The Daddy P.I. Casefiles: The First Collection by Frost, J (great novels .txt) π
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βDistributing what?β
βA drug. Kind of like Viagra. Maybe something you hadnβt heard of before.β
Ashton gives me the correct reporting procedure, which means he reports it orally to Reyes and also files a written report with Pink Pearlβs head office. I approve of the double-reporting system, if for no other reason than it gives Pink Pearlβs upper management a good chance of hearing about security problems, so long as everyone on the boat isnβt in on it.
I finish up the interview by getting Ashton to tell me some anecdotes about recent security incidents. Nothing stands out as a red flag and the guy seems genuine in his concern for the passengers and his enjoyment of his job.
After I thank him and show him out, I sit and make some notes. After chewing over the interview for a little longer, I open my laptop and fire off an email to Ed Isaak, asking him to set up interviews with the chief purser and the purser for C-deck on Blackβs cruise.
* * *
My next interview is with the kitchen manager. Since bringing the brick in and distributing it through the kitchens seems less and less likely, I keep the interview brief. The manager reiterates what Reyes told me about the kitchen staff having minimal contact with guests. He also explains that the cooks donβt know which guest the food theyβre preparing is for. Room service orders are numbered sequentially, rather than by room number. The waiter matches the order number to the room number during delivery. The waiter and cook would have to figure out some way around the system to sneak the brick out in room service orders.
While Iβm considering the demise of that theory, the manager blathers on about the system causing confusion.
βBut it wonβt after next year,β he tells me.
βYouβre switching systems?β I ask, just to keep him talking while I think.
βNo, weβre piloting an automated delivery system. Little robots, just like Amazon.β
Iβm not aware of Amazonβs robots, only their drones, which I donβt approve of, either. Automation takes jobs away from human beings. Not a good thing, in my view. And it seems out of keeping with the tone of the cruise. But itβs probably a cost savings.
Since itβs looking ever-less likely that Black got the brick through the kitchens, I wish the manager luck with the robots and wrap up the interview. Having moved through both the security guard and kitchen manager quickly, Iβve got some time before my next interview. I use the time to do a little digging online.
By the time Iβve surfed the social media accounts of Roderick and Sarah McCall of Fresno, California, Iβve got a number of a pictures of them and am pretty sure from the height, build, and hair that it was Rod McCall who went into Blackβs cabin on Saturday afternoon. Iβm also pretty sure that Ed Isaakβs right and Rod McCall is a professional top going by the name Master Rico. Being a loving and supportive wife, if not very security-conscious, Sarah McCall has liked and commented on several of Master Ricoβs pictures on Facebook, including a couple of shibari portraits. Master Rico isnβt just good with the ropes, heβs got a nice eye. Some of the portraits are fine-art quality.
But what really catches my attention is that some of the shibari models are men. Master Ricoβs online accounts are vague about his services, understandably, but he clearly tops submissive men. Iβm not sure where his wife fits in, but she wasnβt the one topping Black. Rod McCall was.
After checking the time to make sure my next interview isnβt going to knock while Iβm in the middle of the call, I dial McCall.
He answers on the first ring. βRod here.β
Deep, authoritative. Definitely a top.
βMr. McCall, my nameβs James Logan. Iβm an investigator for Pink Pearl.β
βThe cruise company?β He sounds curious, but not guilty.
βYes. Iβm investigating the death of a guest named Bill Black. Do you have a few minutes to speak with me?β
βBillβs dead? Goddamn. When did this happen?β
His surprise seems genuine, and thereβs no question he knew Black.
βHe died the Sunday night after leaving the cruise. Heart failure. Can you tell me how you knew Bill?β
Rod walks me through meeting Black and Olsen during the first formal dinner, hitting it off with Black, and doing a scene with both of them. He doesnβt omit anything Iβve already heard and echoes Olsenβs comments about Black being a willful bottom.
βHe needed a firm hand,β Rod says.
βDid Chrisjean provide that firm hand?β I ask.
βWell, I donβt want to speak out of turn, but she let him get away with small impertinences that Iβd never let my bottom get away with. Maybe Iβm just old-fashioned, but those little things add up, donβt they?β
βAbsolutely.β I agree mostly to keep him talking, but Iβm probably old-fashioned in that way, too. βDid you give Bill a firmer hand once Chrisjean left the cruise?β
Rod clears his throat. βKnow about that, do you?β
βYes.β I donβt elaborate how. βHow many scenes did you do with Bill after Chrisjean left?β
βFour. Two private scenes. Olympic Games on Saturday; that was public.β
I wait a second, and when he doesnβt say anything more, I prompt, βTwo private, one public. Thatβs three?β
βYeah, it wasnβt much of a scene but we met up in Billβs room on Saturday afternoon. We just ended up having sex a couple of times. Bill was too worn out from Friday night for anything more involved.β
Iβm glad Emily isnβt listening to this. She might be triggered hearing about Blackβs infidelity to both his top and his wife.
βOkay, four total βinteractions,β weβll call them. One was public. Two were private scenes and one was completely private in his cabin.β
βYeah, but Bill was fine after both private scenes. You can ask the dungeon monitors.β
βWho were the dungeon monitors?β
βWilliam for the first one. Rebecca for the one on Sunday. Sorry, I donβt know their last
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