Beautiful No More

by MJ Nightingale

  Andreas muted the television. His eyes narrowing on Nikko. “Angela, Now,” he called forcefully.

  “What’s going on?” Nikko asked nervously, standing up as Angela came with a disgruntled look on her face. She didn’t like being yelled at especially when clients were in the office.

  “What?” she snapped.

  “Get Michael on the phone. I want the name of this Tampa Madame.”

  “Don’t yell at me,” she snapped back. And just as loudly. “And, I’ll do better than that. She is sitting in the office.”

  “What?” Andreas barked as Nikko looked back and forth between the two and then peered out the open door at the stunning brunette rising from her chair in the outer office. He was trying to play catch up. It wasn’t going so well.

  “The Tampa Madame is here to see you, sir.” Angela backed out as Catarina Stone entered the office. Her petite frame gracefully walked past Nikko as she entered. She wore perfectly tailored navy dress slacks and a white silk blouse, a strand of fresh water pearls at her throat. She looked like a trophy wife, and not a . . . pimp. Andreas stood there speechless.

  “May I have a seat?” she asked, still standing. “I am here to hire you. I need your services.”

  Andreas, still in shock, was speechless. It was Nikko who recovered more quickly. He pulled out the chair. “Please do. We aim to serve.”

  Catarina ignored the younger man’s quip and did not even give him a passing glance. It was this man she was here to see. It was this man’s services she required. She was about to blow his mind if he found the courage to speak.

  Narrowing his eyes at her, he wet his lips with a stroke of his tongue and finally found his voice. “Sit,” he indicated the chair with a head tilt and a raising of dark eyebrows.

  He had the most striking face on any man she had ever seen.

  “Madame,” he added. Her grey eyes narrowed into thin slits revealing nothing to him but a slow simmering anger.

  “Catarina. Cat Stone.” She reached her hand forward and he took it without any hesitation.

  Both of their hands burned.

  Chapter 7

  The Tampa Madame

  “Well, Miss Stone?” At her nod, he continued. “What can I do for you?”

  She cleared her throat before speaking and crossed her legs. He noticed the movement but kept his eyes on hers. They were steely, with flecks of silver. Very unusual.

  “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but it appears you were looking for me as well.” She was referencing his demanding Angela to find out her name.

  “Thank you for saving me the trouble. Yes, I am interested in this case.” He didn’t want to give too much away.

  She couldn’t help but admire the man’s focus. He didn’t want to reveal too much. And she didn’t want to waste time. “I think you might be more than just interested. The man has killed three of my girls. I believe from my own research that you have experience catching sociopaths.” At his clipped nod, she went on. “I will need you to track him down, and bring him to justice.”

  “And why would I want to do that?” he pronounced the words carefully.

  “After I tell you what I have to say, you may think otherwise.”

  “Go on then.” His curiosity was more than piqued. This stunning creature before him who didn’t look to be older than twenty-five, appeared like a professional business woman, but was a self-admitted Madame. He was a good judge of character, but her eyes revealed nothing.

  “I run an escort service. Not a whore house, despite what the news people have dubbed me. I have run this business for six years in the Tampa Bay area. I am thirty-one.” She noticed the slight lifting of the man’s eyebrows. She knew she appeared younger and always got that reaction when her age was broached. “The three victims of this serial killer worked for me at one time. The last was a current employee. Amber was graduating this year and then her service would have been terminated.”

  “Terminated?” he questioned.

  “Despite the spin the press may decide to put on this, I am what I say I am. I run an escort service. My girls are not prostitutes, and I . . . am not a whore.”

  Her words were spoken evenly, but he heard the occasional enunciations, the strange inflections, and a subtle accent, but pretended not to notice.

  She continued. “I want to hire you to catch this killer, and of course clear my name and business. I run a legitimate operation.” As she spoke, he heard the accent somewhat more. He could not place it. Something European.

  “That’s not quite the work I do,” he started.

  “But you wanted to find me? Why?” she interrupted and went on when he leaned forward towards her across the desk. She watched him draw his hand across the bristles along his strong jaw. He was interested. She knew. And she knew why as well. The man targeting her girls had killed before. She didn’t know why he was targeting her girls, but she had her suspicions, which she planned to share with him. “I’ve done my research and that is why I am here. You use to be employed as a detective, and your specialty was sex crimes. Violent sex crimes. This is clearly a sex crime. I also know that you caught three serial killers while working in Manhattan. You were touted, by your captain, as a rising star, and were slated for advancement until your unforeseen ‘retirement’.”

  “Like I said, it’s not what I do anymore.”

  “You still work for the PD on occasion. They call you in for your expertise at times, and you have done work for several well-known and respected attorneys. Bail and Bonds is what your brothers do. You do more.”

  “Okay, so why me? What makes you think I want to catch this guy?”

  “You are the best at what you do. Or were,” she corrected. “But this man who is targeting my girls has to be stopped. I believe he has a similar MO to a serial killer you were investigating in New York and he got away.”

  Her statement took the wind out of him. The news reports had not claimed it was Romeo. Yes, he had his suspicions, but her claim took him by surprise. He was up out of his seat in a flash and rounded his desk to approach her. She too, got up, and he saw a moment of panic in her eyes before the steel was back in them. She stood tall and stopped backing away, standing all five foot five of her. On her three inch heels, she didn’t back down.

  The moment of panic in her eyes had stopped him cold. “What is this MO you speak of?” His hands were fisted by his side. Was it Sal? And if so, why was he targeting her girls?

  “He leaves notes at the crime scenes.”

  “What do they say?” he forced himself to not invade her space.

  “Beautiful . . . no . . . more.”

  Andreas closed his eyes. He heard Nikko gasp. Could it be him? After all these years. This information had never been leaked to the press. The PD here wouldn’t have done that either. “How do you know? The police never would have told you that. It wasn’t in the press in New York either.”

  “I found Amber. I was in her apartment last night. She missed an appointment and I was worried. I saw her on the floor in her living room. Her blood was used to scrawl the message across the wall. I researched on line. Serial killers who left bloody messages who had not been caught. I came up with Romeo and then I found you. The detective who almost caught him. I recognized your name right away. You have been mentioned often in the press as of late.”

  The ringing in his ears nearly caused his mind to explode. It brought back all those messages he had seen. The crime scenes he had investigated. His mother’s blood.

  He began to shake and had to sit. He turned from her and walked back around to his desk, but turned around to face her. “Why you?”

  “I don’t know. That’s why I am here.”

  A thousand thoughts were running through his head right now, but one was prominent in his mind. He could not let this chance slip through his fingers. If it was Romeo, Salvatore Mazzelli, he could not lose this opportunity. And if he was back, why was he targeting her? Or perhaps, he was using her to get to him. He needed to
hear her story, and get as much information from her as he could. Sal possibly had her in his sites, and he knew he wanted to catch him. He would have to keep a close eye on her.

  He smiled to ease the tension in the room. It did nothing to still the inner turmoil he was experiencing, but this might be his one and only chance to catch the man who had murdered his parents. “Please sit.”

  “You’ll take my case?” she asked swiftly.

  “I’ll take the case.”

  She sat.

  “Now tell me everything you know.”

  * * *

  Three hours later, Andreas was interrupted by Angela coming in to his office. Miss Stone had left an hour ago. He had dug right in and began his own research. Miss Stone had been reluctant to give up her own past when asked. She told him she had come to the United States when she was 19 from Amsterdam and settled in Clearwater. After business school, she moved to Tampa and started her escort service. She helped other girls like her who had no one to help them pay their way through school. She did not know why this man was targeting her girls. She believed she was just the unfortunate one who had taken his notice possibly due to her proximity to him.

  Andreas admitted the likelihood that it could be a possibility. The woman had done her research, and knew the killer had a vendetta against him. That much was public knowledge after all.

  She provided him with a list of her girls, all those who worked for her currently, and all those who were past employees. He would need some extra hands on this case. He could not protect them all, but he was sure the police would be monitoring their activities. She also told him that she had informed her girls of the possibility that the serial killer may target them. Many had gone underground or took an extended vacation. Her five current employees were given a bonus and told to take a vacation as well. She had closed shop until the holidays were over or the serial killer caught and had cancelled all her appointments. She wanted no more blood on her hands.

  He mentally went over parts of their conversation from earlier.

  Most of her girls took classes on line and could do that from anywhere. She had a few dates to attend to for her best clients. But, other than that, all her girls were safe.

  Andreas didn’t get much information when he asked about her security and finding out she lived in the same apartment building as Blaze and his wife did not ease his mind. They all needed to be out of the place. When he suggested that, she was adamant and would not be displaced. So, he made arrangements for a security company to check out her apartment.

  His work this past hour had given him nothing. He knew no more of Catarina Stone than what she had been willing to reveal. Her internet footprint was invisible. No pictures other than what he could pull up on the DMV site. She didn’t even have a Facebook account. Her name appeared as graduate of USF business school. No yearbook photos or clubs. The girl had been given a student visa and had become a citizen of the country shortly thereafter. That’s it. That is all he could find.

  He was about to make some calls when Angela interrupted him to remind him of his appointment. He glanced at the clock and knew he had to get moving or he would be late.

  “Angela, call all of my brothers. Have them meet me for dinner tonight at my place. All of them, bring their wives, and Johnny.”

  She arched an eyebrow at him.

  “It’s very important.” She nodded as he walked past her and down the hallway to the back parking lot.

  If Romeo was back, keeping them safe was just as important, if not more, than finding him.

  Catarina Stone may be a victim, an innocent caught up in Salvatore Mazzelli’s sick decade long vendetta, but his family, what was left of it, was not going to be the bait. He wanted them with him. Until this nightmare was finally over.

  Chapter 8

  Family Meeting

  “Are you fucking jerking my chain?” It was Gio. Johnny was already ensconced upstairs in one of the guest rooms playing video games. “You really think it’s Romeo?” He was pacing, wearing a hole in the rug. A tense Lisa still sat at the dining room table sipping her glass of wine. Everyone was quiet, contemplative, or shocked into silence by Andreas’ news.

  Blaze was standing behind Bella who was absently rubbing her slightly protruding belly. She was just four months along. “Maybe Bella and I will go to Tennessee.” Bella reached up and clasped her husband’s hand.

  “No. You will stay here. You’re all staying here.” His eyes glanced around the room making contact with every member of his family. “We will be safer in larger numbers and we are going to hardwire this place like Fort Knox. It’ll be crowded, but together we are stronger.”

  “Absolutely.” That was Nikko. He too was standing, and Ronnie was beside him. She was nodding her assent.

  “You really think it’s him?” Gio was the one to be expressing everyone’s doubt.

  Andreas had to be honest. His hand combed through his thick dark hair. “I’m not sure yet G. But the notes, the bloody message. No one knew about this. No one.”

  “Someone could have found out. Someone digging in the files. Someone else who hates us.” Gio didn’t want to believe it. But, he didn’t want to be stupid either. He wanted to look at this thing from all the angles.

  “It’s a possibility. It could be a copycat. But, I’m not willing to take a chance.”

  “I hear you, man.” Gio looked across the room to Lisa. She gave him her consent. “Okay, we are moving in I guess.”

  He knew his brothers would eventually see it his way, and he was glad they were in agreement on this. “Good,” he pronounced. All eyes looked to Andreas and they saw the relief there.

  “If it’s him,” Blaze asked, “Why is he resurfacing now?”

  Ronnie spoke up. “If he has been keeping track of you, he sees you are all happy. He is not.” It was a suggestion.

  Nikko chimed in. “What are you doing in the woods all day? You should have been a detective.”

  She gave her husband a smile. “There are enough of those in this family. Well, former detectives, but human nature is not that different from animals. We all have basic needs. The need for love and nurturing. This man hasn’t had it. What he had was taken away. When you were all miserable bachelors like him he left you alone. But now . . .” The rest of her sentence didn’t need finishing.

  “How does Catarina fit into the picture?” Gio asked, still perplexed as to why he was only attacking her girls. He had gone back to the table and joined Lisa.

  “I’m not sure how she fits. Like I said earlier, I am not sure it’s him, but three of her girls are dead. Three is not a coincidence. She is either an innocent caught up in our mess, or she is linked somehow. I just don’t know. Yet.” Andreas had felt a connection with the beautiful woman. He also had a sense, a feeling, that Romeo targeting three of her girls was important. He just couldn’t put his finger on it yet. He needed to keep digging into her past. Maybe there was a former connection.

  “Do you think he could have been a John to all three?” Nikko asked, focusing on the present. “He attacked a couple of prostitutes in New York.”

  Andreas was shaking his head. “Could be. She won’t give up her client list. Miss Stone is adamant it’s not one of them. She has researched them all. They are high end clients who want to protect their privacy.” Andreas scratched his head before continuing. “And that wasn’t Romeo’s style. The girls he killed before were mostly from the streets. I just don’t see him as a public figure who would have access to these girls.”

  “But, you said Cat was helping these girls stay off the streets. Maybe he knew them then.”

  Andreas nodded once more deep in thought. “I don’t think so either. She is the key. What are the odds of him knowing three girls before they began to work for her?” The room remained silent as the group contemplated that. He walked across the room, and then expressed another one of his concerns. “I can’t rap my head around something else. These three vics aside from working for Cat were not
like the six in New York. Those girls were all average build, long dark hair, and from the street. These new Vics were all lookers, one short, two tall. Two were blond, one Hispanic. Something isn’t right. There is no commonality. No common thread other than their profession.”

  “So, we’re back to thinking it’s a copycat killer?” Blaze asked. The frustration in his tone was evident. Things just weren’t adding up.

  “My gut says no.” He paused looking around the room. “But you’re right. Something is just not adding up. We are missing some serious pieces of the puzzle.”

  Gio sighed and scratched the scruff on his face. “There are some similarities, I agree, but a lot of differences. I don’t know, Andy. Maybe you just want it to be him.”

  Andreas glanced at Gio furtively. He did want to catch Romeo, but his gut was telling him it was him. His instincts rarely steered him wrong. “Gio, it’s just a feeling. But, no, I can’t be sure. Still, I want you guys close until we figure this out.” His tone was becoming increasingly commanding. He wouldn’t allow arguments about that.

  “Of course. We aren’t going anywhere. I think we all know for the time being, this would be the best move for all of us.” Nikko walked towards his brother and gave him a one armed quick embrace.

  “Thanks,” Andreas voice came out like gravel. “I know your wives were not his typical choice, but it seems like he is changing. I want you safe. All of you. I think figuring out why he is going after other types is important too. This is something we need to think more about. Why is he going after them?”

  “Because of me,” came a voice from the hallway doors leading into the dining room.

  All eyes turned towards the entryway and then back towards Andreas. Catarina Stone, in a chic silver cocktail dress, stepped into the light. Gio’s chair scraped against the marble in his haste to get up. All conversation died as everyone took in the beauty who swept into the room.