Bombshell Dolly Nail

“Thank you,” I said and proceeded through the door.

The door snapped shut behind me, locking me in a fancy corridor. Two gold chandeliers hung low down the center of the room. The walls were lined with hundreds of picture frames that held textured glass. The glass was so distorted it looked frosted. I stared at them in confusion for a moment, then the obvious dawned on me. I had to look at them through the opera glasses. I did and gasped. The glass cleared to reveal disturbing photos of nude corpses, both men and women. Some of the bodies were cut open like Rose. The main thing they had in common was their beauty.

It was a macabre gallery. The images grew worse as I moved down the hall towards the far door. One of the last images was a beautiful blonde woman skewered on five medieval swords. She was facing up with her limbs spread wide. Swords rose from the ground to stab through each thigh, arm, and her throat. The finishing touch was the cut from her breast bone to her groin. I had enough of the disturbing images and was about to look away, but a familiar smile caught my attention from the frame above it. I gasped to see Rose’s smiling face as she lay gutted on the floor at the Dahlia Hotel. The picture must have been taken seconds before she died, and she was fucking smiling.

My stomach felt sick as I lowered the opera glasses and stepped away from the distorted images. My mind was racing to understand what I had seen. I had seen a lot of horrible shit during the war, but this was worse. This gallery was created for people that enjoyed looking at horrific images. I looked at the door to my left, knowing I had to continue if I wanted answers. A little plaque on the door read, “Cloaks required beyond this point.” I swallowed the acid rising in my throat, tied on my cloak, and pushed the door open.

The next corridor was the same shape, but instead of photos, it had inset frosted windows. Cloaked figures were standing in front of the windows, peering into them with opera glasses, so I did the same. A gasp of horror froze in my throat at the scene behind the glass. The corpse of a beautiful redheaded woman was lying on an examination table. Her legs were in stirrups while her slender arms dangled off the sides. Her long hair was hanging off the back of the table like a curtain. Her lifeless gray eyes gazed at the ceiling while numerous men in cloaks touched her breasts and kissed her pale skin. I almost vomited when one of them stepped between her legs and eagerly penetrated her.

Lowering my glasses and stepping away from the window, I took a few deep breaths to settle my stomach. I needed to get the fuck out of there as fast as possible. Harry could have warned me they were a cult of necrophiliacs. He probably hoped they would catch me and add me to their collection. In my haste to get to the door, I bumped the shoulder of a cloaked man that had just entered.

“Oh, excuse me, madam,” announced a familiar, silky voice from under the hood.

I stopped in my tracks and watched the man as he went to the window and raised his opera glasses. I knew who it was, and he wasn’t supposed to be there. While mentally cursing the Coleman brothers to the darkest parts of hell, I stomped over to Lenard and punched him hard in the arm. He grunted and almost dropped his glasses. He was clutching his arm as he looked at me in astonishment.

“Dolly? What the fuck are you doing here?” he hissed.

“Same to you! Get me the fuck out of here!” I hissed back.

Two cloaked figures turned and shushed us after that. Lenard bowed his head, grabbed my hand, and dragged me towards the door we had used to get in. We left the viewing halls, returned our cloaks and glasses to the gray-eyed doorman, and hurried back to the club. Danny was still tearing up the stage as Lenard and I made our way to a secluded booth.

“What the fuck are you doing here, Lenard? I can’t believe you’re a part of this disgusting cult! How can you put your dick in a corpse and then stick it in a living woman? That’s utterly repugnant!” I hissed, trying hard not to yell.

“Calm down, Dolly. I don’t fuck corpses. I just like to watch.”

“That doesn’t make it better!” I almost shrieked.

“Dolly, for fuck’s sake, keep your voice down, or you’ll get us both in trouble. That woman wasn’t dead. She was pretending to be a corpse for the show. It’s all an act.”

I stared at him in disbelief for a moment. The redhead definitely looked dead. I had seen plenty of dead bodies in my time. I would know the difference.

“She looked dead, Lenard.”

“Dolly, they go through great lengths to make it look real. The opera glasses, the special rooms, and a lot of makeup do the trick. I’ve seen them put the show together. I sponsored an event a few years ago, and they let me see how they did it. I promise you, it’s fake.”

“Even the pictures?” I snapped.

“I don’t know about the pictures. They come from all over the world. They’re probably real.”

I growled under my breath and put my hands over my eyes, wishing I had never left the office.

“Did you bring a car, Lenard? I want to go home.”

“Of course, Dolly. Let’s go.”

As we stood to leave, Danny walked over and looked at Lenard with wide eyes.

“Shit, Mr. Coleman, you’re not supposed to be here,” he announced.

Lenard rolled his eyes and let out an annoyed sigh.

“Did Harry send you two after me?” he demanded as he looked between us.

Lenard got an earful from me on our drive home. Danny was in the back seat of the Rolls Royce, grinning and chuckling as I cursed the youngest Coleman brother with every terrible word I knew.

“God, Dolly, are you done?” Lenard asked in annoyance.

“Yes. Unless I think of something else terrible to call you.”

“For the last time, the chamber shows are fake, and I have never fucked a corpse,” he groaned.

“If I find out you’re lying to me, I’ll murder you myself and hand you over to the cult.”

The car was silent for many minutes after that. Danny was still grinning when I glanced at him in the rearview mirror.

“Does the cult have a name?” I asked.

“Bella Morta,” Lenard sighed.

“Beautiful Dead? That’s straight to the point, at least. Who runs it?”

“I don’t know.”

“Seriously?” I snapped.

“Yes, Dolly. I’m serious. Bella Morta is the oldest trendy cult in New York. One person doesn’t represent it. Many people contribute to the gallery to keep it active. It’s a kinky sex club.”

“Yeah, a kinky sex club that inspired a psychopath to ritualistically murder a beautiful showgirl,” I spat. “Is the harbor club their permanent location?”

“No, they’re in a different place every week. They have viewing rooms all over New York.”

“Who makes that special glass?”

“I don’t know, Dolly. I’ll tell you what I do know. The harbor club was close, so I visited to see if they were doing anything new. I still receive the weekly letter that announces the viewing location. If you want to contact the cult leaders or sponsor an event, you have to drop a letter into the suggestion box at the end of the viewing halls. If they trust you, they’ll contact you.”

“Fuck,” I sighed as we parked in front of my office. “Lenard, would you be willing to help me contact these people?”

“No. Harry would kill me.”

“Why?”

“Because I promised Harry I would stay away from Bella Morta, but as you can see, I didn’t. If the paper got wind of a Coleman brother visiting the viewing rooms, it could damage our name and our business.”

“Bullshit. You’re both hiding something. What are you two not telling me?”

“Dolly, for your own good, stay away from the cult. Rose got mixed up with them, and you see how it ended.”

“You lying piece of shit. Why would Rose get involved with a cult like that? She was a popular showgirl. She lived a charmed life. What could they offer her that she didn’t already have?”

“Really good drugs,” Danny chuckled before he slumped sideways in the seat.

“What? Danny!” I gasped as I looked in the back to see him unconscious.

“Fuck… he must have taken something at the club,” Lenard said and climbed halfway into the back to pick up Danny’s arm. He yanked his sleeve up and used his cigarette lighter to examine it. “Shit! He did take something, and he’s not breathing.”

“Oh God, Lenard, drive three blocks up and find Doctor Keller’s office!” I half shrieked.

He got us there in less than a minute. I dived out of the car and pounded on Pacey’s office door loud enough to wake the neighbors. When I heard his footsteps rushing through the waiting room, I ran back to the car to check on Danny.

“What the hell is all the ruckus? Dolly, is that you?” Pacey demanded as he stepped over to the car and looked at us in the dim light of the street lamp.

“Yes, Danny took something at a club, and now he’s not breathing! Help him!” I yelled.

“Shit! What did he take?”

“Probably a mix of cocaine and heroin,” Lenard said as he examined the fresh puncture on Danny’s arm.

“I’ll be right back,” Pacey called and rushed back into the office.

After what felt like an eternity, Pacey came back with a scary-looking needle. He pushed Lenard out of the way and stabbed Danny in the chest with it.

“What the fuck?” Lenard gasped.

“It’s an adrenaline shot. It should get his heart working again,” I explained.

We watched in painful silence as the seconds ticked away. I could have collapsed in relief when Danny sucked in a breath and groaned.

“Thank God,” I breathed as Pacey and Lenard carefully pulled Danny out of the car and dragged him to the bed in the spare room.

“What’s going on, Dolly? Why are you wearing a wig and hanging out with Lenard Coleman?” Pacey whispered as he continued to examine Danny.

“I was chasing a lead. Harry and Lenard implied that Rose was mixed up with the Bella Morta cult, so I paid them a visit at a speakeasy by the harbor. They had some pretty disgusting stuff going on in the basement. I picked up Danny and Lenard in the process.”

“I don’t see any old punctures on Danny’s arms. Was he an addict?”

“I don’t think so. He would experiment with stuff from time to time, but he cared too much about his health to do this to himself.”

“You think someone forced it on him?” Pacey asked with his brow furrowed.

“After what I saw tonight, I know someone is taking advantage of beautiful people, and Danny caught their attention. They must have gotten to him while I was distracted.”

“What did Rose’s autopsy reveal? Did they find drugs in her system?”

“No, the cause of death was blood loss, and there were no immediate signs of drug abuse, so they didn’t test her for it. The morgue is a shit-show these days. They’re understaffed and overworked. If the cause of death is obvious, they shove the body into a casket as fast as possible.”

“God, I’m sorry, Dolly. Danny needs to be watched for at least a week if he wakes up from this. A really good hit of heroin can instantly create an addiction.”

“I’ll send him to Harry with Lenard. Harry has the means to take care of him. He sent Danny to the club in the first place, so it’s mostly his fault,” I grumbled and left the room to find Lenard.

The youngest Coleman brother was sitting in the waiting room, looking tired and worried.

“Is he alive?” he asked as I sat down next to him.

“Pacey thinks he’ll live. I want you to take him home with you and get Harry to look after him for a week. He owes Danny and me that. Does Bella Morta force potent drugs on people to lure them into their cult?”

“Yeah… they did it to me, but Harry intervened. Their heroin blend is amazing. It can make you worship whoever gives it to you. When Harry found out what they were giving me, he killed a lot of their people in retaliation, and they killed a lot of ours. Then they reached a truce somehow. Since then, Harry has stripped me of my power outside the hotel. He doesn’t trust me anymore, and I don’t blame him. I should have stayed home tonight.”

“I’m glad you didn’t. Danny might have ended up in that disgusting basement otherwise. Was Rose’s murder a warning to Harry? The cult killed someone in your hotel. That’s not hitting close to home. That’s breaking in and shitting on the carpet.”

“It meant something, but I don’t know what. Harry won’t tell me. That’s another reason why I went to the club tonight. I was curious if something big had changed. It was stupid of me.”

“Did seeing Rose gutted remind you of the drug? Did it make you want it?”

His eyes widened at that suggestion.

“Oh my God, it did,” he whispered with a gulp. “Everything about her murder reminded me of the first time they dosed me. It made me crave it after being clean for three years.”

My heart sank at that revelation.

“Lenard, what would have happened had I continued through the basement gallery? What was in the next room?”

“The drugs. If you want to participate, they pump you full of Bella Morta heroin and send you into one of the chambers behind the glass,” he whispered.

“Then what happens?”

“You pretend to fuck a corpse. It’s sick, I know, but with their drugs in your system, it’s a heavenly experience. It’s like connecting with the dead on another plane of existence. I still dream about the night I did it. I could see the soul of the woman I was fucking rise out of her body and smile at me. She wanted me inside her so our spirits could connect. We were in ecstasy together. Our ghosts were making love instead of our bodies. It was bewitching,” he whispered as he closed his eyes and shuddered.

I was beyond freaked out by his explanation and his reaction to the memory of it. It made my skin crawl.

“Lenard, are you sure it’s all an act? That woman looked pretty dead to me.”

“I know for sure the woman in the first chamber is alive and pretending to be dead. That’s a demonstration for potential members who aren’t using the drug yet. Beyond the second chamber, I don’t know.”

“God, Lenard, you probably did fuck a corpse while drugged out of your fucking mind!” I yelled.

“Dolly, none of this yelling helps anything.”

“It helps me!”

Pacey came into the waiting room at that point, looking tired and annoyed.

“Danny’s awake, but he’s not alert. He’ll likely be out of his head for a few more hours. Now would be a good time to take him somewhere else.”

That meant he didn’t want him in his office while under the influence of an illegal drug. Pacey had enough trouble with his own addicted patients. He kept specific medicines on hand to prevent them from dying in his office.

I spoke with Danny before he left with Lenard. He couldn’t answer any of my questions about the club. It broke my heart to see him so messed up. I would be damned before I lost another friend to Bella Morta. I was certain the cult was responsible for Rose’s murder after that night. It was all coming together in a disturbing way. Pacey volunteered to walk me home after Lenard left. We both needed the fresh air.

“Dolly, you’re getting in over your head with Bella Morta,” he whispered as we strolled past the dark windows of the bakery on the corner.

“What do you know about it, Pacey?”

“The name ‘Bella Morta’ is used for the drug and the cult. Their heroin ruins lives faster than any drug I’ve ever encountered. I don’t take patients that have a history with it. Most people don’t survive long enough to realize they need therapy after using it.”

“Lenard hasn’t taken it in three years, but Harry stripped away a lot of his responsibilities and didn’t give them back, and he still sneaked back to the club in spite of the danger. He’s a ticking bomb for a relapse. That’s an eye-opener. Will Danny be like that after he recovers?”

“Not likely. Lenard apparently went through the cult initiation. That’s where they hook you physically and mentally. I studied their technique in college. They use a strange experience to build a shocking association with the euphoric pleasure of the drug.”

“What are you saying? Are they turning people into necrophiliacs on purpose?”

“Yes and no. They’re using blood, gore, and euphoric sex to create an unforgettable experience that’s hard to recreate. Not even a Coleman brother has the means to resist what they offer. The cult has been around for centuries. Think about it, Dolly. Once they have someone initiated and hooked, they can easily control them. It’s scary.”

“No kidding. Thanks for helping Danny. He’s one of a few friends I have left in this city,” I sighed as we stopped in front of my office door.

“You have more friends than you realize, Dolly,” he said with a thoughtful smile. “Speaking of friends and acquaintances, I hired Hanna. She’ll be watching the front, starting tomorrow.”

“Oh, good. I’m glad you’ll have someone helping for a change.”

“Really?” he asked with an eyebrow raised.

“Yes, really. Sorry I gave you a hard time about her. I was a lost cause that day.”

“Ah-ha, we finally have a confession,” he grinned. “Goodnight, Dolly. Stay out of trouble,” he ordered before he retreated back to his office.

Chapter 8: Slow Sunday

The next day, my first order of business was to visit Harry at the Dahlia and curse him to high heaven for sending me into a den of dangerous necrophiliacs. Then I planned to check on Danny. I was pleased to discover Harry had set him up in a comfortable room in his executive suite so he could watch over him. I was learning that Harry could be just as sweet as he could be cruel. He took my harsh words gracefully, knowing he deserved it.

“I didn’t send you in alone,” he reminded me.

“True, but the person you sent to look after me was too sexy. He caught their attention.”

“Exactly. Danny lured them away from you.”

“Damn it, Harry. You’re still in trouble for this.”

“I know. I’m sorry. I also want to thank you for finding Lenard before he did anything stupid. God, I can’t believe he went back there after three years clean,” he groaned as he sat on his couch and rubbed his eyes.

“It was because of Rose. Her death reminded him of Bella Morta and made him crave it. Pacey explained it to me. It’s scary how it messes with your mind.”

“I know. I would erase the cult from New York if I could. I tried once, but they scattered to the darkest corners of the city and regrouped like the roaches they are.”

“Rose’s murder was a warning for you, wasn’t it?”

He closed his eyes and nodded, prompting me to let out another string of curses.

“Why?” I eventually demanded, trying hard not to yell.

“I pushed them recently. The cult had begun manipulating local businesses to help claim valuable property close to the hotel. One of my favorite bakeries was bought and sold without warning. That bakery had served our hotel patrons for over ten years. I personally confronted the owner about it, and he was showing all the signs of addiction. He was fine a month earlier. After some gentle persuasion from my goons, Joe confessed that Bella Morta forced him to sell his business. I pulled some strings and reclaimed the bakery for him. I even helped Joe get clean, so he could continue business as usual. The cult obviously didn’t like that.”

“Thus, they murdered your most popular showgirl and tempted your brother back to their drug den. God, Pacey was right. These people are over my head.”

“I could have told you that, but you strike me as the type that learns lessons the hard way.”

I rolled my eyes at his observation since it was true.

“How can I get justice for Rose against a monster like Bella Morta?” I sighed and slumped onto the couch next to Harry.

“Join the cult,” Harry suggested.

“There has to be a better way.”

“Join the administrative side, is what I meant. The people who run the cult aren’t hopeless addicts. They’re people like me, powerful and manipulative. They became my enemy when they tried to claim my brother. That prevented me from getting to know them better.”

Suddenly, Danny staggered into the room from the guest suite, shaking like a leaf and sweating. He met my eyes and started crying.

“Dolly, what happened to me? I think I’m dying.”

Harry and I rushed over to him and escorted him back to bed. I sat down with him and held him for many minutes. His heart was pounding, and he couldn’t stop trembling. There was a bucket full of vomit beside the bed that Harry swiftly carried away. He returned with a fresh bucket a few seconds later. Danny almost immediately made use of it.

“God, Danny, I’m so sorry,” I whispered.

Harry picked up the phone by the bed and summoned his personal doctor to the room. The man gave Danny a shot that knocked him out a few seconds later. I kissed his sweaty hair and left him alone to rest.

“Is the withdrawal usually this bad?” I asked as Harry and I returned to the sitting room.

“It was worse with Lenard. I thought he was going to die that first week. Danny is in better shape. He’ll get over the worst of it in about three days. Don’t worry, Dolly. I’ll take good care of him.”

“You better. I’ll put a bullet in your ass otherwise.”

“I believe you. What’s your next step? I’ll help if I can.”

“I need some names. Anything that could connect me with a cult leader. Who bought Joe’s bakery? Bella Morta was obviously trying to put someone they liked in a more profitable area. Do you know who it was?”

“I do. I have that name. Give me a minute.”

He went into his office and returned with a small ledger.

“Morgan Kimble officially took ownership of the bakery for three days, then I made a lot of threats and got it back in Joe’s name. Morgan got his money back, so there is no bad blood over that. The cult is just pissed that I prevented them from moving onto my street.”

“I see. Do you know anything about Morgan?”

“He’s a small business owner. He runs a cafe on the west side. He could have tripled his profits on a street like mine. People like Joe are smart enough not to sell for that reason. That’s why the cult got involved and tried to force Joe out.”

“I see. Why would they help Morgan, though?”

“That’s a very good question. I suspect he did the cult a favor. Maybe he gave them something money can’t legally buy. That’s how most dirty deals work.”

“I should pay Morgan a visit and see what he has to offer.”

“Be careful, Dolly. You’ve caught a small glimpse of what Bella Morta can do.”

“Thanks, Harry. I don’t feel like shooting you anymore. Take care of Danny for me. I’ll be back to check on him tomorrow if I’m not locked in a basement somewhere.”

I took a cab to the address Harry provided. It was reasonably close to my office but too far to walk for a lunch break. It was an attractive cafe on a moderately busy street corner. They served breakfast and lunch all week except for Sundays. Business was slow at ten o’clock in the morning, so I made myself comfortable at the breakfast bar. A sweet-faced, elderly waitress took my coffee order, then I asked her about Morgan Kimble.

“Oh, Morgan is a good lad. He’s down at the church right now, helping with the soup kitchen. Saturdays are slow, so he doesn’t mind leaving me in charge. He’s been running this cafe for more than ten years after his father passed. He loves his community, but he has been looking to move uptown. A lad with his energy would do fine on a busier street.”

“I see. Before the move, would he be selling or passing the business to family?”

“He wanted to keep it in the family, but that fell through as soon as he suggested it. Now he plans to buy a new place uptown before he sells this one. That’s a strange order to do it in if you ask me, but it’s his money. I’m sure he knows how to use it better than me.”

After that, the waitress turned to retrieve my coffee and bagel, so I excused myself to the restroom. The stairs in the back led up to the apartment over the cafe. I hurried up and picked the lock on the front door. The apartment was small yet comfortable. There were two bedrooms in use. One for a man and one for a woman, judging by the decor. A tiny office with a typewriter and phone was set up in the corner of the small living room. A strange mix of photos decorated the walls. One wall was dedicated to autographed portraits of the Ziegfeld Follies. I recognized many of them. Sarah ‘Sissy’ Macy, Patricia DuPont, and Rose Miles were in the collection. Some of the portraits were over twenty years old. There were Follies there that had inspired me when I was a little girl.

Suddenly, a noise from the stairwell sent my heart into my throat. I squeezed into the broom closet and held my breath. The shutter-style door allowed me a peek into the foyer and living room. A man emerged from the stairwell a few seconds later. He had stern gray eyes and a clean-shaven face. My throat went dry at the sight of him. Morgan Kimble was the doorman that let me into the Bella Morta gallery less than twelve hours earlier. He disappeared into his bedroom for a few minutes. When he stepped back into the foyer, he was dressed in a white and blue cafe uniform. He stepped over to the Folly portraits as he put on his hat. He smiled as he admired their beautiful faces. He touched one of the portraits before he turned and hurried down the stairs to the cafe.

I breathed a sigh of relief and stepped out of the closet. Before leaving, I looked for the portrait Morgan touched. There was a fresh fingerprint over Patricia DuPont’s mouth. Upon closer examination, there were fingerprints on Sissy’s and Rose’s portraits too. I made my escape after that. There was a door that led onto the street at the bottom of the stairs, so I ducked out of it instead of walking through the cafe. Morgan Kimble was likely an administrative member of the Bella Morta cult, making me want to avoid him until I could prove him guilty and shoot him.

Janice could see the stress in my eyes when I returned to the office. We had barely seen each other in two days.

“Get your notepad, Janice. We have a lot of shit to sort through.”

Ducky brought us lunch and more coffee as we made a list of everything I learned since Rose’s murder. A list of names preceded a list of their connections to the Bella Morta cult. What disturbed me the most was the cult’s reach. The first person I saw mutilated in one of their styles was Ruth Compton, a fellow war nurse in France. That was seven years earlier and on another continent. Logically, a cult member likely committed the murder. The question on my mind was, did a local cult member do it while serving alongside Becky and me? It wouldn’t surprise me if a nurse or doctor became infatuated with the Beautiful Dead before they left for the war. I avoided hospitals and clinics like the plague after my medical discharge, losing contact with my comrades in the process. I couldn’t stomach any of it after what happened to me.

Greg Price was at the top of my list when it came to persons of interest. After seeing the photo of Rose smiling in the cult gallery, I needed to know if he took that photo. If he did, I planned to gut him for it. He was likely defenseless after Harry broke his nose, ribs, and arm, but my altercation with him would have to wait. I didn’t have the mental focus for it after discovering Morgan Kimble’s connection with the cult and the Follies. Morgan was potentially the creep that sent the threatening letters to Sissy.

Janice and I brainstormed and made inquiries all afternoon. We ended up eating supper at the office again. Ducky heroically brought us some delicious pastrami sandwiches and French onion soup. Ducky was a saint and part of my investigative team as far as I was concerned. I enjoyed watching him and Janice talk to each other like love-sick fools when we weren’t working. It lightened the mood in the office, even though it made me feel like a third wheel.

A light rain was tapping the window as Janice organized our new files on the Bella Morta cult. Ducky was napping on the couch under the window, preventing me from taking my nap. My mind settled on Pacey as I watched the rain. It had been raining the last two times I saw him. He would be excellent backup when I visited Greg Price. Pacey could see a lie a mile away. He would likely say no. He avoided getting involved in my investigations, but I enjoyed having an excuse to visit him. I also owed him a check for my numerous unannounced appointments.

“Janice, I’m heading out to see Pacey. I’ll be back before dark,” I called and grabbed my umbrella.

Chapter 9: Needed Attention

My mind was in a rush as I left the office, but my body wasn’t for once. My black umbrella was dripping as my heels tapped the drenched path. The sleepy, dark walls of the concrete jungle echoed with wet noises. It was a peaceful sound, but thoughts of Greg Price and his morbid photos kept me from enjoying it. What kind of sick person would photograph a dying woman while she was high on heroin? The more I thought about it, the grumpier I became. I was completely distracted by my thoughts as I stepped into Pacey’s waiting room and dropped my umbrella in the stand by the door. A pleasant female voice startled me back to the present.

“Oh, good evening, Ms. Nail,” Hanna announced from her place behind the reception desk.

I flinched at her, and she smiled in amusement.

“I’m sorry, Ms. Nail. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“Oh, it’s fine,” I breathed as I collected myself. “Uh, is Doctor Keller in?”

“He is. He’s with someone at the moment. Would you like some tea or coffee while you wait?” Hanna asked and motioned to the new beverage station in the corner.

Pacey talked about putting that there for months. It was a little table with a single gas burner and all the items a secretary would need to prepare a hot drink.

“Oh, that’s cute,” I chuckled. “I’m glad he finally added it, but I’m good for now. So, Hanna, is it? We saw each other in passing a few days ago. It’s good to finally meet you face to face,” I said and offered her my hand.

“Hanna Brice. The pleasure is all mine, Ms. Nail. You’re a local hero. I’ve read about you in the paper multiple times. You make New York safer for women. That’s quite a feat.”

“Thanks, Hanna. It’s a messy business, but someone’s gotta do it.”

Hanna was cute and full of flattery, but that didn’t make her bad. I had to keep telling myself that. She had chestnut-colored hair, bright gray eyes, and full lips. After seeing her face to face, I had to rank her as a nine. That unsettled me.

“Doctor Keller should be done in a few minutes. Would you like for me to announce you?”

“That’s not necessary. I’ll relax and read the paper until he’s done,” I said and made myself comfortable in the chair opposite the desk.

The five minutes I sat there felt like an eternity. Hanna was scribbling away in what I assumed was her journal. I wasn’t used to waiting on anything, especially not Pacey. My attempts to read the paper left me restless. At one point, I considered collecting my umbrella and leaving, but footsteps behind the main door stopped me. A gorgeous woman stepped through it a second later. She glanced at me and gasped.

“Dolly Nail?” she asked in astonishment as Pacey stepped out of the hall behind her.

“That’s me, and you’re…”

“Patricia DuPont. I worked with Rose Miles when she was a Folly. It’s an honor to meet you, Ms. Nail,” she said and shook my hand.

“Dolly,” Pacey began, “I was just telling Patricia about you. I think you can help her more than I can.”

“Really? How so?”

“Step into my office and we can talk about it. Hanna, you can head home now. I usually don’t receive patients after five.”

“Of course, Doctor Keller. Thanks for letting me work with you. Do I unlock the door at ten tomorrow since it’s Sunday?” she asked as she gathered up her things.

“Yes, I’ll see you then. Have a good night.”

Pacey led Patricia and me back into his office as Hanna left for the evening. We sat down to talk while he escaped into the kitchen to make tea.

“What’s wrong, Patricia?” I asked while observing the dark circles under her big green eyes.

“I haven’t slept well at all. I’ve been too anxious. I came to Doctor Keller for something to help calm me down. The cause of my trouble was a random letter under my door. I have no clue who sent it. It seemed like a harmless love note at first. I dropped it on my vanity and forgot about it. Then news of Rose’s murder swept through the theater. I sat at my vanity in shock after learning what happened. That’s when I noticed the strange letter again, and my heart sputtered in my chest. Here, look at it. Am I crazy? Or is there a secret message in it?”

I picked up the note and read it. It was typed on pink paper and cut into the shape of a heart. The poem was simple and charming, but the hidden message made my blood run cold.

“Red hearts and golden stars

Open my eyes to the sky

Stop dancing long enough to breathe and

Enter my heart with your song

Is that you, my blushing damsel?

Standing in garish attire?

Don’t tease me with your flirting

Even a little is too much to bear

An affair is fun for two

Don’t tell the third wheel a lie

After a botched proposal

Not even a little humor survived

Did I miss my chance, my love?

Soon I will know the truth

Open your heart and be my muse

Are you, sweet Patricia?”

“Oh my God… ‘ROSE IS DEAD AND SO Are you, sweet Patricia,'” I read in astonishment.

“That’s not a fucking coincidence! It can’t be. I’m not crazy, right?” she demanded.

“No, Patricia. This is serious. I spoke to Sissy Macy earlier this week. She’s been receiving threatening notes too, and the last one hinted at Rose’s murder. I need to speak with Chief Brooks and get officers to watch the theater. Can I use your phone, Pacey?”

After a few calls, Chief Brooks and a deputy came to Pacey’s office to take a statement and safely escort Patricia home. I recounted the threats against Sissy and Patricia as Pacey and I walked Collin back to his car. He was livid after I told him what happened to Danny. He cursed Bella Morta to hell as he ripped off his hat and scratched his head.

“They’ve been quiet for a while now. I haven’t connected any murders to them in years. You think they’re directly responsible for Rose’s murder?” he asked.

“I do. Did your officers find any notes like Patricia’s in Rose’s room?”

“Not that I recall. There’s a small chance they were overlooked. Sissy’s were mostly love letters, right?”

“Most of them were. They got darker and more threatening over time. I’ll have to visit Rose’s room tomorrow and do another search after I check on Danny.”

“Let me know what you find. I’m going to make some coffee and dig up my old cult files. Call me if you need me, Dolly,” Brooks sighed before he ducked into his car and drove off.

“What a week,” Pacey sighed as we walked back into his office’s waiting room to escape the drizzle.

“My work keeps bleeding into yours. Sorry about that.”

“It’s not a problem. What brought you here this evening, Dolly? Do you need to talk?” he asked as he searched my eyes.

“I did. I was anxious and wanted to talk shit about Greg Price. I’m better now. I have connections to follow up on. It’s comforting.”

Pacey smiled and nodded. He knew strange stuff like a lead in a case comforted me like a warm blanket.

“Uh, do you like the little coffee bar I set up for Hanna?” he asked as he presented it to me like a new car.

“I do. I’m glad you have someone watching the front now. It might help your business.”

“I hope so,” he agreed as he chewed on his bottom lip.

I suddenly sensed an awkwardness between us that wasn’t there before. We weren’t usually so formal with each other.

“Pacey, I wanted to apologize again for that awkward scene in the kitchen the other day. Did that… hurt our friendship?”

“No, not at all. I just, um…” he hummed and looked across the room with a scowl tugging at his handsome brow.

“You did nothing wrong, Pacey. It was all me. I made things awkward between us,” I sighed in defeat.

“No. That’s not it. I… have a date with Hanna tomorrow evening, and I wanted you to know,” he said in a rush.

My mouth dropped open at that revelation. It came out of nowhere. I quickly closed my mouth and nodded, trying to hold back the flood of anger and hurt that was bubbling up inside me. Pacey had all the right in the world to date anyone he wanted. Hanna was beautiful and friendly, and Pacey deserved someone like her, not a shit-show like me.

“Um, okay, that’s great,” I stammered.

“Really?” he asked doubtfully.

He could see how rattled I was.

“Shit… I’m sorry, Pacey. I’ve had a rough week. I really am glad you’re hitting it off with Hanna. She’s beautiful, nice, predictable, and safe. A much better choice than me. Uh, why did you tell me about the date, anyway?”

He stared at me for a long moment, adding to my frustration. He looked hurt by my reaction, but he should have expected something inconsiderate from me. I existed to offend.

“I just… wanted to share the news with a friend,” he stated. There was no conviction behind it.

“And you did because we’re friends,” I agreed. My throat was tight again. “I need to get home. I told Janice I would be back before too late. She’s probably waiting for me. I’ll see you around, Pacey,” I said and stepped towards the door, but he grabbed my arm and stopped me.

Do you know that feeling when you’re standing on the edge of a high wall, staring down at the ground, wondering if you would hurt yourself if you jumped? That was the feeling his touch created in my chest. It was wonderful and terrifying.

He gently pulled me back until our eyes met. I was surprised by the hurt and longing in his expression. He sighed nervously and touched my cheek with his warm hand. It made my chest feel light. He held me in his gaze for a moment, like he was trying to read my thoughts. Then his eyes drifted to my lips, and I knew what he wanted. Two seconds later, we were kissing. We kissed as if our lives depended on it.

Pacey tasted like he smelled, and I couldn’t get enough of it. I matted my fingers into his soft hair and pulled his mouth harder against mine. He moaned as I worked my tongue against his. One of his hands held the back of my neck as the other pulled at my waist, crushing me against him. He was stronger than I imagined. His weekly visits to the gym were paying off. We stumbled over to Hanna’s desk as we began tugging at each other’s clothes. Pacey reached over and closed the window curtains before he pulled up my skirt, then he grabbed my ass and hoisted me onto the desk.

My heart leaped as he wrenched my underwear off and parted my knees so he could stand between them. He held my neck and kissed me again as I fumbled with his zipper. He reached down and pushed my hands aside so he could finish the task. I caught a short glimpse of his thick erection as he pulled it from his slacks. Then he pulled me close for another kiss. I shuddered when I felt his silky tip massaging my cunt, teasing to slide into my warmth. He stopped kissing me at that point and looked at me like a lover.

Pacey knew I belonged to him at that moment, and he wanted to enjoy my pleasure as much as I wanted to enjoy his. He watched my eyes as he pushed into me. I let out a satisfied groan as he opened me up deep inside. The angle of penetration was wonderful, and he was hard as a rock. I went a little shaky at the realization of who was inside me. Pacey Keller had his thick cock in my cunt. It felt better than I imagined, and I had often imagined him inside me.

“Oh, Pacey, please fuck me,” I whispered with my heart pounding.

“How long have you wanted this?” he whispered as he gently rocked inside me.

I could feel his pulse throbbing through his cock as he massaged my inner muscles. I couldn’t remember a time when I felt more aroused. My cunt was already twitching and clutching at his meat, ready to take whatever he would give me.

“Six years,” I breathed.

“Why did you hide it for that long?”

“You deserve better than me.”

“What a crock of shit,” he breathed as he squeezed my ass and thrust hard inside me.

I gasped and leaned back on my arms, giving Pacey more room to move. He picked up my legs and began plowing into me.

“Oh fuck, I should have said something sooner,” I groaned as raw pleasure ached through my cunt with every stroke.

I leaned on my elbows with my head back, enjoying the hard fuck I had been craving from Pacey. I glanced at his handsome face to see him admiring me. I wanted to kiss him, but the angle of his thrusts made me weak with pleasure.

“God, Pacey, that’s so good,” I panted with my legs twitching.

I sank to my back and squeezed my tits as an orgasm began to tense my muscles. I cried out in ecstasy as the first wave rocked through my cunt, then I shuddered again and again as his cock pumped through my trembling muscles. I squirmed and gasped for half a minute, at least. Then Pacey gasped and tensed as an orgasm played through his cock and hindered his rhythm. I watched his handsome face as he grimaced with pleasure and came inside me. It was a hot, satisfying burst that immediately dripped out of me. I smiled and shuddered from the wonderful sensation as he slowed his thrusts. He moaned as he reveled in the orgasmic aftershocks. Then he laid down on me and kissed me. It wasn’t a frenzied kiss like earlier. It was a tender ‘thank you’ for the pleasure we shared. I loved feeling his heart pounding against mine.

“Hiring Hanna was a good idea after all,” he whispered against my lips, making me chuckle.

“It was. I’m not used to competing for your attention.”

“You have no competition. Will you come to bed with me, Dolly?”

My body tingled at his words. Pacey wanting me made me hotter than actually having his cock inside me. It was strange, but it made perfect sense. I had always wanted him to want me. I valued what Pacey valued. He could do no wrong in my eyes, and that made me vulnerable to him. He could crush me by ignoring me, and he finally knew it, thanks to Hanna. My jealousy of her broke through six years’ worth of emotional camouflage. It was embarrassing, to say the least. Not to mention I was still reeling from Pacey’s desire for me. He hid it for years too, and he hid it better than me.

“I want to stay with you, Pacey, but I don’t know if I should. This is happening really fast. I love it, but I’ve never done anything fast with you except piss you off.”

He smiled and nodded. Then he kissed me again. It was slow and gentle, just like Pacey when he was happy.

“I understand, Dolly. Can I walk you home?”

“Please do. That’ll give me time to change my mind,” I chuckled, making him laugh too. I was savoring every second of it.

“Wow, what am I going to tell Hanna?” he sighed as he gently pulled out of me.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I plan to cancel our date since you and I just screwed on her desk, but I don’t want to tell her that.”

“Don’t cancel the date then. Go out as friends. I don’t mind.”

“Really?” he asked doubtfully.

He was right. I did mind, but I trusted Pacey. He wouldn’t intentionally hurt me. I didn’t trust Hanna, though. She was too much like me. She was hot, and she knew it.

“Okay, I don’t trust Hanna because she will likely make a move on you. I would if I were her.”

“Dolly, I want you to know that I asked her out to see if it would make you jealous. If it didn’t work, I planned to date Hanna and try to be content. Instead, the impossible happened. You became insanely jealous.”

“I was,” I confessed as I admired his familiar baby face. “When did you catch on to my real feelings?”

“When you gave me that awkward little peck in the kitchen. It was a fantasy come true for me. I had wanted to do that to you more times than I could count. In a moment of weakness, I almost kissed you back. You wouldn’t believe how badly I wanted you at that point, but then I remembered you had fucked Lenard Coleman less than two hours earlier. That made me flip out because I was insanely jealous.”

“God, Pacey, why didn’t you say something sooner?” I asked as I touched his beautiful face.

“Why didn’t you?”

“You’re too good for me, Pacey Keller. I don’t deserve you. Thanks to the bomb, I can’t even give you children. I didn’t want to trap you in my life.”

“And that’s bullshit! All I ever wanted was to be closer to you, Dolly. I want you and only you, but you would turn frigid towards me when I tried to be friendly. I assumed you wanted a strictly professional relationship, so that’s what I gave you. Your flirting drove me nuts because you wouldn’t let me return it. You would just shut down emotionally when I tried to flirt. I hated it.”

“I’ll never do that again,” I breathed and pulled his lips back to mine.

He groaned as I grabbed his cock and pumped it, making him stiff again. I eagerly guided him back into my dripping cunt, then I gasped when he thrust hard into me, hitting deep in my belly. He grabbed my ass and repeatedly slammed his cock fast through my inner muscles, punishing me with pleasure and shaking our bodies with his thrusts. I was thrilled to know Pacey could be an aggressive lover. My dirtiest fantasy involved him roughing me up on his consultation couch. My mind often drifted to that scenario as I watched his long fingers scribble details about me in his notebook. I wasn’t going home that night after all.

“Stop for a moment,” I panted, pushing him back.

He backed away and watched as I hopped off the desk and began stripping. He quickly did the same. Once we were naked, I ordered him to the floor.

“Why?” he asked in confusion.

“Lay down so I can ride your dick,” I ordered.

“Oh,” was all he said before he lay flat on his back in the middle of the rug.

I smiled as I straddled him and sank down on his cock. He groaned softly as my thighs came to rest against his hips.

“God, you are so beautiful, Dolly,” he whispered as he reached up and massaged my breasts.

“So are you. I’ve wanted to sit on your baby face for years.”

He smirked at my comment. I placed my hands on his chest and began riding his throbbing meat. His eyes went sleepy as he enjoyed my tight warmth. He squirmed under me as I pleasured us both, then he began to thrust against my weight.

“Oh, that’s good,” I groaned and bounced a little faster on his cock.

I laid down on him and kissed him hard as he pumped inside me. We had to stop kissing and breathe as we grew hotter and hotter. I massaged my clit against his mound as tingles began to tense my muscles.

“Fuck, Pacey, I love you,” I groaned as my body shook with orgasm again. I gasped and whimpered as he fucked me through it.

“I love you too, Dolly. I have for six years,” he panted before he gasped and groaned against my ear.

I felt the shock of the orgasm as it worked through his cock and groin, filling me with another hot burst of cum.

“God, that feels good,” I moaned while squeezing him with my inner muscles. The orgasmic aftershocks were still tickling my cunt.

Pacey eventually sighed in satisfaction and pulled my mouth to his. We kissed for a long moment as our hearts slowed their pounding, and sweat cooled our skin. I was completely satisfied. I could have easily fallen asleep on top of him, but I suspected he wasn’t comfortable.

“Okay, Doctor Keller, I would like to be fucked extra hard on your consultation couch before we proceed to your bed.”

He burst out laughing at that request, but he happily fulfilled it.

Chapter 10: The Chase

I thought I was dreaming when I woke up in Pacey’s arms the next morning. Most of the night went by like an erotic dream. I smiled and climbed on top of him, startling him awake. He gave me the most beautiful smile. Then he groaned when I rocked my hips, sliding my pussy against his hardening cock.

“Good morning, Dolly,” he whispered with a little shudder of pleasure. The sight of it aroused me even more.

“It’s a very good morning,” I whispered as I got up on my knees.

He chewed his bottom lip as he watched me guide his cock against my cunt and stroke his tip into my wet lips. I moaned softly as I took him inside me again. I leaned my hands on his chest and rode his cock for many wonderful minutes. He was squirming and shifting his legs while squeezing my tits and gently pinching my nipples.

“I can’t take this much longer, Dolly.”

“Hmm, whoever cums first has to make breakfast,” I said with a grin and bounced harder on his cock.

“Challenge accepted, even though you’re a terrible cook,” he said with a wicked smile.

Suddenly, he grabbed me and pulled me down on top of him. I gasped as he rolled us both over in one swift motion, trapping me under him. Then he fucked me like a wild man. The pounding in my cunt was perfectly delicious. I cringed with orgasm and begged for mercy less than a minute later.

“I love watching you lose control,” he groaned as he tensed with pleasure.

He pumped hard into me a few more times as orgasm stole his breath. I loved watching the pleasure on his face and feeling him shake with every hot burst of cum. I pulled him down and worked my tongue into his mouth as he slowly relaxed. He moaned with satisfaction as he continued to gently rock inside me. He eventually melted against me and took a deep breath. I wrapped my arms around him and squeezed him tight. He was the best breakfast I ever had.

We eventually climbed out of bed and cleaned ourselves up. I planned to be polite and leave before Hanna arrived for work. Pacey agreed we shouldn’t flaunt our budding relationship in front of her. Hanna obviously liked him, and Pacey didn’t want to crush her spirit after asking her out on a date. He felt bad for using her to make me jealous, even though he honestly didn’t think it would work. I proved him wrong again in a ridiculous way. Neither one of us would ever live it down. We pined for each other in secret for years. I was almost too embarrassed to tell Janice what happened.

Pacey gave me a long kiss goodbye before I left his office that morning. I hurried home and took a bath before I set out for the Dahlia Hotel to check on Danny. After a promising report from Harry and a short visit with Danny, I was confident he would be back to his old self in a few weeks. Harry was growing more enamored of his handsome patient every day, and Danny seemed to be enjoying the constant attention. He dropped off to sleep while Harry and I spoke together around his bed.

“What’s your plan today, Dolly? Do you need my help with anything?” Harry whispered as he combed his fingers through Danny’s shiny black hair.

“I was planning to pay Greg Price a visit. I saw something in the Bella Morta gallery that made me think he was lying to us.”

“What was it?”

“A disturbing photo of Rose. She was looking up at the camera and smiling as she lay gutted on the carpet. She was obviously high on heroin. At least she didn’t feel what the murderer did to her.”

Harry’s eyes widened at that revelation. Then his jaw clenched.

“God, if he took that photo, I’ll have him begging for death for a month straight,” he hissed.

“I’ll gladly help with that, but I need to make sure it was him first. I found another Bella Morta connection with Morgan Kimble. He was the doorman that let me into their basement gallery at the speakeasy. I broke into his apartment and found a wall of portraits dedicated to Ziegfeld Follies. Rose was one of them, along with Sissy and Patricia. They were both threatened recently.”

“How so?”

“Cryptic love letters. They were typed and sent anonymously. Will you let me into Rose’s room so I can look for something similar?”

“Yes, we should go now. The room is scheduled to be remodeled starting this afternoon.”

Harry let me into the room with his master key before he returned to his suite to watch over Danny. The room still smelled of Rose’s perfume mingled with death. The smell and the stained carpet turned my stomach. I was used to fresh murder scenes, not old ones. I discovered a small stack of typed letters hidden in a corner drawer of her makeup vanity. They were similar to Sissy’s letters. They spoke of sexual fantasies involving Rose. Then they regressed to cryptic threats. The last letter mentioned something about an affair and how the stalker enjoyed Ms. DuPont’s fire towards the thornless Rose. The letter ended with him expressing his desire to fuck Ms. DuPont as she bled out under him.

“Patricia is definitely on his shit-list. I need to make sure she’s extra cautious.”

The stack of letters went into my purse before I locked the door and went in search of Lenard. I wanted to check on him and ask a few questions before I contacted Patricia. Fran, Lenard’s personal secretary, informed me that he was ‘interviewing’ again and wouldn’t be available for another hour.

“Well, it sounds like he’s doing fine. What’s the name of his latest couch date?” I chuckled, causing a burst of laughter from the cute blonde woman.

“You’re too much fun, Ms. Nail,” Fran chuckled. “Let’s see, he’s currently enjoying Ms. Laura Kimble.”

That name caught my attention and ruined my good mood. The second bedroom in Morgan Kimble’s apartment belonged to a woman. I definitely needed to check on Lenard before I left. Fran was confused when I rushed to the parlor door and began banging on it. I was shocked to discover it wasn’t locked. I threw it open and rushed in to find Lenard face down on the carpet.

“Fuck!” I exclaimed and ran over to him and rolled him over. “Lenard, look at me!” I yelled as I slapped his pale cheeks.

Fran rushed in behind me and let out a shriek to see her boss on the floor. That’s when a woman ran out from behind the bar and knocked her down.

“Fuck!” I yelled and dashed after the suspect, kicking my heels off as I ran. “Help him!” I screamed at Fran as I jumped over her in time to see the mysterious woman disappear into the stairwell.

I launched after her like a bullet. Drawing my .38, I flung the door open to the stairwell and took four steps at a time. Ms. Kimble was plenty fast since she also discarded her heels in Lenard’s parlor. I exploded out of the stairwell into the lobby and crashed right into a baggage cart. I tripped and went sliding across the floor as the suspect escaped through the emergency exit. Unholy curses erupted out of me as I scrambled after her. I caught a short glimpse of her navy skirt and hat before she disappeared into a black car on the corner. I took a few furious shots as the car sped off and turned down an alley. I cursed my way back into the building and yelled for someone to call the cops and send a doctor to Lenard’s parlor.

Rushing back to the executive suite, I found Harry and Fran leaning over Lenard, trying to revive him. He wasn’t dead. He had been pumped full of Bella Morta heroin.

“Fuck, Harry, I couldn’t catch her,” I panted as I knelt next to him to examine Lenard. I gasped to see three syringes on the carpet next to him. Only one had been emptied.

“Thanks for trying, Dolly. I owe you. You interrupted the injections. He got a messy shot to the neck. It will fuck him up, but It won’t kill him.”

“God, they’re relentless. Did you get a good look at the woman?” I asked Fran. She looked close to fainting.

“No, she said hello and gave her name as she walked by my desk. I didn’t get a chance to see her face before she knocked on Lenard’s door and disappeared inside. She had dark hair and was slender. That’s all I remember. I didn’t think much of it. Most of the women that visit Lenard don’t even say hello to me.”

“Shit. I need to get her shoes and talk to Chief Brooks. I’ll check back as soon as I can.”

“Thanks, Dolly. Be careful,” Harry called as I grabbed the suspect’s shoes and ran for the door.

I relayed everything to Chief Brooks as we drove across town with two more officers to investigate the Kimble residence. The cafe was closed, and the apartment was empty. Brooks and I let ourselves in to do a quick search. The shoes in Ms. Kimble’s room were bigger than the ones the suspect lost in Lenard’s parlor.

“It doesn’t make any sense. Why would she leave that name in the first place? Why blow their cover?” Brooks asked as we returned to the patrol car.

“They wanted Harry to know who ordered the attack on Lenard. The name was a message. Harry messed up a dirty business deal for Morgan Kimble. The attacker likely wasn’t actually Laura Kimble, and that leaves us at a dead end. Do you still have officers watching the theater? Patricia DuPont is likely next on the hit list. I found more letters in Rose’s room that hinted at that.”

“Yes. Three are watching the theater, and an undercover officer tails Ms. DuPont when she’s out and about.”

“Good. Then my next destination is Greg Price’s residence. Do you know where it is?”

Chief Brooks took me straight to Greg’s luxury apartment and got me into the building. Since Greg was severely injured, a live-in nurse was taking care of him. She let us in the front door and led us straight to Greg. He didn’t look happy to see us. I explained the reason for our visit and the morbid photo I discovered in the cult gallery. He broke out in a nervous sweat as I explained what happened to Lenard.

“Dolly, you have to believe me. You saw all the photos I took of Rose in that file and in the paper. I didn’t see her alive the night she was murdered. I’m a terrible person, I’ll admit that, but I’m not a sick fuck like those Bella Morta psychos.”

He seemed genuine in his plea as he lay propped up in a hospital bed in the middle of his living room.

“Greg, please be honest with me,” I began as I placed my hand on his bandaged ribs. “Do your photos go into the Bella Morta gallery?”

He hesitated as he looked between Chief Brooks and me. I pressed hard on his ribs, causing him to gasp. The gasp hurt him more than the pressure. He cringed and whimpered after that.

“The Chief isn’t the one you need to worry about, Greg. I’m more likely to kill you.”

He was sweating more as he looked at me and nodded.

“I have sold pictures to them over the years, but I don’t take pictures of their cult murders. Someone deeper on the inside does that. I don’t know who it is. I swear. I would tell you if I did. I’m trying to stay on Harry’s good side. I’m not going to lie to you, Dolly. Harry likes you. Lying to you is like lying to him, and I’m not that dumb.”

He was groveling at that point. Harry had cracked him for me. We left his apartment after that. He had nothing left to offer.

The Chief dropped me at my office before he went back to the hotel to follow up with Harry and Lenard. Sunday was Janice’s day off, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I reclined on the couch under the window with a cup of coffee to look through the file Janice had put together on the Bella Morta cult. I discovered a newspaper clipping at the front of the folder I hadn’t seen before. It was about a young woman arrested for assault at a Folly audition eight years earlier. I almost spat my coffee across the room when I looked at the picture underneath the article. Rose, Sissy, Patricia, and Hanna Brice were all in the picture. Patricia was being arrested while the other women looked on in shock. The only names mentioned in the article were Patricia’s and Duke Palmer, the man she punched in the nose.

“How bizarre. Hanna knew the girls before they were famous. Shit, I need to talk to her about this. I wonder if she and Pacey are back from their date yet,” I grumbled and grabbed my purse.

My feet were complaining as I hurried three blocks south to Pacey’s office. Frantically running down ten flights of stairs barefoot was brutal on the joints. A hot salt bath was officially on my to-do list that evening. I wondered if Pacey would be willing to join me and rub my feet. That thought made me smile like a schoolgirl. Seducing the handsome doctor was also on my to-do list that evening.

The outer door of Pacey’s office was unlocked, so I stepped in and tried the inner door. It was locked, meaning they were still on their date. I let out a disappointed sigh, and in the same instant, a floorboard squeaked behind me. Someone had been waiting for me behind the main door. I yanked my .38 from my jacket and spun on my heel, but I wasn’t fast enough. A hard impact to the side of my head was followed by a blinding flash of light, then darkness took me.

Chapter 11: Horror Show

The next thing I recalled was a massive headache. Then the smell of fresh blood. I wondered if it was my blood, but I didn’t feel it dripping out of me anywhere. I forced my eyes open with a groan. Everything was blurry, and I couldn’t recall what I was doing before my headache.

“Wake up, Dolly. You’ll be late for school,” whispered a soothing female voice.

“Mom, is that you?” I groaned.

“No, darling, that’s too kinky even for me,” she chuckled.

“What the fuck?” I breathed and blinked hard a few times, trying to bring the room into focus.

The blurry visage of a woman in a red dress was in front of me. The more I focused on her, the more I realized she wasn’t wearing a dress. Patricia DuPont’s face slowly materialized, and a scream caught in my throat. Patricia was strapped to a gurney. Her legs were in stirrups and parted wide, putting every part of her on display. She was gutted, split open from her breast bone to her groin. The red dress was actually a blanket of blood spilling over her sides from the wound in her stomach. I noticed her mouth twitch. She wasn’t dead yet, but she would be in a matter of seconds.

I attempted to move, but thick leather straps had my arms and chest bound to a gurney. I was also nude, and my legs were strapped into stirrups, just like Patricia. Fortunately, I hadn’t been gutted yet. Panic was rising in my chest as my aching eyes darted around the room. I was in a simple stone chamber. A large window of foggy glass was embedded in the left wall. To my utmost horror, I could see cloaked figures standing behind it, peering in with opera glasses.

“HOLY FUCKING SHIT! HELP!” I screamed at the top of my lungs.

An instant later, someone slapped me hard across the face, dazing me completely and doubling my headache.

“Keep your whore mouth shut, Dolly, or the pretty doctor will pay the price,” hissed the female voice.

When my vision cleared, there was a cloaked woman standing to my right. She pulled her hood back, and I gasped in utter disbelief. It was Hanna Brice. She smiled at me like a witch, then she stepped aside and pointed behind her. I craned my neck to the right, and I shrieked at what I saw. Pacey was strapped naked to a gurney against the back wall. He was gagged and blindfolded. He was fighting his bonds with all his strength. He was panting and sweating, but he wasn’t bleeding. I feared they had drugged him.

“Pacey! Can you hear me? Are you alright?” I yelled, earning another slap from Hanna.

The room went spinning after that hit. I feared I would lose consciousness again. A door opened and closed as two more cloaked figures entered the chamber. They stood between Patricia and me and pulled back their hoods, and my confusion doubled. It was Sissy Macy and Morgan Kimble.

“What the fuck?” I groaned as I looked between them.

“I’m sure you’re very confused, aren’t you?” Hanna asked as she gently stroked my hair. “You’re so beautiful, Dolly. I’ve never seen blond hair shine like yours. You have perfect red lips and daunting blue eyes, and below that, incredibly perky tits. God, I could stare at those all day,” she sighed as she brushed her fingertips over my nipples. Then she gave my right breast a hearty squeeze, feeling it with her palm. “That’s impressive. They feel as good as they look. Pacey’s a lucky man. I knew he would never go for me with you around, but you stupidly convinced him to hire me. Then you stupidly convinced him to go out with me today. He walked right into my trap, and you strolled in after him. You’re a dumb bitch if I ever saw one.”

“What the fuck do you want with us?” I whimpered.

“Revenge. Well, I got my revenge against Patricia. It wasn’t very satisfying. Her death was going to be slower and crueler, but we just didn’t have the time or space. Harry fucked that up for us, and you fucked up the rest. The move uptown would have slowed us down and not forced us to act. It’s hard to manage a cult, a business, a second job, a bitchy private eye, and deal with a Coleman brother. Now here we are, getting revenge on everybody all at once before we’re forced to skip town.”

“Hanna, why is Pacey here? He didn’t do anything wrong.”

“My name isn’t Hanna. God, Dolly, I expected better from you.”

I stared at her in confusion for a moment, then the truth dawned on me.

“You’re Laura Kimble,” I breathed.

“Finally. The dumb blonde figured it out. Hanna Brice is my alias.”

“I chased you out of the hotel?”

“That was me,” Sissy said with a smile. “I’ve had it out for Lenard for a while now. We got drunk in his parlor, and he fucked me while I was half-conscious. He took my virginity without even asking. That happened six years ago. I spoke with Laura and Morgan about it, and they agreed to make him a permanent target for the cult. Both of the Coleman brothers are on our hit list, but Harry is difficult to attack, so everyone close to him is fair game.”

“Wait a minute, did you dose Danny at the speakeasy?”

“I did, with Laura’s help. I grabbed the horny boy and kissed him while Laura stabbed him in the arm. It was easy. Then we pushed him into the crowd and ran off.”

“I understand why you wanted to kill Lenard, but… who murdered Rose? And why kill Patricia?” I stammered. Patricia’s corpse was getting paler by the second.

“Morgan and I did it. Rose’s murder jolted you, Harry, and Lenard,” Laura grinned. “Sissy and I both wanted Rose and Patricia dead. Rose stole my first boyfriend, then a few months later, she stole Sissy’s first boyfriend. We’ve been rivals ever since. Then Patricia came along and ruined my audition with the Follies. She started a fight with one of the judges before he could cast his vote for me. I never forgave her for that. A hurt knee ruined my chances of competing the following year. So, I was stuck working at the cafe and sinking deeper into my brother’s cult,” she sighed and rolled her eyes in Morgan’s direction.

“Sorry, Laura. Family business is important,” he said with a smirk.

“YOU gutted Rose?” I asked, looking at Laura in disbelief.

“I did, well, Morgan did most of it. Rose was so naive. She thought we were friends for so many years. She often ate breakfast with us at the cafe and flirted with Morgan. She invited us into her room without a second thought. The shock on her face when Morgan attacked her was titillating. It would have been a great chamber show.”

“You fucking shit bags! What about Pacey then, huh? He didn’t do anything wrong. He didn’t ruin any contests for you. Let him go!” I yelled.

“Don’t be stupid, Dolly. He condemned himself when he used me to make you jealous. I thought Pacey was a great man until he did that. I wanted you dead, Dolly. You’ve killed too many of our henchmen over the years. Like Rose, I was using Pacey to get closer to you, and it worked perfectly. Then he used me in return, and that pissed me off. You should have heard his adorable attempts to reason with Morgan and me as we strapped him to the gurney. He has too much confidence in the power of words. He also attracts crazy women, doesn’t he?” she smiled as she walked over to him and ran her fingers down his chest and stomach.

He cringed at her touch and rebounded his efforts to squirm out of his bonds.

“Shh, calm down, handsome. You don’t seem to be enjoying yourself. Let me give you something to help you relax,” Laura whispered as she pulled a needle from her cloak pocket.

“Fuck! Don’t!” I screamed as she jabbed Pacey in the chest, pumping him full of Bella Morta heroin.

He grumbled and growled as he desperately fought his bonds. Then his muscles slowly relaxed as the drug worked through his system.

“That’s a good boy,” Laura purred as she ran her fingers down his stomach and through the coarse hair on his mound.

He shuddered when her fingers wrapped around his cock. He moaned softly as she stroked him, making him stiff.

“Leave him alone, you stupid bitch,” I growled through my teeth.

“Don’t worry, Dolly. I promise you, he feels extremely good right now,” Laura chuckled as she released his cock and walked back over to me. “Do you know what’s going to happen now, Dolly?”

I gulped and shook my head.

“Morgan said you visited the harbor gallery. You must have some idea where you are.”

“Uh… is this the third chamber?” I stammered.

“The third chamber is where we initiate new members. You’re in the fourth chamber. This is where we torment our enemies. Patricia will be taken to the third chamber so our new recruits can play with her while tripping on heroin. We’ll play with Pacey here for a bit. When he can’t take it anymore, we’ll send him over to join Patricia’s group. But you, Dolly, will be a weekly exhibit. We’ll sedate you and paint your skin to look like a corpse. Then we’ll display you in the second chamber where our active members can take advantage of you. When your body can’t take the abuse anymore, you will graduate to the third chamber. Sissy, roll Pacey out of the corner and perform with him. He’ll be a treat for our lady patrons.”

“Yes, madam,” she agreed and opened her cloak, revealing her beautiful breasts to the audience behind the window.

I watched nervously as Sissy wheeled Pacey over beside me. Then she bowed to the window before she picked up his erection and hungrily licked his tip. Then she took his cock into her mouth and slowly worked it deep into her throat. Pacey groaned and squirmed from the stimulation. I cringed with rage and looked away.

“Very good, Sissy. Arouse our audience and encourage them to participate. The women are always more reluctant than the men to join. Now, brother, do you want to play with Dolly while she is awake, or do you prefer her sedated?”

“Awake is good. I want to hear her scream,” Morgan whispered as he pulled a scalpel from his cloak pocket.

“Don’t make her bleed too much. She needs to last a month, at least,” Laura scolded.

“Stay away from me, you sick fuck,” I growled as Morgan stepped closer.

“I like you, Dolly. I’ve wanted you for a while now,” he whispered as he caressed my left thigh with his cold hand and my right thigh with the blunt side of the scalpel.

“Oh fuck, this is worse than the trenches,” I whimpered and fought against my bonds.

“I loved the trenches,” Morgan grinned as if I had reminded him of his favorite vacation spot. “Blood always flowed there. That’s where I first saw you, Dolly. You, Becky, and Ruth were my favorite nurses.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?”

“I was an ambulance driver in Étaples. You forgot me already?” he asked in mock disappointment. “I’m not really surprised. You were too busy taking bloody bodies away from me to look at my face. Ruth, on the other hand, she thought I was cute. You saw the aftermath of our first date, didn’t you? Now you get to feel what Ruth and Rose felt before they died, but much slower,” he chuckled.

My heart was pounding in terror as I stared open-mouthed at Morgan. He was smiling at me like the sick fuck that he was as he pressed the scalpel blade against my inner thigh. That’s when I noticed a flurry of commotion over Morgan’s shoulder. Chaos was erupting behind the glass in the viewing hall. A man with a scruffy mustache threw his cloak aside and drew a .38 from his chest holster. The figures to his left and right did the same. I gasped as Chief Brooks, Janice, and Ducky opened fire in all directions, sending people screaming. Janice shot the viewing window, sending a spray of shards into the room and hitting Morgan in the back with the bullet.

Laura screamed for her brother as he collapsed to his knees. Sissy jumped away from Pacey and cowered in the corner like the roach that she was as Janice and Ducky climbed into the chamber through the shattered window.

“You won’t win this,” Laura growled as she wrenched a handful of syringes from her cloak pocket, preparing to drive them into my chest.

I shrieked as another gun blast rang out. Chief Brooks had fired over Ducky’s shoulder and hit Laura’s hand. The glass syringes exploded, sending Bella Morta heroin, shrapnel, two of Laura’s fingers, and a lot of blood into my face. It was a disgusting cocktail that got into my mouth and eyes. It thankfully didn’t blind me. Laura shrieked in agony and cradled what was left of her hand to her chest, then Janice tackled her, sending them both to the stone floor.

Many minutes of screaming and chaos followed as Chief Brooks and Ducky forced Laura, Sissy, and Morgan into the corner. Janice frantically freed me from the gurney and threw a cloak over me. I was shaken, but I could stand. We both freed Pacey and checked his vital signs. He was higher than a kite and unable to sit up, but he wasn’t in danger of dying. Brooks ordered Ducky to keep a gun on the cult members in the viewing hall while we dealt with the members in the chamber. Janice turned her gun on the group in the corner as Chief Brooks put his gun in my hand.

“Dolly, backup will be here any second now. If you want to personally deal with these shit-stains before they get here, I won’t say a word.”

“Thanks, Collin. We see eye to eye after all,” I said and pointed the gun at Laura’s head. “Do you have any more heroin?”

She sneered at me and leaned against the wall, determined not to talk.

“What a pity. Morgan seems to be in a lot of pain, and so do you. You both could use something to ease it. Sissy, show me the contents of your pockets,” I ordered, turning the gun on her.

The pretty showgirl was trembling as she quickly emptied her pockets. There were eight needles in all, more than enough for my revenge.

“Sissy, to save your life, I want you to give Laura and Morgan four doses each. If they resist, stab them in the eyes.”

A look of evil hatred darkened Laura’s brow as she glared at me, causing me to wink and smile. She wasn’t the first devil I danced with, and she wouldn’t be the last. Sissy was shaking all over as she did as I requested, stabbing Laura and Morgan in the thighs with four needles each. Then Brooks, Janice, Ducky, and I watched as the Kimble siblings began to tremble, convulse, and foam at the mouth. It was disgusting and satisfying to watch. When Laura’s eyes finally rolled back, I smiled and pointed the gun at Sissy.

“Any last words, Sarah Macy?”

“What are you doing, Dolly? You said I could live!” she shrieked.

“I lied,” I shrugged and put a bullet between her eyes.

A euphoric haze was blurring my vision and making my body tingle as I handed the gun back to Brooks.

“You can take it from here, Chief. I think I need to sit down,” I whispered before I staggered into Janice.

“Oh! That shit got in her system,” she grumbled as she helped me to the floor.

The last thing I remembered was men yelling as officers rushed into the viewing hall. A blissful dream carried me off after that. Pacey and I were walking hand-in-hand down a white beach. Blue waves were splashing over our feet as the sea breeze whipped through my hair. We spent days on that beach, laughing and making love in the surf. I never wanted it to end, but it did, and it was awful.

I woke up in a stately room. Pacey was sleeping next to me. The bed was huge and perfectly comfortable, but I felt like I was dying. My body ached in a way I didn’t know was possible. The pain was agonizing. It turned my stomach to pure acid and brought a cold sweat to my skin.

“Hello? Somebody… help me!” I yelled as I viciously pulled my hair, trying to direct the agony into one place instead of all over my body.

Harry and Danny rushed into the room a few seconds later. Danny cradled my head against his chest and tried to calm me down as Harry picked up the phone and called a doctor into the room. One wonderful shot later, I was out cold. When I finally woke again, I didn’t feel like I was dying, but I sorta wished I were dead. It was an improvement. It finally dawned on me that Pacey and I were in a guest room in Harry’s suite at the Dahlia Hotel. I almost panicked to discover Pacey was no longer in bed.

“Pacey, where are you?” I cried, sitting up and looking around.

Nausea sent me straight back to the pillow. He staggered out of the bathroom a few seconds later and returned to the bed.

“I’m here, Dolly. I’m here,” he whispered tiredly as he crawled over to me and wrapped his arm around me.

I held him close and burst into tears. The crying made the nausea worse, so I stopped pretty fast. After two more days of feeling like death, we were eventually able to leave the bed for a few hours. Harry, Danny, Janice, and Ducky were the faces we saw the most. Chief Brooks and a parade of investigators and reporters showed up once we were well enough to remember what happened. Lenard appeared in our room by the end of the week. He fit right in with our haggard faces. He seemed worse off with frequent trembling, sweating, and breathlessness, but we all bounced back to better health by the second week.

I asked Janice how they found Pacey and me in the Bella Morta gallery that night. Apparently, she and Ducky wanted to check on me after hearing about my frantic chase at the Dahlia Hotel. When they didn’t find me in my office, they headed up the street to check Pacey’s office. They noticed a suspicious car on his street corner, so they ducked into an alley to watch it. They knew something was wrong when two men scrambled out of the building carrying a human-sized bundle wrapped in Pacey’s office rug. The men threw me and the rug into the car and sped off. Janice and Ducky ran back to our office and contacted Chief Brooks. Harry had given Brooks every cult-related address he knew after their attack on Lenard. Brooks used the list to track down the getaway car. Then he, Janice, and Ducky infiltrated the live gallery before Morgan had his way with me.

Before Pacey and I left our withdrawal suite at the Dahlia Hotel, we thanked Harry profusely for taking care of us. He said he still owed us since we rescued Lenard and Danny and killed the cult members that were attacking him. Harry’s debt to us was a perk, but I wasn’t comfortable being so close to a Coleman brother. They were not good people, period. Harry had a decade of blood on his hands, and Lenard was a sexual predator, but they were a lesser evil when compared with the Bella Morta cult. So, I agreed to let him help me one more time in the future if there was a need.

A month after we took down the local cult branch, life slowly fell into routine again. The secretary position at Doctor Keller’s office was open, but Pacey decided to leave it that way for a while. Neither one of us could stomach the thought of seeing someone behind the desk again so soon. We made use of the desk a few times a week. Pacey had recently bent me over it and licked me into a fit of ecstasy before he fucked me into a second one. Our relationship blossomed into something we had wanted for years. We made love as often as we talked, and our talks often led to more lovemaking. Pacey still blushed when I recounted the dirty things I would imagine us doing during our sessions, then he would make them come true.

We developed a routine to keep a check on each other. Before we were kidnapped, Pacey was often alone at his office. That changed after the hell we went through with the Bella Morta heroin. He made frequent trips to my office for either breakfast, lunch, or supper. Sometimes he would show up randomly and chat with Janice while I was out working a case. It was wonderful seeing him there, but I knew his anxiety encouraged a lot of his visits. The trauma and the drugs shook us up. I hadn’t been that scared since the war, and Pacey had never been that scared in his life. It brought us all closer together. Even Chief Brooks visited the office more frequently.