“When is the last time you saw her?” Det. Tony asked Abi.
“I saw her last night, here at work. We all left around two or so.” Abi replied. “I can’t believe this is happening.”
Everyone was along the same timeline. They had all worked last night and all left at the same time, with the exception of Nina and Priscilla. They left together after everyone was gone. Including Zena. Priscilla told the detective that it was almost two thirty when she and Nina left the club.
Detective Tony gave each woman her business card and asked that they call her if they had any additional information or could think of anything else that would be beneficial. Thanking them for their time, she walked out into the club.
As the detectives were getting ready to leave, Diamond spoke up. “What about Yvette? She was here last night, maybe she heard something?”
Nina added, “I didn’t think about that. Yvette Dornan, she had been employed here for quite a while. I had to let her go last night. She was the last to leave prior to Ms. Barnes and myself.”
“Why did you have to terminate her, Ms. Powalski?” Det. Tony asked her.
“She had some attitude problems with some of the girls. I just couldn’t allow it to continue and she wouldn’t stop.” Nina answered honestly.
“Was Ms. Wilkins one of those that she had an issue with?” The detective questioned.
“Not to my knowledge.” Nina responded.
“Alright, thank you ladies. If we need anything else, we will be in contact. Our condolences on your loss.” He said.
When the detectives had left the building, there was a combination of tears and sorrow in the dressing room. They all loved Zena. She had cared about them in her unique way. Priscilla obviously hadn’t had the chance to get to know her, but she knew that she was quiet and reserved when she wasn’t on the stage. There was no reason for anyone to want to murder her. It was a senseless loss made even more tragic by the lack of motivation for it. No one could understand what had happened.
Earlier that day a call came in through 911 from a man jogging along the trail through City Park. He thought he had seen a flash of color and on his return run, stopped to see what it was. Walking a few feet from the trail he found a woman’s body. Still dressed in bright pink sweats and a lime green t-shirt. She had been partially covered with leaves to hide the coloring of her clothes. Almost falling as he tried to get away, he dialed his cellphone in a panic.
When the dispatcher had narrowed down his precise location using GPS from his phone, she started to dispatch several marked units to locate him. The first officers to arrive spoke with him and he showed them where the lifeless body laid. Checking for a pulse, it only took the temperature of the body to tell him that they were dealing with a possible homicide. Informing homicide detectives, the officers taped off a crime scene around the body. The detectives could decide if they wanted to widen the perimeter.
“What time was she found?” Detective Tony asked the officers on scene.
“We were dispatched at eight twenty three.” The officer said.
“Go ahead and get the medical examiner and the crime scene investigators out here. We can’t move the body until they do what they need to. There is a tarp in the trunk of my car if you would grab it please. Also, go ahead and get a traffic unit on each end of the trail to close it down.” She told the uniformed officer.
“Yes ma’am.” He responded.
There was no evidence that either detective could find that the actual murder had taken place here. It appeared as if the body had been dumped post-mortem. Once the medical examiner and the CSI crew arrived, they would be able to move the body to attempt to locate any type of ID. It was a part of the job that Beth Tony couldn’t stand, notifying next of kin after a death. Particularly after a homicide. This woman, from first look, appeared to be in her mid to late twenties. She was well manicured as they could see from her hands and her hair for laying outside also looked well taken care of.
Upon further investigation, the CSI team discovered that she was in fact twenty five years old, her name was Zena Wilkins and she had a driver’s license out of Orlando, Florida. There were no family names stored in her phone, which was found in her pocket. They did know that she was employed as a dancer at Nina’s Place, and the fingerprint scan showed that she had been arrested once for a minor shoplifting charge almost six years prior. They knew that it would be difficult to conduct an investigation during normal operating hours of a strip club, so they chose to wait until closing time. It would be the best time to catch them all there without having to wait and speak to them one by one. The interviews they had that night would shed light on any future interviews if they were required.
The world kept turning for the women working at Nina’s. They were all saddened by the loss of one of their own, but it appeared to be a random act of violence. There were no leads or clues for detectives to go on and it seemed as if they had exhausted any possible scenarios that could have played out. Zena didn’t have any enemies, no one that she had even recently had an argument with. The subsequent search warrant served on her apartment led them nowhere. The case was turning cold quickly.
Seven weeks passed and Priscilla was packing up boxes at her tiny apartment. She had enough to move into a nicer, larger apartment as well as being able to furnish it sparingly. Nothing that was here was worth taking. She had borrowed a small pickup truck from Abi’s boyfriend and with his help they had carried all of the packed boxes and had them ready to go. Priscilla stood in the middle of the small living room and looked around. It brought tears to her eyes recalling the memories surrounding this place. From the struggle, to fighting off Mr. Wiley’s advances, to redeeming herself. For once she was glad to not have the security of a lease. It allowed her to leave at her discretion. She didn’t give him any notice, but she was paid up through the next day so she was free to leave.
Closing the door behind her for the final time, she walked down the stairs and dropped her key in Bill Wiley’s box. This was no longer home. She found a nice one bedroom apartment closer to the club, but on the other side of the intersection which changed the demographics greatly. It was in a better neighborhood without being pretentious. The rent was slightly higher, but it was extremely livable. It was comfortable, with clean carpets, fresh paint, appliances that worked and hot water on demand. She was thankful to be going. The unpacking wasn’t thrilling, but it was something that she had to do. They had to get the truck unloaded, she had to be at work in a few hours.
“Priscilla, when you get a minute could you come see me please?” Nina asked her when she walked in.
Some of the regulars that were there earlier in the evening were sitting around the bar drinking their poison of choice. They all spoke to her, said hello, asked her when she was coming home with them. She’d always reply with a slightly sarcastic answer. Usually that being, “I go home with you every night, in your dreams.” Then she would smile and walk away. The crowds had grown and much more money flowed from clientele to club since she had come on. She had single-handedly picked up business for a club that she never intended to stay at.
“I’ve got a little time now, what’s up?” She asked Nina.
“Come up to my office, I’ve got some things to discuss with you.” The older woman told her. “Oh for God’s sake, don’t look like that. It’s not bad news honey.” She said at the expression on Priscilla’s face. It was obvious that she expected bad news on a regular basis. She had to get over that.
“Don’t scare me like that.” She laughed. “I just got all my boxes into the new place and thought, holy shit, I won’t be able to afford it without this job.”
“No, I wanted to talk to you about that in fact. You are doing amazingly well here. For yourself and honestly, for me as well. Attendance is up, tips are up, drink sales, it is crazy insane. I’ve tried for years to boost this club and you have done it for me.” Nina told her, pausing before she continued, “There has to be a way for us to gro
w from where we are now. You would be an integral part of that.”
“I’m not sure I understand?” Priscilla stated.
“I think it’s time that I looked at investing more into the club. We have a great set of ladies, we have good clientele, but we could do better. I’ve been looking at several larger venues that are up for lease. They aren’t far from here, but the socio-economic difference could be a huge game changer for everyone involved.” Nina said.
“Wow. I don’t know much about the business aspect of this, but if you think it would be a good thing, I would support your decision.” Priscilla told her.
“You would play a large role in the move. You would become the featured dancer, which for all intents and purposes, you already have. I would hire in someone to groom you in the art of choreography, pushing you towards perfection. Someone who could give you the much needed direction to go from here.” The older woman said.
“Where is there for me to go other than where I am? I mean, I dance. That is what I do.” Priscilla said.
“That is what we have to work on. Honey, you can only go up from here.” Nina responded. “Now get down there and get to work.” She said with a wink.
“Hey, do you think I could do bottle service tonight? I’ve put it off all this time, but I think I’m ready.” Priscilla asked her. “As long as security is around somewhere close and the price is right.”
“Of course. I think there would be many of those guys dying to buy a bottle. Just remember, one sip from a glass and find a way to dump it. Drunk doesn’t look good in a situation like this.” Nina warned her.
“Got it. I don’t drink much anyway so we are good on that front.” Priscilla laughed. “I need to get or I won’t be ready.”
“Get out of here. Handle your business girl. You are simply amazing.” Nina said as she winked at the younger woman.
Making her way to the dressing room, Priscilla ran into Megan. “Hey have you seen Diamond tonight? She’s up first and she hasn’t made it in yet.”
Priscilla thought for a minute and told her, “No, I haven’t. Give me a minute to sit this stuff down and I will try to call her.”
“Great. Let me know. If not, I’m going to need you to go on first if you don’t mind.” Megan said.
“No worries, I don’t mind.” Priscilla smiled at her friend. “You know, you are going to have to come over soon for a drink or something. The new place and all.”
“Yes! Just let me know when.” Megan agreed.
Priscilla tried to call Diamond several times that night between her sets. There was still no answer. If she hadn’t heard from her by the end of the shift, she was going to drop by her house and see what was up. It wasn’t like her to just not show. For now, Priscilla had to get herself together to go out and attempt her first night at bottle service. Most of the girls managed to get two or three per shift, she had to at least get that many. If they wanted time with her personally, they were going to purchase a bottle. It was a pretty simple game plan. For the price of the bottle, they had fifteen minutes of her time.
Sliding into a black mini skirt and a matching shrug that had one lone button holding it closed between her cleavage and running a brush through the silky lengths of her chestnut brown hair, she looked in a mirror. Deciding to add a touch of red gloss to her lips to set it all off, she thought she looked pretty good. The last couple of months she had become a pro at walking in some incredibly high heels, so she pulled herself from her chair in front of the mirror and walked out the door. As she began to circulate throughout the crowd, the men took notice of her. It still didn’t dawn on her to look when someone called her Ms. Pris. It was something that she was going to have learn to adapt to quickly.
When the first man caught her attention, he asked her, “Can I buy you a bottle tonight?” She responded with “Baby, you can buy me a bottle any night.” She was going to use it as her standard reply, unless something else felt appropriate. The bartender brought out the bottle, Priscilla sat down and the man started to talk. He wanted to know the basics, what did she like, did she do anything other than dance for a living, where was she from. It was all pretty basic stuff. Rather boring. It was however, cash in hand. She played her role and she played it well. When his time was up, he asked her if she would take his number. It was the same thing three more times in a row. Did these guys use the same cheesy pickup line books? It was extremely redundant.
She was getting ready to get off of the floor when she saw him. He was different than everyone else that night. He was dressed in a business suit, his hair flawless, his eyes, lethal if you looked too long. He was watching her as intently as she was watching him. Why didn’t he say anything? She hadn’t seen him before like she had many of the others. Now it was too late, she had to go back, her set was coming up. Walking through the curtain, she had to catch her breath. He was amazing. It looked like he had walked off the pages of a magazine. Opting to wear what she had on, she pulled her hair up into a loose bun. She didn’t have time to mess with it. Her music started as she finished her hair. Perfect timing.
Making her way to the stage she searched for him through the lighting. It wasn’t easy to make out faces when the spotlights were on. She found him four tables back from the stage. She made direct eye contact with him before she started to dance. For whatever reason, tonight she used every ounce of beguiling female characteristics that she could. She wanted his attention. Tonight, she knew she had it.
Across town, the West Palm Beach Police Department was working another homicide. The body of a woman found next to the parks jogging trail, only feet where weeks earlier Zena Wilkins had been found. This body belonged to Diamond Jacquere. In the last seven weeks the bodies of two adult dancers had been found in the same park, along the same trail. Even more, they danced at the same club and had known each other. This wasn’t the random killing of an innocent woman that they had originally thought it had been. Somewhere, there was a connection to these homicides. They had to find it. Immediately.
CHAPTER FIVE
With two homicides on their hands, the WPBPD had more than enough to keep them on their toes. These were in addition to the other daily crimes and a couple of homicides they had been working on. Now they had to take into consideration the possibility that they were dealing with a serial killer. It seemed to be the only plausible idea, both of these women were dancers at the same club. What were the odds that two women from the same place of employment would be killed within weeks of each other and their fully clothed bodies found in the same park, only feet from the first body? Beth Tony knew that they were going to have to examine each staff member closely. Their backgrounds, who they knew, everything. They had to do so without terrifying the entire community about a killer amongst them.
Nina Powalski was sick. These were her girls and now two of them were gone. Two of her best, longest employed girls. Neither woman had an enemy or someone that wasn’t considered a friend. Why would someone go after either of them? Nina asked the detectives, “Is someone targeting dancers and my club was first?”
“Ms. Powalski, we don’t have an answer to that. That’s what we are trying to find out. We’ll get to the bottom of it. I promise.” Detective Ward said seriously. This was terribly troubling to even a veteran detective.
“We will be in touch with everyone as we work through this case. We have to find the tie that binds these two women together, besides their job.” Detective Tony stated.
“Please, stop whenever you like. Our doors are open to you any time. These women were loved here.” Nina told them.
“Thank you, your cooperation is greatly appreciated.” They told her.
For the second time, Nina made the long walk downstairs and into the dressing room. “We have to talk ladies, very seriously.”
They all looked at her in silence, afraid of what was going to be said.
“They have found another body of a dancer. Ladies, it was Diamond.” Nina said, the tears filling her eyes as she spoke th
e words.
“What the hell is going on?” Abi asked. “This is insane. It didn’t just happen randomly.”
“I know.” Nina told her. “First things first, we need to stick together. I don’t care where you are going or what you are doing, do not go out alone. Who would want to target my ladies? No one is that angry with me. Unless it’s a patron, I wouldn’t have any guesses.” She sighed.
“Something is up, yes they worked together, but they weren’t friends outside of here. They didn’t hang out, didn’t have the same circles. Why would someone have anything against either of them, let alone both?” Abi asked.
Priscilla spoke up, “Maybe it has nothing to do with them at all other than they were strippers? Someone who had seen them both and knew their schedules.”
“The police are investigating that possibility too. If that is indeed the case, it leaves every one of us vulnerable.” Nina added. “With that said, protect yourselves. Use common sense and do not leave this building without a security escort. If you think someone is following you, do not stop and get out, do not pull into your driveway or parking garage. Drive to the nearest police station or find an officer on the street.”
It had been a good night until they learned about Diamond. The only active dancers they had were now Abi and Priscilla. Two girls could not carry the entire shift. There was bottle service and rest periods that still needed to be taken care of. Nina knew that she would have to find two or three other girls to come in. She had a list of names that she could contact, but if they knew the circumstances it was going to be difficult to find anyone that would do it. Nina wracked her brain to try and understand why her girls would be targeted. She kept drawing a blank.
Detectives Ward and Tony were working long hours to try and find a solution to these two horrific crimes. Both women had been strangled, but not sexually assaulted. There were a few other things, but they wouldn’t be releasing them to the public. They had to keep those under lock and key, hoping that the killer would somehow slip and make a mistake. For now, on top of trying to find the killer, they had to worry with keeping the other staff safe. Not only at Nina’s Place, but at other strip clubs around the city. If it was someone who was singling out exotic dancers, then eventually they would move to another club. That’s what bothered Detective Tony so much. It was two women from the same club. They were both losing sleep over this case, it was very troubling.
Dancing In Darkness Page 4
