Читать книгу Bath House Murders - Logan Masters - Страница 10

The arms on an antique grandfather clock, located in Attorney Adam Speck’s office chimed 1:15 PM, Wednesday afternoon. Attorney Speck was just returning from lunch, entering his high-rise posh office via a side door. He sat in the chair behind a polished wooden desk and reached for the intercom.

“I’m back from lunch, Melanie.”

“Mr. Speck, your one o’clock appointment is here.” Then she whispered under her breath, “He’s most impatient. I wouldn’t keep him waiting any longer…” Her message tailed off. Adam Speck could tell by the sound of her voice that she was curiously troubled.

Before he could take any action, the door opening to the waiting room swung wide! There in the doorway stood an overpowering tall, large and stocky built man in a dark pinstripe suit.

“You always keep new clients waiting, Attorney Speck?”

The tone of his voice indicated he was very annoyed. Beyond this, his dress and voice-inflection marked him as being from back East.

Melanie stood carefully positioned behind the man, speechless.

“It’s okay Melanie. I will see this gentleman now.”

The man started to walk toward Speck who had come to his feet. “You’re very free with your words attorney. You must surely know I’m no gentleman. A gentleman wouldn’t barge into your office in the way that I just did. Right?”

Speck stood quietly, studying the man as he advanced.

“You know I’m right.”

The man walked over to a chair located in the front of Adam Speck’s desk.

“May I?”

“Yes, do take a seat,” responded Speck, as he also sat.

The large man then unexpectedly leaned forward to look into Speck’s eyes. He placed his plump-knuckled hands on the desk, somewhat bracing himself. Several diamond rings were on the fingers of both hands.

“What we need here Mr. Attorney Speck is some mutual understanding. I don’t like to be treated with disrespect, like you just did by showing up late for our appointment. I can get very upset. And trust me, Mr. Speck, you don’t want that.”

Without taking his eyes off Speck, he sat back down, continuing to speak up.

“Now the family want’s me to show you respect, even though I know you’re a fuckin’ cock-sucker!”

Speck edged back from his desk, his mouth agape at the barbed comment just uttered.

“Yeah, I know all about you! For instance, I know about your relationship with Brice Williams.” He paused to see Adam Speck’s reaction to his remark, and then continued. “I know you’re the one who brought him into that faggot bath house for the first time when he was 19, under a fake ID. An ID, not unlike the one you have used over the years, under a false name. Besides that, I’m quite sure his family would like to know what you did to their son. I guess it could be said that he’s dead today because of you.”

Speck bit his bottom lip, pained by what he was hearing. Anguished thoughts raced through his mind as he was at a complete loss for words!

“Now you don’t have to worry, Mr. hot shot attorney. We work together, and nobody’s gonna know what we both know about you and your cock-suckin’ ways.”

A tear, as much for self-pity as for the untimely death of his friend, Brice, trickled down his face.

“Oh, let me introduce myself. I’m Samuel Bertolli. You can call me Sam. My family and I will be paying you for your legal service, protecting our investment in “The Bulge” and other places like it.

Finally, Speck was able to speak and broke his silence.

“You know I frequent ‘The Bulge,’ how can you believe I will be able to represent you?”

“We have people in very high places, who can work with us to keep our little secret. Understood?”

Speck ran both sets of fingers through his hair in a nervous fashion.

“Listen, this is not all bad,” Bertolli continued, “The family has sized you up. We know you are a good attorney. How you can be both a fag and good at legal stuff is beyond me. But that’s really your business. What we want from you is for you to do your job professional-like!”

Speck suddenly broke out of puppy’ whipped mode, his voice raised somewhat, “If I’m to provide you with legal representation, then I’ve got to know what this is all about. You have attorneys already at your disposal who could easily step in and take this case. Why me?”

“Hot-shot attorney Speck, it is best that we deal with you on a need to know basis. We will give you what you need to know when the time is right.”

“That may not be good enough,” Speck spoke rather abrasively.

Right then, his cell phone began to ring. He looked at the number and put it away.

“Shouldn’t you answer that?”

“No, it’s my wife.”

“That’s funny. I’m your client, and will be paying you handsomely, I might say. I ask for a need to know basis and you don’t feel comfortable. However, Mr. attorney when it comes to your wife, you obviously deal with her on a need to know basis and you don’t even get any pussy!”

“Okay,” Speck spoke nervously, “we’ll have it your way. But when I need something and ask for it, you’ve got to know that if I don’t get it, it could damage my representation as your attorney!”

“Not to worry, attorney Speck, you will discover that we’ve thought of everything!”

Speck’s cell phone went off again. He looked at it. It was his wife calling a second time…