She went on hurriedly. “So anyway, we ended up in his room. I gave him a mouth job to get things going, but the asshole popped early. Let me tell you I was pissed. I mean, I didn’t even know the jerk. He was really upset, crying like a baby. Guy gave me a hundred bucks. A lousy hundred bucks! Then he was in the bathroom puking for about ten minutes. When he came out, he said he hadn’t had any in a long time and that was the reason he came so freaking fast. Like I gave a crap.”
“What a jerk. What happened next?”
“Well, that was pretty much it. I mean, there wasn’t any reason for me to stay after that, was there? It’s not like we were on a date or nothing.”
“He didn’t say anything else? Where he was from? Where he was going? What the big score was?” She shook her head. He studied her closely and said, “Okay, you look like an enterprising gal. Did you maybe rip off some cash from his wallet while he was puking in the john?”
She said angrily, “I’m not some kind of trash! Who do you think you are accusing me of that?”
“Let’s do a little reality check here, Cin.” He touched his chest. “I’m Jerry Bagger. You’re a lowlife who lets strangers shoot off in her mouth for chump change. So I’m going to ask you one more time: Did you rip off some cash to bump the C-note he gave you?”
“I don’t know, I might have,” she said. “But I don’t feel like talking no more.”
Bagger clamped a hand around her chin and jerked her head around so they were looking eye-to-eye. “Did your old lady ever tell you anything about me?”
A scared Cindy swallowed nervously. “She said you were real good to work for.”
“Anything else?”
“She said anybody ever tries to cross you is one dumb son of a bitch.”
“That’s right. Your mama’s smart.” He squeezed tighter on her chin, and Cindy gave a little yelp. “So if you wanna see mama again, take a real deep breath and tell me what you saw in pretty boy’s wallet.”
“Okay, okay. It was weird because he had a couple of IDs.”
“And?”
“And one was the name he gave me at the spa, Robby Thomas from Michigan. The other one was a driver’s license from California.”
“The name?” Bagger said calmly.
“Tony. Tony Wallace.”
Bagger let go of the woman’s face. “See, that wasn’t so hard. Now, why don’t you go back to rubbing the old farts’ cocks?”
She rose on trembling legs. As she turned to leave, Bagger said, “Hey, Cindy, aren’t you forgetting something?”
She slowly turned back around. “What’s that, Mr. Bagger?” she said nervously.
“I paid you a thousand bucks. Pretty boy gave you a tenth of that, and he got a blow job. You never even asked me if I wanted one. That’s not nice, Cindy. That’s something a guy like me remembers for a long time.” He waited, staring at her.
Her voice quavering, she said, “Do you want me to give you a blow job, Mr. Bagger?” She hastily added, “It’d be an honor.”
“No, I don’t.”
CHAPTER 49
ANNABELLE AND CALEB WERE walking down a hallway in the Jefferson Building. Annabelle had on a red knee- length skirt, black jacket and a beige blouse. She appeared professional, confident and inspired. Caleb looked ready to slash his wrists.
“All you have to do,” she said, “is act sad and depressed.”
“Well, that should be easy, since I
Before they entered the security office for the library, Annabelle stopped and put on a pair of glasses attached to a chain around her neck.
“Are you sure this will work?” Caleb hissed. He was starting to wheeze a bit.
“You can never be sure a scam will work until it does.”
“Oh, that’s just great!”
A few minutes later they were sitting with the head of security in his office. Caleb sat with his head bowed and his gaze on his shoes while Annabelle talked away.
“So as I explained, Caleb has retained me as his psychologist to help him through the process.”
The chief looked puzzled. “You say he’s having trouble going into the vault?”
“Yes. As you know, he found the body of a dear friend and colleague in there. The vaults are a place that Caleb normally loves. It’s been a part of his life for many years.” She glanced over at Caleb, who, on cue, let out a deep sigh and dabbed at his eyes with a tissue.
“Now the venue that has represented so many positive memories for him has become a place of deep sadness, even horror.”
The chief looked over at Caleb. “I’m sure it was rough on you, Mr. Shaw.”
Caleb’s hands were shaking so badly that finally Annabelle grabbed hold of one of them.
