by Shenda Paul
"Every escort wanted to get their hands… hopefully more…on him," she pauses, but getting no response to her innuendo, continues. "We all wanted to bag the sexiest politician in the state." She looks to Jodi as if seeking another female's confirmation of his appeal. Ever astute, Jodi nods encouragingly.
"I spent most of my time escorting two other members back then; a handsome and very rich entrepreneur and an older, foreign diplomat, both nice men, but I was flattered when Justin asked Mr. Cordi to introduce us."
"What happened after that?" I prompt.
"We had a couple of drinks, and then he invited me to join him in his room."
"He took you to a hotel?" Jodi asks. Natasha stares at her incredulously.
"Men become members of Liaison so they don't have to go out in public for illicit sex, Ms. Maddox. We visited one of the club’s private rooms; Justin was strict about not flaunting his exploits. He did make quite a few exceptions later, though," she adds, her earlier resentment returning.
"Tell me about the private rooms, Ms. Perkins; what exactly goes on in there?" I press.
"You want the juicy details, Mr. Thorne?" she asks suggestively.
"No, Ms. Perkins, just the facts." She feigns a disappointed sigh.
"The rooms on the floor above the members’ lounge are used for liaisons. They have two-way mirrors that overlook the stage. Many members like watching the dancers to get them in the mood," she explains, and I wonder whether using euphemisms like escort and liaisons makes it easier for the women to cope with the reality of what they do.
"So the Senator invited you to join him in a private room?" I prompt.
"He asked me to remove my clothes."
"Just like that?" Jodi clarifies.
"We’re not talking about romantic encounters," she retorts with a sardonic lift of an eyebrow.
"What happened after that…I mean after your liaison? Did Senator Wade pay you?" Jodi asks, and Natasha laughs lightly.
"Nothing as tacky as that happens. I’m paid a salary by the club."
"Tell us what you were paid and what exactly your duties entailed?"
"Mr. Cordi prefers to call our salaries retainers. He once said it's the kind of arrangement businesses enter into with consultants. He joked that perhaps we should be called consultants," she says, clearly amused. "I also get a bonus for each liaison. It’s all in my contract."
"Would you tell us exactly how much you earned?"
"I’m not a dancer, so one thousand dollars a month and another five hundred per liaison."
"Do you have a copy of your employment contract?" I ask, and she nods.
"Would you let us have it please?" Jodi adds.
"Of course; anything, to help," she says to me.
"How much did you earn in a given month?" Jodi asks.
"As I said, I was primarily seeing two members, and I saw each of them about two or three times a month; so on average, two or three thousand dollars. When Justin became interested in me, he didn’t really want me to see John Clarke, the entrepreneur."
"Why was that?" I push.
" I think they had some kind of male competition going on; I don't know."
"Did the senator object to you having sex with other club members or only John Clarke?"
"To Justin, I was just good, discreet sex. He didn't lay claim to me, or buy me flowers, or organize for a suite for our liaisons," she says sourly.
"The senator arranged for a suite?" I press.
"He certainly didn’t seem to need one until little Miss Perfect came along. He’s always had an exclusive room, but after her, he somehow managed to get the one next to it too. He had them remodeled into a suite. I haven’t actually seen it, but I heard it’s like a luxury hotel."
"Little Miss Perfect?" Jodi asks in a slightly goading tone. I smile inwardly at the way she deliberately ruffled Natasha’s feathers to determine her real feelings.
"Angelique Bain," Natasha says contemptuously. "She worked as a dancer, and then months later, she began escorting Justin. Everyone goes on about how nice and polite she is, but she thinks she’s better than the rest of us. They say she’s a wonderful dancer; Sarah and Amy called her a ballerina. What a joke! The girls at Liaison dance to entertain the members, and we all know what kind of entertainment they're after."
"You said Senator Wade made exceptions for Ms. Bain. Can you tell us about that?" I ask when she’s ended her tirade.
"He never spent a lot of time with me in the members’ lounge, except for that first night. I always had to meet him in his room, sneak up there after he pretended to leave for the night, but everything changed for her. Suddenly, it didn’t matter that people saw him sitting with her, holding her hand like she was his date. I just don't get what's so special about her."
"Can we clarify a few points?" Jodi asks. "You say Ms. Bain started as a dancer? How do you know she didn't have any liaisons at that time? You said yourself that Senator Wade was discreet about your meetings. Why couldn’t it have been the same with her, at least at first?"
"Because it didn’t matter what we did or what Justin wanted people to think, they knew. The girls talk; I talked, especially about him because I was proud that Justin Wade chose me. Angelique may not have talked to the rest of us, but Sarah and Amy would’ve known; and there’s no way Amy would have kept quiet. She was the one who told me Angelique was hired to dance, and then when she had her first liaison. She couldn’t wait to tell me it was with Justin."
"Tell us what you know about the arrangements between Ms. Bain and the senator?" I ask.
"I don't know… no one knows; it’s like some big secret." She shrugs, looking disgruntled. "All I know is that after he'd been with her that first time, he didn’t ask for me. Then, when Amy said Mr. Cordi insisted Angelique escort other members, Justin suddenly arranged for a liaison with me…but he was different."
"How different?"
"I don’t know…. moody, angry. We normally talked after, have a glass of wine, have sex a second time, but not that time. He dismissed me and didn’t ask to see me again. Later, Amy told me he had an exclusive arrangement with Angelique. I knew he’d only been with me for sex, but I really thought he felt something for me, as a person, you know?"
I sense hurt beneath her resentment and bravado. "What more do you know about the agreement between the senator and Ms. Bain?" I press.
"Nothing more than what I said. His behavior changed after their arrangement. He sat with her, touched her, held her hand," she says acidly.
"Do you know what role Joseph Cordi may have played in the senator’s new arrangement?"
"No, but his secretary, Carmen Bonacci, would. Everyone knows she and Mr. Cordi have a thing, and nothing happens at the club that she doesn't know about."
I studiously avoid letting on that the name holds significance. "Ms. Perkins, I think that's all the questions we have for today. When will you be back in town?" I ask.
"I get back next Thursday."
"Would you be prepared to testify in Senator Wade’s trial?"
"I would," she says without hesitation.
"Should we decide to call on you, you'll be sent a subpoena advising you of the court date. You’ll also be required to attend a witness conference during which Ms. Maddox and I will revisit your testimony and prepare you for court. We'll be in touch on your return." I rise to my feet.
"We appreciate your time today and the fact that you’ve agreed to help, Ms. Perkins." I extend my hand, making sure to extricate it quickly this time.
"Ms. Maddox will see you out. I'm due in another meeting," I say, looking to Jodi, who nods.
She joins me in my office shortly after. "You didn’t have a meeting, did you?" she challenges humorously.
"What do you think?" I ask, ignoring her dig.
"Shouldn’t I be asking you that?"
"I meant of her as a witness." I glare at her
obvious amusement. "And you were no help in there; don't think that I didn't see or hear you snickering."
"It was funny."
"Not for me," I retort, reluctantly smiling. "But getting back on track, how do you feel about her as a witness?"
"Well, what she says definitely proves that Wade can't claim ignorance about Liaison being a brothel."
"Exactly. Her animosity toward Angelique Bain could pose a problem, but I think we can coach her not to get carried away."
"I agree. I understand her feeling slighted, and I almost felt sorry for the woman. Her predatory behavior toward you quickly dispelled that, though." She stifles a giggle.
"I’ll get my revenge on you, you know," I threaten lightheartedly.
"Sure, Thorne," she says with something between a snort and a giggle.
"She revealed two more potential sources; Carmen Bonacci and John Clarke," I say returning to matters at hand. "I found a deed to an apartment in Carmen’s name among Joseph’s files. Now that we know she was also his secretary, I want to find out more. If what Natasha alleges is true, then we could potentially have someone close enough to know his secrets, and unlike his wife, she won’t be able to claim spousal privilege."
"What about John Clarke?" Jodi asks.
"Let’s interview him and see."
"I'll get onto it," she assures me. "I have news on Maria Riviera."
"You found something?" I ask eagerly.
"Two girls on the sex worker list fit Maria’s general age and description. Here, look," she says, placing a sheet of paper in front of me. Jodi’s right; Miranda Flume and Lucia Fluss, the names she’d highlighted, are potential matches.
"Have we traced them?"
"Not yet. Jon’s working on it."
"Keep me posted. This is good work, though. Thanks, Jodi."
.
.
That night, when I check my mail, I find a letter from my insurance company. I can’t resist a satisfied smile when reading that Angelique Bain’s insurers have agreed to pay for the damages done to my car."
Chapter Thirteen
"Think about it; she's a woman, apparently in her forties, who’s been in a clandestine relationship with a very wealthy man for probably more than a decade. She’s reportedly borne him a child. He hasn’t left his wife, and as far as Carmen’s concerned, he’s done nothing to ensure a future for her and her child. In her place, wouldn’t you feel hard done by?" I respond to Jodi’s reservations about Carmen Bonacci agreeing to testify in the Wade and Joseph Cordi trials.
"I guess it's worth testing the waters," she concedes.
"I want to add Angelique Bain to our list," I say.
"Even though she won’t cooperate?"
"I still believe she holds the answer to why Justin entered into the Fidelity deal, and I’m determined to find out what it is."
"Do I put her on the witness list yet or not?"
"Let’s bring her in for another meeting. Even if we don’t learn anything new, she’ll, at least, have an opportunity to change her mind. If she doesn’t, it will justify my decision to declare her hostile."
She nods and types something into her laptop. "Do you want to start on the Cordi witness lists?"
"Let’s get preparations for the Wade case out of the way first. I want to recap our strategy and then check that our witnesses line up or if we have any gaps," I say, getting up to write our key strategic points on the whiteboard.
Two hours later and finally satisfied, I press the button to print the results of our discussions.
"I’ll have Jen type that up and email it to us," Jodi offers, reaching for the printouts. "I'll have subpoenas drawn up for all but Carmen and John Clarke for now and make an appointment for the interview with Angelique Bain."
"Thanks. You can probably also arrange for witness conferences for those we’ve agreed to subpoena."
"Do the names Miranda Flume and Lucia Fluss mean anything to you?" I ask as we leave the conference room.
"No, why?"
"Nothing specific, it’s just that something about them keeps niggling at me. Must be my mind playing tricks."
"Don't discount it; sometimes our subconscious is more alert than our conscious."
"You’re right," I concede.
On my way home that night, in an effort to calm my mind, I turn the radio onto the classical music station. The sounds of ‘Der Fluss’, one of Schubert’s water songs, fill the air, and as I listen to its almost hymn-like quality, it comes to me.
I nearly hit the steering wheel in my excitement. Fluss is the German word for river… and as I ponder its significance to Riviera, I realize that Flume is derived from the Latin word, flumine, which also means river. Those surnames seemed familiar because of their association with Riviera. "Thanks, Mom," I mutter, acknowledging her influence on my knowledge and enjoyment of classical music, and I suppose I should thank my legal education for knowing Latin. I just couldn't see the connection until I heard the music.
Either one of those girls could be Maria Riviera. Joseph, or someone who works for him, has a good understanding of languages and, it appears, a sick sense of humor. Giving the abducted girl a new identity so closely linked to her own, and then muddying the waters by introducing a second girl, is yet another sign of his arrogance and criminal genius. He’s been taunting everyone who was, and perhaps still is, looking for her, the sick bastard. It’s now even more imperative that we locate Miranda Flume and Lucia Fluss.
.
.
The next day, as we move into final preparations for the Wade trial, flies by. We have witness conferences planned for tomorrow and a meeting with Carmen Bonnaci the following day. Jodi’s also hopeful that she’ll be able to contact and set up a meeting with John Clarke; but it’s the meeting she’s arranged for today that my mind keep keeps wandering to.
After dreaming of her and despite my determination to get her on the witness stand, I admit, if only to myself, to feeling unsettled by the prospect of seeing Angelique Bain. I don't welcome the confusion she stirs in me
"Adam?" I look into Jodi’s concerned face.
"Did you hear what I said?" she asks.
"No, I’m sorry… what?"
"I asked if you remembered that Angelique Bain will be here at five?"
"I do. Perhaps you'd like to sit in?" I spontaneously offer.
"Sure. I can’t wait to meet Little Miss Perfect." Her eyes glimmer with humor as she does a near-perfect imitation of Natasha. Her levity is like a welcome breath of fresh air. Having her in the meeting will help to reduce the tension and, hopefully, lessen Angelique Bain’s impact on me.
"Great! Do you have everything? I need to do some stuff on the Cordi trials."
"I’m good. Catch you later," she says cheerfully and leaves.
At ten to five Bec informs me that she's shown Ms. Bain into interview room two. I call Jodi, who agrees to come by so we can enter together. I straighten my tie and fasten my jacket, smiling wryly at how this otherwise normal act suddenly feels like preparing to go into battle. Jodi’s arrival, thankfully, saves me from having to further contemplate the irony.
"Okay, you're pretty enough, let's go," she teases.
"Are you jealous?" I respond in kind.
"In your dreams, Thorne!" She smacks my arm lightly. I smile, grateful for her banter.
I allow Jodi to enter first. Angelique Bain, I can see, is dressed to kill. If I didn't know better, I'd say she’d also felt the need for protective armor. With her gray, figure-hugging dress, her incredibly long hair loose and framing her face, and deep-red lips, she presents a glaringly different image from the natural and casually chic woman I’d seen last. Yes, definitely dressed to kill, I tell myself.
Her eyes, focused on Jodi, narrow the moment she notices my presence; her open expression instantly replaced by one of guardedness.
"Ms. Bain, thank you f
or coming in again. This is my colleague, Assistant District Attorney Jodi Maddox," I greet her courteously.
"I’m pleased to meet you, Ms. Bain." Jodi steps forward, smiling warmly.
"It’s nice to meet you too, Ms. Maddox." Smiling tentatively, she rises to take Jodi’s hand. I wait for both to be seated before sitting down.
"I'm sure you already know why you're here…" I start by saying, but she cuts me off.
"I have a good idea, Mr. Thorne, but why don't you tell me again." I take a steadying breath to tamp down my irritation.
"The Wade trial starts next week as I'm sure you already know," I say pointedly. "At our last meeting, I asked you to consider testifying. We'd like to raise that matter again."
"You didn’t ask me; as I recall, you tried to threaten me into doing your bidding," she snaps.
"I assure you, that was not my intention. I merely outlined evidence pointing to your knowledge of matters relating to this trial. I mistakenly believed that you'd welcome the opportunity to cooperate and clarify the role, it’s become apparent, you played in this sordid business," I reply. Her eyes narrow, but she remains silent. Jodi casts me a bemused glance before intervening.
"Ms. Bain, we’re only trying to get to the truth. As Mr. Thorne has explained, we’re in possession of documents that implicate you in Joseph Cordi’s prostitution network. We guarantee you’ll be treated fairly, and if you were in any way coerced into working for him, we’ll make sure you receive justice. Talk to us," Jodi diplomatically says.
Angelique turns to stare out of the window. She takes a deep, tremulous breath before returning her gaze to Jodi.
"I'm sorry, Ms. Maddox, I can’t help you."
"You should know that we intend subpoenaing you. It would be better if you cooperated." Jodi leans across the table in an effort to convince her.
"Better for whom?" she asks.
"Better for you, Ms. Bain," I reply. "If you think you're protecting Senator Wade, then you're wrong. If you think you'll avoid having your name leaked during this trial, you're wrong. Ms. Maddox is right in saying you’d be better off working with us. " She doesn’t respond, glancing down at her hands in her lap instead. I turn to see if Jodi wants to add anything. She shakes her head.
