The Daddy P.I. Casefiles: The First Collection by Frost, J (great novels .txt) π
Read free book Β«The Daddy P.I. Casefiles: The First Collection by Frost, J (great novels .txt) πΒ» - read online or download for free at americanlibrarybooks.com
Read book online Β«The Daddy P.I. Casefiles: The First Collection by Frost, J (great novels .txt) πΒ». Author - Frost, J
βNo, absolutely not,β Merullo says. βOther than the occasional request to use coconut oil rather than almond, Iβve never had a problem. Iβm trained. I know whatβs safe to use, even on people with allergies.β
βUh-huh. Do you keep your herbal stuff with the medical supplies or with the spa supplies?β
βThe spa supplies. You donβt need a prescription for cod liver oil.β
True, that. βDo you dispense anything else to guests?β
He shrugs. βIβll be handing out sea-sickness pills when the storm hits today, like everyone else.β
βAnything else?β I ask.
βLube. Condoms. I think thatβs about it.β
βAnything else you can remember about Black or the other four now that youβve had some time to look at their pictures?β
βNope.β He stretches back into the couch again, face relaxing. He thinks Iβm wrapping up and heβs gotten away with it.
βJust one more thing.β I turn the laptop, tap up Rod and Sarah McCallβs social media pictures, and turn it back around so he can see the images. βDo you know these guests?β
His jaw knots, but he shakes his head. βThey donβt look familiar.β
βNever given either of them a massage? Never had them in class? Never done a scene with them?β
βNot that I remember. Who are they?β
βRod and Sarah McCall. Ring any bells?β
Thereβs a vein throbbing in his forehead. βDonβt think so. Why?β
βThey did a number of scenes with Bill Black, including one the morning of his death. Canβt place them at all?β
βNo, sorry.β
He lifts his hands innocently, but thereβs nothing innocent in his eyes.
βOkay.β I rise and hold out my hand. βThanks for your time.β
He rises and shakes a little warily, but when I gesture towards the door, his shoulders relax. He definitely thinks heβs gotten away with it.
βYouβre not going to give me the usual line about calling you if I remember anything else?β Merullo asks, on the way to the door.
No, because Iβm sure Iβm going to be speaking to him again soon, but it makes me wonder if heβs been investigated before. Or just watched too many CSI programs. βNope, but if you do, please call the cabin.β
Fuck if Iβm giving my number or email to this bastard.
βOkay.β At the door, he stops and offers his hand. βLook, maybe I was a little hard on your sub yesterday. I have to keep control or the class just devolves into high school sex ed, you know? Send her to the spa and Iβll give her half off any treatment.β
No chance am I letting Emily anywhere near this guy. But Iβll keep up appearances for now. I shake and say, βSure, thanks for the offer.β
He claps me on the shoulder before he leaves, like weβre mates. Bastard.
The next call I make isnβt to Sarah McCall; itβs to Ed Isaak.
βHow well do you know the spa manager, Jason Merullo?β I ask, after we exchange quick greetings.
βNot very well. I didnβt hire him. I think Iβve only met him in person at one or two of the company functions. Iβll give the guy points for cost-effectiveness, though. Heβs trimmed down the spa services and made the spa profitable, finally.β
But has he made it profitable by focusing the spaβs services or by offering submissive men suffering from sexual dysfunction a solution for a fat price?
βHeβs lying through his teeth about his interactions with Black,β I say. βMerullo gave Black seven, ninety-minute massages three weeks ago, but claims he doesnβt remember Black at all. He barely remembers Kam-Magruder, who had four massages and did a scene with him. I havenβt gone through the spa bills for the other three yet, but heβs the common denominator so far, and heβs hiding something.β
βYou think heβs hiding the brick?β
βI do. Can you have your people look into his orders from a place called Hidden Emerald Ranch? He evidently orders herbs from them directly for a class he does on sub-drop. What, exactly, is he ordering and how much is he paying for it? Payment would go through your accounts department, right?β
βProbably. Some of the senior officers have company credit cards and can pay for things directly, but I donβt think heβs one of them. Iβll have the accounts department check. What should we look for?β
βWhere is Hidden Emerald Ranch for a start? Is it outside the US? Michael told me that you can get Viagra shipped from Canada just by ordering it online. No prescription necessary. Whatβs Merullo ordering, exactly? How much? How often? Get the weight of the shipments, if you can. That might tell us if the brick is being hidden in the other stuff heβs ordering.β
I hear Isaak scribbling as he makes notes. βWhile I donβt want to believe one of our own people would do this, Logan, this is excellent work.β
βItβs a start. I need to find the brick.β
βOkay. What do you need?β
βAccess to the spaβs storage spaces. Iβm assuming theyβll be locked.β
βYes, they will. I hate to say it, but weβve had problems with guests helping themselves. All the storage is locked. Iβve arranged an interview with Kofi Palmer, our chief purser, at three. Iβll have him bring you a master key card. Itβll open all the electronic locks on the ship except for guest rooms and the bridge.β
βThanks. I also spoke to Rod McCall this morning.β
Ed clears his throat. βI thought you were going to hold off until after youβd interviewed the staff?β
When did I say that?
βNo. I took a look at his social media accounts. Heβs definitely the man who went into Blackβs cabin on Saturday. Iβm pretty sure youβre right about him being a pro top. He knows about the brick.β
βWhat? He admitted it?β
βNo, and I didnβt ask him directly. But I need to. I also need to ask him if he knows any of our other victims. I held off because you told me to handle him with kid gloves, but he knows, and we need to pin him down.β
I hear Ed tapping his pen against
Comments (0)