Garden of Evil (Lonely Hearts Club)

straight

When Tegan walked back in his office  his head was still burning from the talk he had with his dad. He knew Alexa was lonely and Sherman and her became pretty close over the last months but he was lost on why someone as young as her would write a testament.  As soon as his father saw his girls in his son's office he said his goodbyes and left through the door. Before he was gone Tegan called after him."I'll write the check tonight and find someone for all legal matters." His dad appreciatively gave him a thumps up and left. Left him alone with a house full of women who looked at him expectively. Tegan did not really know what they wanted so he went with what he thought they were there for.

"Ladies, now that the Crystal is gone, I know you have questions about the future, right now we are working on a better and safer alternative building, that will replace the old place. You are free to go and do your... profession some where else, I hope you all know that I would never pressure you into working for me or my men. You are all free to work where you desire to."

Natascha walked up front and was the first to speak up, "Sir, we still do our work now, but we feel safer when it's at a place like the Crystal. We have our regular men, we got to know over the years and we don't have to climb into strangers cars night for night. That's what you promised us from the beginning when you saved us from walking the streets at night, we just came here to make sure you will let us come back after the rebuilt."

He did promise them safer working conditions if they did their prostitution at the Crystal, his men were prohibited from hurting any oft them on purpose and it was a good outlet for them to get some relief of the stress after their job. He didn't say anything for a very large amount of time and some of the girls got nervous. 

"We could give you some percentage of what we make every..."

"When did I ever take money from you, are you trying to offend me?", He walked towards the girl very closely but purposely didn't look down on her in order to not intimate her by doing so. "I would never take from you, of course you all have a place to do your work under better conditions as soon as we finish the rebuilt. You are free to comeback when ever you're ready. I know the attack must have been a very fu... sorry, traumatic experience, but it won't happen again."

He looked at all of them when he said that. And he mend it. When he was sure he got his point across he dismissed them. Just as the last one was about to leave she stopped and turned to him. "I really don't know if this is the right time, but Isabelle is missing since the explosion. Her body was never found. This is so unlike her, I mean we live together and she...she just disapeard." They had already burried all the bodies they had found and had held their funerals but Isabelle's body sadly was never among them. "Maybe she found somewhere else...", the girl shook her head voilently, "she would never, we were more than just friends, you don't understand...we had plans. This was our last year in this ...profession and at this place. We wanted to buy a place in Canada... she couldn't...there's no way." He remebered Isabelle it was the one who had a very simular figure to Alexa. She had to lend her clothes to her. "I won't promise anything but I'll see what I can do." He felt for her, understood her pain. But she was lucky she didn't see the body of the person she loved the way he saw Alexa. It was a privilige she couldn't understand at this moment.
"Thank you, I feel so lost without her no one can imagine."
He not only could imagine, he knew that feeling very hell. He shook his head agreeingly and the girl dismissed herself and took of.                                                                                                                                 And there was this missing person adding to all the load he was already carring on his shoulders...Not only that ... still there was Ivan, he had Tegan wondering what kind of information it was that was lost on him and why he just would not spill. What ever it was Tegan was not patient enough to wait for him to finally tell him. He would spy on his friend later and fish for information at his computer, first he had to provide his men with new head money. He printed out all information and pictures of a few wanted people and gave the fitting  man the job per email. And there they were, the tapes from the day of the attack, the only batch that didn't turn useless. Tegan wasn't in the right mind set to watch them but he just promised the girl he would see what he could do to find Isabelle. He always tried to keep his word. What so ever it took an awful longtime, hours to be clear until he finally found the missing girl on screen,  she just left her room with one of her clients and made her way to the kitchen. After a little while she left the kitchen with a stray which was made for Alexa he assumed. What took place next ransacked everything he believed in the last few months. There was some man with a balaclava who held a gun to poor Isabelle's head and they entered his fucking room, where he had Alexa locked inside with the key he had given his girls so they could get Alexa food and water from time to time. Before he went on watching he kept in mind he had to check who the guy in the skimask was. He looked different from most of the men in his ring. His trousers were ironed and the mask on his nice clothes looked ridiculous in combination with the weird grip he had on the gun. It was someone who wasn't familiar in his quarters nor in his world, yet he knew exactly where he was leading Isabelle. When they finally entered the room Alexa was in he lost them for quite awhile. The footage of his private room was completely damaged during the explosion, so there was no way seeing what was going on in there and surely Tegan didn't have the patience to wait any longer so he speeded the video up a little bit. What he watched then completely took his breath away and he was lost for words...so this was what Ivan was hiding....

¤

Alexa walked out of the Hairsalon and was pretty impressed when she looked at the car window's reflection of herself. It was shorter then she had them ever and she already missed her long hair but it did turn her into another woman almost. Of course there was no way of colouring her hair because she was pregnant but they also did her make up and she looked like a raccoon, perfect. Now it was time to go somewhere and buy some clothes that weren't as bright and ridiculous as Octavia's beige oversized sweater she wore as a dress. She needed something that wasn't as obvious something that looked like it was hers and not borrowed, yet so plain no one would pay attention to her. The only store she could reach on her way to her old apartment was a Wal-Mart. She took a deep breath before she climbed into Octavia's car and was on the rode.

Meanwhile Ivan had brought Octavia back to her house. He was the first to notice her car missing. Octavia climbed out shortly after he parked his car on the spot her old Rangeroover was usually parked. "Why isn't she still back?"
Ivan just walked up and signalled her to open the door to her house. As soon as both entered Octavia saw the note Alex's had written her and the cash she gave her for her car.
Ivan let out a dry laugh when he realized that Tegan's girl had pulled a move he didn't quite see coming. "She stole your car to get away... She didn't even take her new ID with her. " 
Octavia turned around and showed Ivan the cash and the letter. "Technically, she bought my car. For much more than it is actually worth by the way. Silly girl."