Episode 12 - Ivy's joint

Saturday cont.

Gary parked his car round the corner from Ivy’s establishment and Cleo stepped out on her own to walk the to the house.

She had no idea what kind of an encounter awaited her. Her mobile phone was in an easily reachable blazer pocket. Gary was clutching his mobile. He was anxious.

Cleo rang the doorbell and the door was opened immediately by the doorman they had encountered at the end of their previous visit. The guy must have been watching the entrance from the inside.

“You’ve been here before. What do you want?”

“Ivy offered me a job. I’ve come to claim it.”

“Where’s the man you were with last time. He was a copper, wasn’t he?”

“Sure. That’s why I didn’t take the job. Now I’m on my own I can do what I like.”

The doorman grinned. He obviously believed her story.

“I’m Jake,” he said offering her his hand.

“I’m known as Gloria professionally,” said Cleo offering hers and hoping thy guy had not heard her giving Ivy her correct name.

“Glorious Gloria, eh?” said Jake. “You’ll be a wow with those curves and that dark skin. Can you start today?”

Cleo had not reckoned with that.

“I’m not dressed for the show and I’d like to talk with Ivy about the contract first,” Cleo said.

“No need to talk to her. I’m in charge now,” said Jake. “And here, you won’t need clothes over all that velvety skin. I can provide a flowing robe you can take off slowly. That turns the men on.”

Cleo had the urge to shudder, What did he mean by ‘now’. Did he know about Ivy’s demise? Was the robe hers?

“All the same, I should talk to her.”

Jake turned nasty.

“I don’t think you understood me, Glorious Gloria. I said I’m in charge. I make the contracts here.”

“Since when?”

Cleo’s hand was closing round her mobile. Not waiting for an answer, she said “Excuse me. My phone’s vibrating. Back in a minute.”

***

Jake looked on while Cleo blew him a kiss before turning her back on him and pressing Gary’s short number code. She would have to say something to get him to the brothel fast.

“Oh, it’s you, Mother! I’ve been waiting for you to call,” she said loudly enough for Jake to hear. “Where’ve you been?”

…

“You’ve been out clothes-shopping without me?”

…

“OK, I was busy. Sorry.”

…

“Get the blue one, Mother. You look terrible in yellow. No more time now. See you soon.”

With those words, Cleo rang off.

***

“That was my mother,” she explained, hoping Gary had understood her message.

He had. There was no mistaking their intention and her final statement was clearly a cry for help. He rushed to the brothel.

Meanwhile, Jake was talking persuasively to Cleo and had dropped the aggressive tone.

“You’ll get double rates till we sort out the contract. I have a client for you now. A regular, GeeGee. I’ll call him.”

Cleo was panicking inwardly. What if Gary had not understood her message? What if she had to go upstairs with some complete stranger and act the hooker?

“I won’t take no for an answer,” said Jake. “You came here to work, and now you’re going to.”

“But what about Ivy? Where is she?”

“She’s not in yet, GeeGee. I expect she’s having a lie-in with one of her lovers on the beach.”

The doorbell rang and Cleo tried to get to the door, but Jake put himself between it and her.

“I answer the door here. Security, GeeGee. Keeps girls like you safe and sound.”

Jake opened the door and Gary burst into the vestibule, knocking him aside. He rushed to Cleo and asked her if she was OK.

Jake recovered enough to tear Gary from Cleo’s side.

“She’s just fine, Cop. About to do her first job here.”

Gary was horrified. Cleo had really got herself into a hole.

“Your new client is an old client of ours, GeeGee,” he said. “He’s been here often. I’ll get him. Don’t try to leave, will you?”

Gary looked at Cleo with an I-told-you-so expression on his face. He could see her panic. That was unusual for Cleo. Gary was amused, but realized that the situation was anything but funny.

***

Jake locked the front door before going to the back of the opulently fitted out waiting area to get the client, who had been sitting in one of the high-backed easy chairs with his back to the entrance. That was presumably why Cleo had not seen him.

 “Who the hell is GeeGee?” Gary whispered.

“I told him I was Gloria,” Cleo whispered back. “Now I’m Glorious Gloria in the trade.”

“Good God! I’m armed, Cleo, but I don’t want to shoot us out of here. We’ll tell him I’m your next client and that’s why I’m here. That’s our story. OK?”

Cleo nodded. It was probably the best way they could deal with the situation.

***

“Here’s your client, GeeGee,” said Jake, returning. “I’m glad to see you didn’t try to leave.”

The client was Sergeant Llewellyn.

“Why Sergeant, I didn’t know you came here,” said Cleo coyly. “I’m sorry to disappoint you, but this gentleman here needs to be helped first,” she said, pointing to Gary.

“I’m paying triple for the olive skin,” Gary said, and that seemed to clinch the deal.

“You pay me, Mister Cop,” said Jake. “I have a contract with GeeGee, don’t I, so your arrangement does not count.”

“Here’s the dough,” said Gary, handing him a wad of notes. “That should be enough and half’s for you. OK?”

Jake smiled.

“You’re getting a bargain,” he said. “I haven’t tried her out myself,f but I’ve reason to think she’s hot stuff.”

“I know that,” said Gary.

Jake went to get the sergeant, who had not made a move to come to Cleo.

“I know that women,” Llewellyn hissed to Jake.

***

It was an extraordinary situation. The sergeant might have had his doubts about Cleo introducing herself as a lawyer, but he was now utterly confused that she should turn up looking for work at the brothel.

“But I’ll stand in the queue for the nigger woman,” the sergeant told Jake. “She leads a double life. Intellectual. I like women who can think AND screw.”

Gary wanted to lunge out at the nauseating little man, but Cleo held him back.

“There is a small  problem,” said Gary.

“Which is?” said Jake.

“This foul-mouthed copper should be at work.”

“Is that true, Double L?” Jake said.

“And he might have committed murder,” Gary added.

 “Rubbish,” said the sergeant.

“You can tell that to your colleagues, Sergeant. They’ll be here soon.”

“The back door’s unlocked, Double L. Leave now.”

Before Gary could react adequately, since he did not know if Jake was armed, the sergeant had rushed out of the back door.

“A rat deserting the sinking ship, Jake,” commented Gary. “I would be arresting you and your client on suspicion of murder, but you’ll do for now. And make no mistake, if you try to make a run for it, I’ll shoot and I never miss,” Gary added, drawing his handgun and pointing it at Jake.

“Then you should have taken a pot-shot at Double L,” said Jake. “You’re not exactly quick on the draw, are you?”

“I don’t usually shoot fairground effigies,” retorted Gary, keeping Jake in check.

Cleo heard a knock on the front door, opened it and the two patrol officers Gary had had the forethought to order to the house entered, handcuffed Jake and led him away. He was to be detained for further questioning. Jake did not make a fuss.

“Now all we have to do is accuse him of a crime or two,” said Gary.

“And clean this place up, Gary.”

“We’ll get the local cops to do that. I expect some of them already know their way round.”

“What about Llewellyn?”

“He hadn’t committed a crime here, but running away was a mistake,” said Gary. “We need to find out what he’s really running from.”

***

"Should I continue the double act?" said Cleo.

"What double act?"

"Part lawyer, part hooker, Mr Hurley," said Cleo.

"You decide, Mrs Hurley."