"
The brunette chuckled. "Because Judge Stewart had always wanted a son who would be in the law enforcement. And since I was a tomboy…"
"Drink to that," Gail raised her glass and they finished their drinks ordering another. Save a pup and it will stick by your side, the younger of them thought, finally understanding the deep devotion between her colleague and girlfriend.
"Ehm," the older woman cleared her throat. "I am going to the ladies, you made me cry," she smiled and left.
A redhead woman sneaked between the vacant chair and the one Gail sat on trying to attract the attention of a bartender. "Why aren't there more of them?" she sighed.
"Obviously you have to drink slowly," commented the officer.
"I am here with my cousin and her teenage sister, believe me I have to drink fast." They chuckled together when the redhead offered her hand to shake. "I am Jessica."
"Gail."
"So what about you? Are you here with someone?"
The constable tensed and chose her words carefully. She was not interested in anybody hitting on her. "Yes. A close friend," she implied in process to emphasise her unavailability.
"Uh huh?" The redhead arched her eyebrows, not believing the statement much.
"She is the best friend of my girlfriend."
"Oh, you have to keep them close. I know that." She showed her ring finger. "I've been married for two years, it was hard to get Joyce's friends on my side."
Gail visibly relaxed, her partner was right, it would not be bad to meet new people. "How did you two meet?"
Jessica leant on the counter and looked ahead losing herself in memories with a silly dreamy expression on her face. "I am a nurse at the Montfort Hospital and five years ago Joyce joined the staff as an intern there. She caught my attention immediately, her wavy golden locks and the greenest eyes. She was always serious about her work and did the best to prove herself. But you know at hospital as any other department, the gossips travel fast and when I heard she was a lesbian I paid even more attention to her. I was curious but also very attracted to her. It was during Christmas party when we had drunk too much eggnog and then she started kissing me. Since that moment I knew I wouldn't want to kiss anyone else. I broke up with my boyfriend and hooked up with Joyce. And believe me I have never been happier," she said with a wide smile looking at the blond companion.
"So she is your first as a girl?"
"First and my last," she said with confidence. "What about your girl?"
"Holly is a doctor too," smiled Gail. Oh, how much she missed her.
"Really? And you? Doc or nurse?"
"Actually –"
Priscilla appeared by her side and the constable was saved from any lies. "Hi," she grinned and her eyes were changing to emerald green.
"Whom have you met?" asked Gail suspiciously.
"Hmm?" she looked back at the dance floor.
"You are all excited, so…?"
"Oh, yea, plenty of nice girls. I'll check in within twenty minutes. Don't go anywhere without me, watch your back, cover your drink so no one can put anything there." And before she left to join the people on dance floor, she pointed two fingers to her eyes and then Gail's.
"Checking in?" wondered Jessica.
"Yeah, just to make sure we know about each other. You know, two tourists in a foreign city."
"Oh, that is sweet. I remember when Joyce's friends took me to the gay bar without Joyce. Darn," she laughed. "It was my first time out without her and I felt like I was cheating just by looking at other girls."
"I know that feeling," agreed the police woman. "So what did you do the whole time?"
"Drink. And the next thing I remember I woke up in a large bed with sexual toys all around me," she grinned. "First I freaked out that I had actually cheated on Joyce but then the door opened and she was there just in a bathrobe." She looked at her companion. "Have you ever used any tools?"
The police worker shook her head. "No. Oh well, once Holly wanted to show me that I didn't lose anything when I decided to switch teams for her. But I threw it away asap."
"Ah," sighed the redhead in understanding and tilted her head. "It was a strap-on, right?" The constable nodded. "Do you think you will be less of a lesbian if you use it?"
"Maybe." It was more about Holly's state of mind that time, nevertheless a stranger did not have to know that.
"Gail, first you don't have to label yourself. Be with whoever you want to be. Just because you are with a woman now does not mean you are a lesbian. Heck, I haven't categorised myself yet and I am married to a woman. It is the same with sexual tools, if you want to use them, just go for it. We all liked toys as kids and we like them now as adults. And there are more options than fake penises."
"Hm."
"Come on, tell me more about that Holly of yours." Gail smiled and eventually admitted she was a part of law enforcement having vacation in the capital so they had more topics to talk about.
Within twenty minutes Priscilla came in and finished her friend's drink. "We have a situation," she said out of breath. "Look over there," she pointed her head towards a tall, slim, tanned woman. "Black hair, chocolate eyes, soft lips, excellent French language skills."
"You don't speak French."
"Different kind of French," she looked her deeply into the cerulean blue eyes until she got the idea. "Yeah, that kind. Anyway," Priscilla lowered her voice, "she has a scent of laboratory and very brief hint of ammonia."
"But you are not blond," replied Gail in the same low voice.
"I might be paranoid, but better safe than sorry, so please call our boys to watch my position. I am heading out with her and I try to question her. Ten minutes."
The young constable felt her heart beating faster of excitement and fear for her friend. It would be great if they could catch the bad guy and go home, it was high time, alas not at all costs. "Be careful, don't go far and ring immediately when something goes wrong."
Priscilla nodded and took off. The blond officer sent a text message to Luke while she also tried to persuade her heart to calm down. The crazy wolf person was not the killer's type. Actually Gail should be more afraid for herself than her colleague.
"Erm, Gail?"
"Hmm?" she looked up at her new acquaintance.
"Don't take it the wrong way, your friend is really pretty but that morena usually picks blondes."
The officer was about to place the glass to her lips when her pulse increased rapidly. "Erm, really? How do you know that?" she asked as casually as she could.
"Well, we chatted with her the other night when I was here with Joyce. She was hitting on her until we showed her our rings. She apologised and we just talked, she said that for her there were no prettier girls than blondes. I would expect her to hit on you, not your friend."
"Well, I never thought I would end up with a woman at the beginning. So what do you know about her?" her heart was speeding up by every seconds.
"She is from South, very intelligent, I guess she said she was a chemists."
"Isn't her name Jamie?"
"Erm, I am sorry I don't remember now."
"Dammit. Jesse, I have to make a call immediately." She retreated from the bar to a corner and called the detective's number. "Luke, where is Priscilla?"
"I was about to ring, her phone went dead."
"And her bug?"
"Close to yours… no wait, actually it disappeared."
"SHIT!" She swore on her way out and looked all over the place outside the bar. "Luke, get your butt in the move because the b-witch got Priscilla."
"What do you mean?"
"Our killer –Jamie Wyatt– is a woman around forty."
"Are you sure? Priscilla is not exactly her type."
"Type or not, she got her."
"Shit," she heard her male friend cursed.
"Luke?"
"I cannot make the connection with her."
Suddenly Gail spotted a broken cell phone of her partner and something else on the ground, she came closer and recognised a syringe. It was empty and there could be seen blood spots which disappeared by the end of the pavement. "Luke, she was stabbed," sighed the blonde who started panicking.
"Gail, calm down and track her."
"'Calm down'? That is your brilliant idea! Half an hour Luke, we have HALF AN HOUR! I don't even have the required skills or a dog."
"Gail, you are the tracker, she trained you, so stop yelling and look around. If it's anyone who can find her, it's you. I am informing the others. Call me when you have something."
The door of the bar opened. It was Jessica with worried face. "You stormed out quite distracted, do you need help?"
"No," she snapped and when the other woman just backed off Gail started thinking fast. "I am sorry, yes, I do. Do you have a car?"
"The red Volvo over there. Do you need a lift?"
"Something like that." Meantime while the redhead was fetching for the car, Gail looked around properly. Luke was right, she was a trained tracker, she must hide her feelings and start thinking like a cop. Looking at the ground again, she realised that the blood drops stopped when some tire tracks of a heavy car appeared. So Priscilla was most likely drugged-poisoned and put into a big car. Suddenly Gail's vision went blur and she could see clearly only the tire tracks.
Jessica stopped by her side, but the blonde walked around the car and took the driver's seat. Before she got in, she had remembered some more people who could help. She bent her head backwards and shouted, "HEY SNIFFERS, YOUR ALPHA IS IN TROUBLE!"
Her new companion raised her eyebrows but Gail shrugged it off and took the seat. She followed the only clear vision she had that time. In the car there was a pregnant silence but there were so many thoughts that she did not know how to explain. Obviously the other passenger felt that too.
"Once this is over, you can explain. Right now let's find your friend. Is there a connection to the missing persons and the murder under that maple tree or the dead woman in the container?" asked the nurse.
"Yes." It was all the constable said and then pulled out her phone and put it on speaker. "Luke, the tracks are heading up to the river. It should be a big vehicle, jeep or van."
"Alright, I am sending the units there. Where exactly?"
"I have no idea, I am just following the tracks. Hey, can you make a multi phone call? Can you get Holly on the phone?" There was a weird sound and beeping but the blonde let it go.
"Yeah?" came Holly's sleepy voice from the receiver.
"Hi honey, sorry to wake you up, but did you find out how to neutralise the drug?"
"We have an idea but it is not perfect. What's happening there? Is Priscilla alright?"
"We still have time and she is strong. Just tell me what to do."
"Gail, this is a very bad wakeup call… alright," her breathing was shallow, but surly her nerdy brain kicked in. "You will need some medical equipment like –"
"Wait a moment," said Jessica calling someone. "My wife is a doctor, she can prepare the things you will need – Yes, hi sweetie – No, I feel completely sober right now. Listen we have a patient here who is obviously deeply poisoned – No, please, this is the situation when you do now and ask later. I don't know much myself but there are cops involved, so listen to them, please. I put you over with the other doctor. Holly?" she pressed a button on her phone. And put it next to Gail's.
"Yes?"
"Joyce, can you hear her?"
"Yes. What do you need me to do?"
The doctors exchanged most of the geek talk in Latin, but the officer hoped they would be able to help. They could have less than twenty minutes left before the drug would kill her friend, mentor and trainer. Somewhere behind she heard the sirens and police units were gathering around. Her eyes were set on the road and she noticed they were crossing a bridge. It seemed that the doctors ended their medical dialog, because her companion hung up. "Luke?" she called to the silence of her phone.
"Wait a minute, I have Traci on the other line. Hey, Traci, what do you have?"
"We found the murderer," it was Traci's voice and she was rushing somewhere. Obviously the detective put her on a multi phone call. "It is Jamie Wyatt, female, 42, four weeks ago she bought a house in Gatineau, Rue Joanisse after spending two weeks in hotel Quality Inn."
"Good job, Nash. I am sending units there," praised the blond detective.
"Actually good job Epstein, I just finished his work."
"Gail, did you get that?" asked Luke.
"Yes, we are crossing a bridge now, call Collins to bring vests and guns." The cow is a dead woman, Gail thought, intending to reach the destination the fastest way possible.
thank you for reading!