Picture Postcards from L.A.: Beryl

I said, "No, thank you, Mr. Wilcox."

"Please, call me Sid," he said as he went around his desk to sit down.

I timidly smiled and said, "Okay, Sid. Please call me Steph."

Sidney smiled, his eyes darting over my body, making me feel like spiders were crawling all over it. I could tell he liked what he saw and was at least trying not to leer at me. After a beat, he asked, "Did you fill out the forms I gave you?"

"Yes, Sid," I said as I reached into my purse, pulled out the forms I had filled out last night, and handed them over to him. He practically snatched them out of my hand in his eagerness to get me signed up, visions of large percentages dancing in his head.

He quickly scanned the documents, making sure I had filled them out correctly and had signed them. He looked up with a beaming smile and said, "Looks good, Steph. Let me get copies made of these after I sign them, and then we'll see if we can find you some work. I do believe I may have something for you." While he was talking, he was busy scribbling his signature on the documents.

He hit the intercom and said, "Sandy, I need some copies made."

The receptionist quickly came into the office, took the documents from Sidney, and bustled out, apparently as eager to get me signed up as Sid was. I was sure that Sidney's legal source of income wasn't much, and he probably owed Sandy a lot of back pay.

While Sandy was gone making copies, Sidney started telling me how difficult it was to get into the acting business, attempting to impress me with how hard he would have to work to get me in. I nodded along, pretending that I was impressed with his diligence, all the while chuckling to myself how he was totally oblivious to the fact I was acting.

Before Sidney ran down, Sandy rushed back in with two sets of documents, handing the originals to Sidney before giving me the copies. She smiled at me before heading back to her desk, leaving me alone with Sidney once again.

I said, "Thanks, Sid. What do we do now?" I used 'we' to reinforce the idea that we were in this together, disarming any suspicion he might have that this was a setup.

"I'll need to make a few calls, so you probably won't hear from me until next week," he said as he stood up and headed to one of the file cabinets. That was what I was waiting to see; which filing cabinet he used to store his important documents. I noticed that it was one of the two with a padlock on it, noting that the padlock used a key and was a brand I was familiar with.

I pretended I was somewhat disappointed when I asked, "That long, Sid?"

"Hey, kid, it's a tough business," he said as he returned to his seat behind his desk. Now that he had me under his control, he was eager to get rid of me so he could call Max as quickly as possible. "Why don't you go home and let me get to work."

"Okay, Sid," I said, smiling as I stood up and turned to leave. Now that I knew where to look, I was eager to get out of there before Sidney wanted to try to get familiar with me. I knew his eyes were on my ass as I left, so I made sure to work my walk for him.

I breezed by Sandy's desk and headed out the door, hoping they wouldn't follow me. I quickly got in my car and took off, glad to have that behind me. As I headed back to my room at the Panorama Motel, I imagined Sidney on the phone with Max and Max leading him on, making it sound like Sidney had the exact woman Max was looking for, and chuckled.

When I got back to my room, I called Max. He confirmed that Sidney had bent his ear about having the woman he wanted. I thanked Max for his help and said goodbye before hanging up. I then changed into dark-colored jeans and pullover, before donning a pair of Doc Martins. I was going to break into Sidney's office tonight, and I needed to plainly dress so I wouldn't stand out.

While waiting for it to get dark, I ate a quick dinner and called Beryl to check on her. She assured me she was fine, and I assured her I was following a lead to find Camille. I could tell she was restless, but there wasn't anything she could do to help me, so I reminded her to stay inside and be careful before I hung up.

I pulled out my kit bag and chose the tools I would need for tonight: a lock-pick kit and my ring of master keys and bump keys. I checked to make sure I had the master key for the lock I had seen on the file cabinet. I had acquired them over the years from people who owed me favors, and they came in handy when I needed to get into locked places. I had to be careful with the contents of my kit bag because just possessing these objects could get me locked up for some serious time, let alone getting caught using them.

When it was time, I headed out, driving my Sting Ray through the busy streets. Even at that late hour, the streets were full of traffic, though not as bad as during the day. I found a quiet spot to park a couple of blocks from Sidney's office, not wanting my car to draw any unwanted attention around the office. I strolled to the office, looking like I was supposed to be there and not skulking around in case a patrol car drove by.

I already had the bump key ready once I got to the office door. Making short work of the lock, I turned the doorknob and quickly opened the door, entered, and shut it behind me. I disabled the alarm, using the factory alarm codes to shut it off. Most people who bought alarm systems weren't aware that the manufacturers had put in back-door codes so their alarms could be shut off by the installers if they got accidentally tripped while being installed and tested. I knew this particular brand had three such codes, and I picked the right one on the second try.

I had noted earlier that there were no cameras installed, so I didn't have to worry about any pictures of me being taken. I powered up the copier, expecting to use it once I found what I was looking for. I turned on my flashlight and entered Sidney's office, heading to the filing cabinet where I had seen Sidney put my contract. I found the master key for the lock on the cabinet and opened it. I then spent the next few minutes rifling through the files, looking for anything pertinent to assist in finding Camille. I found many incriminating documents that I decided to make copies of and pass on to Brian before I found what I was looking for.

I quickly made copies of the chosen documents before putting them back and locking up the cabinet. I made sure to turn off the copier. After checking that the coast was clear, I turned the alarm back on and exited the office, relocking the door behind me. I headed back to my car, the sheaf of papers under my arm. Once I was back on the street, heading back to the motel, I heaved a sigh of relief, having gotten away clean.

I stopped at a random phone booth and left a message for Brian. I was going to turn over some of the documents I had copied to Brian because I knew he could use them. I got back to my room and quickly prepared for bed. I spent some time perusing the documents I had copied before falling asleep...

... After passing the Harris Hill Amusement Park and wending our way through the picnic area, we approached the Harris Hill Overlook. We got lucky and managed to find a spot and pulled in. There were a lot of cars already there, a few being tourists who had been checking out the view but mostly there for making out. The twilight was quickly fading, and the view of the valley below us faded away as the lights below slowly came on.

We just sat there, waiting for it to get dark enough that we couldn't easily be seen. This would be our last night together, with me entering the Army and Steph soon heading out to Los Angeles. While we waited, I said, "I will be reporting to Fort Jackson, just outside Columbia, South Carolina, on Monday. I'll be flying out tomorrow night."

"Oh, Ray, I'm going to miss you terribly."

"As soon as I get an address, I'll call Mom, and she'll let you know what it is."

"I'll write every day."

"I'll try to write you, too, but I don't know how much free time I'll have."

"I'll tell your mom what my address is at UCLA so you can write me when you can."

I could hear the sincerity in her voice, and I knew she would try her best to fulfill her promise. However, I feared that once we were apart, she'd someday realize that a long-distance relationship was hard to maintain and would eventually lose interest in being faithful to me. My stomach hurt just thinking about that possibility. I just had to accept that we could be on opposite sides of the country for at least the next six years, and I could even be sent to Germany or South Korea.

I stared out the window, watching the blinking light on top of the water tower next to the Corning manufacturing plant below. With the lights outlining its shape in the darkness, I always fantasized that it was a Martian War Machine, ala War of the Worlds, standing guard over the prisoner camp.

I was brought out of my reverie when Steph decided it was dark enough and slid across the bench seat from behind the steering wheel. I turned and wrapped my arms around her as her arms went around me, and she spun her body around and straddled my thighs, sitting in my lap. I pulled her body tight to mine and leaned in. Our lips found each other in the dark as our mouths opened together and our moans co-mingled, making a beautiful sound that made my whole body thrill...

... I was awakened from my sleep by the phone's cacophonous ringing by my bed. I reached over and picked up the receiver, wondering who would be calling this time of night. When I heard Beryl's frantic voice, I shook off the last vestiges of my sleep and quickly tried to calm her down. Finally, I got through to her, and she stopped gibbering long enough for me to ask, "Beryl, what's wrong?"

"I... I... I think someone's trying to break in," she wailed, starting to get frantic again.

"Did you call the police?" I asked, hoping that she hadn't called me first. I knew there was a police substation two blocks from her home, and they'd get there much quicker than me.

"Yes... yes, I did," she answered, and I could hear the anger in her voice that I'd asked such a stupid question. That anger drove the panic out of her voice, and she immediately calmed down. "They're on the way," she went on, "And I want you to come and get me. I don't feel safe here anymore."

"Okay, I'll be there as quick as I can," I said, climbing out of bed. "Pack a bag, and I'll take you somewhere safe."

"Oh, thanks, Ray," Beryl said. "I hear the sirens now."

I said goodbye and hung up. I noted it was 2:30AM as I quickly dressed and headed out. I drove over to Beryl's house, making sure not to break any traffic laws since the police would be active in the area where I was going. I wasn't worried that the police would hassle me, but they would delay me. I wanted to get Beryl out of there as quickly as possible. I didn't know if my break-in at Sidney's caused this, but until this was over, I had to ensure I kept Beryl safe.

By the time I pulled up to her door, there already were two police cars parked on the street, and a small crowd of neighbors was standing around looking to see what was going on. I approached the front door, and an LAPD officer held up his hand to stop me. I stopped and explained that I was a friend of Beryl's, and she had called me to come over. He spoke on his radio and was told I was okay, so he waved me in.

When I entered, Beryl came running up to me and threw her arms around my neck. "Oh, Ray, I'm so glad you're here," she sobbed in relief.

Despite the hour and the presence of the police, my body thrilled at the feel of Beryl's body against mine. A flash of heat coursed through my body as I fought the urge to put my arms around her and pull her tight to me. Instead, I gently took her shoulders and disengaged. I didn't need the distraction from my attraction to Beryl to interfere with my task. "Maybe later," I promised myself.

"Did you pack a bag?" I asked, smiling reassuringly at her.

"No, I was busy talking to the detective," Beryl said.

At that moment, the detective approached us, and I recognized him. I had first met him when I worked a case with Chris several years ago. He was a little uncomfortable working with me at first. However, he came around when he realized that I was the real thing and not someone just playing at being a private investigator. "Hello, George," I said to him. "Did you find anyone skulking around the bushes?"

"No, Ray," he answered, flashing me a smile. "We did find signs that someone had attempted to get in through the kitchen window, but they must have run off when they heard us coming."

"Thanks for getting here so quickly, George," I said, smiling back at him. I was surprised he was working this late at night but glad he had taken the call. I knew he would get to the bottom of it better than most.

"No problem," he replied. "I just happened to be at the station before going home when the call came in, so I just tagged along."

"Thanks, George. I feel better about this already," I said. As we talked, I saw Beryl head out of the room, hopefully, to get a bag packed. George and I discussed the situation for a few minutes, showing me what he had found. I agreed with his conclusions and told him about my plans for Beryl when I saw her come back to the room with a bag slung over her shoulder.

George let us go, promising to lock up when they were done. I thanked him and hurried out with Beryl, anxious to get her away from here. After taking her bag, I led Beryl to my car and handed her in. I put the bag behind her seat, got in, and took off. I headed back to my motel room, planning to stay there the rest of the night before taking her to a safe house in the morning.

Beryl was silent, probably still in shock over everything that had happened. I didn't try to engage her, not wanting to set her off while driving. When I pulled into Panorama Motel's parking lot, Beryl finally roused from her silence and asked, "Where are we?"

"This is where I'm staying while working on your case. In the morning, I'll take you to a safe house," I said as I parked the car.

I got out, handed Beryl out of the car, and grabbed her bag before leading her to my room. When I opened the door, Beryl walked in, headed straight to the bed, and collapsed before I could say anything. By the time I set her bag down and went over to the bed, she was already asleep. "Poor thing," I mused, slipping her shoes off and pulling the covers over her.

I stood there looking down at her, my heart clenching as I thought about how much she reminded me of Steph. My eyes burned with unshed tears as I turned away, pulled the chair over next to the bed, and made myself comfortable in it before closing my eyes and willing myself to fall asleep...

... After breaking from our kiss, Steph tucked her face into my neck. I could feel her body shaking as she quietly cried. I whispered sweet nothings in her ear, holding her tight and letting her work through it. She was quick to express herself emotionally and changed just as quickly.

Eventually, Steph stopped weeping, and my hands started wandering up and down her back, settling on her ass. I started kneading Steph's ass as she began rolling her hips, grinding her pussy against mine. We both started quietly moaning before Steph pushed back and started unbuttoning her blouse. My hands flew to her breasts, feeling her hard nipples poking my palms as I gently squeezed them. Once her blouse was unbuttoned, I pushed it back off her shoulders, letting it fall to the floor. My hands went behind her to unhook her bra, and as it fell away, I cupped her breasts, capturing her hard nipples between my thumbs and forefingers.

Steph started popping my buttons as I massaged her breasts while also pinching her nipples. Our lips again found each other in the dark as Steph worked on my buttons. Once she got the last one undone, I leaned forward so she could push my blouse off my shoulders. I reluctantly let go of her breasts so I could shrug my blouse off as Steph unhooked my bra. I got them off as she cupped my breasts in her hands and squeezed, sending impulses through my body and making me moan into her mouth as my nipples got so hard that they ached.

My hands flew back to Steph's breasts, knowing her nipples must ache as mine did, and started pinching and pulling them, making her moan into my mouth. Both of us were rolling our hips, our pussies grinding together as the welcomed impulses set our bodies on fire. I lost track of time as I enjoyed what Steph was doing to me, and she gave me her approval for what I was doing to her. I was edging toward orgasm, but I didn't want to be selfish and not share it with Steph, so I broke the kiss with a gasp and moaned, "Oh, God, Steph. Come with me!"

Steph started churning her hips faster, and I followed suit until we both crashed into our orgasms, thrusting our hips so violently that if I hadn't been holding onto her breasts, she might have flown off me. I was floating away in a cloud of endorphins, my muscles spasming as Steph slumped against me, her arms wrapping loosely around my neck. I was vaguely aware that her body was spasming, too, as she also worked through her orgasm...

... I woke up with a jerk, seeing the sun fighting its way around the pulled drapes. I quietly groaned as I got up, all kinked up from sleeping in the chair. As I stretched to work out the kinks, I saw that an envelope had been slipped under the door. I retrieved and quickly read it. Brian gave me a location where I could drop the documents off, and he would have some information to give me.

Beryl was still sleeping, so I slipped out to get some coffee from the breakfast room. When I returned to my room with two cups of hot coffee, I found Beryl sitting up in bed, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. When she stretched, I couldn't help but admire how her breasts strained the integrity of her top. I quickly tore my eyes away and said, "I've got coffee. How do you take yours?"

"Thanks, Ray," Beryl answered, smiling at me. "I'll take it black."

I handed her a cup and saw how eagerly she took a drink, both hands wrapped around the cup, her eyes closed as if she was in ecstasy, making my libido go crazy. I tore my eyes away, took a sip of my coffee, and gathered myself before saying, "I'll let you use the bathroom first. Then we'll get you to a safe house."

"Okay, Ray," Beryl said as she clambered out of bed, carefully holding her cup of coffee so it didn't spill. She handed it to me as she picked up her bag and breezed by me into the bathroom. I sat down and drank my coffee as I listened to Beryl clattering around in the bathroom. I heard the shower come on, and I pictured in my mind her naked body gleaming from the water running down over her body. My pussy started burning, and my nipples tightened and started aching as I wished I was in that shower with her, running my hands over her slippery skin as I soaped her up. Before I knew it, my left hand was cupping my breast, and my right hand was between my thighs, rubbing my pussy...

... I was jolted out of my fantasy when Beryl called out, "Ray, could you hand me a towel?"

I quickly composed myself, angrily telling myself she wasn't Steph before I got up and headed into the bathroom. I grabbed a towel off the shelf and turned to hand it to Beryl. I intended to shove it in between the shower curtain and the wall when she threw the curtain open, revealing her wet, naked body. She had a wide smile on her face, knowing that I would react the way I did.

I quickly turned my head away, held the towel out to her, and said, "Here's your towel."

Beryl chuckled before taking the towel out of my hand. "What? You don't like what you see?"