Night Realm (3 page)

Inside the crowd was an eclectic mix of ages and dress styles. Being a new club many people were obviously trying it out for the first time. After a while it would naturally self-define its clientele. Ryan edged over to the bar and waited ten minutes to get served. In the meantime he tried in vain to search for Brad Davis, but it was just
way too crowded to spot him.

The bar ran two thirds of the length of the right wall.
It was lit up with blue and pink neon strips of lighting around the edges of the serving area, and a section of alcohol storage space that hung down from above. Wine glasses and champagne flutes dangled upside down from racks bolted to the overhang. Ryan counted ten people working behind the bar, either serving customers, or washing glasses and refilling the ice tubs. The place was a buzz of activity, spurred on by the thumping beat of the music.

Bliss
was basically a large rectangle of floor space with the bar on one side and the dance floor down the opposite end from the entry foyer. All the fittings and floor coverings were new, the place having recently been transformed from a large restaurant into a night club. The wall on the left side of the club and a part of the front wall were virtually all glass, apart from a metre high section of painted concrete at the bottom. The windows afforded a great view of the Surfers skyline by night and the beach below.

Ryan finally got served and had to yell above the music to be heard. “Bourbon and
Coke.”

The barman held up a bottle of Jim Beam White Label and Ryan nodded. The drink was poured and Ryan slid ten dollars across the bar, receiving a couple of coins in change. He pocketed the coins, took a sip from his glass, then went
to find Brad.

As he searched
, he took in more of his surrounds. Round tables with matching stools were scattered frequently throughout the floor space. On the far side where all the windows were there was a series of comfortable, low-set lounges lined up just below the glass. Somehow, despite the crowds, Brad Davis and date had managed to snare one of those lounges and sat close together while people-watching. Brad had his hand on the woman’s thigh. She was wearing black pants so there was no direct skin contact, but the gesture was certainly an intimate one. And she certainly wasn’t objecting.

Ryan only casually glanced their way, the
n edged through the sea of people towards the dance floor, where he spent a moment checking out the girls as they moved to the rhythm of the music. Some danced well, some not so well, but it was always interesting to watch. There were several small podiums around the floor for people to dance on and all were packed with gyrating bodies. After a few minutes of idle skirt gazing, he forced himself to get his mind back on the job and returned to the rear of the club, hoping he might be able to find somewhere to sit down. As fate would have it he lucked out and snared a table right at the back, just as a couple were vacating it. He took a seat in a position where he could keep an eye on his subject. This time he slipped the iPhone out of his pocket and pretended to be typing a text message, while in actual fact he was taking several photos of Brad nestled in close and cozy with the blonde. He then put the phone away and finished his drink, wondering if that was enough evidence gathered to satisfy his client that her husband was indeed being unfaithful. He was just about to get up to leave when a very attractive woman approached the table.

She was
quite tall for a female, maybe only a few inches shorter that Ryan’s six foot frame. The woman looked to be somewhere in her mid-twenties with long, lustrous and silky black hair that fell well past her shoulders. Her face was only lightly made up, the skin pale and almost translucent looking; but not in a sickly way. Ryan found it quite appealing, actually. She had full lips coated in red gloss and black eyeliner to enhance her very dark eyes. Her face was oval shaped, tapering towards a proud chin and jaw, high cheekbones and a slightly pointed nose. She moved with an air of grace and confidence, the long black evening gown clinging to a perfect and classic hourglass figure. The woman was very slim without being skinny. On her hands she wore black silk gloves that ran halfway up her forearms. She smiled as she drew alongside Ryan’s table, exposing a perfect set of teeth.

Before she introduced herself she signaled over a waitress, who quickly scurried over. It became obvious to Ryan then that this woman either managed or owned the club.

“I’d like to buy you a drink,” she said close to Ryan’s ear. He got a whiff of expensive perfume that he couldn’t name. It smelled delicious. She eyed his empty glass. “Are you drinking bourbon?”

“Good guess,” he said, offering her his best smile. “Thank you.”

“My pleasure.” The woman instructed the waitress to hurry back with a bourbon and Coke, then she took a seat beside Ryan. “My name’s Selena Thorne,” she said and extended a hand to him. Ryan took it lightly in his, the feel of the silk somewhat sexy to the touch, and shook it once.

“Ryan Fox,” he said.
“Do you manage this club?”

She nodded. “Manage and own.”

“You’ve done a good job with the décor.” Ryan looked into her eyes. They were dark to the point of almost being black. He could barely separate the irises from the pupils. It made them hard to read. They were nice eyes, though.

“I’m afraid I can’t take the credit for that
. The original owners ran out of funds just as they finished refurbishing. Which was bad luck for them, but fortuitous for me. I took over the lease and the license at a very reasonable price.”

“How long have you been open?”

“Two weeks tonight.”

Ryan grinned. “Excellent. Your two week anniversary
. It looks like business is going well.” He scanned the crowded club once more.

“I’m happy
,” she said. Selena ran her eyes over him briefly before returning her attention to his face. “So what’s a handsome young guy like yourself doing sitting here drinking alone?”

He held her gaze. “I didn’t think I was alone.” He saw a twinkle in her eyes the
n. “Actually, I’m working right now.”

Selena chuckled. “Where do I get a job like
yours? Sitting in a night club, drinking for a living.”

“It’s not quite like that,” Ryan explained. “I’m working on a case.” He pulled a business card from his wallet and handed it to her.

When she read it her eyebrows raised, her interest piqued. “Foxhunt Investigation and Detection Agency. So you’re a private detective.”

He nodded
, cringing at the sound of his business name. He still wasn’t sure if he liked it or despised it. “Right now I’m working an infidelity case.”

“Sounds intriguing.”

“Not really. They’re quite boring.” He nodded subtly in the direction of Brad and company. “That’s the errant husband right there with his mistress.” Brad and the woman were now affectionately pecking each other on the lips. “I think I’ve gathered enough information and evidence now to satisfy my client that her husband is being unfaithful. It’s unfortunate, but the truth often is.”

“Well put,” Selena agreed
. She looked at Ryan’s business card again, her brow slightly furrowed. “Mind if I keep this?”

“Not at all. That’s what they’re for.”

“I just may require your services in the near future.” She stood up, leaned in close and added, “Enjoy the rest of your evening, Ryan. It’s been a pleasure meeting you. Good luck with your case and I’ll talk to you soon.”

He smiled up at her. “It’s been a pleasure to meet you too. And,” he raised his glass, “thanks again for the drink.”

Selena Thorne gracefully melded back into the crowd and was gone. Ryan watched her until she’d disappeared. He definitely hoped to hear from her, even if it was just work related. When he looked back in Brad’s direction, he saw Brad and the blonde on their feet preparing to leave.

Ryan tailed them back to the car park, where the mystery woman got in behind the wheel of a blue Nissan Pulsar. Hanging back in the shadows, Ryan couldn’t hear any of the conversation that ensued. She drove off and Brad headed back to his Camry. Ryan trailed him out of the car park and expected him to turn north on the highway. Instead
, he indicated left and drove south. Ten  minutes later they were in the backstreets of Mermaid Beach. Brad came to a stop outside an old brick home, where a blue Nissan Pulsar was parked in the carport. Ryan continued down the street, performed a U-turn, switched off the Ford’s headlights and cruised to a stop just south of Brad’s car, another parked car between them.

Brad was in the house for several hours before finally emerging. Ryan could only guess what had been happening inside, but he had a pretty fair idea. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that they were having sex. Ryan’s stomach felt hollow. He didn’t know his client, Julia, but he felt for her, and wasn’t looking forward to breaking the news to her; and possibly her heart. But what could he do?
He was hired to find out the facts, and the facts were what they were.

Ryan waited until Brad’s car had turned right at the end of the street before starting the engine and getting back on his tail. Brad ended up driving straight home. No sooner had he entered his house and all the lights went out, obviously going to bed and pretending he’d been there all night.

You’re days of cheating are numbered, Brad, Ryan thought with satisfaction as he headed for home.

On Monday morning Ryan met up with Julia Davis at a café in Main Beach. It was a clear, sunny day with just the hint of a breeze about to keep the ambient temperature pleasant. He was dressed in jeans again, wearing the same shoes and had on a red polo shirt. His eyes were hidden behind the dark lenses of cheap sunglasses

Julia’s expression was forlorn as she scrolled through the images of Saturday night on Ryan’s compact camera. When she was done she repeated the process before handing the camera back.

“I’d like copies of those,” she said and stared down into her coffee mug. She toyed with the froth of her cappuccino with a spoon while Ryan brought up the images from inside
Bliss Night Club
on his iPhone. He slid the phone across the table to her and the woman reluctantly picked it up. “And these as well,” she said after viewing the images of her husband cuddling on the lounge with the blonde woman. “I might need them in the case of a divorce settlement.”

Ryan nodded. “I’ll send copies through to your email address this afternoon.”

“Thank you,” she offered, though Ryan hardly felt like he was doing her a great favour. He felt like shit right now, having just all but proven to Julia that her husband was getting laid elsewhere. And with a younger woman, to rub a little more salt in. He really wasn’t sure what to say to her.

“What else happened the other night?” she wanted to know. “After they left this night club.” She handed the phone back.

Ryan took a deep breath and said, “He went back to her house.”

“And?” she prompted.

He shrugged. “Well, I can’t say for certain what he was doing in there, but he was inside for several hours. Then he went home.”

Julia’s somb
re expression now transformed into one of anger. Her face reddened as scenarios of Brad bonking another female obviously flooded her mind. Ryan saw her visibly shudder. Once again he didn’t know what to say to her. Everything he thought of just sounded lame or patronizing, so in the end he kept his mouth shut. After all, he was a detective and not a counsellor.

Ryan had so far never experienced the cheating partner situation and he hoped he never would. Right now he was single and life seemed simpler that way.
He’d had girlfriends ever since the early high school years, but nothing very serious and nothing for quite some time.

A sealed envelope was slid across the table. Ryan didn’t immediately pick it up. He drank the rest of his flat white coffee and clinked the cup back down onto the saucer.

“That’s the remainder of your fee,” Julia said, her pale blue eyes reflecting the sunlight. “I don’t think I’ll be needing your services any further. You’ve shown me and told me all I need to know.” She looked at him. “Do I owe you any other expenses?”

Ryan shook his head and stuffed
the envelope of cash into the back pocket of his jeans.

“Can I order you another coffee?” he
asked her.

She considered it. “I feel like getting drunk, but that wouldn’t help, would it.”

“Probably not,” he agreed and thought silently: But it would numb the pain. The urge for a cigarette suddenly gripped him. Habit by association, so used to smoking with a coffee; especially at an outdoor cafe.

“I wonder what went wrong?” Julia said, more to herself than to Ryan. Her expression looked vacant as she drifted off somewhere. Abruptly she sat up straight, leaned forward with her elbows on the table and looked him hard in the face. “Do you think I’m attractive?”

Ryan was momentarily thrown by the unexpected request to appraise her level of sex appeal. He cleared his throat, preparing to answer. While she wasn’t ugly, he didn’t really find her attractive either. She was okay. Nondescript.

“Sure,” he lied, trying
hard to inject some enthusiasm into the word. “Many men would find you attractive.” But he could tell by the dubious look on her face that she wasn’t buying what he was selling. “Look, maybe you’re not my type, but that doesn’t mean you’re not appealing to plenty of other men out there.