Author's Notes: So I'm back again. Go figure right? I finally got this thing edited and fixed to a point where I'm semi-happy with it. I don't think I'll ever be totally satisfied with my work but yeah it's done. Now we're getting into some bulk of what's going on here. Tell me how you think it is...whether there is some information missing on the background that you would like to know etc. I think some stuff is pretty obvious without the words being said but that's probably because I wrote it and I know what's going on. Let me know if I'm completely off base yeah? As always I'll see what I can get edited and how bored I get as to whether or not the next chapter will go up today or tomorrow. My wife is home for lunch so more than likely it will be tomorrow since I have to run errands but we'll see what happens when I get back. I'm quite pleased with the amount of e-mails I keep getting about people wanting to know when this thing updates and such but I would like some more people telling me what they think. So yeah thanks to those that have left reviews. It really helps to get feedback on whether or not to keep this thing going or just let it die.
Chapter 5:
The next day found both Olivia and Elliot making their way to Cabot's office around lunch time.
"Wonder what we did this time?" Olivia said aloud knowing exactly what they were being called here for.
"Gee I wonder." Elliot muttered even though they both knew damn well what they were being called in.
"Get ready for the reaming." Olivia spoke softly as soon as they saw Alex's door come into view.
She lifted her hand and knocked waiting until Alex's low voice told them to enter. She took a breath and moved forward pushing the wooden door open and entering.
"Good morning Detectives. Or should I say Good afternoon?" Julia's voice rang out. She and Alex were currently sitting on the couch. "I never know what to say in this country. In Japan it's much easier."
"Well why don't you move back there?" Olivia muttered.
"Because I work here. Why else would I be here?" Julia asked hearing what Olivia muttered. She smiled at her. "So I heard you two went to the Skyline looking for information on me yesterday? And you got stone walled."
"Underwood called you?" Elliot asked moving to pull one of the chairs that faced Alex's desk towards them. He didn't sit immediately just watching her.
She shrugged. "Well yes. Why wouldn't he?"
"Lady what sort of game are you playing at?" Elliot asked his temper immediately flashing.
"No game. Sit down and we'll talk. I assume you brought the file on the case?"
"Didn't know we needed it." Olivia responded this time.
"Well you don't but it would be helpful for me to see what I'm dealing with."
"How about we just tell you instead?" Olivia offered. "Once you tell us what we need to know." She added.
Julia nodded, "That's agreeable. So what sort of questions can I answer for you?"
"The mark on her shoulder. It's our only lead and we need to know what it means." Elliot sat down his legs spread as he laid his arms on his knees leaning forward to look at her intensely.
Olivia moved a chair and sat down as well seeing as the couch was occupied by the other two women. She watched as Julia reached up pulling the clip that had been holding her long red hair back and up from her hair letting it tumble down her shoulders in slightly curled waves. She set the elaborate hair piece in her lap folding her hands there before she took a breath. She released it slowly and finally spoke.
"I ask that the information I give you be kept solely to your investigation. If it got out what I'm about to tell you it would ruin more than one person's reputation. I've asked Alexandra to keep it from court and she's agreed. I'll help you find your killer but not at the expense of innocent people."
"Lady that woman was innocent!" Elliot exploded.
"You will not raise your voice to me Detective. Or I will walk out of that door and you'll never find me." Julia's voice turned cold as she spoke to him.
"Can you please just tell us what you know?" Olivia asked softly trying to diffuse the situation even though she was just as angry as Elliot.
"The mark you're asking about. It was the shape of a mask right? It wasn't a whole mask. More like a half mask done in what you would typically see at Mardi Gras correct?" Julia looked at Detective Benson to answer when she nodded the affirmative she continued. "Yes it's them all right. Years ago the BDSM society was different than it is now. Particularly the people you've stumbled upon. The Decadence isn't an ordinary BDSM club. It's very selective of its members, only high powered individuals would be accepted. Discretion was a must. After all it could ruin many a reputation if it were revealed that this even existed you see. "Here Julia hesitated before she finally began to speak again. "My Grandfather was a founding member. He introduced my father who ran it until he passed away and my mother moved to Japan to work. I took over when he died. I was sixteen. Now for anyone that didn't know me they didn't know how one so young could handle it but I had good people around me who helped and I never got involved in anything that was considered illegal though I would help set things up and do things that needed to get done."
She took a breath and Alex rose to her feet retrieving a water bottle which she handed to Julia. She gave her a small smile and took a sip before she continued. "When I turned eighteen I began to participate more. Planning events, participating in events, everything. I was able to run everything quite happily until I decided I wanted to go to college. I finally decided it was best to leave it in the hands of a dear friend who to my knowledge still runs it to this day."
"That doesn't explain about the mask." Elliot interrupted.
"I'm getting to that Detective. Be patient. Apart of the Decadence Culture is a heavy focus of hiding the face the world knows and letting loose your true face. Hence the Masquerade Ball that always takes place each year. At the Masquerade certain men and women choose whether or not they wish to belong to the Decadence as a whole. Not just to one specific Master or Mistress. If they choose to do so they can leave at any time of their own free will and never have to worry about it ever coming back to them. If they choose to stay after so many months of service they're offered a permanent position which is when they would be tattooed. It's always done at the Masquerade. It's an honor to wear that mark. It's very sought after or at least it was."
"So they're wearing signs that say FREE SEX here huh?" Elliot was disgusted by what he was hearing.
"Do you always see things in Black and White Detective? Sometimes things are all shades of gray." Julia said with a small smile. "Anyways to answer your question no they aren't free sex slaves for whomever. They can refuse, they can say no. They can fight back if things get too rough for them. They're merely not allowed to seek out another. Let the person come to them and if they don't want to they don't have to. They're never drugged, drunk or anything of the sort. In fact Decadence does very thorough background checks and there is many precautions taken against diseases. It's as safe as it's going to get."
Julia took a sip of her water before continuing once again. "Anyways, all during college I worked as a professional dominatrix. I never told anyone about Decadence until Alexandra brought a girl home that bore that mark. I didn't want her to be involved with them because I'd began to hear things that made me question how it was being ran and that things weren't right like they were before when I ran it and my father before me."
Alex took a breath holding it as she listened she was glad Julia never revealed their relationship merely left it at what it was.
"I haven't been back to any Decadence events nor have I been to the Masquerade in years. I couldn't tell you what they've been doing. When the rumors started I refused to go. I didn't think it was safe and I had more than my own personal safety to consider so I made the decision not go."
"Do you still work as a professional?" Elliot demanded.
"I don't think that's any of your business Detective. Nothing I do is illegal. I can assure you of that."
"So you're telling us that this club, this high roller type organization, they're the ones responsible for this girl's death?"
"I can't tell you if they are or aren't Detectives. I don't know myself. All I know is she was a part of their world and they won't take it lightly if she was killed by someone outside of it. And if it was run as I would've ran it heaven help the bastard who hurt her."
"I have trouble believing this whole thing." Elliot muttered digging happily into his large meaty sandwich. Olivia arched a brow and sighed.
"Yeah I feel the same way but I don't know what else to do."
"What if the whole damn thing is a hoax? I mean what if she's just telling us that to throw us off the case of the real killer?"
"It's possible but then she's got Cabot wrapped so there is no telling if we'll ever get the real story or not." Olivia pointed out a bit bitterly.
She'd noticed throughout the whole meeting the way the two interacted; the way they sat close together, how Alex had gotten her a bottle of water without even asking her. It irked Olivia to no end and made her more than just a little jealous. She sighed taking a bit of her own sandwich.
"Cabot did seem to buy into the whole thing." Elliot agreed. "She looked a bit pale during bits of the story. I don't know though it's such a hard stretch." Elliot made a face as he took a sip of his soda.
"What can we do? Our case is cold as ice. The only lead we've got we're being strung along by some pompous bitch who seems more concerned about playing games with us than actually giving us a response. Our ADA is under her thumb. We can't do anything." Olivia balled a napkin in frustration.
"If this place exists there's got to be a record of it somewhere. Maybe online?"
"It's worth a shot." Olivia agreed though she had a feeling they wouldn't find anything online and they would be right back to where they were before they'd ever met Julia scratching their heads in confusion.
Author's Ending Notes: WOOOOHOOOO! We finally get to some relevant info here. Well at least a bit. Not too much you know? But yeah like I asked before please let me know if you think there is some background missing that you need to understand what's going on. It's not as obvious to me since I know what's going on. And again thanks to those who have let me know their thoughts. I'll try to get the next one up either tonight or tomorrow.