The Daddy P.I. Casefiles: The First Collection by Frost, J (great novels .txt) 📕

different, dominant-looking men. No steady partner from the pictures, and his Facebook profile lists him as single. I couldn’t find a Fetbook account for him but that doesn’t necessarily mean anything since pseudonyms are common on Fetbook, although he uses his real name everywhere else. Still, I found Fetbook accounts for both Sayers and another victim, Lincoln Elliot. Could mean nothing, or it could mean that Kam-Magruder is relatively new to the lifestyle.

“Why was he prescribed Cialis?” I ask.

“Clinical depression in his early twenties. Therapy tailed off, but he’s still on Prozac. He was prescribed Cialis when he complained that the Prozac was killing his sex drive.”

“Three out of five. Does brick have any known interactions with Viagra or Cialis?”

“No, but brick could perform the same function. We know the euphoric effect comes from increased circulatory flow and higher blood-oxygen content as well as the drug binding to opioid receptors in the brain. It could stimulate erections. Also, there’s nothing to say the other two weren’t taking Viagra or Cialis, just because they didn’t have prescriptions. You can buy the damned stuff online and have it shipped right from Canada.”

Interesting. I rub my chin as I consider. “Right, let’s call Ed so I can update you both.”

Michael pulls a handset off the conference room’s credenza and sets up the call. He puts Ed on speaker and after, a quick greeting, I recap the CCTV footage and conclude with, “At least three of our five were taking prescription medications for erectile dysfunction. Michael says brick could serve the same function as Viagra or Cialis. I think it’s plausible our victims took it to either address their dysfunction or enhance performance. Today’s test should tell us whether the guests can get the brick on board in a pill bottle, but given the search of my cabin, I think we have to accept that the distributor is part of the ship’s staff.”

Both Michael and Ed are silent. I know this is something neither of them wants to hear.

“Look,” I say to soften the blow. “We’ve got a much better chance of shutting it down if the distribution is onboard. If guests are bringing the brick through security, they could be getting it anywhere and I don’t see any way we could stop it. This isn’t just about satisfying your insurers, it’s about guest safety.”

Ed clears his throat. “Of course. It just hurts to think that one of our own people is dealing.”

I can see how that would sting.

“If it’s any consolation, I’ve seen no sign of it. Your staff are caring and professional.” With the exception of Dan Reyes. “Without wanting to cause problems with your internal security, I asked Dan Reyes for staff rotas during our interview.” I check my phone to make sure I haven’t received an email from him while I’ve been on the beach. Nothing. “As of right now, he hasn’t sent them to me. Any reason why?”

I can hear Ed blow out a frustrated breath even over the phone. “No. I’ll call him after we get through and let him know that any request from you is a priority.”

“Thanks. I’d really prefer to work with him.”

“I’ll make sure that happens,” Ed says. “Sorry if there’s been any friction. Dan’s had a rough year.”

Not an excuse for being an asshole professionally, but I let it go. “Any luck with the mysterious Rod and Sar?”

I hear Ed shuffle papers. “Rodney and Sarah McCall of Fresno. This is their tenth cruise with us. Silver Star Club members. I won’t tell you to treat them with kid gloves, Logan, but for God’s sake, treat them with kid gloves. These are our core customers.”

“Got it. Anything else on them?”

Ed clears his throat again. “There’s, uh, a possibility that Rod’s a pro.”

“Pro what?”

“Professional top. We don’t think Sarah is. One of our IT guys was able to verify that she has a full-time job as a dental hygienist. But Rod might be. He’s never listed any profession on his guest questionnaires. And two years ago, we had a complaint from a guest who said Rod suggested that if the other guest wanted sex as part of a scene, he should pay for it. Logan, I can’t emphasize enough how delicate this is.”

He’s not kidding. I may not agree with it, but sex work, unlike weed, is illegal in California. If Rod McCall offered sex for money on one of Pink Pearl’s boats, they are fucked with a capital F.

“What came of the complaint?”

“Nothing. Our head of guest services at the time spoke to Rod. Her report on the incident says he claimed he’d been joking. She comped the guest who complained. It never went any further.”

“Okay. Kid gloves.”

“Embryonic baby sheepskin gloves.”

I should probably laugh at the joke, but I’m feeling too much pressure. “Can you send me pictures of the McCalls? I got a decent head shot of a woman who went into Black’s cabin on Saturday. It’d be great if I could verify that’s Sarah McCall before I ring her.”

“Is that the one you emailed? I’ll have the IT guys take a look and ping you confirmation. I’m uneasy about sending you pictures of guests who aren’t directly involved. Consumer Privacy Act and all that.”

I could argue with him. I’ve read a lot of the privacy laws, particularly the European one, because I was worried about how GDPR would impact jobs in England. The privacy laws are designed to stop the sale of personal information, which is not what’s happening here. But there’s no need to argue. Let the IT guys do the grunt work, and if they can’t, or don’t ID the woman, I’ll poke around online to see if Sarah McCall of Fresno has any social media accounts. You can often find more on someone’s Facebook wall than you’d find with a full background check.

“That’s fine,” I tell him. “If there’s nothing else, I’m going to grab the brick from Michael, do a little sightseeing, and head back to the boat.