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During the long drive, he went over the situation in his head and the one thing that stood out in his mind was Ruby. She’d snuck into his world and had become important. He thought of all the things he wanted to share with the prickly lady and smiled. Unexpectedly, his future had become much more attractive.
In fact, maybe it was time for him to ask his boss to remove his name from the register for taking on any more long-term, undercover cases. Staying near home had suddenly become much more inviting.
Arriving at the spa, he approached the swanky, half-moon-shaped under-lit desk where the female attendants were all gussied up in their white smocks, seemingly very professional. Looking around, he noticed at once this wasn’t a cheap place, and when he perused the brochure while waiting for someone’s attention, he whistled at the prices.
Before he could read past the first few lines, a stunning Chinese woman approached and smiled engagingly. He looked up to see the fawning interest he was used to getting and relaxed. This would be a piece of cake.
“Hi, there. I have a few questions I’d like to ask the manager. Would she be available?”
“I am the manager, Mari Jong. Seems like it’s your lucky day, Mister… ahh?”
“Special Agent Storm.” Kurt watched her eyes narrow.
“What can I do for you, Agent Storm?”
“Is it possible for us to speak privately?”
A pleased expression appeared. “Of course, come into my office.” She led the way down the beautifully lit hallway and entered an office that screamed of a professionally decorated space. Leading him to the sitting area against the large window, she sat on one side and motioned for him to take the seat next to her. “Now, what can I do for you?”
Ignoring her direction and sitting in a white leather chair across from her instead, he watched her expression carefully. “I have information that one of your customers was abused during her presence here, and we’re looking into the case. Can you give me a list of the attendants working during this date? Specifically, the ones dealing with our client, Miss Ruby Allen.” He handed her a form with the date clearly showing.
Losing the invitational gleam, the woman straightened. “What does she claim happened to her?”
“She insists someone impregnated her during a massage session here.”
Mari Jong leapt to her feet. “How totally ridiculous! All of our attendants are female. I doubt if any of them had the physical ability to abuse your client, leading to this type of repercussion. Are you sure she isn’t delusional?”
“Her doctor agrees… it’s no hallucination. She’s pregnant. The only time she was with another person and remembers falling asleep was while she had a massage here at your spa.” He saw her antipathy and watched a mean-faced smile cover her overly made-up face.
Not enjoying this discussion in any way, nonetheless, he continued to press. “She’s been celibate for over a year. There’s no man in the picture.”
“So, she says. I’m sorry your… ahh, client finds herself in this condition, Agent Storm, but we’re in no way responsible.”
“She isn’t saying you are. All I need from you is the name of the person who gave her that massage so I can ask a few questions.”
“Please…” she held up her hand so he wouldn’t interrupt. “You need to understand why I’m reluctant to believe this story. All our attendants are female. It’s pretty much impossible for anyone here to abuse Miss Allen with that consequence.”
“Noted. Now, I’d like to speak with the person who gave her that massage.”
“I’m afraid that’s impossible. That girl returned to Shanghai last month.”
Kurt could feel the smugness emanating from Mari Jong. Something didn’t add up. “Fine, then I’d like to talk with the other females you had on staff over the dates Miss Allen had her treatments. I expect the list won’t be too long, so I’ll wait.”
He watched the deterioration of her earlier complacency be replaced with dislike, and it made him happy to know he’d pricked her bubble.
She stood and moved over to her desk where only a slim white telephone and a pen sat with the rest of the space totally cleared of files or papers. She sat in the office chair and turned it to face the keyboard and huge monitor against the wall.
Interrupting her, Kurt added, “I’ll need their names, phone numbers, and addresses.”
With a few clicks of the mouse, she brought up a file that she perused carefully. Seconds later, the printer kicked in and a page appeared in the tray.
She opened her desk drawer to retrieve a black highlighter, she crossed out one name before handing him the form.
“Why did you cover up that name?” Kurt pointed to the black strip.
“She’s the one that returned to China. I doubt you’ll be able to talk with her. The others are still here, but they are working at this minute, so you’ll have to make arrangements to meet with them on their own time. Now, if you’ll excuse me, it’s a busy day and I have to cover the front desk while our ladies have their lunch break.”
“Thank you. I appreciate your time.” Kurt left her with a classic parting and walked slowly out of the office. There, he saw the staff interact with a few ladies who had arrived and watched as they guided them through double doors to the side. On impulse, he approached the young woman who looked up, did a doubletake when she saw him, and smiled invitingly. “May I help you?”
