Ruby

by Heather Burnside

  ‘Is everything OK?’ asked Tiffany.

  Ruby shook her head. ‘Not really. I’ll tell you later.’

  Then, with Crystal gone, Ruby looked over at Pammy and, on receiving her cue from her, Ruby quickly ran to the club’s entrance and locked it so no more clients could come inside. She knew they had a window of at least half an hour in which to act before the girls had finished with their clients.

  Ruby raced back to the reception desk where Tiffany and Pammy were already waiting for her. ‘Ready?’ she asked, and they both nodded. ‘Right, let’s go. And let’s hope that nobody comes out of any of those rooms and susses what we’re up to.’

  The three of them rushed up the stairs and into Ruby’s Dungeon. The sight of Victor on the floor, still naked and wearing the chastity device, brought tears to Ruby’s eyes. But she contained herself while they did what needed to be done. She could see the look of shock on Tiffany and Pammy’s faces and, as she took in the sight of Victor, his flesh already beginning to lose its colour and his features slack, there was now no doubt in her mind that he was dead.

  Ruby tried to block out what she was seeing as she removed the chastity device and put Victor’s underpants back on. The three of them lifted him and between them they managed to get him downstairs. When they reached the door at the bottom Ruby had a quick look round to make sure the coast was clear. Then they dragged Victor into Pammy’s room and plonked him face down on the bed.

  Tiffany raced back upstairs to get Victor’s clothes while Ruby and Pammy covered his lower half with towels and smeared massage oil over his back.

  When Tiffany came back into the room, Ruby said, ‘Right, he’s ready. Let’s do it.’

  Then Ruby went back downstairs to unlock the front door of the club while Tiffany took up her place at the reception desk, leaving Pammy in her room with Victor. Within a minute Ruby was seated at the reception desk alongside Tiffany while they waited for Pammy to act.

  It was another two minutes and a client had just approached the reception desk when Pammy ran out of her room screaming. ‘Oh my God!’ she yelled. ‘I think Victor’s dead.’

  ‘What?’ asked Ruby and Tiffany, acting suitably shocked, before running into Pammy’s room to inspect the body.

  Ruby came running out again. ‘Jesus, I think he is!’ she shouted. ‘What the fuck happened?’

  By this time, they had made so much commotion that two of the girls emerged from their rooms with their perturbed clients following behind. Word soon spread and within minutes a crowd of girls and clients had gathered in the reception area, sharing their shock and abhorrence at the way in which their owner had died whilst having a massage from Pammy.

  Ruby rang the emergency services and reported what had happened while the clients fled the building, worried about being caught in such a place. She gave all the girls the rest of the night off and stuck a notice on the outside door to let any clients know that they were closed for the evening due to unforeseen tragic circumstances.

  That would prevent having clients asking about their various services while the police were there, thought Ruby as she hid the key for her upstairs room somewhere where no one would ever find it, disconnected the phone on the reception desk and waited for the police to arrive.

  *

  It was the end of the night. The police had been and gone, and the only people remaining in the club were Ruby, Tiffany and Pammy.

  ‘You sure you’ll be alright now?’ Pammy asked Ruby as she put her coat on.

  ‘Yeah sure, you get yourself home. Oh, and thanks for everything, Pammy.’

  ‘It’s no problem,’ said Pammy, with a faint smile. ‘You’ve always looked after us girls and I know you would have done it for any of us.’

  Ruby could feel her eyes cloud with tears again but she fought them back. Pammy seemed to realise that Ruby didn’t want to give in to tears, and she quickly made her way to the exit, saying, ‘If you need anything else, just ask.’

  Once she had left, Ruby turned to Tiffany. ‘Jesus Christ! I could do with a fuckin’ drink after tonight.’

  ‘Me too,’ said Tiffany. ‘Do you think the police bought our story?’

  ‘I fuckin’ hope so…’ Then Ruby became pensive before adding, ‘It should be OK. Don’t forget, they’ve got evidence from all the other girls who saw Pammy run out of her room in shock, so that should back up what we’ve told them. And, thank Christ, they didn’t ask to look upstairs. Even if they think we’re running a brothel, they can’t prove it without seeing the dungeon.’

  ‘Looks like we’re home and dry then,’ said Tiffany.

  ‘Oh, I wouldn’t say that.’ Ruby spoke ominously. ‘We’ve still got other problems to deal with.’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘I’ll tell you when we get home,’ said Ruby. ‘I’ve had enough of this place for tonight.’

  47

  April 2011

  When they eventually arrived home from the club it was the early hours of the morning. Ruby and Tiffany were so tired that they tumbled straight into bed and Tiffany was asleep within seconds. But Ruby couldn’t settle as thoughts of Victor and Gilly whirled around inside her head.

  By the time she had managed to grasp some sleep and woke up to find her partner in the kitchen preparing a late lunch, it seemed that Tiffany had forgotten all about Crystal’s visit as all her chat related to the situation surrounding Victor’s death. Ruby decided not to mention what Crystal had said unless Tiffany asked, as she didn’t want to worry her.

  It was a few days later when Tiffany finally broached the subject. They’d just got home from work. It had been a busy night and they decided to have a quick nightcap in the lounge before going to bed.

  ‘You haven’t been right for days,’ said Tiffany as she poured the drinks. ‘Is it about what happened to Victor or is there something else worrying you?’

  Ruby sighed. At first she deliberated over how much to tell Tiffany, but after the immense stress of the last few days she decided that she really should confide in her partner. After all, the situation with Gilly might mean Tiffany could be in danger, so it was only fair to warn her.

  ‘Come on, let’s sit down so we can talk,’ she said, her voice sounding downbeat.

  Tiffany picked up on Ruby’s glum mood as she followed her to the sofa, her face full of concern.

  ‘Well, for a kick off,’ began Ruby, ‘now Victor’s dead, how the hell are we supposed to keep the club running?’

  ‘Shit, I didn’t think of that,’ said Tiffany. ‘Surely we’ll be able to sort something out.’

  Ruby didn’t reply. Instead she put her head forward and ran her hands through her hair. Then she looked up at Tiffany. ‘There’s more.’

  ‘Go on,’ said Tiffany. ‘Is it to do with Crystal’s visit? I forgot to ask you about her with everything else that’s been going on. How was she anyway?’

  ‘Same as usual,’ said Ruby, sounding subdued. Then she cleared her throat. ‘She told me something while we were alone… It’s Gilly. It looks like he’s gonna be released soon.’

  ‘Shit! When?’

  ‘I’m not sure. He’s got a parole hearing soon and from what Crystal says, he thinks he’ll be released cos he’s kept his nose clean while he’s been inside. According to her,’ Ruby continued, her tone now sharper, ‘he’s coming for me when he gets out. He wants his revenge for grassing him up.’

  ‘Shit,’ said Tiffany, again. ‘Why didn’t you tell me? When’s the hearing?’

  ‘I’m not sure,’ said Ruby, ignoring Tiffany’s first question. ‘I was that bloody worked up when she told me that I didn’t think to ask. Plus, I had Victor on my mind. But it’s not far off from what she said.’

  ‘Jesus, no wonder you’re stressed! I’d be scared too. The guy’s a nutcase from what you told me.’

  Ruby didn’t bother correcting Tiffany’s assumption that she was scared; her girlfriend was one of the few people who saw Ruby with her guard down. Instead she said, ‘I�
�m fuckin’ angry too. I might have grassed him up, but I had a good reason for it. The man’s a fuckin animal! If it hadn’t been for me, Crystal would have died in that dingy back alley and there’s no way I could let a nutcase like him carry on roaming the streets.

  ‘What really pisses me off though is that Crystal’s daft enough to still put up with him after what he’s put her through. And no matter how many times I tell her, it doesn’t make any fuckin’ difference! You’d have thought she’d have taken the chance to get away from him while he was inside. But no, not Crystal.’

  When she’d given Ruby chance to finish her rant, Tiffany patted her shoulder and said, ‘Eh, you don’t know if she will take him back.’

  ‘Oh, I know alright. It was written all over her face.’

  Tiffany now ran her hand down Ruby’s arm, attempting to comfort her as she said, ‘Try not to worry, Rubes. It might be an empty threat.’

  ‘You don’t know him. The guy’s a fuckin’ psycho! And don’t forget what he did to Crystal.’

  Tiffany frowned. ‘Well, at least now you know, you can be prepared for him.’

  Ruby didn’t reply. She just screwed up her face while she picked at the cushion to the side of her.

  ‘Oh, I forgot to mention,’ said Tiffany, changing the subject. ‘A letter came for you this morning. I forgot to give it you before we went to work.’

  Tiffany got up from the sofa and quickly went to fetch the letter. Ruby felt a pang of guilt about her outburst, knowing that Tiffany was anxious to placate her. When Tiffany returned with the letter and handed it to her Ruby slid her finger under the seal and pulled the letter out.

  It was on a solicitor’s letter-headed paper and Ruby quickly scanned the contents, curious as to why a solicitor would write to her. By the time she reached the end of the letter a relieved smile replaced her angry look of earlier.

  ‘What is it?’ asked Tiffany.

  Ruby looked up at her, the smile on her face now wider. ‘Good old Victor,’ she said. ‘He’s only gone and left me the massage parlour.’

  ‘Yes!’ shouted Tiffany, punching the air with her fist then getting up from the sofa and jumping up and down while cheering.

  When Ruby didn’t join in with her enthusiasm she sat back down and said, ‘Sorry, poor taste. I’m sorry he’s dead, but it does get us out of the shit, doesn’t it?’

  ‘Yeah,’ said Ruby. ‘He did right by me. And, d’you know, he might have been weird but I’ll miss him in a way. Still, it’s a relief to know I’m still in control.’

  ‘Yeah, course it is,’ said Tiffany. ‘So why don’t we celebrate? Maybe we could do something special on our next night off. I’m sure Victor wouldn’t have minded.’

  Ruby tried to cheer up, not wanting to spoil Tiffany’s happiness, and knowing she was trying to take her mind off things. But it was difficult to relax and share in her girlfriend’s joy, not when she knew that a short time from now a violent man would be on the loose and gunning for her.

  48

  June 2011

  Things at Ruby’s Massage Parlour had been going fine in the few weeks since Ruby had found out she was the new owner. Because Ruby had always been the face of the club, none of the clients knew things were any different. The girls knew Victor was the previous owner but Ruby wouldn’t have expected them to share that knowledge. She had therefore managed to retain all of her clients. This included Ruby’s cousins who had become regulars ever since the first time they had walked through the doors.

  The only fly in the ointment, as far as Ruby was concerned, was her anxiety regarding Gilly. His parole hearing had now taken place and he had been given a release date, which was fast approaching. Crystal hadn’t told her the exact date and, although Ruby had asked her to let her know as soon as he was out, she suspected that Crystal might not bother as her first loyalty was to Gilly.

  With Gilly’s release imminent, Ruby had become hyper alert and distrustful of any new person who came into the club, wondering if they could be in any way connected to Gilly. So, when two strangers walked in and started looking around at the girls, Ruby was suspicious straightaway.

  They were both dressed in sporty designer gear and baseball caps and, although the weather wasn’t particularly warm, they were both wearing tight fitting tee shirts, showing off their muscles.

  One of them was below average height and of medium build, his huge biceps overcompensating for his lack of height or frame. He obviously put a lot of hours in at the gym. The other one had the height and frame to match the muscles, standing at over six feet and wearing a beard and a scowl. The smaller man seemed to be the leader of the two and he led the way across the reception area, strutting over to the desk.

  ‘Who’s in charge here?’ he asked.

  ‘Me,’ said Ruby, her back stiffening as she sensed trouble, and got out of her seat.

  ‘Aah, you must be Ruby then.’ As he spoke, he turned to his friend and sniggered.

  At first his reference to her name unnerved her until Ruby realised that as the brothel was called Ruby’s Massage Parlour it was an easy assumption to make. But his next words unsettled her even more.

  ‘So, you’re the new owner now old Victor’s popped his clogs, are you?’

  Ruby bristled. There was no way that was common knowledge, other than amongst the girls. Victor had always taken great care to keep his name out of things. But somehow this guy knew the situation, and it wasn’t a good sign.

  ‘That’s right,’ she said, fixing him with a hard stare.

  ‘Right, well in that case, it’s you that we come to for our money now.’

  ‘What are you on about?’

  The man tutted and rolled his eyes as though she was being dense. ‘We’re the security firm for this place. Victor used to pay up regular as clockwork, but we ain’t had fuck all since he snuffed it so let’s stick to the same arrangement, eh? I don’t want you giving us any problems.’

  ‘And what do I get in return?’ asked Ruby, flabbergasted at first because, despite her experience as the madam of a brothel, she wasn’t very familiar with security firms up to now.

  ‘Our fuckin’ protection, of course,’ said the smaller man, becoming confrontational. ‘If you don’t pay it, we won’t be able to protect you from any problems, will we?’ He looked knowingly across at his friend then sneered before continuing. ‘Gangs raiding the premises, ripping the place up, beating up customers, maybe even hurting you and your girls, if you get my drift.’

  As he spoke he grabbed hold of Ruby’s chin and lifted it. ‘Know what I mean, babe?’

  Because of her height advantage Ruby soon escaped his clutches, stepping back and squaring her shoulders whilst glaring at him. ‘Get off my fuckin’ premises!’ she yelled. ‘How dare you come here and threaten me and my girls!’

  There were several girls and two customers sitting in the waiting area and the sound of Ruby’s raised voice drew their attention. The small man glanced across, his expression serious, as he realised they’d been sussed. His type of business relied on covert threats without a room full of witnesses. He shifted uncomfortably then scowled at Ruby before lowering his voice and growling at her.

  ‘You’ll regret this!’ he said. ‘We’ll be back with our boss to see if he can talk some fuckin’ sense into you so you’d better be ready.’

  Then he quickly fled the building with his goon following behind.

  *

  The threat had bothered Ruby and an hour later she was still jittery when she received a call on her mobile, the sudden ringing making her jump. She looked at the display and saw that the call was from Crystal so she pressed the call receive button.

  ‘Hi, you alright?’ asked Crystal once Ruby had answered the phone.

  ‘Yeah fine. Are you OK?’

  ‘Alright…’ Then she paused momentarily before saying the next words, ‘Ruby, I’m just ringing to let you know that Gilly’s being released tomorrow.’

  ‘Shit!’ said Ruby who then quickly trie
d to recover herself as she saw a client approaching the reception desk. ‘Crystal, I’ve got to go,’ she said. ‘But thanks for letting me know.’

  Once Ruby had dealt with the client, her mind switched back to the call from Crystal then to her visit earlier that night, and she felt overcome by dread. The thought that she had been targeted by a protection racket terrified her. From her limited knowledge about them she knew they were bad news and, although she’d seen them off for now, she was worried that they’d soon be back for their money. Then there was Gilly to contend with. He was bad enough on his own without having any other problems.

  Ruby would have liked to have confided in Tiffany straightaway. But it was Tiffany’s night off and Ruby knew that she would be having some much needed sleep by now. She therefore decided she would tell her about the problems the following day. Even though Ruby was the strong one in the relationship, it always helped to talk things through with her girlfriend who would offer comfort. She daren’t tell anyone else; she didn’t want to worry the girls with this new threat to the business.

  Ruby’s anxious thoughts wouldn’t go away. For the rest of the night she remained on edge and by the end of her shift she was glad to lock up and go home. But as she made the journey to her luxury home in Altrincham, Ruby still felt anxious and downhearted. After things had been going so well, she couldn’t believe that in the space of one night, things had taken such a drastic change for the worse.

  49

  June 2011

  Ruby had been churning things over for days, her mind in so much turmoil that she found it difficult to eat and sleep. She refused to let Tiffany run the reception desk alone in case those guys returned, which meant she had now worked five nights in a row, and she was shattered.

  Whenever she was inside the massage parlour she couldn’t relax, expecting the thugs to return at any time or even for Gilly to pay a visit. And even when she was at home she wasn’t completely at ease. What was to stop any of them finding out where she lived and harming either her or Tiffany?