(1988) The Golden Room (7 page)

‘I wouldn’t,’ he said adamantly.

‘Believe me,’ Fanny said. ‘But I can go to the bathroom and get unpeeled in five minutes. I know how to do it. So you stay here and take your clothes off. I’ll be with you in a jiffy.’

When she was gone, Varney took his clothes off slowly. When he was naked, he could feel that he was losing his erection. He glanced at the bathroom door, imagined what she’d be like, and immediately his penis began to rise.

Moments later she emerged wearing only a filmy pink dressing-gown. She considered his nakedness, nodded approval, and padded straight to the bed. She threw off her dressing-gown, and dropped to the bed on her back. The instant Varney’s gaze moved from her blonde hair and beautiful face to the huge mounds of breasts, the sleek pinkish-white abdomen, the great pubic patch, as she lifted her fleshy thighs and spread them apart, Varney’s penis hardened fully and stood straight out.

‘Come on, young man,’ Fanny beckoned. ‘Let me enjoy that.’

Varney was on the bed immediately, atop her, and between her legs.

She shut her eyes, squealed with delight, put her arms around him to draw him in tighter.

He began to pump away, and as he did so, she began to undulate her bottom beneath him, until he felt he was going crazy.

Along the way, he had one fleeting thought of his real mission.

So much for the Everleigh Club as a chaste restaurant.

Soon, Mayor Harrison might be as happy with the word as Varney himself was right now with the proof.

Varney went on with her for - he didn’t know — maybe ten minutes or so. She was the best, most experienced girl he’d ever coupled with. She pushed all the right buttons, until he was frenzied. When he had his orgasm, she made sounds of a prolonged orgasm too — but when his senses returned he knew it wasn’t true. She was a prostitute, a sweet, loose girl, but a prosty nevertheless, and they never came for pay.

When they lay under the blanket, recovering, she was ready to listen to him and to talk herself. No rush job. The Everleighs had a class act going.

‘You’re the best I’ve ever had,’ admitted Varney. ‘Whatever you get, you should get more.’

‘I think so too,’ Fanny agreed ingenuously. ‘You’ll pay fifty dollars, and I’ll get half. Usually, I accept that as fair. But now I’m going to be earning less, because - because for certain reasons — Minna and Aida are screening customers more closely and will be turning more away. I don’t like that. It’s the first time Minna has been unfair.’

‘Why don’t you leave the Everleighs?’ Varney asked.

‘And go where? This is the best-paying house in Chicago. If I had somewhere else to go that paid better, I’d certainly do it right now. That’s how I feel.’

Varney had full command of his senses at last. His mind was on his mission. He could now testify that the Everleigh Club was a whorehouse. But Harrison had reminded him that if he could get one of the girls as a witness, their case for a shutdown would be perfect, a cinch.

There was a gamble involved in confessing his mission, Varney realized, but given this girl’s mood, it might be safe.

‘Maybe I can see that you’re better paid,’ Varney blurted.

The girl stared at him. ‘How? By living with you?’

‘No. It’s something else. What if I told you I could pay you $3,000 cash if you did something for me?’

‘For doing what?’ she asked suspiciously.

‘For telling the mayor what you just did with me, and then testifying to the same before the chief of police.’

Fanny blinked at him. ‘They’d shut down the Club. I’d hate to be responsible. Well, at least not for $3,000.’

With her last sentence, Varney knew that he had her on the hook. He propped himself on an elbow and prepared to negotiate.

Dr Herman Holmes, gripping his black medical bag, was proceeding along the upstairs corridor of the Everleigh Club, about to conclude his first day at work, and was now running late. A pleasurable and sensuous day it had been. He had closely, intimately, and lingeringly, examined fourteen of the healthiest and most breathtaking girls he had ever seen.

It was a bonanza of a job, with the most exciting prospects on earth, and from the easy manner of the girls, there would be none to resist him.

He had one more vagina to examine this evening, the fifteenth. He glanced at his list. This one’s name was Fanny. He reached her door. About to knock, he realized that she might have a partner inside and he did not want to disturb her until she was finished. Instead, he tried the doorknob. The door was unlocked, and he opened it a few inches to peek in.

‘Yes, $5,000,’ he heard a male voice say.

About to shut the door, Dr Holmes heard Fanny speak out. ‘Actually $5,000? In cash? You mean that? Just to testify against the Everleighs? Why, even if they shut the Club down, it wouldn’t matter to me. With $5,000 I could set up my own dress shop in the Loop and never hustle again. Tell me again, Jack, so I understand for sure.’

Dr Holmes did not shut the door. He left an inch open so that he could hear the rest.

‘I told you,’ the male voice resumed. ‘I work for Mayor Harrison. He guaranteed me that if I had sex with any Everleigh girl I could offer her $5,000 if she would testify that the Club is still a brothel. You were smart enough to take me up on it.’

‘What happens next?’ Fanny inquired.

‘We get dressed. I leave the room first and find Aida and pay up for the evening. Then I’ll step outside and find a public telephone and call the mayor’s office. I’ll say we’re coming right in. Then I’ll go to the corner and wait for you. Any problem getting out?’

‘Of course not,’ said Fanny. ‘This isn’t slavery. I’m allowed to go out and get some air.’

‘Let’s get moving.’

Grimacing, Dr Holmes softly shut the door. His heart was beating fast. That stupid girl in there was about to double-cross the Everleighs. Holmes didn’t give a damn about the Everleighs, but he did give a damn about the Club and keeping it open for ever as his fleshy playground.

Dr Holmes’s first reaction was to race downstairs and inform Minna Everleigh, but he thought twice about that. Minna would not know the proper way to handle the mayor’s secret spy. He could not see her killing the man or hiring someone else to kill him. She wasn’t the type. She’d try to reason with him or bribe him. Holmes was afraid the man would get away, contact the mayor, and close the whole Club down. Holmes knew that for his own sake he could not risk letting the man go free or let that double-crossing Fanny out on the loose.

Dr Holmes knew what to do. He alone could do it.

He rapped sharply on the door, then pushed it open slightly.

‘Fanny?’ he called out. ‘This is Dr Holmes, your new physician. I’m here to give you a routine examination. I’d like to come in.’

‘Can’t it wait?’ Fanny called back. ‘I still have a customer here.’

‘I don’t mind the customer,’ said Holmes. ‘I’ll just give you a brief examination and leave.’

He pushed the door fully open.

They were both staring at him. The thin man had one leg in his trousers, and Fanny, entirely nude, was heading for the bathroom.

‘Can’t you see we’re busy?’ she shot out irritably.

Calmly, Holmes advanced towards her. ‘It seems to me you’ve finished your business. Unfortunately, I haven’t finished mine. I promised Minna I’d examine fifteen girls today, and I’ve done fourteen. You’re the last, Fanny. Please be cooperative. It’ll only take a few minutes.’

‘What am I supposed to do?’ she said, still irritable.

‘What you’ve done with the previous doctor. It’ll be a similar examination.’ Dr Holmes turned to the man. ‘Once you’re dressed, sir, I’d suggest you wait, just in case there is something wrong which you may have contracted … All right, Fanny, let’s have a look.’

Pouting, Fanny returned to the bed and lay back, legs apart.

Dr Holmes kneeled down between her legs. What he saw was truly mind-rending.

A pity to do what he had to do, he told himself, but it was a dire necessity.

Using his speculum, he tried to look inside. Then he inserted two fingers into her vagina.

‘Hey,’ Fanny protested, ‘what are you doing? The other doctor never did that.’

‘I have to because I’m afraid I see something. I’ve got to be sure.’

After a few moments, he removed his fingers.

‘Just as I suspected,’ he said. ‘Give me a moment in which to wash my hands. You can sit up now.’

When Dr Holmes returned to the bedroom, Fanny was sitting up, eyes fixed on him.

‘What’s going on?’ she said. ‘You found something wrong?’

‘Yes, definitely,’ Dr Holmes said. ‘There’s an infection, sores, a febrile disturbance that would indicate secondary syphilis.’

‘That can’t be,’ Fanny protested again. ‘I’m clean, always have been, and so is everyone who works here.’

‘How can you be certain?’ said Dr Holmes, putting aside his speculum. He looked up at the young man seated on the chair, nervously watching. ‘As for you, sir, you may have contracted Fanny’s syphilis. We’ll find out soon enough, and I’ll do what I can to help you both.’

‘You’re not going to tell Minna, are you?’ Fanny wailed.

‘No, I won’t. But I will have to ask you and your friend -I didn’t get his name —’

‘Jack Simon,’ Varney croaked.

‘I’ll have to ask you and Fanny to come to my office where I can treat her - and examine you.’

‘Can’t it wait?’ asked Varney. ‘We had another appointment.’

Dr Holmes wrote out his address and handed it to Fanny. ‘Meet me there in a half hour. No, Mr Simon, it can’t wait. Allowing the infection to remain untreated will only endanger both of you. Once I’ve treated her - and possibly you - with mercury, you will be free to keep your appointment.’ Dr Holmes went to the door. ‘A half hour from now, at my office.’

When they were alone, Varney turned to Fanny. ‘Why don’t you dress? I have to pay my bill and make a phone call. I’ll wait on the corner, and then we can see the doctor together.’

When Varney came down the mahogany staircase to the street floor of the Everleigh Club, he found a diminutive, thin, pretty young woman waiting for him.

‘Mr Simon, I presume,’ she said.

‘Yes.’

‘I’m Minna Everleigh,’ she introduced herself. ‘You met my sister. Did you enjoy yourself?’

‘Immensely,’ Varney said. ‘The supper was superb. The girl, Fanny, my companion, was even more superb.’

‘I’m glad,’ said Minna. ‘Then you won’t mind paying the bill for the restaurant and the entertainment upstairs.’ She fished into a pocket, brought out a bill, and handed it to Varney.

He noted the total, took out his wallet, extracted $150 and handed it to Minna. ‘I suppose a tip is in order,’ he said, and pulled out another five dollars.

‘Very good, Mr Simon. I hope you will remember us the next time you’re in Chicago.’

He grinned. ‘My first stop will be the Everleigh Club.’

He watched Minna leave for a room that was presumably her office, and then he turned into the foyer. He spotted the telephone, and glanced about him. No one was in sight. He considered risking a call from here when suddenly the valet appeared to show him to the door.

Continuing on to the exit, Varney hesitated as Edmund opened the door.

‘I’m looking for a public telephone,’ said Varney. ‘I have a number of business calls to make. Is there a public telephone in the neighbourhood?’

‘Just a half block away,’ said Edmund. ‘As you leave, turn right. From the corner you’ll see a small hotel across the street. There’s a public telephone in the lobby.’

Once outside, Varney turned right and walked to the corner. He saw the Zion Hotel, crossed over to it and entered.

At first he could see no public telephone, and then at the far end of the narrow lobby he saw a telephone switchboard with a young lady behind it.

Varney went to her. ‘Is this a public telephone?’

‘Yes, it is.’ She held up a telephone. ‘Give me the number you want and I’ll get it. That’ll be ten cents.’

As he fumbled for the dime, Varney was startled by the costliness of the call. His entire lunch at noon had amounted to three cents — two cents for the hot dog sandwich and one cent for the coffee. Nevertheless, he turned over the dime and gave the young woman the phone number to the mayor’s office. Waiting, he felt an undercurrent of real excitement at what he had accomplished. He knew that the mayor, or whomever was in his office awaiting this call, would be just as excited.

‘Here’s your party,’ said the operator, handing up the telephone and receiver.

He heard a feminine voice on the line. ‘Hello, hello.’ He realized that it was Karen Grant who was on the line.

Aware that the public operator could overhear him, he decided to make his own tone as inaudible as possible and made his words cryptic.

‘It’s Gus,’ he said.

Karen replied, ‘The mayor asked me to stand by for your call, and to phone him at once if there is good news. He’d come over to meet with you.’

‘Good news,’ said Varney softly. ‘Very good news.’

‘Oh, that’s wonderful. I’ll see that the mayor is here to meet you.’

‘Tell him not to rush. It would take me half an hour to get to the office, but I have to make one other stop first. I can’t explain. It’ll delay me another half-hour.’

‘I’ll tell Mayor Harrison.’

‘Tell him. See you.’

‘See you,’ said Karen Grant.

Varney hung up, and returned the telephone to the public operator.

Quickly, he left the Zion Hotel lobby to cross over to the opposite corner and await Fanny before taking a detour to Dr Holmes’s office and then going on to Mayor Harrison’s office.

He felt triumphant as the hotel door closed behind him. He just hoped that he had not contracted syphilis too.

Dr Herman Holmes had no sooner pulled on his white medical jacket than the doorbell rang.

He went from his office to the entrance and opened the door.

Fanny, whatever her last name was, stood there, wearing a great feathered hat. She was with the man called Simon, whatever his real name was. Both were unable to conceal their nervousness.

Dr Holmes beckoned them inside, led them to his austere office, and ordered them to be seated.