“The Vargas family is willing to set up a meeting, but Luisa Agosto slammed the door in the face of the detective. Not a promising start. Any patients who perked your ears up?”
Sean examined the name of every patient Lillian saw and none of them had stuck out as any known relatives or associates of El Socio. Listening in on nursing triage during vitals gave him another chance to check for red flags in any of the patients.
“Nothing. I think this is a dead end. I have access to her schedule, her patient list. Hell, I even have her ID badge GPS tagged. She's not prescribing or using illegal drugs. She's freaking Mother Teresa with kids. She has no clue who El Socio is. When she didn’t have the info he wanted, he gave up since she in no way resembled the other women in his association.”
“You mean the dead and missing ones?” Charlie said. “You’re probably correct. El Socio may have moved on to a different target, but I think next week I’ll have to put my foot down and return you to Fourth Precinct.”
Sean agreed, "It will probably be better for both of us.”
“Speaking of that, I responded to a few of Dr. Hernandez's texts."
His face burned. "She's talking about sex."
"Yes, she is."
"Well, not just then. She's talking to me about sex."
"She is?" Charlie's voice perked with interest.
"Yes, because security guard Murphy is a eunuch apparently. And Gene's girlfriend is wondering what's with all the costumes and why he won't put out."
Charlie didn't say anything, nor did she need to. Police officers went undercover, sometimes deeper undercover. While they weren't supposed to engage in any crime or drug use, sex became a grayer area. Lillian wasn't a suspect in any crime, but, unfortunately, she was a means to an end.
Even if the end they were looking for was potentially in the morgue missing its head.
"Then I guess I shouldn't have picked The Rocky Horror Picture Show for your next date. It was such a great opportunity because you could do so much makeup and it wouldn't be strange."
"I don't even want to know how you found thatStar Trekevent,"Sean said. Prior to his assignment, he'd watched someStar Trekbecause he was a guy; however, there was quite a wealth of information related to mostly naked dancing green slave girls online.
"Best you don't ask.” She sighed, “Please tell me you aren’t falling for her. Remember, Kormos and I send half of your text messages.”
Sean gritted his teeth, "That would be a piss-poor plan considering she can't be in love with me. During the day she treats me like a friend, and, and I'd be worried if she were in love after two nights."
"My Orion slave boy costume was phenomenal. Assuming you didn't feel demasculinized."
"Not in the least." There was something freeing about waiting on the end of a leash to pleasure Lily. Yes, she had been eating cake, but he'd been thinking of nothing except eating her cake. Having her pleasure herself did nothing to slake his desire, which continued unabated going on two weeks now.
"Good, I thought that makeup was brilliant. And obviously the two of you mutually enjoyed it."
“Which brings us back to the problem. I'm too close. Charlie, I have to get off of this case. I don't know how much longer I can keep this up. I like her too much.”
“Okay. I'll get you off of it. Just survive tonight, and I'll terminate the operation on Monday with the captain. Detective Andre is already on board and I can keep an eye out for the coroner’s report and finish it even sooner. Then Security Guard Murphy can find a new job.”
“Thank you. Any way you can get me out sooner?”
“I’ll stop by the Second Precinct tonight and see if we have any word from the coroner. They might be trying to close it out for the weekend.”
“And if he’s dead?”
“Then I’ll get permission to terminate your operation sooner.”
Chapter17
Gene came and picked her up at her apartment.
She could hardly believe her own eyes.
He was wearing a bustier, a mesh t-shirt, and fishnets to go with his mid-thigh kilt. Red lips on a painted white face grinned widely. "I'm not sure your outfit is legal,” he said.
