Prey For Me Ch. 10

Sam had been to this fabulous hotel casino before and had seen both the Safari Super Suite and Lewiston's, the Roman Super Suite. But Jack and Kim were quite impressed. The Roman Super Suite was a two-story penthouse of more than 4,000 square feet. There was a dramatic circular stairway, three luxurious bedrooms and five baths. The master bedroom had hand carved classic Italian marble statues of Roman heroes and gold gilded hand carved furniture. Two cast bronze lions were at the foot of the lavish canopied bed. The formal dining room had cut stone arches, marble columns and gold leafed Corinthian capitals and frieze rims, imported Italian Bottocino marble floors and walls with gold tile features and hand made mosaic murals. Some of the furniture in the living room had been removed and replaced with the computer equipment and office furniture.

Those present in the living room were Nancy Strong, the secretary, Jerry Bannister, the administrative assistant, and Sam's other good friend, Jim Doyle, the Washoe County Sheriff. Sam greeted Jim warmly and introductions were made all around.

"Jack," Tom said, "Jim and Sam and I have already discussed this. This is your show. You ask the questions. I suspect you can help us more than we can help you."

"OK, thanks, Tom. First, Jerry, are these pictures the woman you saw with Dr. Lewiston?"

"Yes, they sure are, Jack. No question about it. That's her."

Sam was quite startled by Jack producing the pictures that he did not know existed. He wasn’t about to ask about them in front of the others and knew he would receive some logical explanation when then were alone.

"This may be repetitive and no doubt you have already told it to Jim and Tom, but tell me everything that happened from the moment she walked in the suite until the moment you walked out. What she was wearing. What she said. What Lewiston said."

"Well," Jerry began, "she did look like she looks in that picture except she was wearing a dress. Struts in here in a black short mini bandeau. No straps, all you could see were curves and it molded perfectly with her body and contrasted dramatically with her pale skin. A very beautiful woman but strange. I don't know how to describe it. She looked like somebody you wouldn't want to mess with, man or woman. Her platinum blonde hair looked like it looks in that picture." He pointed to the one where she was wearing the wig.

"Lilith, that's what you call her? Dr. Lewiston introduced her as Eileen MacGregor. She didn't say anything to me but 'hello' and I said likewise to her. Dr. Lewiston then gave me the high sign to leave and I did. The doctor brought women up to the suite before and I knew the routine. Beat it."

"Jerry," Jack interrupted, "what is in that safe over there in the corner?"

Jerry paused nervously before answering. "Confidential papers. Money. Contracts. That sort of thing?"

"Do you have the combination?"

"No, Jack, I don't."

"I think you do, Jerry, but it doesn't matter." Jack walked over to the safe. It was a DXF7234-TL-30, a little over six foot high and a little over two and a half foot wide. He was very familiar with this particular safe and it took him about five minutes to determine the combination and open it. Not much in it but papers and petty cash. After he did, Jack looked at him with a no nonsense glare. "Now, Jerry what was in that safe before this Lilith was up here in the suite? Before you answer, we know about the Golden Wedge of Ophir."

Jerry stammered, "How did you know about that? I didn't tell Sheriff Doyle or Deputy Chief Jordan. I wasn't sure if I should until I checked with Dr. Lewiston's partner."

"His partner? Who is his partner?" Jack demanded.

"Thomas Peterson," Jerry replied. "He called him his partner. They talked on the phone several times a day."

Jack looked knowingly at Kim. "I know Thomas Peterson. I spoke to him recently and I believe he is in Las Vegas at the moment." Sam looked puzzled. Jack looked at the Sheriff and the Deputy Chief. "Jim, Tom, when we get back Sam and I will talk to Peterson and find out what he knows about all this."

"Back to this Golden Wedge of Ophir, Jerry, tell us everything you know about it. Describe it. Are there pictures? Who did Dr. Lewiston get it from? And don't bullshit me because I know some of the answers already. I just want to see if you do."

Jerry began, "I don't know all the details about it. Dr. Lewiston didn't like me to ask questions. I only know what he chose to tell me or didn't prevent me from overhearing. He brought the Golden Wedge to the suite and put it in the safe on November 17, I believe the date was. He told me it was a rare piece he had recently purchased. I wasn't surprised because he was always searching for and negotiating the purchase of such artifacts. He often sent me on missions to acquire such artifacts on his behalf. He often stored the artifacts in this safe temporarily."

"This Golden Wedge was about two foot long and eight inches in diameter. It was the shape of a penis. An ancient phallic symbol I would guess although he didn't tell me about its history. It had a flat base and stood on end. The head of the penis was jade. The rest was gold. Embedded in the gold were literally hundreds of emeralds. The emeralds appeared to be very rare and valuable. Very light green. The lighter the green the more valuable the emerald; the fewer inclusions and less chromium which provide the green color. I just can't imagine what these emeralds were worth but I will tell you that ones of this quality are rarer and worth more than diamonds of comparable quality and carat weight. There are no pictures of this object, at least that I am aware of. That's about all I know about any of this."

"OK, Jerry, thanks. Nancy, do you have anything to add?" Jack asked.

"No, not really, Mr. Davis. I saw the Golden Wedge when the safe was opened just as Jerry did. I also never asked Dr. Lewiston questions."

Jack was anxious to depart. He didn't think much more could be learned here. "Is there anything else either of you two can think of that may have any relevance whatsoever to the murder of Dr. Lewiston?" Both shook their heads. "Well, thank you. I think that will be all for now."

Tom Jordan escorted Jack, Sam and Kim back down to the lobby. He asked, "You don't want to go to the morgue and view the body?"

"That's not necessary," Jack replied. You can fax us the autopsy report and whatever else you think we should see. Please have a computer expert go over all Lewiston's files and make sure there are no more e-mails or anything else of possible significance. And please get all the phone records made from the suite. I'll talk to Thomas Peterson and find out what he knows about all this. Thanks, Tom."

Sam again was surprised at Jack’s abruptness and eagerness to leave but didn’t protest. He thought Jack must have very good reasons and he most likely would hear them very soon.

As soon as they were in Sam’s Cadillac and headed back to Las Vegas, Jack expressed his extreme displeasure with Thomas Peterson. I knew that son of a bitch was not telling me everything. Wait until I get my hands on his fucking skinny neck."

"What the hell are you talking about, Jack?" You haven’t told me everything.

"No shit, Sam. Obviously you wondered where I got the Lilith pictures but were too damn smart to ask right then and there."

"Sure was, Jack. Extraordinary pictures; quite a beautiful woman. But she does look rather deadly. Those eyes!"

"Those pictures were made from a video tape. Our Lilith set up the operation of the camera during an assignation with Governor Daniel Bridge. The sexual liaison was arranged by Thomas Peterson. The assignation took place the day after Miyuki Huang was murdered by our Lilith although Peterson actually met Lilith the same day Huang did, and in the very same place, Comdex. Although blackmail appeared to be the preliminary motive, I’m now not so sure. I think Lilith was much more interest in Thomas Peterson than she was Governor Bridge.

"Sam, I was planning to tell you all this but the Lewiston murder took precedent and I didn’t want our attention diverted from that. Also, I wasn’t sure how exactly how the Bridge assignation was connected to the Lilith murders, other than the incident involved Lilith.

"Kim, please tell Sam everything we know about the assignation with Governor Bridge and the involvement of Thomas Peterson. I’m tired of talking."

Kim proceeded to tell the entire story from start to finish. When she finished, she declared, "Our Lilith sure gets around. What a social life."

"Yes, she sure does," Sam agreed, rather mentally exhausted by the recent turn of events. "Well, at least we now have a motive; the Golden Wedge of Ophir. I wonder who she will try to sell it to, Jack."

"Our Lilith won’t try to sell it I don’t imagine, Sam. It must be worth many millions but who would she sell it to? Anyone purchasing such an ancient and valuable artifact would certainly question how she came to acquire it. And what is she going to say? Murder and mayhem? No, I think she wanted it for some other diabolical reason. Money is not her objective. Yes, the Golden Wedge of Ophir is the motive for her murdering ways. Now I wonder what she plans to do with it. If we can find the answer to that, we might find her. And find her friends, these Harley riding ‘locusts.’ And find the women who have mysteriously disappeared. The plot thickens."

To Be Continued...