Thursday 3 July 2014

The Cupcake Murder Part 1


This is the 3rd Archer Stanley story for The Furtive Glance click here and the Woman with the Porcelain neck click here

Since the incident with the barman, Hristov Georgiev had become my new best friend; regularly popping in to see me or calling me up. To be honest I didn't really appreciate the attention but having a connection with the underworld couldn't hurt, better to have him as a friend than an enemy. He'd handed over Molly saying she was mine! I immediately told her she was free, she could go her own way! but I needed a secretary and if she was prepared to work for peanuts, then the job was hers. She said she liked peanuts and smiled her beautiful smile, brushing the hair out of her face as she did so.

She was not the greatest secretary in the world, but she was keen and eager to please and she brought some colour to my dreary office. Despite her incompetence, the arrangement was working out well. Because Molly was answering my phones, I was getting a lot more work, not exciting work, but it paid the bills. My days were filled with run of the mill cases, catching cheating husbands and thieving workers; it was the kind of things I could do with my eye shut. People who think they are being clever but actually leaving a wake of clues like Hansel and Gretel. The evenings I spent talking with Molly, at first she expected me to sleep with her, working her body like she might do at Cupcakes. But I refused her advances. I wanted to, don't get me wrong, but I'd bought her freedom not her body. I wanted to know she really wanted me, not that she thought I was just one generous punter.
She told me stories about the club, the Johns, Hristov and Santa! She was surprised that Louisa had been seeing the barman, apparently none of the girls had suspected anything. I didn't tell her the news about Louisa being Hristov's daughter; I thought that might blow her mind. She said working at the club wasn't too bad, after the first few times with punters you kinda got used to it, but I could tell by her eyes and the way she played with that lock of hair the fell down her face, that the memories were not ones she cherished. The more I heard about Santa, the more I hated him. He was a pig, he took what he wanted from the girls whether they wanted him to or not. Jesus they were sex workers not sex toys. Why did Hristov let him get away with it? Something needed to be done.
Another day, another dollar, another failed marriage. I'd spent most of the day collecting the evidence the wife needed to make sure she won big in the divorce court. This schmuck was not only cheating on his wife, he was cheating on his lover too, mind you the wife was no angel either, had the husband engaged me, it would have been him that won big. They deserved each other.
When I got back to the office Molly looked upset,
‘What's wrong?’ I asked
‘Hristov called’ she said
‘Hey you don't need to worry about him any more, you’re free.’ I replied.
‘He wants you to go to Cupcakes ASAP’ she said deadpan. I looked at her waiting for the punch line.
‘It’s Santa’ she said, betraying no emotion. ‘He's dead.’


For part 2 click here 

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