The Girls Club Read online

  And there’s the matter of the cutting. We don’t know just who of the guardians did the deed yet. Guilty until proven innocent. Get them all! ALL! ALL! ALL!

  Sarah had felt disgusted by the guardians lack of poise, the manner in which she had spilled her guts in order to ingratiate herself. Not to worry. Sarah had taught her a valuable lesson today.

  Sarah wasn’t worried about Sheila calling anyone just yet, that was one canary that wouldn’t be singing anytime soon.

  She left Sheila in a pool of blood and bone fragments, eager to be on the road now, feeling time getting away from her.

  She was going to get to Rochelle before Karen, and she was going to take her far away. Far enough away from Karen for her never to find her.

  Like they did with you?

  She shook her head. This wasn’t like that.

  Always a little jealous though weren’t you when you found out?

  Banging her hands on the wheel making the horn beep she negated all thoughts. It wasn’t anything she could deal with just now. There were far more pressing matters to attend to.

  They gave you away Sarah, they gave you away!

  “No!” tears rolled down her face.

  They gave you away…AND KEPT HER!

  “But look. Look at what I am, WHO I AM!” wiping the tears off with her red shirt, the red deepening with Sheila’s blood.

  THEY GAVE YOU AWAY!

  She only hoped to get where she needed to be before long. The chattering in her head was making her furious. She needed Rochelle. Needed her.

  She hoped when Huntington-Wolfe got to her home the cops wouldn’t have arrived yet but knew it would a close, perhaps impossible thing. As long as she was spotted there before the cops found the gloves, maybe it would be alright. Her neighbours, awfully nice people, rang her to tell her that her multi million dollar home was burning away merrily. Her only thought had been of Karen.

  She had tried to call Charlotte and got no replies. Weird as hell, Charlotte was always first in line to shout ’how hi?’, she’d left almost 30 voicemail messages and so many texts she’d lost count. She may have been gone just short of 48 hours but the collapse had begun. She would pull it back from the brink. Sort out all those who had sought to sully the Chain with disrespect, get rid of Karen, put Rochelle back where she belonged and maybe consult a plastic surgeon about the odd problem she had been presented with.

  The excising of ones nipple is relatively easy. The choice of red shirt helped cover the fact that they were still weeping blood. Miss Smythe had got what she wanted. The client list would have made Sarah’s early retirement, who would have known the trouble it could bring. She had been promised by majority vote of the top ten that the next time she trespassed it would be circumcision, they would take her nipples. This time.

  The night she had cut Rochelle was replayed just for her, the roles had been slightly changed. But as it was now her faced with the cutting table she knew that if she faltered she would have nothing left to salvage after this. Her career, her connections, her life’s work! Sarah had wanted to take a short cut, and ended up spoiling everything she had ever done that was genuinely good.

  She had glanced round the room with its dim corners and not spotted Heidi or Charlotte.

  Fucking good for them too.

  Two goons had done the job. Perhaps even those among the top ten feared her retribution. The cutting table had been tilted at an angle of 90 degrees and she had been stripped to the waist. Then bound to the table. The two goons wore black hoods. Sarah stared at them, telling them with her eyes that when she found them out they’d be sorry. She’d see to it. Her sentence was announced. One of the goons had a pair of piercing tongues and used it to grip the end of Sarah’s left breast. She pulled it out to extend it as far as possible. The other Chain guardian had a slender 12 inch blade that looked keenly sharp.

  She had closed her eyes. Not wanting to see the parting of her flesh. The crowd waited, a breath not expended hung in the air. The Chain guardian, dressed head to toe in black, drew the blade directly across where Sarah’s areola were. In one fluid movement, the excised nipple was clasped in the piercing tongues, the rest of her breast fell back against her body like badly used elastic and blood started to flow. The Chain guardian with the nipple popped it into a small jar situated on a tray table next to the cutting table. With a ridiculous air of ceremony they switches sides across the front of Sarah. When her other nipple was gripped, then pulled, the raw stump of her damaged breast flared with hot pain. Sarah gritted her teeth and eyed the crowd, the tears in her eyes threatening to fall, she let her hate and contempt for them boil them away instead.

  The Chain guardian with the knife wasn’t so apt this time, there had been two strokes of the knife to separate her flesh.

  The nipple joined its slightly tidier looking mate in the jar and an alcoholic smelling liquid was added.

  “Done?” she fumed, her voice edged with pain.

  “WELL?”

  “Let her up” She heard from the back of the room somewhere.

  She was untied from the table and handed her bra and shirt.

  “Sarah Steiger you have been found guilty of trespass. You have also served your sentence. You’re free to go”

  How fucking perfectly judicial of you! She’d thought. Judge and jury. Yet again the Chain which she felt was enriched with her presence and hard work had been set against her.

  “We will however be keeping the items recovered from your safe. Perhaps you should bear that in mind the next time you decide to pull such a stunt”

  She had been furious then, after she’d seen the rifling her office had been put through and the broken door. Well. She reached unplumbed depths of rage.

  In her sensible rental car she sped to the Holiday Inn. If she was in luck, she would be well ahead of Karen. She needed to talk to Rochelle. Needed to explain to her that it was inevitable she was going to have to kill Karen. She would pull open her shirt and show Rochelle the weeping wounds caused by the pictures the Brit had taken at Kelsey’s. That she had been marked, taken her place, so Rochelle could give her blessing, or get out of the way.

  It might have been wise to have your cuts dealt with first you know.

  But she considered she had dealt with them. The first aid kit in the glove box came with gauze and strapping tape. She’d done a handy job of covering each wound, each wound being almost two inches across. She would consider tit-rot or gangrene low priority at this moment. If Rochelle got away it would hurt far more.

  Her cell phone chirruped.

  Unknown number. She pressed ‘receive’ and tucked her headset on.

  “Sarah Steiger” cordial and attentive. Every inch the up and coming LA lawyer. It was light years from the bloodied shirt and mangled hairdo.

  “Hello Miss Steiger, this is detective Johnson, from the 54th precinct”

  If any other fucking thing happens before I get to the fucking airport. I’ll, I’ll…

  “Hello detective, what can I help you with?”

  “Well if I could have you come in for a talk perhaps, you see, we are investigating the murder of the night watchman at your office block, one…”, flipping of pages, “Alfredo Malenz, we’re just checking in with everyone who works in the building and wondered when you could come in for a talk, like I said”

  Thank fuck that.

  “I would be happy too detective. Could I come in to see you tomorrow? I’m currently out of town, been visiting folks”

  No answer from the detective.

  “Yeah. I suppose that would be just fine. What time could I expect you Miss Steiger?”

  Well lets see, I have to get to Rochelle, maybe kill whoever else is there. Kill Karen for sure, travel back, and parkings always a bitch.

  “How’s 1 o’clock”

  “1 o’clock”, scribbling sounds, “That’s just fine Miss Steiger, you just have good day now”

  “You too detective”

  He hung up. She didn�
�t think it was completely feasible that they would expect her to go in just to chat about some doorman getting whacked in a reception cubicle.

  Sarah thought it more likely that someone had fingered her for it.

  I’d like to finger Rochelle.

  It was that kind of thinking that was muddying up the process.

  If the slimy Brit had spoke the truth about planting some gloves then she only hoped for Heidi’s own sake she got them out of there before the cops got them.

  She pushed harder on the accelerator. After all. What was one dead doorman when your only living kin was about to run out on you?

  Chapter 16

  The sound of soaring planes made her anxious. When she could see them taking off and landing a half mile away she knew that it was getting near to the end game.

  She saw the Holiday Inn sign and pulled into a lot beside the gas station instead.

  She texted Rosh,

  How many did you say were coming for dinner tonight, I forgot.

  Whilst she waited for whatever bizarre answer would come back she pushed the cigarette lighter into it’s socket. Pulling down the strap of her shirt she knew it wasn’t going to stop bleeding on its own, she needed to do something before the waves of grey that washed over her vision became black. When the lighter popped out she took the gadget and rested it against the hole the bullet had made going in. There was a hiss and then the smell of burnt flesh and hair, again. She leaned out of the door and vomited on the ground.

  Using a bottle of water she took the other arm off her hoody and wetted it. She used the mirror to clean off most of the blood and soot. She had to at least look like she hadn’t come wandering in from a ten car pile up.

  She smiled at her reflection and saw a lunatic with tones of blue running up the side of her face, her hair had burnt bits at the ends. She rubbed them until they fell off, her hair looked odd. Still. It would have to do.

  Taking the pistol she had lifted from the doorman’s dead body out of the rucksack she filled the clip, then got out of the car. Tucking it into the back of her jeans she pulled her top over it. Tipping the rest of the shells out she filled her pocket. The text tone went and she checked her phone.

  Karen! Don’t come here, please! You promised!

  She leaned against the hood of the car. Her breath was sour and her arm was aching. Must be more of them now. Must have been Sarah’s doing.

  How would she know which room? On the back seat of the car was an overcoat, a light rain mac, she put it on and walked into the reception of the Holiday Inn. This was Rochelle’s rain mac. Not that anyone ever needed one in LA, she put the sleeve up to her face and inhaled.

  No way on earth I’m leaving. No way.

  She went through to the restrooms and racked her head, the next part of the plan had pretty much disappeared with Sarah Steiger’s re-arrival on the scene. She shut the stall door and took the opportunity to pee. As she did she looked up. A smoke detector.

  An evil grin broke her face.

  Well, lookie what we have here then. If I remember right…?

  Still sat on the toilet she checked the pockets of the mac and found a lighter and cigarettes. Rochelle didn’t smoke much, Karen had seen her smoke once, she kept a pack handy though.

  Sometimes with a beer.

  This would be just the ticket.

  Well. Its been a long time since I had a cigarette, but they say its good for shock. And today has been one long fucking shock.

  She shook out a Marlboro and put it in her mouth, standing up and fastening her jeans she prepared for her first cigarette in years.

  And I was doing so well.

  She spun the wheel of the lighter and flame sprang into life. It touched the tip of the cigarette and Karen inhaled.

  She felt giddy almost at once, her head light and serene. This is why cigarette smokers have a higher fall back rate than heroin addicts. It’s easy and legal.

  She took a few drags then put the toilet seat down, she hadn’t heard anyone come in so thought it would be now or never, she hoped the alarms went through the whole complex.

  Blowing grey smoke with earnest she almost fell off the toilet seat when the alarm did begin to bray.

  Come on babe. Lets blow this pop stand.

  Against her mental moanings she took two more puffs from the cigarette then chucked it down the toilet.

  Time to make like a tree.

  She felt remarkably well to say her body had two more holes in it than it had started out with today. Add to that a concussion already this week and really, she had no right to feel this well. But she did. This was the power Rochelle had over her, she was going to go get her back from the nest of vipers with little thought or regard for what might actually be the outcome.

  The complex was evacuating. The rooms spilling out into the corridors and the outside complex car park filling up with patrons. A hazy grin spread Karen’s face, they were like ants, scurrying along.

  Couldn’t have planned it better really.

  Well you didn’t actually plan it, fucking idiot! Words she needed to hear Rochelle say to her.

  Karen waited just inside the reception behind a door, waiting for a glimpse of Rochelle.

  Chapter 17

  “You’re cars almost as crappy as mine”

  They smiled at each other, headed down the road, Sky had nipped into the store and come back out with a pink shirt and jeans for Heidi. Heidi had made approving noises, the shade of pink, candy pink no less, her absolute favourite.

  Sky opened the glove box of the car and there was a folder there.

  “What’s that?”

  “Karen said to give it to you when it was all over, guess you might as well have it now”

  Heidi opened the folder and took out the photo there, it was a small reproduction of what looked like a cell phone photo. It showed about half a dozen people around a cutting table, Heidi was one of them, and there was Sarah Steiger herself. There were pieces of Demi being bagged up. There was another shot of the inside of Sarah’s office, a hand wrapped in plastic on her blotter.

  “Hot damn” Heidi whispered.

  There were some papers, some looked like forensic results. There had been a double line drawn under something, it said ‘suppressed results’ in capitals next to it.

  “Well, what is it?” Sky asked.

  Heidi shook her head and turned the sheet over, scrawled on the back.

  Guess she can’t finger you for it if she was there too.

  Yours, Karen

  “Limey bitch” Heidi whistled through her teeth. This was her get out of jail free card with Steiger, who was obviously going to keep this from her.

  Cunt lawyer bitch!

  She put the stuff back into the folder and tucked it back into the glove box.

  “Are you sure you want to go to Sarah’s?”

  “Have we talked about this already. What choice we got Sky?”

  Sky went quiet. Something felt wrong. She’d texted Karen, hadn’t been able to help herself. There’d been no answer.

  Heidi’s cell phone rang.

  “Fucking thing”

  “Don’t answer it”

  “Its alright, don’t worry, its Sheila”

  “Hey Sheila, I’m sorry about…” she stopped cold. She couldn’t tell a lot of what Sheila was saying.

  Fushing bikcth…smashed facse in…kill ros, rosh, chelle.

  “Oh Sheila. What did she do to you?”

  Being a hardass all the time eventually took its toll. Heidi started to cry, all she could hear were jumbled syllables, her mind did the rest.

  Sky indicated to cross to the breakdown lane.

  “Fuck” Heidi dropped the cell.

  Sky pulled up.

  “What? What happened to Sheila?”

  Heidi lit a cigarette, her eyes were wild, she had sent Sheila to have her face re-arranged. It was heavy.

  “Sheila got fucked up, She couldn’t even talk properly. Do you know what this means?” />
  Sky shook her head, “That you think its your fault?”

  Heidi laughed, “As well as the fact that Sarah Steiger and her barmy army will now know that I had Sheila leave Rochelle, that I was helping you guys!” she rubbed her head and dragged on her cigarette.

  “That’s just fine” Sky started the car again.

  “Is it? What planet do you live on, SHE’S GONNA FUCKIN’ KILL ME!”

  “Not if someone kills her first” Sky spoke with finality.

  Silence then between them. Rushing past cars, the decision about where to go now with Heidi entirely. Sky jumped when her mobile chirruped, she wound down her window to throw it out, then saw the message was from Rochelle.

  Sky, if you get this, please stop Karen! If she gets here they’re going to kill her, THEY ARE ALL HERE!

  Heidi took the cell and read it.

  “She’s mincement then. Stupid limey bitch” but there was no conviction in what she was saying.

  “Well, Miss Heidi, still wanna save Sarah’s ass or go help Karen? In about two minutes we’ll miss the turnoff for the airport slip road.”

  Cigarette smoke filled the car and Sky rolled her window down. She would do whatever Heidi was happy with, she knew what Karen was capable of, she also knew Karen would die before she let anyone hurt Rochelle.

  “H?”

  “Is she any good?”

  “What?”

  “In the sack, she any good?”

  “Heidi if you’re going to base your decision on whether…” Heidi held her hand up, “Cool your jets babe, lighten up”

  “There’s the turnoff”, Sky pleaded with her eyes, “Heidi!”

  “Take it, so help me God, lets go see some fuckin’ airplanes”

  Sky took the turn off and put her hand on Heidi’s leg, “You won’t regret this”