Palmer Ch. 03

"That's such a good girl," the Agency Head purred, her piercing blue eyes burning into the young model as she stood straight again. "Your first?"

Kelli nodded. "Ye... yes..."

She grabbed Kelli's hand even before the chemical buzz hit the naïve blonde. "Feel good, sweetie? Let it wash over you. Take away that nervousness."

The young model nodded. "Feels good..."

"Let it empower you, darling. Like a true supermodel. Andalwaysremember, Erin knows best!"

Brooke was already cutting up another set of lines before the true force of the coke had set in.

***

The three cops headed straight to number forty-nine. Time was of the essence. Palmer rang the bell. Once. Twice. As expected, nothing. He gave three loud knocks and waited.

"Over to the expert," he eventually said, turning to Wilson and Boyd and nodding at the Welshman.

Taffy smiled, his grubby hands instantly reaching for the lid of his toolbox. He carefully studied Roxanne's lock before deciding which tool to use.

Holding the stainless steel needle between his thumb and forefinger, he slowly twisted it into the keyhole. When it caught, he gave another quarter turn. Repeating the exercise, it caught twice more and the tumblers clicked. Perfect!

He unsteadily got up from his knees and pushed open the door. "Isn't it great to watch an artist at work?" he grinned.

"Awesome," joked Wilson.

Palmer glanced at his watch. "Okay," he said, stepping inside. He was all business. "Let's get moving."

It took no time at all for the three of them to familiarise themselves with the apartment. Each room was bigger than Palmer had expected.Everythingwas bigger than Palmer expected.

Boyd gave a low whistle when they convened back in the living area. "Well, boyo, the furniture here costs more than my house."

Palmer laughed. The security guard was right – this woman had class. The beige and cream walls added light to the room and the facing antique chestnut coloured Chesterfield leather sofa provided a wonderful focal point.

Matching chairs faced each other on either side of the sofa, separated by the royal marble top coffee table, firmly positioned in the centre of an antique Oriental rug. The plants, cleverly positioned around the room, added a nice, homely look.

"We're definitely in the wrong business," Wilson smiled. Palmer glanced at the attractive detective. She wore tight, low-slung leggings and, as usual, her smart, black leather jacket. "And you wanna see her bedroom!"

Palmer nodded. He realised hedidwant to see her bedroom. But first things first. "Let's get to work, Taffy," he rasped.

The overweight Welshman nodded. "The plants are perfect," he said, taking a tiny mike and slipping the pin into the stem of the kentia palm beside the sofa. Within seconds, he'd adjusted it to blend in perfectly.

"What if she waters it?" Wilson asked.

The Welshman shook his head as if taking a question from a child. "Covered with silicone. That makes it waterproof. You amateurs just stay out of my way and I'll be finished in no time."

Palmer smiled at Wilson. "Remember", he joked. "the man's a genius. You watch and learn, I'm going to look around again."

He made his way back through to the bedrooms. In the smaller of the two, a massage table sat in the middle, above which were four sunlamps. Beside it, the marble-topped side table was covered with a variety of oils and body creams.

With a soft sigh, he moved to the main bedroom. The ornate, four-poster bed dominated the room, but it was the mirrored ceiling and walls that caused him to gasp. His imagination at the activity the bed must have seen began to take over as he idly pulled open the top drawer of the mountain oak bedside table.

A second gasp escaped his lips.

It contained a combination of pills, vibrators and powders. Fuck, this Roxanne was quite a woman! He remembered the photograph of the sexy redhead, this time, without clothes. God, if Kelli knew the thoughts going through his head right now!

"Just this room to do, boyo," came the Welshman's voice from behind him. He hadn't wasted any time.

Palmer slowly let his thoughts go. "Make it good," he mumbled, heading back to the living area.

He'd only taken three steps when his cell phone rang. It was Goodwin. He flicked it onto loudspeaker. "She's back. Pulling into the car park."

Palmer swung around.

"I heard, boyo," Boyd told him from his knees, before the young cop could speak. "I'm nearly done."

Palmer hurried back to Sandra Wilson in the living area. "Double check that everything's the way we found it," he barked.

No more than a minute later, they'd finished their inspection and Taffy Boyd had joined them. Nodding at one another, they slipped into the hallway. A few seconds later, the redhead stepped out of the elevator.

She stared at the three of them, her perfectly symmetrical face frozen in shock.

"I'm so sorry, we alarmed you," Palmer smoothly said, taking the initiative. He stepped forward, holding out his hand. "I'm Jack Palmer and I'm moving into number fifty."

Her stunning face changed instantly, turning from concern to friendliness. "Good to meet you, Jack Palmer," she breathed, her lips parting very slightly into a smile. "Ted told me you were up here. I'm Roxanne."

Palmer sighed as he stared into her soft, green eyes. Her voice was hardly more than a seductive whisper and he hadn't experienced the thrill that ran through him in a long time. It wasn't just her beauty. She exuded an aura of... something... that just made your toes curl.

"These are friends of mine," he mumbled, attempting to explain why they were in the corridor. "We're just... familiarising ourselves with the topography of the building."

She nodded gently as she unlocked her door. "Good idea," she murmured. "Well, Jack Palmer. I hope we'll see more of each other."

So do I, he thought as her door closed behind her. So do I.

***

Kelli felt good. Very good. What was it Erin had said?Empowered like a supermodel?That's exactly how she felt. What was all this nonsense about not doing drugs? Supermodels did snow, and if it made her feel this good, this confident, it wouldn't be the last time for her.

She glanced across at the almost empty rack in the small dressing area. There were three separate lingerie combinations hanging there. As instructed by her mentor, she took the red set and slipped behind the folding screens. A couple of days ago, she wouldn't have been able to do this. Now, she hadn't the slightest hesitation.

Ridding herself of her black leather jacket, white strapless top and blue jeans, she replaced her underwear with the red bra and boy-shorts—a red version of Brooke's outfit. The thin white robe gave her some protection as she wandered onto the set.

"Darling!" Erin greeted her. "You two are going to make such a hot pair!"

Brooke was glowing. Her warm, golden skin looked bathed in a sheen of satin, and the tight black lace accentuated her curves with a pinup quality. Her flat stomach was pierced with a diamond stud, just like Kelli, although the small, curvy model had a sunburst tattoo ringing her belly button.

A thrill shot down the blonde's body as she watched the other woman approach. She was stoned, that much was for sure, but that was the only reason for her excitement, right? She'd never had a bi bone in her body, yet ever since she'd stripped for Erin, she'd become insatiable. Even her recent all-night session with Jack hadn't filled her appetite.

But a woman?

"Erin told me this is your first time, so just lean on me when you need to, okay, babe?"

Kelli nodded, following the model as Chad led them across the floor. Her eyes lingered on the raven-haired beauty's tight buttocks, encased in the little shorts. She shook her head and looked away. "Thanks, Brooke," she smiled, hoping this was going to be straightforward enough.

"Good luck, darlings," Erin purred from behind Chad. "I'm going to enjoy watching you both in action."

Chad finished adjusting his camera and grinned at the two models. "Okay, Kelli, I'm going to have to ask you to take off your robe now."

The blonde felt everyone's eyes on her. Brooke had stopped and half turned, her pink tongue perched at the edge of her lips.

Kelli's face coloured. Taking a deep breath, she pulled open her covering, arching her back for maximum effect.

Brooke let out a wolf whistle. "Wow, babe. Erin has such good taste. You look good enough to eat."

Despite her embarrassment, Kelli grinned proudly. From such a hot young woman, the compliment was appreciated.

"So... have you?" Brooke continued, stepping close to her. She reached out and ran her fingers sensually along Kelli's face.

"Have I what?"

"Ever been eaten by another woman?"

Then the angelic looking model threw her head back as she began to laugh out loud at the look of shock on Kelli's face.

***

"This is going to be the best listening post you've ever been in, boyo," Taffy Boyd grinned as, hands on hips, he surveyed Palmer's apartment. The furniture and décor wasn't to the same standard as Roxanne's, being fitted out primarily with a tenant in mind.

Nevertheless, the brown leather couch and matching chairs looked impressive enough, set around the mahogany table in the centre of the room. "Want me to show you how all this is going to work?" he asked.

Palmer's frustrated sigh gave him his answer.

"You know something, Jack," he muttered as he bent down to take a small object from his box. "You've gotta do something about that impatience."

"And you've got to get into better condition," the young detective sparred, observing the way the short, overweight, Welshman was out of breath just from bending over.

"Touché, boyo... touché," he grinned, letting out a burst of that machine gun rattling laugh. "See this. We pre-set the amplifier to a specific frequency and it'll be picked up by this miniature tuner."

"It's tiny," Palmer said, a surprised look on his face.

The wireman pushed his Magoo glasses further up his nose. "I can see you're up-to-date with current developments, boyo! What did you expect? Everything fits into the palm of my admittedly grubby hand. When someone talks next door, the recorder will activate automatically. You can listen through the headphones, or switch on the loudspeaker."

"Loudspeaker?"

"Just flick this switch," he said, turning to flash a cheeky grin at Sandra Wilson. "Just in case you want to hear in surround sound. It'll cover any conversation in any room. You can listen to everything without having to move from your cramped position on the luxury couch. Life's a bitch."

"Just what we need, Taffy," Palmer said, slapping his friend on the back.

"What if she has music on?" asked Sandra Wilson, flopping down on the couch. It embraced her as if giving her a warm hug. "Mmm, comfortable..."

"See," the small Welshman smiled, pulling another chocolate bar from the box at his feet. "The little lady asks the sensible questions. By the way, you married, Wilson?"

His strange little eyes, magnified by the thick lenses of his glasses, ran over her body. Her straight black hair was back in a long ponytail, and both men had to admit how sexy it looked, somehow. She'd set her leather jacket on the sofa back, and in her thin, black jumper and tight leggings, she may have been wearing a catsuit. As for those freckles...

The 33-year-old divorcee raised an amused eyebrow. "You hitting on me, Taffy?" She'd have to tell Goodwinthatone!

"Careful," Palmer interrupted, wandering back and forward as if unable to keep still. "Those rugged good looks of his are a hit with all the girls."

Wilson laughed. "Well, boyo," she explained, using Taffy's favourite word, "I'm just coming off the back of a messy divorce. But if I ever get back in the market again, you'll be the first to know."

"Deal," the beaming Welshman told her, merrily devouring the chocolate. "Now back to your question, little lady. Any music might cause you a small issue while you're listening, but we can filter and erase any background noise later. It'll all be as clear as a bell when I'm finished."

Palmer gave a soft grunt, another thought circulating around his head. "Could we get a feed into her apartment?" he asked. "Seewhat's going on?"

Boyd laughed. "You fancy being a voyeur, Jack? From what I gather, it could get a little steamy..."

"I'm serious," Palmer snapped. "I'd like to see whoever she's entertaining."

The Welshman nodded, finishing the chocolate bar and wiping his mouth on the back of his sleeve. "Can do, boyo. But that'll be quite a bit more complicated. You'll need approval too."

"I'll get it," Palmer responded.

***

The photo session had gone well. The two models were on their third and last change of lingerie. For Kelli, that consisted of a white g-string and a push-up bra that had to be a size or two small for her healthy C-cups.

The coke had worked wonders for Kelli, as had the wine that Erin had plied them with during each break.

With the driving beat of techno filtering through the room over the speakers, Chad had built up the pace, changing the mood from light and sensual to one of sexual tension and arousal. It seemed to come so naturally for him. He'd done so many of these kind of shoots, he had it off to a fine art.

Kelli allowed Erin to take her empty glass and fill it again. She knew she'd had too much...waytoo much. But she also felt good as a result. Confident. Sexy. The way a supermodel should feel. She took the refilled drink from the Agency Head and downed it in one go.

"Sexy little thing, don't you think?" Erin asked, nodding across at Brooke. The small, curvy model had emerged in her final outfit. Like Kelli's, her lingerie was pure white, although hers was a satin and lace teddy that presented her tanned cleavage on a shelf for the camera.

Kelli nodded. There was no doubt the raven-haired model was hot. "That's for sure," she agreed.

"Good in front of the camera, too."

Kelli nodded. She'd already learnt a few things from just watching the way the model's full, pouty lips and teasing light brown eyes worked the camera.

"I'm looking to get her in Playboy," Erin continued, stroking Kelli's arm.

The blonde nodded, staring across at her fellow model. "I should think so, too," she laughed, slurring her words just a little. "Look at those tits."

"Mmmm," the American Agency Head responded. "Just wait 'til you see them naked, darling."

"Okay, ladies," Chad interrupted. "Time to get a little more intimate."

"This is an important session, darling," Erin smiled as she began to fade behind Chad. "No inhibitions. I want to seesexy!"

"Okay, sweethearts, face one another. Good. Brooke, slip your arms around Kelli. That's it, right there. Hold it..."

Brooke didn't just slip her arms around the blonde. She caressed Kelli's skin with light brushes of her fingertips. God, that was good.

"Okay, Brooke. Now hold Kelli's waist. Kelli, slip both hands around Brooke's neck. A little higher. Elbows down... perfect!"

It brought their breasts together and Kelli felt her nipples harden as they came into contact with the angelic looking beauty's. Even through the thin, lacy material, she could feel how hard they were. Her body went flush. Drunk and stoned, she felt so fucking good. Get a grip, girl!

It took a few deep breaths for the blonde to compose herself. Gain control. Then Brooke cut through her composure again.

"You have such beautiful lips," she whispered.

Her light brown eyes teased Kelli's as her stare bored into the blonde again. Brooke's soft face was almost angelic, and yet those eyes constantly hinted at sexual promise. Those cupid bow lips, and teasing eyes, promised a man the hottest and dirtiest sex of his life. And right now, they were promising Kelli the same.

Gently, imperceptibly, Brooke rubbed her globes against the blonde's. She leaned close, gliding her mouth along the blonde's jaw and up to her ear. "I bet they feel wonderful wrapped around a cock."

The surge of arousal powering its way between Kelli's legs threatened to overwhelm her. Chad didn't help.

"I like that, Brooke! I want you to lean in," he directed her. "As if you're going to kiss her. Excellent!"

Kelli's throat went dry as the young model did as instructed.

"There, hold that!" he confirmed, as Brooke stood on her tiptoes to reach her lips to Kelli's. Her head tilted to one side as she dipped her face forward.

The blonde closed her eyes in an attempt to defuse the heat arising from the two of them. She could feel Brooke's hot breath on the tip of her lips. She waited for the kiss. Wanted the kiss.

"Perfect! That's great, girls!" More clicking. "Hold it! Keep that position."

Kelli eased her eyes open. That was what Brooke was waiting for. The raven-haired woman edged her head forward. Just enough. Their lips touched. Soft. Wet. Full. Slowly, she ran the tip of her tongue across Kelli's closed lips. Once, twice, three times. Open those lips, she was telling her.

Kelli gave in to the insistent tongue. She opened her mouth just so. She felt the other woman's soft tongue push between her lips. Her teeth. Their tongues touched and glided as she returned the embrace. Brooke's white teeth were smooth and slippery. Her first girl-girl kiss. She moaned. She needed this.

Chad's voice brought Kelli back to her senses.

"Damn! Technical problem!" He snapped his camera open. "Take five, ladies. Take five."

***

Boredom. It was the biggest curse of any stakeout. But at least this one was carried out not just in comfort, but luxury.

Except for the food. Several tins of soup and beans complimented the loaf of bread and carton of dairy free butter. With the jar of Nescafe and carton of Soya milk, what more could a man want?

There was nothing on television. Nor did Palmer have any reading material. Wilson promised to bring some back with her when she and Goodwin relieved him in the morning, but that didn't help right now.

He slipped the headphones on again. Kenny G was blaring from some state-of-the-art stereo system as she moved around, and for a few minutes he enjoyed the wonderful tone of the soprano saxophone. When her phone rang, the music faded.

"Hello? You've been able to do that? That's wonderful. It's for tonight. Great. I appreciate you taking the trouble. Okay, I'll be along in a few minutes. Thanks again."

Palmer breathed a sigh of relief. He'd have to tail her of course, but it might give him the opportunity to buy a paper, a couple of magazines and maybe some chocolate. The least Taffy could have done was leave some of those bars he carried around with him.

He gave it a minute after he heard her door close. The last thing he needed was to run directly into her again. The busy traffic made it easier for him to track her, staying a couple of cars behind her silver Merc.

The Caviar House delicatessen was only a few minutes away. As soon as she'd made her way into the store, he dashed into the next-door newsagent. Grabbing what he needed, he comfortably made it back to the anonymity of his car before the redhead returned to hers.

This time he gave her a couple of minutes after she'd parked her car on her return. Once he was sure she'd be safely back in her apartment, he took the few stairs between the garage and the reception two at a time.

Damn!

She was still talking to the night guard. Palmer had almost walked into her and there was no way out.

When she saw him, her beautiful green eyes crinkled at the corners. "Mr. Palmer," she smiled. "Just in time to escort me to my door."

Do something, he told himself. Don't just stare at her. Lamely, he returned the gleaming smile. "That'll be my pleasure, Roxanne."