Despite the news of a homicide within the walls of the club, it was still opening when Horatio and Ryan arrived. There were several cars parked in the lot and a line of men waiting outside the front doors. Horatio and Ryan bypassed the line, holding their shields and entered the club. The crime scene tape was still wrapped over the booth, but it looked as though the booth had been blocked for public access altogether. The music was fairly low and the lights were on. Girls walked around the front room, preparing it for the start of the evening. Horatio looked around for a moment, before spotting a familiar face.
Marisol was behind the bar, wiping down glasses. She was dressed in short reddish pink dress. The dress was strapless, yet she had tulle armbands from above her elbow reaching down to her wrists. The crisscrossing of ribbon down the front of her dress reminded Horatio of the lacing of a shirt, or corset. Her dark hair was pulled back with a ringlet around her head. She looked up as he approached.
"Lieutenant, welcome to theme night." Marisol said.
"Marisol, we have a few questions concerning Maggie." Horatio said.
Marisol set the glass and rag down on the counter. "Okay."
"Do you know if Maggie was seeing anyone?" he asked.
Marisol thought for a moment. She shook her head slowly. "No. She wasn't seeing anyone, no boyfriend anyways. She'd mention meeting a man once in a while, but it never seemed to work out because she was always meeting someone knew a few days later."
"I don't suppose she told you their names." Horatio said.
"No. No Maggie was really quiet about that. Especially after Johnny." Marisol said.
"Who's Johnny?" Ryan asked.
Marisol glanced over their shoulders. Horatio noted she was glancing toward the hallway leading to the back. "Look, the clubs already expecting a low count tonight after this morning. Having two cops here isn't going to help us."
"Marisol, your friend was murdered in this very room several hours ago." Horatio said.
Marisol looked away from them. "I know."
"Then help us find her killer." Horatio said.
Her head rose. "I want to. I really do, Horatio. Maggie was the only person that made working in this bearable. And I want nothing more than to put her killer away and leave this place."
"So what's stopping you?"
Marisol leaned closer. "Richard Billings."
"The owner?" Ryan asked.
Marisol nodded. "There's something about him that seems to say, 'You can't leave'."
"What gives you that impression?" Horatio asked.
"Working as a paralegal, you do gain the ability to read people character without really knowing them. And I've read plenty of men like Billings." Marisol explained. "The problem is, you can't arrest him for anything without proof."
"And you don't have any." Horatio finished.
Marisol shook her head. "No, but I know Maggie felt the same way."
Horatio glanced toward Ryan and then back to Marisol. "Did she ever tell you this?"
"Every day." Marisol answered.
"Would you excuse us for a moment?" Horatio asked.
Marisol nodded and returned to her work.
Horatio and Ryan stepped from the counter.
"You think what Marisol's saying is true?" Ryan asked. "Billings is dirty?"
"I do, however we can't prove that." Horatio said.
"Maybe that's why Maggie was killed. She had proof." Ryan suggested.
"But nothing was recovered in her belongings to incriminate Billings." Horatio said. He pulled out his phone. "Calleigh, I want you and Natalia over at Maggie Johnson's address first thing in the morning."
"This place has lockers for the workers, right?" Ryan asked.
"It does indeed, Mr. Wolf." Horatio said. He turned back toward the bar. "Marisol."
Marisol looked up.
"We may be able to look into Billings but we need your cooperation with Maggie's murder." Horatio explained.
Marisol nodded. "Whatever I can do."
"Tell us about Johnny, please." Horatio said.
Marisol sighed. "What a story. Johnny was a bartender here at the club. Now, I've seen plenty of low-life's as a paralegal, but Johnny was a real creep. We'd catch him in our dressing room, acting like he owned the place. He would constantly harass the girls while they were working, especially Maggie. I warned him if he didn't stop I'd go to Billing's. He didn't. Billing's fired him." Marisol explained.
"How long ago was that?" Horatio asked.
Marisol snorted lightly. "That entire set of issues took place the week Maggie and I started. I haven't heard anything from Johnny since. That's also when I started noticing Billings personal low-life details."
"How?"
"After Johnny was fired, Billings took it out on Maggie and I. He always made us open and work till close. We barely got our breaks and our checks were a joke. But it looked a lot harder on Maggie for some reason." Marisol explained.
"You mentioned locker rooms. Does each worker have an assigned locker?" Ryan asked.
Marisol nodded. "Yeah. They're in the back by the office."
"Can you show us?" Horatio asked.
"Sure." Marisol said. She turned from them. "Mark, I'm heading to the back for a few minutes."
Mark looked up and nodded. "Alright, I got the bar."
Marisol walked around the bar. "This way."
Marisol led them through the back hall. They passed the restrooms quickly and came to Billings office. He was sitting at his desk, on the phone. He looked up as the passed him, clearly irritated by their presence, but Marisol kept walking. She led them into the back room.
The locker room was decorated nearly identically as the front room. The walls were dark red and glossed with black. The lockers were set up single file, reaching four feet high. Beside each locker was a vanity mirror, dresser, and chair set. Marisol pointed out Maggie's locker in the line on the right side. She grabbed the combination and started turning it.
"She gave you her combination?" Horatio asked.
Marisol nodded. "My locker was broken into a month ago. Maggie shared her locker with me until mine was fixed." She pulled the lock open.
"Step back please." Ryan said. He slipped the lock from the locker and opened it.
Inside the locker were a number of items. On the hook was a short outfit, a sailor's outfit. Ryan pulled the hanger and outfit from the locker and set it aside. He reached in a found a gather of rope, identical to the one found on the body. Ryan pulled the rope from the locker and bagged it. He turned to Marisol.
"Can you tell me why Maggie has rope in her locker?" he asked.
"It was Maggie's thing. She'd use it all the time in her routine." Marisol explained.
Ryan nodded. He pulled out a makeup kit, duffle bag, and shoes. One by one, he slipped them into labels evidence bags. "Did Maggie ever use anything leather in her routine?"
Marisol shook her head. "No, never."
"Do any dancers use leather?" Horatio asked.
"No, no one." Marisol answered. "Richard prefers that leather be used for theme night rather than every night uses. It's supposed to boost patrons, I guess."
"Was last night leather theme?" Ryan asked.
"No. Theme nights are twice a month, planned weeks apart." Marisol explained.
Horatio watched Marisol's stature. Her eyes were focused on the possessions of her coworker. She was trying to hold back her tears.
"Marisol, you mention that Maggie often had dates, do you know if she kept a day planner?" Horatio asked.
Marisol looked up. She snorted lightly. "Oh yeah. Maggie planned everything in her life."
Ryan reached into her locker and searched for the planner. He pulled his arm out. "There's no planner in there."
Marisol's eyes grew wide and her lips parted in surprise. "What?"
"Does anyone else have the combination to Maggie's locker?" Horatio asked.
"No. Just me." Marisol answered slowly. She knew how bad this looked.
"MARISOL!"
Marisol's head snapped up.
Richard Billings was standing in the doorway of the locker room. "I'm paying you to tend the bar, not entertain the cops. Go do your job."
Marisol sighed and walked out of the locker room.
Horatio turned to Ryan. "I'll be back Mr. Wolf." He turned and walked toward Billings. "Mr. Billings, it would be in your best interest to keep your distance from her."
"Is that a threat?" Billings asked.
"That's a threat." Horatio answered without hesitation. He continued walking through the hall. Marisol was not too far ahead of him. "Marisol."
She turned. "Lieutenant."
Horatio stopped in front of her. "Maggie didn't deserve this, and neither do you."