THE CASE OF THE MIDDLE-AGED WOMAN

"Mrs. Deveraux," Brian quickly rose to greet the woman walking towards him. "I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting. My partner and I were just finishing up on some work."

She was immaculate from head to toe, wearing a prim black dress. A large black hat hid her face well, and Justin wondered if she was perhaps hiding from someone.

Justin watched as she touched the side of her pale face before extending a hand to meet Brian's.

Justin was too nervous to do more than stand and watch, his palms were sweating and his mouth was wide open, a greeting had yet to come out.

He envied Brian's ability to change into character so quickly. In a matter of minutes, he had gone from a conceited asshole to the perfect gentlemen.

"It's fine," she stated. "You're young man out front was very pleasant."

Justin looked at Brian and finally found his voice. "Your man?"

Brian gave him a warning look. "She means Michael."

Quickly turning back to the woman, Brian motioned to the bar. "Would you like a drink?"

She shook her head and he poured himself another bourbon, not bothering to ask Justin, knowing the boy's tendency to worry about everything killing him.

Brian indicated for her to sit as he made himself comfortable in his own chair. She slowly removed her hat and revealed short, blonde hair, weaved with wisps of grey, which was neatly pulled back.

Isabel Deveraux was one attractive 36-year-old woman. She had very chiseled features but soft green eyes. After scrutinizing Brian, her eyes fell on Justin. Blue locked with green and green won, as Justin found himself leaning back uncomfortably in his seat.

"So what can we do for you?" Brian asked, the silence in the room beginning to annoy him.

She looked at him and smiled. "Your AD didn't mention a partner."

"He's new," Brian told her.

She nodded. "What are your fees?"

"It depends on what it is you want us to do."

She sighed. "May I tell you a story, Mr. Kinney?" She glanced at Justin through long eyelashes.

Brian leaned back in his chair, the expression on his face urging her to continue.

She took a deep breath. "My husband and I have been married for ten years. We have no children but we are happy." She paused briefly before continuing, "I have never been unfaithful, Messuers, not once, and I don't think he has either. But, lately, he has changed."

"Changed?" Brian qestioned.

"He doesn't come home until late," she explained. "And he's got that girl working for him. A new girl, Flo... I worry, Messuers. I worry."

"Worry about what?" Brian asked gently.

She put a small hand to her red stained mouth. "I worry that she may be after him. And his money."

Brian leaned forward and propped his head on the back of his hands. "Does he have a lot of money?"

"He does," she said, nodding. "Preston can be... well, naive at times."

Brian smiled. "Go on."

"So will you help me?" she asked. "Your AD said you would."

"Of course I'll help you," Brian said.

She leaned forward, her fingers pressing against the edge of the desk. "So you'll get rid of her."

Brian took her hand in his own and smiled. "I'll help you, but you must do exactly what I say."

She sighed, relieved. "Thank you," she said softly, before digging through her purse. "Now let me get out my cheque book."

"I prefer cash," Brian told her. "Half up front, the other half when the job is done."

She looked at him. "Alright. Name your price."

"How does ten grand grab you?"

She blinked. "That... that is a lot of money."

He shrugged. "Getting rid of people is not as easy as it once was."

She bit her bottom lip, contemplating and finally, with a heavy sigh said, "I will send my man around with it in an hour." She stood up. "So we have a deal?"

Brian also stood but Justin seemed glued to the seat. "We have a deal."
"Thank you," she said again.

Brian stopped her as she made her way to the door. "I'm going to send my partner around to take you shopping tomorrow. What time is good?"

"Shopping?" she asked confused. "But I don't need anything."

Brian smiled. "Yes, you do. Now what time is good?"

She sighed. "Eleven o'clock?"

"Eleven it is."

"And no one will find out?"

"You have my word."

With one last glance at them both, she turned and quietly disappeared through the door.

As soon as the door closed, Brian was on the phone.

"Linds," he said. "I'm going to send her see you tomorrow. I need you to make sure she buys two dresses, one for dancing, the other for dinner. One on the house, she pays for the other. Yeah, obviously the cheaper one." He paused and looked up to find Justin staring at him. "One more thing, I'm sending my new partner too. Work your magic on him."

He hung up the phone and turned to Justin.

"Can you dance?" he asked.

Justin nodded. "My mother taught me."

Brian smiled. "That's nice."

"Can you dance?"

Brian laughed. "I can when I have to."

Justin didn't understand but said nothing. He had other questions on his mind.

"Brian! Are you crazy?" Justin asked.

"What do you mean?" Brian raised an eyebrow inquiringly.

"That woman," he pointed to the closed door. "She wants you to kill someone!"

Brian squeezed Justin's shoulders and looked into his sapphire eyes. "Calm the fuck down."

He released his hold and returned to his desk. Justin stood before him, fists clenched at his sides. "Brian-"

Brian tossed a file his way. "Always know who you're dealing with. Preston Deveraux is worth quite a bundle. The little wife of his is not about to let money-bags go."

Justin opened the file and was amazed to see her picture in the front. Behind it was another photo, an older man who looked as though he was in his fifties, if the receding hairline was any indication.

"So how do we help her?" Justin asked, as he flipped through more pages.

"How would you like to make a couple thou?"

Justin's eyes lit up.

Brian grinned. "Then, you do what I say."

"Alright."

The next morning, Justin found himself at a barbershop. Brian had made him an appointment and had already made arrangements with Vic, the barber, on what he wanted done with Justin's hair.

Returning to the office at 10am, Justin had to sit and wait as Brian made reservations for dinner.
A few minutes later, he was through.

He gave Justin a big grin. "Don't you look snazzy?"

Justin snorted. "I look as though I should be registering for the fucking Army!"

"Be all you can be," Brian returned mockingly.

Justin shook his head. "This is such bullshit," he complained. "Why do I have to take that woman shopping?"

Brian stopped flipping through his little black book and looked at Justin. He wanted to laugh really. The kid looked so adorable with his school boy hair cut. He imagined him in a freshly starched army uniform, actually he could see himself ripping off the unform and fucking him senseless.

"Well?" Justin asked again.

Brian had forgotten his question. He quickly snapped out of the fantasy. "Because I said so. By the way, Justin won't do for this case. You're now Christopher."

Justin snorted. Christopher? Great, just great. New name, stupid haircut...sheesh.
Everytime he touched his hair, he wanted to cry. But it would grow back...eventually.

"Enough chit chat, Chris," Brian told him. "Get out of those clothes and get to work. And try not to get hair anywhere in my office."

Justin was annoyed at how easily he was dismissed. Brian was on the phone once again, so he got up and left the room.

Outside, Michael was at his desk, daydreaming. Justin shook his head and sighed. This was just plain disgusting. He was taking a woman shopping! He couldn't help but snort as he thought, "When did investigative work become so exciting?"

Lindsay was a beautiful woman, but she annoyed the hell out of Justin.

Her store, which Justin strongly suspected was really Brian's, carried a large variety of brand name clothing- from expensive Armani to lowly run of the mill Old Navy.
Justin assumed Brian wanted everyone to look the part of his or her character so he went along with playing dress up.

Lindsay made Justin stand on a stool while she poked and measured him. Then she sent someone off to get suits. For two hours, that's all he did, try on suit after suit until finally she declared, "That's the one. Perfect."

Then it was Isabel's turn.

Justin wasn't sure what was worse; spending the entire day with her or the thought of spending the entire night with her. Brian had already made them reservations at a chic restaurant her husband was known to favour.

Justin studied Lindsay while she worked. She looked to be about 30 and was on the tall side. She was probably even taller than he was! Her eyes seemed to shine continuously and she had a certain glow. She looked like he did when he'd just gotten thoroughly fucked. Maybe that was what it was. He noticed the rock on her finger, so he presumed she had someone special in her life.

Five dresses later, Isabel had found her two and demanded "Chris" drop her off at home to get ready. Oh, and he was not to be late.

Justin wanted to kill someone, preferably Brian, for putting him in this horrible position.

Sitting opposite Isabel, he should feel lucky. After all, he was in an expensive restaurant drinking "the best" wine with a beautiful woman. But how could he feel any way other than shitty, him being a gay man and a non-drinker?

"Do you see him?" Isabel asked nervously, her eyes scanning the room.

Justin rolled his eyes heavenward. "Not yet."

The mobile Brian had given him before he left the office rang so he quickly picked up.

"How's it going, Hastings?" he could hear the smirk in Brian's voice.

"Fuck you!" Justin muttered, his eyes landing on the couple who had just arrived. The man looked familiar.

"Stop slouching and take your elbows off the table," Brian said.

"Huh?" Justin removed his elbows from the table immediately and looked quickly around the room for Brian.

"Look sharp, Brat," Brian said. "Our pay-check just walked in."

And he was gone. Justin flipped the phone off and slipped it into his jacket pocket.

"He's here," Justin whispered to his date.

She tried to turn around but his hand on hers stopped her. "Don't." She nodded in understanding but tried to pull her hand away. Justin held on, entwining their fingers. Justin saw that old man Preston had spotted them. The photo Justin had seen earlier was a good one. He looked exactly the same. "Lean towards me and pretend I'm whispering sweet nothings in your ear."

As Preston made his way to their table, a young brunette tagged along behind him, Isabel let out a girlish giggle.

"Isa?" Preston was beside their table, a confused expression on his face. "What are you doing here? And who is this?"

Isabel smiled at her husband. "I should ask you the same thing." She tossed a look at Flo.

"Isa, I told you," Preston said quickly. "Flo was feeling a bit depressed. I offered to take her to dinner."

Isabel smiled. "Well, I was also feeling out of sorts and Chris here," she indicated Justin. "offered to take me out to cheer me up."

Flo caught Justin's eyes and smiled. She was a pretty little thing and she knew it too. Her petite frame was emphasized in the black dress she wore like second skin. Her make-up and hair were flawless.

"Shall we join you?" Preston asked.

"We were just about to leave," Isabel explained, standing up as she faced him.

Preston touched her shoulder as she moved past him. "I'll see you at home later then?"

"Sure," she turned to Justin. "Are you coming, Chris?"

Justin took care of their bill and slipped an arm around her waist as they both left the restaurant. He dropped her off and headed for his apartment. He was exhausted.

As he crawled into bed, his cell went off.

"Have fun?" It was Brian again.

"Way too much," Justin said sarcastically.

Brian laughed. "Well, I don't think we'll be needing your dancing services tomorrow night after all."

"Yeah?"

"Old Man Preston got rid of Flo quicker than even I could have imagined."

"That's a relief."

Brian laughed again. "Was she really that bad?"

"And then some."

Justin yawned as he rubbed at an eye tiredly.
Brian, hearing the yawn, said, "You sound exhausted. Get some sleep, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Sure."

"By the way, you left your front door open,"

And then he was gone again.

Although Justin knew Brian was just trying to annoy him, he had no choice but to go downstairs and check.

The door was indeed open and on his front porch was a package. Justin looked up and down the dimly lit street but saw nothing. Returning inside, he made sure the door was locked before opening the package.

Inside were pictures of him and Isabel at the restaurant. And a long stemmed white rose. All the note said was, "Congratulations." Justin felt his heart jump a little. He put the soft petals to his lips and inhaled their sweet scent.

Brian Kinney was still an arrogant asshole... but Justin didn't quite hate him as much anymore.

The next morning, Justin was prepared for the atmosphere to be tense, but it was far from that.

Sitting on top of Brian's desk was none other than Flo. And she was fingering a white rose.

Brian saw the shocked expression on Justin's face and grinned. "Justin, I'd introduce you to "Flo" but you two have already met. Melanie's another one of us."

Justin glared at him. "What the fuck is this? Some sort of game?"

Melanie got off the table and looked him over. "What's the matter, sugar? Woke up on the wrong side of the bed? Didn't you get your rose? Bri, you gave the boy his rose, didn't you?"

Brian glared at her, which meant to shut up. Justin turned a nice shade of crimson.

"Justin," Brian started.

"It was all just a game?" Justin asked angrily. "Was it all just a test for me? Did I even pass?"

Brian chortled. "Don't think of yourself as that important, kid. YOU came to ME, remember?"

"So what is this?"

"This," Melanie said loudly. "Is how we make a dollar when the going's tough."

Brian shook his head at her. "Go keep Mikey company. I think his ear must be killing him after being pressed against the door as long as it has."

They heard a bump then, followed by retreating footsteps. Melanie grinned before doing as told. "Yes, boss!"

When they were alone, Brian turned to Justin. "I don't understand why you're so upset. You just made yourself a shitload of money. In just one night, too."

Justin stared into his hazel eyes. "We tricked that poor woman."

"Poor woman?" Brian snorted. "She would have let us kill 'Flo'. There's nothing poor about her. We helped her, Justin. We helped her husband see what he was missing. They're back together, we got our money. Everyone's happy."

Justin sighed. Brian was right.

"So what now?" Justin asked.

"Why don't you take off," Brian suggested. "Go do something nice for yourself."

Justin smiled. "You sure?"

"Yeah."

Justin made his way to the door.

"Hey, Justin?" Brian called.

"Yeah?" Justin looked back at him.

Brian swallowed. This was a lot harder than he thought it would be. "I was thinking, well... we still have that reservation tonight." There was a long pause. "Would you like to have dinner with me?"

Justin couldn't believe it. The nerve of this guy! After lying to him, he now had the balls to ask him out? Well, that was never gonna happen!

"Sure," Justin couldn't believe what just came out of his mouth.

He opened the door and got out as fast as he could. Brian was having a weird effect on him and he didn't like it, not one bit.

He took a deep breath and whispered, "I still hate him. Yes, I do."
Now if only he could believe it.

10/11/02 - Krissypig

- top - [ Authors Notes ] [ Introduction ] - home -
[ Case 1 ] [ Intermission 1 ] [ Case 2 ] [ Intermission 2 ] [ Case 3 ]
* * *
[ Chapter 1 ] [ Chapter 2 ] [ Chapter 3 ] [ Chapter 4 ] [ Chapter 5 ]