Paradise - Part Four (The Erotic Adventures of Sophia Durant) (2 page)

DragonAir27: You can transfer the money to me in the light, and I’ll pay the account you want (in the dark).

In the 26 Club, I go by is Octavia6.

Octavia6: Thx. I’ll put the money through tonight. The link is…

I copied the link to Balthazar’s Skull Bazaar into the message and clicked send. Once I have the poison in my possession I’ll divvy it up and perhaps save some for future uses. I also ordered two lab coats and disposable gloves.

I’d never seen the Eleutheran villa so luminous or with so many visitors. What usually seemed a ghost town now looked like Times Square at Christmas. I spotted Ava Madeiros early in the evening. She was standing at the center of a large group talking to several men. She would be hard to get to. I stood on a second story balcony overlooking the party with Anna. She was high and therefore our conversation was nearly nonexistent. I had opted not to smoke with her on account of the focus my mission required. I admired Ava from afar, imagining different ways I might get to her. I wore dress gloves over disposable rubber ones. A small vial containing half the polonium-210 I had bought was in my pocket.

Ava was graceful in a crowd, obviously used to being the center of attention, she conversed easily with a number of different men. Anna had informed me Stafford threw the party as a backdrop to one of his high level meetings, and he didn’t make an appearance till late into the evening. I would listen to the contents of his meeting later, but now I was concentrating on the objective at hand.

“She’s beautiful, isn’t she?”

Anna had caught my gaze.

“Yes.”

“Who is she?”

“Her name’s Ava Madeiros. She’s a model.”

“You’ve met her.”

“Not really.”

“I see.”

There was a knowing gleam in Anna’s eyes.

“She’s something Stafford collected on the beach one day,” I explained.

“Looks like his type.”

“What isn’t his type?”

“True.”

She lowered her voice.

“Let me tell you a little secret. Stafford is a man with an endless supply of dough. And following that endless supply is an endless supply of women.”

“It’s something I’ve come to accept.”

“Here’s the secret: he may have cock enough for many, but he has a heart for only one. You’re the one in his sights. You don’t have anything to worry about with her or probably anybody else.”

“How do you know that?”

“Trust me, I know.”

That gleam was in her eyes again.

“It’s all in the eyes,” she said as she looked at Ava. “She’s gorgeous.”

“Isn’t she?”

“Would you fuck her?”

I laughed.

“That was bold.”

“Then the answer is yes.”

“Okay. It is. I would.”

“I would fuck her brains out.”

I laughed.

“Let’s go talk to her.”

“I’m too shy.”

“Come on.”

“Oh, alright. But I need a drink first.”

“Let’s get some wine. Then we’ll go see her.”

My heart began to pound as we neared her with our glasses. The wine was a rich Syrah. I only had a sip but felt tipsy already. I resolved that if conditions weren’t perfect, I would wait till another occasion to administer the contents of the vial. It wouldn’t hurt anything to wait. Far less
so than to do it incorrectly now. The chemical was so dangerous I felt it didn’t leave any room for error.

I cast my bait.

“Good evening. I feel like I’ve seen you before somewhere. It’s the oddest feeling. I’m not quite sure.”

She took it.

“You’ve probably seen me in the magazines or billboards or on TV. I’m a model.”

“Oh. That must be it. How embarrassing?”

“Not at all.”

She smiled. She was graceful and kind and I felt bad for what I was about to do to her. For a moment I wavered on whether or not I would do it. I wasn’t mad at her anymore, if I ever was—only slightly jealous. But then I was overcome by a feeling, a sort of compelling inner need, telling me I must do it. Almost forcing me to. Even if only just for the thrill.

“You’re so incredibly beautiful. My friend here—Anna—and I were just talking about it and how we both thought you so familiar, we wanted to come talk to you.”

“Thank you, and hello, Anna. You’re very beautiful too. You both are.”

“How do you get your hair like that?”

Anna stumbled in her speech.

“That lustrous, almost copper shine?”

“I use regular shampoo and conditioner. Like everyone else. Then, after I dry it, I lather it with aloe vera. That brings out the color and the natural luminescence. I don’t use any other hair products. Just aloe. That’s the secret.”

“Wow. I shall try that.”

Anna seemed genuinely astonished and was very sweet. It annoyed me to see her like this.

Ava turned to me.

“What do you do with your hair? It’s got so much body and it’s so healthy and vibrant?”

Her grossly superficial attitude made it easier for me to contemplate the depraved act.

“I don’t do anything special. Shampoo and conditioner, and then I air dry it after.”

I noticed she wasn’t holding a drink.

“You don’t have anything to drink. May I get you something while you talk to Anna?”

“Oh, my darling, no. I’ll get something for myself in a minute.”

“The red wine is very good,” said Anna. “I don’t know what type it is exactly. But
c’est magnifique
.”

“Wonderful. I’ll have to try it. I’m Ava, by the way.”

We shook hands with her. As I held her gloved hand in mine, I felt a shiver run through it, like I was shaking the hand of a woman I knew soon to be dead. Evidently she felt something too, for she withdrew her hand almost as soon as I held it, and a cold, startled expression came over her features.

“Forgive me,” I said instinctively.

“For what?”

“You had this look on your face, I felt I had offended you somehow.”

“No. Not at all. I’m going to get that drink. I hope we meet again this evening, Sophia, Anna.”

She walked off.

“She blew us off.”

I looked at Anna.

“What did you do? She looked so afraid. Perhaps she’s deeply attracted to you, and is scared by it.”

“Unlikely.”

“You never know. What else could it be?”

“I don’t know. Strange woman.”

“A bit full of herself. Come on. Let’s go talk to someone else. There’s plenty of men. You could make Mr. Stafford jealous.”

“Somehow I feel he’s not the sort of man one would want to make jealous.”

“You’re right about that. He never let Isabella out of his sight. In parties like this, she would never be seen. I don’t know if he hid her or if she just wasn’t a social person. But she never came out at a party. Not once that I saw.”

“And where’s Mr. Stafford now?”

She must have caught the impatience in my voice, she smiled.

“He always comes late if he comes at all. He’s not much of a party person.”

“Neither am I. This is all beginning to feel rather ridiculous.”

“Oh—” Anna exclaimed in excitement, “here she comes again. She didn’t blow us off after all.”

Ava touched my elbow as she greeted us.

“I thought you’d abandoned us for good.”

“Too many men here. Not enough women. Yours was the only decent conversation I’ve had all evening. You were the only two who didn’t try to get my phone number in the first two minutes.”

“Can I have your phone number?”

I raised my eyebrows.

She laughed.

“No. Well, okay. Maybe. If you’re good. But only because you’re a beautiful woman who hopefully doesn’t have a dick. Do you?”

“It depends on what you mean,” I said with straight face.

“Oh, I do like you.”

Her eyes twinkled. I imagined that was the type of expression she made when she was taking pictures or when she seduced Stafford. The cunt. I’d have her head on a platter if I could. I really couldn’t stand her now. And I couldn’t help going back to the scene on the beach as I looked at her smile. Watching her with that silly expression, her tits bouncing up and down, as she got fucked in that stupid, arched position. Obviously she didn’t know much about good fucking.

“You’re thinking of something. What is it?” Ava asked, looking directly into my eyes.

“You remind me of a friend. That’s all.”

“What about me reminds you of her?”

“Who said it was a
she
?”

I felt like I was being a bit too much of an asshole and should ease up a bit. I didn’t want her last memories of another person to be of contempt. But she took it in stride.

“I like you. You’re not afraid to speak your mind.”

I noticed she did not have a glass of wine with her.

“What happened to the glass of wine?”

“I’ll already drank it. I see you’re low on yours. Shall I go get us two more?”

I looked at Anna. Her glass was nearly full.

“Yes, why not? I’ll come with you.”

We wended our way through the crowd to the wine. We each took a glass. She proposed a toast.

“To good memories.”

“To good memories,” I said.

Our glasses
clinked.

“Ah, where did Anna go?”

I looked behind me. She was nowhere in sight.

“I don’t know. That’s odd.”

“I was really enjoying her company. Oh well, perhaps she’ll come back. Let’s go sit by a water fountain. Would you like that? There’s supposed to be fireworks in a bit. We can find a place to get a good view of them.”

“Sure. Or I could show you a place a bit off the beaten path. Not too far. It’s one of the most incredible beaches I’ve ever seen. Absolutely enthralling.”

“Sounds nice. You live here?”

“Sometimes. I’m a nanny for Mr. Stafford’s baby.”

“I didn’t know he had a baby. How nice. Yes, let’s go to the beach.”

I took her down the path through the palms to Anse Lazio. The sun had dipped behind the trees and the deserted beach basked in purple light.

“Lucky I ran into you. This is extraordinary. You were right. I saw a beach with pink sand the other day in Dunmore Town. This is much better.”

“I don’t know what it is about it. Everything perhaps. But it’s just enchanting.”

“It is. Is it a private beach?”

“Belongs to Mr. Stafford.”

“And to think he didn’t even tell me about it. The bastard.”

“Is he a friend of yours?” I said it as matter-of-factly as I could.

“Yes. Well, I met him only a short time ago. But we have become friends. He’s very charming, very intelligent, and lots of fun to be around.”

“We all enjoy him immensely. He’s very popular with the staff.”

“I can see why.”

“He is intelligent, like you say.”

“Yes. I hope we remain friends. To be honest, his life is so fascinating it makes me feel like I must be a rather dull person. He’s been so many places and done so many things. I haven’t really been too many places. I’ve only ever modeled.”

“You must travel for the modeling.”

“I do. But I don’t really see all that much. Maybe I can travel with him. It must be so exciting for you. You must have to go all over with him.”

“Not too much so far. But I’ve only been at this job for a few months. Just settling in really.”

She held the glass out in front of her, watching the light bend through it, before taking another sip. I wondered how to get what was in my pocket into that glass without being seen. I began to think I might not have the chance. I couldn’t do it out here perchance someone saw; someone or a group may happen onto the beach at any time. I couldn’t risk it. And I couldn’t really do it in front of the crowd at the villa. I began to wonder what to do, and began to accept I just may not be able to do it on this occasion. But there had to be a way.

“You’ve hardly touched your drink. Everything alright?”

“Wonderful. I’m not much of a drinker, and, when I do drink, I take my time.”

“I’m practically finished with mine. I may just have to drink some of that for you.”

“By all means.”

I wished I’d put the poison in my drink earlier then it would be problem solved.

“I really wish I had something to smoke.”

She scrunched up her nose, and I noticed a small patch of tiny freckles spread across it.

“You mean like cigarettes?”

“No. Well…a certain kind of cigarette…with something mixed into it.”