Twice as Fatal: A Jarvis Mann Detective Novel

by R Weir

  “Roland Langer?”

  “Yes.”

  “And his reasoning to do this?”

  “Because he owns me. I’m his sex slave!”

  Chapter 30

  My whole body shook at her statement; her fear transported across the table and grabbed me. There was little doubt her words rang true.

  “I know what you’re thinking, what she is saying is nuts. But it’s the truth. I swear to God.”

  “I believe you; hard to imagine something like this happening in this day and age.”

  “It can and it did,” Dona answered. “Probably the politically correct term these days would be Indentured Servant with Benefits.”

  I smiled at the expression, though it didn’t seem the politically correct thing to do.

  “Can you give me some background on how this came to be?”

  Dona paused as the waitress returned to see if we were ready to order. I decided an appetizer was all I needed to feed my appetite and ordered some cheese sticks with sauce and another round of beer for Dona, as she had finished hers. I was nursing mine trying to stay alert.

  “Why should I tell you?”

  “Because I can assist you. You are in danger and I doubt you can protect yourself.”

  She glared at me straight on, as I tried to appear reassuring. I was using her, this was for certain, but I could help her, too. At this point how, I wasn’t sure.

  “I grew up here in Denver, but my parents died when I was very young. I don’t remember them at all and there was no extended family to take me in. So, I became a Ward of the Court, part of the foster care system. I moved around a lot; some homes were wonderful to live in and others not so much. Some are in it for the money, but many do care. I didn’t stay in one place long, and without guidance I became wild.”

  She paused when they returned with the cheese sticks and her beer. I devoured one quickly to feed my hunger. She took another long swig from the mug, so far holding off on eating anything. Hard to have an appetite when reliving the past, especially a horrific one.

  “When puberty and the hormones hit, and my body developed, I learned how to use it for my own gain. It was my most valuable asset and my only one. I hung out with older boys when I was fourteen or fifteen and they wanted sex and were willing to pay. At first feeling me up, a hand job or a BJ, but after a while they wanted to go all the way. So I did, and soon I became pretty good at it and even sometimes enjoyed it. It would depend on the guy. Some were good enough to get me off and even wanted me to enjoy myself, and others were only concerned with themselves. As high school came around, my grades fell and I dropped out. I ran away from my latest foster parents with a nineteen-year-old man I thought I was in love with. We stayed in some dump off of Five Points and got by however we could. Pete sold drugs and I used my body like I always did, making money doing what I did best: fucking.”

  Dona stopped and drank down the remaining beer. I’d eaten half of the cheese sticks; being a gentleman, I would leave her the rest. I listened to her hard words and wondered about the kind of life and what it would be like. It was survival in a difficult world many had to endure. Doing what was needed to pay the rent, put food in your stomach.

  “Somehow Pete scored this big gig. He said it was his way in to more money for us, and a better life. It was some party where we’d mingle, make contacts, him with his charm and me with my body. I believed in him for some reason, and cared for the asshole. I was still a child at seventeen, but I was in love and would do anything for him. He was the one, in my eyes…” She paused, seeming to lose her composure. “Seems silly now.”

  “Love blinds us sometimes.”

  I was trying to be supportive. I didn’t want her to shut down. Information was my friend and I needed more clarity. I waved for them to bring another beer. It was loosening her enough to be free with her words. A couple of twenty-something women walked in the front for a late lunch. Their skin-tight jeans didn’t reveal any hidden hardware, so I figured we were safe as they went into the bar area. Their heavy coats might have concealed a machine gun, but I risked it.

  “We met many people there, mostly men of varying ages, from young twenty-somethings to those pushing retirement. There were a few other women there, but it seemed they were working gals like me. It was a competition of sorts: who could land the biggest fish. Some of the men were well known, celebrities and politicians. Others were of questionable stature, Pete told me; men who might advance his pipeline of selling drugs. He needed me to grease the skids, make the rounds as he pointed out a couple of the key people there, introducing me. One stood out and it was Roland. He was older than me, probably around forty at the time, but well-dressed, attractive face, tall and slender, but acceptable. We talked for some time before retiring to another room to get it on. He was forceful, but not above providing me pleasure along with his own. I actually enjoyed myself, and when we were finished, he asked for my name and number, while giving me a couple of C-notes. It seemed likely we would connect again. Afterwards, Pete talked it up with Roland and it seemed they would do business. When the night ended, Pete was walking on stars. We had hit it big, and it was all he would talk about on the drive home.”

  With another frosty mug on the table, Dona tasted a cheese stick, which now was cold. She asked if she could order something else, deciding on Caribbean Salad. I ordered a classic turkey toasted sandwich and ice water to round out the appetizer, and beer.

  “So I’m guessing Pete didn’t hit it as big as he hoped,” I asked.

  “No he didn’t. A couple of days and still no calls, as he waited anxiously. Finally, two men were waiting for us when we got home one day. Two large men who once played football, I’d later learn. They were Roland’s enforcers, who stopped by to say they wanted to speak to Pete in private. So I went inside and after fifteen minutes passed, they came in with Pete, requesting I go with them to see Roland. I looked to him to see what it was all about, but he couldn’t look me in the eye. He said I should go. No goodbye or see you later; nothing. I wanted to change clothes, but they said I looked fine and to come with them. I left with my purse and what I was wearing, and we were off.”

  The food arrived and we both took some bites. The sandwich was good, though not outstanding, filling a hole in my stomach. Dona took down several spoonsful of salad, working around the tomatoes, eating quickly, much like she drove. There was certainly an edge to everything she did.

  “They took me to Roland’s house,” she continued, “a huge place in Highlands Ranch. Beautiful furnishings, expensive art on the walls and fancy entertainment centers in most of the major rooms. The kitchen was all stainless steel, marble and granite, and was immaculate. Upstairs there were more bedrooms than I cared to count, each with their own bathroom, it would seem; a study and library filled with endless books. I got a tour of it all, except for the basement. He would leave it for later. He served me wine and a dinner of shrimp and scallops. He treated me well, and I knew what I was there for. We made love downstairs and upstairs. I was in heaven, so it would seem. I spent the night and the next day when I asked when I would be taken home, he told me, ‘You live here now.’ I asked for an explanation and he stated, ‘He traded you for drugs and cash. I own you. You will do as I beckon. Provide for my every wish and desire, until I deem to set you free’. With those words I was stunned. I asked to speak with Pete, so he said ‘I bought you. He no longer cares to see you anymore.’ I didn’t believe him. He let me call Pete and he basically said to leave him alone; I was Roland’s property.”

  The revelation was raw to the nerves to hear.

  “You were seventeen when he sold you?”

  “Yes.”

  “You protested this. Tried to get away?”

  “I couldn’t. I was never left alone for the next six months or so. If I defied him at all, I was punished.”

  “In what way?”

  “The basement which I had not seen the first night, I learned later was his pleasure and pain room. When
I first saw it, I was shocked by what was down there. He warned me I would find out what would happen if I resisted in any way. It scared me so much I did exactly what he told me to do.”

  “The kind, thoughtful lover was no more?”

  “At times he was respectful, but his anger would get the best of him. He was extremely aggressive sexually—to the point of being domineering. Not only did I need to provide him pleasure, but pleasure for his clients.”

  “How did you react to this?”

  “At first I was totally numb. With enough booze, anyone can get through most anything. It became a way of life for me. It wasn’t all horrible. Better than fucking in the back of a car or a ten-dollar blowjob in a rat-infested alleyway. I had expensive clothes, fabulous food, met rich and famous people, while enjoying the highlife. I even was given money to spend. In time, I was allowed some freedom to do things on my own. There were worse ways to live, I suppose, and now I was living in a palace. I was better off than with Pete, who was marginally better than the life I had before. I knew nothing else, so I made do. I have no other skills other than fucking. So I might as well do it on a grand scale.”

  “How many years ago was this?”

  “Seven, soon to be eight, I believe.”

  “What happened to Pete?”

  “I don’t know and I don’t care. He obviously didn’t love me.”

  I nodded while finishing my sandwich. I still had one eye on the front. It was the late lunch crowd so the place wasn’t busy. A husband and wife walked in with their toddler daughter. Unless the gun was hidden in the teddy bear she carried, we were safe.

  “Wow, spilling out my life story,” Dona stated. “I don’t think I’ve ever told anyone this before, other than Jack. No one would ask, since normally they were there to fuck me and be done with it. Roland would farm me out to his cronies when looking for favors. Some were nicer than others but Jack seemed to care, for some reason. He talked with me at least before and after screwing me. In bed it wasn’t wham-bam thank-you-ma’am. He opened up to me and tried to bring some joy to my sex life, give me some satisfaction between the sheets. I actually enjoyed our daily romps. Fucking was fun again.”

  “So you met Jack through Roland?”

  “Yes. He was one of his bag men. Since he had done a bang-up job bringing in the money I was a bonus one night for him in the dungeon. He had two hours to have his way with me and I started crying after he was too rough. He felt sorry for me afterwards. We talked and seemed to find a commonality. Not sure what it was, since there was a significant age difference, but we discovered it. Maybe I was having a daddy complex and he claimed his wife wasn’t wild enough. He liked doing it aggressively but he wanted me to enjoy it, too. So we found a way which worked for both of us, a little dangerous and thrilling.”

  “So, you two would meet up, then?”

  “Yes, a day or two a week after collections. Not so much it would be noticeable. We arranged times in advance. My days were open to do with as I pleased, since Roland would be working at his office in Parker.”

  I tensed up some when two larger men walked in the door. They weren’t the two from Eddie’s, and after giving a high-five to the manager, they headed over to the bar to meet some other friends, so the tension eased.

  “Where did you go for your trysts?” I knew the answer but wanted to hear it from her.

  “I had a female friend’s place we would use. She worked during the day and we had our fun for a few hours. I’d clean up and head back to Roland’s ready for what a night with him would bring me. Weekends were the worst.”

  “Roland didn’t suspect anything was going on?”

  “Not as far as I knew, at least until today. Do you know who killed him?”

  “Well, they were driving the truck in your name. They took a couple of shots at me before getting away. It was dark, so I couldn’t tell for sure. They were big men and I hit one of them. They found lots of blood all over the inside of the cab.”

  “Do you know why they killed him? Was it because of me?”

  “I’m pretty certain it was because of money he owed or stole from them. Did he ever ask you for money?”

  Her eyes revealed the answer before she said it.

  “Yes, but I had nothing to give him other than a few bucks here or there. Roland watched my spending pretty closely. Anything other than clothes, toiletries and food and he’d question it. All went on my credit card for him to keep track of.”

  “Money was a factor in Jack’s death. I can’t say for certain if they knew about your rendezvous.”

  “If they killed him, I may be next. I heard talk Roland was looking for someone to replace me. There had been someone before me, and it was only a matter of time. He liked younger women, teens and early twenties. Now I’m twenty-five, making me over the hill in his eyes. If Jack told him about us, it will only hasten my departure and it will likely not be pretty. I was told the girl before was tortured and disposed of in a Waste Management site east of town. Like me, she probably had no one to miss her, so she was never found. I can’t go back there.”

  She was shaking now, the realization of what would happen seeping into her veins. Feeling sorry for her wasn’t high on my to-do list, though for some reason I felt obligated and couldn’t walk away. Was it the gorgeous legs? The only question was what to do? No bright ideas were jumping to mind at this moment.

  “Was Roland home last night?”

  “Yes. He ravaged me three times. He has a voracious sexual appetite.”

  “So if it was his two goons last night I ran into, maybe they hadn’t reported to him yet. They likely were trying to collect money from Jack. The shooting might have been an accident and they didn’t want to tell Roland what happened. If he learned about the affair last night, do you think he would have handled it himself right then and there?”

  “Knowing him, yes.”

  “He gave no indication of any problem with you last night?”

  “Nothing out of the ordinary.”

  “Does he read the paper or watch the news on TV?”

  “He only cares about sports and financial news.”

  “So, we aren’t certain he knows. So, you can go back there and hope or you can stay somewhere else until we can figure something out.”

  “So, you’ll help me?”

  “I’ll try. Not sure what I can do, but I’ll make an effort.”

  “I have no money to pay you.”

  “It’s OK. I have a client.” I still was not revealing who it was.

  “I have other ways to compensate you. You aren’t bad looking and I can provide pleasure however you want it.”

  I smiled at the backhanded compliment.

  “Thank you, no. I have a girlfriend and I don’t think she’d be happy with me.”

  “She doesn’t have to know. I can be discreet.”

  She was a pretty woman. The view of her legs earlier had confirmed this. Even though she was in her mid-twenties she looked older than her age. Time had been cruel to her. She had lived a hard life I wouldn’t want to dip into even if I wasn’t with someone.

  “Your offer is generous but I must decline. Even if she didn’t know I’d been unfaithful, I would. I couldn’t betray the trust we’ve built.”

  She smiled, uncertain what to think. Not many men had turned her down in her life and most took it even if she didn’t offer.

  “I may be able to buy myself some time,” Dona said. “I can hide at my friend’s. He doesn’t know about her or where she lives, as far as I know. We met where I get my hair done and work out together from time to time. I never told Roland about her. The days are mine to do as I please, so long as I’m home by seven.”

  “Does she know what type of person Roland is?”

  “No. I only told her I was in a bad marriage and needed a place to go screw my boyfriend a couple of times a week. She was supportive and lived vicariously through me. She loved to hear about my hot afternoon rendezvous.”

  “Do
you have any cash; clothes to wear?”

  “I have a little and a credit card. I keep extra clothes at my friend’s.”

  “You can’t use plastic because it’s traceable. Will she loan you some money?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’d say hide out there for now until we can come up with something better. If you have a cell phone, get rid of it. You need to disappear completely.”

  “I have a burner phone I can call with. I always had one for Jack to text me on and we used codes in case someone got ahold of his. I’d change it out every few weeks. What should I do with my main cell?”

  “Give it to me and I’ll destroy it. And give me your credit cards. It’s too tempting to use them. I’ll pay the bill here. We’ll need to do something about your car, too. Stash it somewhere for now. Does your friend have a garage to put it in?”

  “I think so.”

  “See if you can borrow hers, otherwise we’ll need to dump it.”

  We sat for a while longer going over what to do. I had her repeat things to me so she’d remember. It wasn’t much of a plan but it was a start. Now it was a matter of getting back to my car in one piece. The three beers in her didn’t improve her driving skills any.

  Chapter 31

  We picked up Dona’s new burner cell phone in case they had acquired the old number. I entered the digits in my cell and gave her mine, with instructions to call if she required assistance, but to contact the police if there was immediate danger. I got her main cell phone, removing the battery and the SIM card and pocketed it for now, while shredding her credit cards. She assured me she would stay out of sight, but I knew in time she would get antsy. So I had to come up with an answer soon. Driving down the road I was about to call Mallard when he called me.

  “Damn, you must be psychic,” I stated.

  “Where are you?” he said, sounding so serious.

  “Cruising down Broadway.”

  “Do you know where the Broken Tee golf course is?”

  “Not right off. Why?”