Authors: Mell; Corcoran
“Let me see.” Caroline looked over the trace analysis that had come back already. “Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Petrolatum, Acrylates Copolymer, Cocamide...”
“Caroline!” Lou growled.
“Okay!” Caroline muttered something under her breath then continued. “All the ingredients you’d find in a soap or body wash. These are higher than normal levels so one could conclude the victims showered recently, or they hadn’t done much activity since they showered.”
“Right, that’s good enough for me, thanks.” Lou hung up before Caroline could say anything else. “She has them clean up first.” She told the men as she stuffed her phone back in her pocket
“She’s a neat freak?” Arnie wasn’t sure of the relevance.
“She more likely finds them dirty.” Dillon understood where Lou was going.
“Where did all of Medina’s possessions go?” Lou asked Hass. “Storage locker. Why?” Arnie inquired.
“Did you guys go over everything for DNA?” Lou knew it was impossible to test everything and considering the jacuzzi was where Medina died, it actually wasn’t necessary that they did so.
“The usual.” Arnie checked his notes. “Bathrooms had multiple donors, same with the bedroom, sheets, master shower.”
“Kitchen and out here had been scrubbed?” Dillon asked, knowing that was going to be Lou’s next question.
“Completely.” Hass answered right away. “I specifically remembered noticing how clean the kitchen counters were. Single guys don’t usually concern themselves with polishing their granite to a spit shine.”
“But a woman would. So I think it’s fair to say we are spot on with our assumption of our assailant being female.” Lou paced again. “She makes them clean up, in a way they are happy to, or they are ready for her that way to begin with.”
“Working girl?” Arnie asked.
“Maybe, but I think it’s a bit more than that.” Lou spun around and faced Hass. “What are the chances you could have some of your guys look through Medina’s things and look for any bondage or BDSM paraphernalia?”
“I’ll send some guys now.” Hass started to dial. “It may take a while, though.”
Lou looked at her watch and realized it was after four. She remembered they had to be at the dojo by six, and they still had to check out the whereabouts of Hunny Trainer. “That’s fine.” Lou finally responded to Hass. “Just let me know if and when your guys find anything.
After another look around the place, Lou thanked the men for their assistance and told Dillon to pick her up on Burton. She went out the back gate and walked the alley. Heading south put her deeper into the neighborhood, so north was the obvious choice, and the smartest one. As she headed towards Burton, she checked the backs of the other houses and noted only two had motion lights and those were positioned to flash when someone entered the property, not walking through the alley. If their girl left in the middle of the night, she would have been cloaked in darkness all the way. When Lou reached Burton, she headed east, remembering there was no overnight parking allowed so their killer didn’t have her car parked around here or it would have been towed. As she crossed Oakhurst, she signaled to Dillon who was waiting at the corner in his SUV. She continued passed the next alley and approached Doheny. Reading the numbers on the bus stop, Lou pulled up the schedule for that line on her phone, it was a limited stop which meant it was highly unlikely their killer would rely on that bus to get her out if she couldn’t be exact in her timing. Caddy corner was the Four Seasons hotel. She waved for Dillon, hopped in the car and they swung around and headed there. Hotels have parking that’s traceable, especially high-end hotels like the Four Seasons. It was a long shot, but a shot worth taking.
When Niko arrived
in Rotterdam, it was on the chilly side, but then again it rarely broke eighty degrees in South Holland. The drive from the airport to the hotel was always beautiful with miles and miles of green pastures, tree-lined highway and the occasional farm dotting the landscape. Puffs of clouds speckled the early evening sky, the most threatening ones safely in the distance. By the time they made their approach to the city it was too late to stop at the International Criminal Court, so the driver kept going to the hotel. Tomorrow would be a packed day with the ICC first thing, then back to back meetings with agents at two of Max’s subsidiary companies. Spot checks were not unusual, and it gave perfect cover to dig into who had the most access to the ports. The evidence that they gathered tracing the origins of the Black Blood made Niko think of Rotterdam instantly. The shortest distance between two points, after all. St. Petersburg was a no-brainer as far as a pipeline was concerned, but he needed to wait until Max was answering his calls again to see if he wanted to look into that himself. Niko had little interaction with the Aegis in Russia or China and even less with their Dominors. Once again, he needed to wait for Max to find out what he wanted him to do.
The port of Rotterdam ranks eleventh in the top twenty busiest ports in the world. It is the entrance to Northwest Europe and handles approximately four hundred, fifty million tons of cargo each year. The length of the port alone covers over twenty-four miles and employs an estimated eighteen thousand people. Finding where shipments were coming through was going to be tricky but it was going to be a hell of a lot easier than sifting through China, which had ten of the top twenty spots for largest and busiest ports in the world.
For now, Niko’s evening would be far more enjoyable and relaxed. He had set up a meeting with an old friend and confidant who just happened to be a cigar aficionado like himself. The hotel where Niko was staying was home to one of his favorite cigar lounges which made it an obvious choice for an informal briefing.
As the driver made the bend around the province House South Holland, traffic jammed. It wasn’t going to get any better given they were reduced to two lanes. Niko didn’t mind. The trees were thicker here, and the architecture had returned to a more Old World style. Boats meandered along the canals, and the light was turning a golden pink as the sun dipped lower into the horizon. He loved this place. When the roads narrowed and turned to the herringbone cobbles and the bicyclists sped by faster than the cars, he knew they were almost there. Finally, Niko could see the bright butter paint and red marquis with its gilded lettering that read Hotel Des Indes. It had undergone a makeover in 2006, but the hotel had been in business since 1881. Niko had been a guest once or twice before, when it was a city palace. There was something about it that resonated with him all these years, something that still made it feel like days that had long since passed. Even when he made trips to Amsterdam, he would stay here and make the forty-plus mile drive. It was just so worth it. As they pulled up to the entrance, Niko’s favorite porter stood dutifully at the ready wearing his traditional coat and top hat.
“Master Niko! So good of you to visit us again!” The ageless Dutchman greeted him as he opened the car door. “I see we only have the pleasure of your company for a day or two.”
“Good to see you, Bram. Unfortunately, this is a quick business trip.” Niko exited the back of the town car and stretched his legs. It seemed like he had been sitting forever. “How’s the family?”
“Everyone is excellent, thank you for asking!” He tipped his hat in gratitude. “I’ll have your things pressed and ready in your suite by the time you come back from your run.”
“Thank you, Bram.” Niko grabbed the small duffel while the porter took his other bag. He wasn’t normally a creature of habit, but he loved that Bram knew his routine here. It made it feel even more like a home. “Is Thomas at the desk this evening?” He asked as they made their way to the gilded revolving door.
“Yes, sir.” Bram confirmed. “He came in about an hour ago to see that the preparations for your arrival were according to standards.”
“They always are.” Niko smiled and shook Bram’s hand, slipping him a five-hundred Euro bill in the process. That was about a third what the porter made in a whole month.
“Master Niko...” Bram tried to refuse.
“Don’t insult me!” Niko winked at him and headed to the front desk.
Niko strode through the lobby of the grand hotel as if he belonged there, which in many ways he did. His regal demeanor and dangerous swagger turned heads wherever he went. It didn’t hurt that he looked like he fell from the pages of a magazine with his dark brown hair raked back in a casual but polished style. He wore the bespoke Zenga suit like most men wore t-shirts and jeans, complete with his five o’clock shadow. Women couldn’t help but stare; it was a primal thing.
“Master Niko!” Thomas clasped Niko’s hand with both of his, in a genuinely enthusiastic greeting. “Welcome back, sir. We are so honored you could carve out some time to stay with us again.”
“Hello, Thomas.” Niko smiled warmly. “How are things?”
“Fantastic, my lord. Just fantastic!” Thomas snapped his fingers and a young man scurried up to them. “This is Laars. He is my most capable apprentice and will be at your service around the clock while you are with us.”
“It is an honor.” The young man bowed crisply at the waist.
“Good to meet you, Laars.” Niko extended his hand and the young man wasn’t sure if it was appropriate to accept or not. With a nod from Thomas, Laars shook Niko’s hand energetically and with a huge smile. So vigorously that Thomas snapped his fingers and gave him a curt shake of the head. It was bad form for the lower staff to make physical contact with the guests. Peasants never touched nobility, after all. While all the Aegis, and especially Max, were considered royalty among the oldest and elite facilities in the world, Niko was a real man of the people and thus didn’t like it when he was held to snobbish standards.
Thomas handed Niko his key. “You will find Yanik when you exit the elevator, and the fourth floor has been prepared just as you like it. Laars will show you to your locker where I have placed your preferred running attire. Just leave your suit and we will have it laundered.” The man walked alongside Niko as he headed towards the health club facilities, Laars two steps behind them. “Eva will be ready for you upon your return from your run, and Mr. Jansen confirmed he will be joining you at eight this evening in the Lounge. Of course we have closed it for your privacy, and the chef will be preparing something quite lovely for you, I think you will be pleased.”
“You spoil me so, Thomas.” Niko grinned. “Thank you for accommodating my peculiarities.”
“It is truly our pleasure, Master Niko.” Thomas opened the door to the dressing room for him. “I will leave you in Laars’ capable hands. Please feel free to strike him if he steps out of line.” Thomas winked at Niko when they both saw Laars’ face go pale.
“I think I will be okay on my own.” Niko removed his suit coat, Laars jumping to retrieve it. “Unless you can run a six minute mile?”
“Oh dear.” Laars looked a little panicked. “To be honest, Master Niko, I can barely run a six minute city block.”
The men laughed for a moment then Niko excused himself to get changed. Niko made a habit of taking a run after long flights whenever possible. It was the first thing he’d do after checking in wherever he was. He felt it got his blood flowing again and equalized his body after the pressurization of the plane ride. He thought it also helped him with jet lag though he had no scientific proof for any of that. In his rush to get going that morning, given the trip was a last minute prospect, Niko had forgotten to pack running gear. He called the hotel after he had taken off from the airport and Thomas was all too happy to assist, again.
The run had done exactly what he hoped. After a quick shower, Eva worked her magic with massage and Laars had a bath drawn for him in the suite by the time he arrived. With his suits pressed, shoes shined and everything put away in their proper place, Niko was precisely on time and utterly rejuvenated by the time he arrived at the Lounge. Hans Jansen was already seated, enjoying a single malt.
“Hans.” Niko greeted him with a hug. “So good to see you.”
“You too, old friend!” Hans Jansen had come up the ranks with Finn ages ago. He had been offered an Aegis position with the Western European region but preferred working covertly and on his terms. It’s not that he wasn’t a loyalist, he just didn’t play well in team settings, which was mandatory as a Council member. Despite the lone wolf preference, Niko and Finn both knew they could trust Hans with the details of the Black Blood problem. He was appalled when they told him and he vowed he would look into things in the Netherlands immediately, which is why Niko was there. “I wish this visit was under better circumstances.” Hans shut up as the maitre d’ entered the Lounge with two waitstaff to serve their first course. The servers moved in perfect unison placing bone china bowls rimmed in gold upon Niko and Hans’ chargers. The servers continued to work in perfect synchronization, meticulously ladling each bowl with Vichyssoise, a cold potato and leek soup, Niko’s favorite. The Maitre d’ poured the Domaine Ramonet Montrachet Grand Cru 2009.
“Let’s just enjoy this beautiful meal, we can talk after.” Niko said with a smile and knew Hans was all too willing to oblige.
The next course was a lightly sautéed fois gras and truffles followed by venison medallions with a port and balsamic reduction. After a stilton and pear salad with a dijon vinaigrette, the rack of lamb was served with a blueberry shiraz reduction and potato tarte tartin. The decadent and sublime meal ended with an espresso mousse served in an edible dark chocolate demitasse cup. The only thing that could end such a perfect meal was the perfect cognac and finest cigar. Niko honestly thought he would go into a food coma before he and Hans could get back to business but when they retired to the sitting area, and the Maitre d’ brought the velvet lined tray holding two Gurkha Black Dragons. The men indulge in their vices and were finally left alone to conduct business.
“So, what have you been able to uncover?” Niko finally asked.
“About six months ago a shipment was discovered coming out of Rotterdam.” Hans informed him. “Somehow, the Aegis here got tipped off and they made a serious example of it, without letting it get back to the Senatus.”