Stripped by Morgan Black Page A

swaying back and forth. “I admit no such thing.” Then she moved closer to him so that what they were mere inches apart. “Also I hate to remind you Stephen but I know more about your men out there than you do. I know where they lay their heads at night, and where they drink after work. And I know everything that their wives don't. I could out seventy percent of your precinct if you wanted me to.” She moved away from him and turned her back on both of us, “Or you could just allow my client to leave.” She turned around and looked at him again, “And never bother her again. Obviously she's distressed by this tragedy, of a man she just met. There's no reason to upset a young girl any further, isn’t that right detective?”
    I was impressed. I sat back in my chair feeling slightly relieved.
    “I don't make any promises. Just get the hell out of my interrogation room.”
    I looked at Monique and she nodded, grabbing her bag, and opening the door for me. My belongings were waiting on the desk in the front and I quickly grabbed them and followed her out into the parking lot. An officer held the door open and Monique winked at him as we left.
    “Holy shit! That was awesome. Are you like a lawyer for the club or something?”
    Monique turned on me her skin becoming a deep purple. “Don't you ever make a mistake like that again! My girls only ever get one mistake. And then I drop you. Do you understand me?”
    I nodded. “But I really don't know what I did. I had nothing to do with him getting murdered, I promise.”
    “I know. And honestly I'm really sad about the judge, he was one of the good guys. You have just got to be more careful, someone knocks on the door? You don't answer it. Because you were never there. Somebody breaks in? You always have an escape route. You have to be stealthy, we live in the shadows. It's the only way to stay safe. The only way to keep our secret.”
    I nodded again. She seemed genuinely concerned about my well-being. Or maybe the Madame had told her that if I got in trouble or even worse killed, that I was going to be her problem to deal with. And I could tell that Monique had gained a lot of respect in the club. I wasn't trying to lose her any of it on my first day at work.
    The sun was just about to rise as she opened her car door. I had just pulled out my phone to call a cab.
    “So where do I take you?” She stood with the door open.
    I shrugged. “You’re going to drive me?”
    “I came to get you, didn’t I?”
    “I guess home? Or do I go back to the club?”
    She shook her head, “No you don't report back until Thursday night. We only work Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. What's your address?”
    I told her to her and she typed it in the GPS. We took off in her Mustang only seconds later.
    “So how long have you been there?”
    “At the club? Three years. I used it to pay for law school.”
    So she was a lawyer, impressive. “Are a lot of girls just there while they go to school?”
    She shook her head. “No, most of us veterans stick around. The Madame’s services are longest running escort club there is, and most of us can stick around for five or six years before we get too old and age out. I figure I've still got at least two more. Plus I have regulars so if they want to continue to occupy my time, there's always a bargain to be struck.”
    “Yeah I guess there is. How did you know the detective?”
    She smiled, “He's been trying to get into the club for years. He just wants to nail one of us so that way he can come in and pay for our time. He’s literally dying to get in. But the Madame has strict rules about detectives and cops, they're not allowed in even if they're dirty. You never know when their moral compass is going to overtake them. We can't be too careful.”
    “Then why did you say you knew all those guys?”
    “For the most part it was an over exaggeration. But we have some girls who go off the books, make their own rules. I'm certainly not one of