Revenge

By Rich Olsen

The Chief of Security at Tower Casino is murdered in his office but instead of them calling the police they call Dana Cross. She calls Pittsburgh Metro Police Chief David Kirkpatrick and asks that Lieutenant Julie Markos be assigned to the case

Julie discovers that the Security Chief was killed with an ice bullet. She also discovers that his wife is a professional dominatrix who has a submissive lover. The Security Chief was having an ongoing affair with the head of Confluence Studios. Confluence Studios had made a movie where a hi tman used a gun that shot air bullets using compressed air and they still have the weapon.

In addition, Julie discovers that someone has come up with a foolproof plan to cheat Tower Casino and other casinos in Pittsburgh. Is this the reason the Security Chief was murdered, or could it be his wife, his wife’s lover, his lover, or someone else including someone from his days as a police captain and Security Chief at the Tower Casino in Las Vegas? That is what Julie must discover and when she does, it is not what she expected.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rich Olsen
• Release date: Jun 29, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215188941

Book preview

A brief history of Pittsburgh for those who have not read a Julie Markos book. If you have feel free to skip this and go straight to the main book with this link. Chapter One

In the beginning of the Twenty-first Century, the country suffered through eight years of Republican control. The Presidency, Congress and Supreme Court were all controlled by the Republicans. In those eight years, the deficit skyrocketed, but there were still tax cuts for the wealthy. Privacy was less important than national security. The prisons were filling up with people using recreational drugs, while those that got wealthy in the illegal drug industry never went to jail. As with Prohibition, certain people became wealthy dealing in drugs and then went straight and became respectable. So after eight years of conservative politics, the people of this country voted Democratic and liberal in record numbers.

For twelve years, the Democrats and liberals were in control. Privacy laws were enacted. Privacy became more important than national security. The police along with their investigatory and interview techniques became suspect. The courts decided that it was better for a hundred guilty people to go free than one innocent person to go to jail. This was both good and bad for the police. The police had to work harder to get a conviction, but they became more honest. Also when an arrest was finally made, it meant that a conviction had a much better chance because the police could no longer be sloppy and arrest someone that looked good for it.

The defense attorney on the other hand could easily win a case if they could show that the police might have planted evidence. Also, a suspect could now say nothing so as not to incriminate themselves. This made police work harder, but again it made them more honest.

Along with the liberalism of this country, there came a relaxation of what had been called victimless crimes. The courts, the legislature, and police agencies turned their backs on gambling, prostitution and certain drugs. As a result, the Congress finally legalized that which was no longer being enforced. Now they just regulated it.

Medication had made great strides in some areas. Sexually transmitted diseases were all but a thing of the past. The newest thing for the man was what had become known as the cum pill. It was a second generation Viagra pill. It allow men to become erect almost instantly after an orgasm and then orgasm even quicker the second time. Men could still not have multiple orgasms as women could, but now they could have a second, third or fourth orgasm very quickly.

Of course this did nothing for women. Now the man could have sex with the woman, pop a cum pill, get hard and do it over and over again. If the woman hadn’t orgasmed the first time, she could, in theory, have another shot at it. However, in reality, if the man wasn’t able to make the woman orgasm the first time, he probably wouldn’t do it the second, third or fourth time, since he had to stop and wait about five minutes before he could begin again. This was just enough time for the woman to lose some of her edge. So the time it took for the man to orgasm the second, third and fourth times was not long enough for the woman to orgasm. The end result was that men loved the cum pill, while women hated it. But then, the people that invented it and profited from it were mostly men, so what did they care.

In addition to the cum pill, drug companies had perfected breasts and penile implants. Women had almost complete equality with men in this day and age, but men still ruled the world of fashion. This meant that women believed they needed breast implants to compete with other women and with men. In the past, where women wore make up and high heels to make them more attractive to men, now they felt like they needed big, very big, breasts as well. It had gotten to the point that the C cup was considered small. But on the other hand, too big was overboard, at least for now. Men might change that too.

Thanks to the drug companies, breasts implants were completely safe. Large breasts today were like high heels used to be. You had them because they are what women have. They may not be comfortable or healthy, but they are the trend, so you had them.

Like everything else, as more and more women had big, firm breasts, big firm breasts became the standard. What was considered normal breast size in the twentieth century was out of style today. Even among lesbians, unnaturally big breasts were now the norm.

Men now had to have big penises also. They said it was for women, but it wasn’t. Like big breasts, a big penis was designed to impress men. Women in general could care less about a big dick, especially when it was inside her, but men liked walking around nude in the locker room showing off their outrageous manhood.

Income tax was eliminated in favor of a national sales tax. This was originally met with much opposition, but gradually the people of this country came to like it better. Yes now everything cost twenty percent more due to the national sales tax, but now the Federal Government took nothing out of your pay check. If you worked ten hours overtime, your check included the money from ten hours overtime. No longer did the government take half of that, or the interest on the money you saved. Some States still had an income tax, as did some municipalities, but even these were becoming less and less.

The national sales tax meant that the IRS was no longer a threat to the general public. Since there was no income tax, the IRS now concerned themselves with the Black Marketeers. There was a big Black Market in the country, people selling goods without collecting sales tax, but now the IRS went after those sellers, not the average citizen, the buyer. Now if you were caught buying something on the black market, the fine was the sales tax and a fifty percent penalty, nothing else.

Also to be considered wealthy, you needed at least a billion dollars. In fact this was the first year that having a billion dollars was not enough to make the top four hundred richest people in the country. That required at least two billion. But on the other end of the spectrum, some people made less than thirty thousand a year. As in the past, the rich got richer while the poor got poorer.

Marriage both suffered and was aided by this. Gay marriage was legal in every state. At one time the conservative Congress attempted to pass an amendment to the Constitution stating that marriage was between a man and a woman only, but this was viewed as being prejudice, so it was changed to say it that the purpose of marriage was for raising children. That created a new wrinkle the conservatives never thought up. That would mean that once the woman reached menopause and their children became adults, they would have to get divorced under the new amendment. After all, she could no longer bear children and they had no children to raise, so it would be against the Constitution, and therefore the law, to be married. If one of the parties in the marriage, the man or the woman was sterile, or infertile, either naturally or medically, and they had no children to raise, they could not legally be married. If a man and a woman wanted to get married, but not have kids, it would also be illegal. Yet on the other hand, if a gay or lesbian had a child, they could marry another person of the same sex because they could show they were raising a child. So it was quickly pointed out that the amendment would make it easier for gays and lesbians to marry, but force a man and a woman to get divorced. In the end, liberal minds prevailed, and marriage became a legal union between two people for the purpose of raising children and the division of property and other assets. As it turned out, in Pennsylvania, all that was necessary was to eliminate the thinking that marriage was only between a man and a woman.

On the other end of the spectrum, many couples decided to just live together instead of getting married. There was no stigma attached to unmarried mothers, so marriage was not needed for respectability. But even this had an upside. Dead beat dads, and moms, were sought after by a new division of the Treasury Department. Now in an ironic twist of fate, the dead beat parents didn’t have to worry about the IRS because they weren’t paying taxes, but they did have to worry if they weren’t paying child support.

Even that changed. The court took a realistic look at child support. In the past, the courts charged some dads almost nothing in terms of support and made raising the child impossible, while other dads paid so much they couldn’t live while the mother had more money than she needed. Congress looked into what it actually cost to raise a child, and that was the minimum amount of support. It was only raised if the parent paying support was wealthier than the norm. If that was the case, than a fair increase in support was allowed.

As far as Welfare was concerned, Congress realized that some people needed to be on Welfare for one reason or another, but even the liberals came to realize that people on Welfare needed to work. They also realized that Welfare was not designed to be a lifestyle.

With gay marriage came the acceptance of homosexuality and bisexuality. Studies showed that ten to fifteen percent of the population was homosexual, had been for eons and would continue to be. People talked that it was against God’s laws until science finally won that battle. Fifteen hundred different animal species practice some form of homosexuality, fifteen-hundred of the animal species that God created. So if God created unthinking animals that practiced homosexuality, than how could it be against God’s law?

The other thing that science showed was that sexuality, like eye, hair color, and race were not life choices, but genetic. Like other genetic factors such as race and sex, sexual choice was decided at birth as well. Again, if God made sexual choice genetic like He did hair color, how could it be wrong. It would be like saying God is condemning you to hell because you were born a red head.

Now about Pittsburgh. When this country went completely liberal, Pittsburgh decided the way to revitalize the City was with sin. Pittsburgh is now the Vegas of the east. It is sometimes called Sin City East. There are casinos with table games, and national entertainers. Plus prostitution is legal, but theoretically, they must be registered and checked by a doctor regularly. It was a law that wasn’t really enforced since STD’s were a thing of the past.

In reality no one got busted for prostitution unless you were soliciting in a public place. Someone walking the streets selling his or her body would be arrested for prostitution, but then so will someone turning tricks during a lap dance. The person must be in a private club or in a private area. The Pittsburgh Metro Police just didn’t have time to worry about what people did behind closed doors or in private.

The City has pot, hash and opium bars now since the Federal Government also allows that. The states regulate it like they used to regulate alcohol. You can even get cocaine in some of them legally, but the other drugs, the unnatural, manmade drugs, are still illegal. Strip clubs show it all and sell liquor, some are even smokers. as they call the pot, hash and opium bars. Bars must still close, but there are different liquor licenses, so some bars can open later and stay open longer.

In Allegheny County, the biggest police department was the Pittsburgh Police, with the Allegheny County Police second. Soon there were too much duplication of services. Why have a City SWAT Team and a County one as well. This went across the board. Then it was decided that the way to go would be a Pittsburgh Metro Police Department, the same as the Miami Dade Police Department. This allowed one department to cross governmental lines within the County.

Like everything new and revolutionary, it was met with a lot of disdain. There were a lot of small departments, each having a police chief, a captain, a lieutenant and a sergeant. When these departments were all swallowed by the Pittsburgh Metro, many of these people had to take a demotion. Now there might be one captain for a precinct that had been three or four different departments, with four chiefs and four captains. But in time, everyone adjusted and those involved liked it better.

At the end of the Twentieth Century and the beginning of the Twenty-first Century, Pittsburgh was losing population, especially young people. It was estimated that just before the City decided to be the Vegas of the East, the population of the City was down to two hundred and fifty thousand, the County was just under a million and the Metro area was about two million.

Then came the sin. Today, Pittsburgh is over three million, and growing. Allegheny County is over five million people and the Metro area close to eight million. Like Pittsburgh, those areas are both growing at a rate faster than other parts of the country. That’s good for business, but bad for crime. It does make for job security within the Police Department.

As for Julie Markos, she is no different than the other women in Pittsburgh and the USA in general. She is thirty, which is considered young for a Lieutenant, but then she is very talented and does well on test. She is one of the most beautiful and sexy women in Pittsburgh. David has told her many times that she could have been Miss America. In her modesty, Julie would tell you she’s not that pretty. Like everyone else, she has large breasts. One of the main differences thought is that hers are natural, but she did make them firmer.

Like most women, she doesn’t appear the way a thirty year old woman would have looked in the past. Instead, she looks to be about twenty-five, maybe even a little younger. Medicine and chemistry had made this possible. It’s like big breast. Big breast were easy to get and safe, and it was easy to make yourself look younger and more attractive. A fifty year old woman could easily pass for someone in her early thirties now.

What’s more, pharmaceutical companies had developed a female version of Viagra. With this pill, women going through menopause could have the same sexual desires as a women in her thirties. Also, what the body was doing to itself during menopause, the pill counteracted. This included hot flashes and everything else. It was a form of hormone replacement, only without all the side effects. It became an instant hit with older women, just like the cum pill was for men.

Again, homosexuality and bisexuality was no longer thought of as a perversion. In fact nothing between consenting adults was considered perverse. The main thing is that everyone must consent. If they don’t, it was a sex crime.

Private clubs allowed open sex acts, and they could sell liquor and food. They had become popular. Private clubs had replaced what used to be bars. In the past, what would have been a lesbian bar was today a private club for lesbians. The same was true for gay bars, straight bars and pickup bars, if any of those bars still existed in Pittsburgh in the mid twenty-first century.

Today with the relaxed attitude about sex, the public bars gave way to private clubs. Some public bars still existed, because many people don’t want to go into a bar or club for a drink and see people having sex. Also many private clubs had a public bar in the front and then the private club in the back. That allowed someone to go in and get a drink and then if they wanted, they can go and enjoy semipublic sex.

That is a brief history of Pittsburgh and the USA. I hope you enjoy this book.

Chapter One

Kirkpatrick," Police Chief David Kirkpatrick answered the private phone line in his office. There were five scanners going. People that knew David Kirkpatrick didn’t find it surprising, but it was still baffling how he could do it. He told them that it was background. He didn’t actually listen to them, they were just there, but from time to time, he’d hear certain key words and then he would listen to see if it was something that needed the personal attention of the Chief of Police.

At forty-three, David was considered young for the position of Police Chief. He didn’t consider himself to be a handsome man, but he knew that his girlfriend, Julie Markos, considered him handsome with dark wavy hair and brown eyes. He was tall, well over six feet and lean. At a little over six feet tall though, David wasn’t as tall as Julie’s other lover, her girlfriend, Dana Cross.

Dana Cross was an amazon. That is how she would describe herself. She stood six foot two inches and loved to wear four to six inch heels, just to tower over men even more. She had short dark hair, but lately at Julie’s insistence was letting it grow out to shoulder length and sparkling green eyes. She was beautiful and a real head turner, especially with her large firm breasts that she loved to show off as much as she loved to wear very high heels.

Dana Cross was also a dominatrix and a multi billionaire. Her worth was somewhere between two and ten billion, maybe. David lived in one wing of her house and Julie in another. This was to appease Julie Markos. They both loved Julie with all their heart, the problem was Julie loved them equally.

David, the woman’s voice on the other line said when he answered.

Yes, Dana? He was a little upset and a little intrigued by her phone call. It was usually Julie she called. While Dana had sex with David as part of a threesome with Julie, Dana insisted she was a lesbian. The fact that Julie told her she was bi because she had sex with David made no difference to her.

David, I have a problem and I need a favor, she told him, conversationally.

Now David was really intrigued. From me? he asked.

Yes, there’s been a murder at the Tower Casino. The Chief of Security was killed and I’d like Julie to investigate it.

David was all ears now, and somewhat pissed. Why Dana? he asked. Is it because you own a third of the casino and you want Julie to make this murder go away.

Hardly, David, she stated. First as you know, I own a third of all the Casinos in Pittsburgh. Second, you know Lieutenant Julie Markos as well as I do. She won’t cut me a break no matter what. If she thinks I’m involved, she’ll throw me in jail faster than you will. She may not like it, but she will.

Are you involved, Dana? David asked.

Come on, David, what do you think? Do you really think I’d do anything illegal and jeopardize my relationship with Julie? I have more money than I can spend. I have more money than Julie and I can spend. Hell, David, I have more money than Julie, you and I together can ever spend. Why would I murder the Chief of Security at the Tower Casino, so I can get another half billion dollars in some scheme that I concocted. The last thing I need is another half billion.

You say you don’t need the money, but you still buy a third of every company you can, David reminded her. Dana did not believe in owning companies. All she wanted was to own a third of them. She or more correctly, her people would find profitable businesses and she’d look into buying a third. She never changed top management and only asked for a third of the seats on the Board. She herself only sat on one Board of Directors, that of Cross Inc. In the beginning, people fought off Dana’s attempts to buy into their business, but lately they’d been welcoming it. Business people and different Boards realized several things, Dana didn’t make changes, she had no desire to screw with a business that was making money and no desire to fix one that wasn’t. People didn’t try a hostile takeover if Dana owned a third, because Dana owned too much of the business for any other outsider to gain control of that business, and Dana always gave her stock proxies to the Chairperson of the Board to vote the way he or she wanted to vote them. Also, if the business wanted to expand, Dana would lend the business money at a lower interest than the bank, and they only had to pay back two thirds of what they borrowed. They also only paid interest on two third, because Dana owned the other third. If for some reason the new business or store or whatever failed, Dana didn’t go into a tirade and demand the resignation of the Chairman. She would try to get her money back, but if she couldn’t, she’d just write it off. So it was reaching a point where the Board members of different companies were now contacting her, especially if they were ripe for a hostile takeover.

Yes, David, she answered him, I still buy a third of profitable business, but that’s business. Julie isn’t going to leave me because I’m worth a half a billion dollars less than I was last year. But we both know that if I made that half billion illegally, she would leave me. My money means nothing to her. She enjoys what it can do for her, but she’d give it up if she had to arrest me for breaking the law. So like you, David, I’m not about to do anything that would endanger my relationship with Julie.

So why do you want me to assign Lieutenant Markos, Dana? Also I’m the Chief of Police, not her boss. Is this murder a sex crime? Lately Julie had become the expert in sex crimes, especially sex crimes involving sadist.

No David, that is why I need you to assign her. You’re the Chief of Police, so you override everyone. If you ask Adrian to ask Mike Roper than he will assign Julie to the case, we both know that.

Alright, David Kirkpatrick said, why Julie?

Because David, Dana began patiently, Julie will be fair. There are still some people in your department that believe that I’m a crook and I have politician, judges, police officers and whoever else in my back pocket. They believe that the only way I got to be a multi billionaire is through illegal activities. Julie knows that isn’t the case, so she will be fair. She will look at the facts and not be prejudged by them.

And you aren’t involved?

No, David, I told you that, she stated.

Were are you calling from? he asked.

My office in Cross Inc, the Cross Building, she informed him.

Why are you calling me if you aren’t involved? David asked her.

Dana sighed. Because David the cleaning person discovered the body. She called the General Manager and he called me and asked me what to do. So I called you.

And no one called the police? he asked pissed again.

Yes David, someone called the police. Me, I’m calling the police now. Remember, you are still the police.

That’s not what I meant and you know it, Dana. No one dialed nine-one-one and reported a murder?

No, David, we’ve discussed that. I told the General Manager I’d call the police. That’s what I’m doing now, she stated rather testily.

Have you been there, to the crime scene, Dana? David was just as testy

No, David, I haven’t. The General Manager called me to ask me what to do ten minutes before I called you.

If I find out you’ve been there, Dana, it’ll be your ass. You know Julie will say the same thing.

Again she sighed. I just found out ten minutes ago, David. Hell I’ve been on the phone with you for ten minutes. You realize this phone call is probably costing me more than you make in a year.

Yeah, yeah, Dana, money you’ll never spend, remember. Okay, it’s ten o’clock now. If you got the call at nine thirty, what time did the cleaning lady discover the body?

I’m not sure, Dana said, around seven-thirty or eight o’clock.

And it took an hour and a half to two hours to call you?!?! David was getting pissed again. This whole thing was making him pissed. He felt like he was being used.

Dana sighed for a third time. What do you want me to tell you, David. He called me around nine thirty. I called you as soon as he hung up. If you or Julie want to know why it took so long for him to call me, ask him, not me! Now she was getting pissed.

Alright, he said. You stay in your office. If I discover you’ve done anything to cover this up or are involved in anyway, I’ll throw you in jail. I’ll assign Julie to it.

Thank you, David, I owe you one. May I make a suggestion.

No, but that won’t stop you.

True, she said, smiling to herself. Why don’t you pick me up on the way to the Tower Casino. You have to go right by my building to get there. That will do two things for you. First it will prove I’m really in my office. I can’t possibly get from Homestead to Downtown Pittsburgh in the few minutes it will take for you to drive here. Also, I can open doors for you and Julie that the General Manager might be reluctant to open.

This is a murder investigation, David told her.

Yes, and as you pointed out it took them an hour and a half to two hours to call me. So as you are already thinking, what are they hiding. I can make sure those doors are opened to you, so you need me there.

And a phone call won’t ensure that?

But then how do you know I won’t be calling from the Casino. Like I said, if I’m in my office I can’t be at the Tower Casino.

You could have been there and back in the time since the body was discovered, he told her.

Yes, but I wasn’t. So what’s it going to be?

Be outside in five minutes, Dana, he said. Now I have to call Lieutenant Markos and tell her she has a new case.

Thank you, David, Dana said and heard him hang up.

Chapter Two

David called Adrian LaDuke, the Chief of Homicide and told her to tell Captain Mike Roper that Julie needed to report to her office ASAP. When he arrived, Julie was already there. What’s up? she asked.

David could not believe that this woman, Julie Markos, was his lover. If Dana was beautiful, Julie was ravishing. She was only a few inches shorter than David, dark hair, green eyes, and a figure that made her the most desired woman in the police department. No matter where Julie went, she became that person’s object of desire. As David told her many times, she could have been Miss America if she wanted. Dana called me, he said, the Chief of Security at the Tower Casino has been murdered and she asked me if I’d assign you to the case.

She realizes I won’t let our relationship cloud my judgement? Julie asked.

Yes, that was why she asked for you, because you won’t assume she’s guilty and you won’t cover it up if she is.

Okay, Julie said, what do we know?

Nothing really, David told her. The body was discovered around seven-thirty or eight and the General Manager called Dana at nine-thirty and she called me after she hung up with him.

What are they covering up? Julie asked.

Dana says she has no idea, and that she’s not involved. Personally I believe her. She said there is no way she would do anything that would cause you to leave her.

I hope that’s true. I will arrest her if she’s involved.

She knows that, Julie, David said. I called dispatch and sent six cars over there, a Headquarters’ Forensics team and the Coroner. I agreed to pick Dana up on the way, that way it will prove she called me from her office and we may need her if the General Manager is hiding something. So I’ll meet you in the limo.

I’ll go with you, Adrian said.

Fine, David replied.

You take the limo, Julie said. This is the first nice day since I got the Porsche for Christmas. I drove that today.

You drove the Porsche?! Adrian said/asked.

Yeah, Julie answered. Dana had bought Julie a Porsche for Christmas. The price tag was close to half a million dollars.

I’ll go with Julie, Adrian said and smiled. I think Julie and I will look very good in a Porsche.

David shook his head. Alright, I’ll meet you there. he told her.

Adrian LaDuke walked with Julie to her police car. She had seen it before at Julie’s, but this was the first time she was going to ride in it. Too bad it isn’t warmer, Adrian stated, running her hand over the car in an almost sexual gesture. We could put the top down. You could dye your hair blond and then we could be two blond big titted bimbos out looking for some young stud muffins.

When was the last time you went out looking for a young stud muffin, Adrian? Julie asked as she opened the door and climbed in.

Okay, she said, then maybe a nice submissive that wants to come over and play with me.

You got one sitting next to you, Chief LaDuke, Julie told her.

Adrian looked over at Julie in her low-cut blue silk blouse under her blue silk blazer and blue silk pants. Yes, but you never come over. Dana and David are the ones you play with.

I do live with them, remember and you are married to Frank.

Yes, but he has a penis, and as much as I love that penis, I also like my partners to have a vagina, and big firm tits. She actually reached over and groped Julie’s breasts.

Chief LaDuke, what happened to discretion in the work place?

No one was around, I checked first.

That’s different than, Julie said and groped Adrian’s crotch.

You’re making Mistress Adrian hot, my sweet submissive, Adrian said as Julie made sure that Adrian had her five point seatbelt on, as Julie did, and put the car in reverse and started to back out. I should invite you and David over for a foursome again. Frank’s been asking when David is going to come back.

Julie laughed as she drove out of the basement lot. I think I’m jealous, she said. I think Frank enjoys sex with David more than he does with me.

No, Adrian said, trust me, he doesn’t. You are everyone’s fantasy, Julie. Well, I guess I need to let you concentrate on driving and I need to concentrate on looking sexy in this car.

I like this side of you, Adrian. It’s making you more human than you used to be. When Adrian first talked Julie into coming to Homicide, Adrian was considered the dreaded Captain Adrian LaDuke that only went by her rule book and insisted she be call Captain, not Adrian. The hot shot Homicide detectives couldn’t work for her. It was rumored that she was a lesbian and a dominatrix, but no one knew for sure. Now people were learning that Adrian’s rules were for their protection, nothing else. While they still weren’t sure about her sexual preferences, she was lightening up. Also David now understood why she insisted on being called Chief in public and agreed with it. So in front of others, Adrian was Chief LaDuke, Julie was Lieutenant Markos and David was Chief Kirkpatrick, but in private with the doors closed, it was different and Adrian could let her hair down so to speak.

Julie passed up David’s limo where it was stopped in front of the Cross Building. Julie caught a glimpse of Dana coming down the steps in her six-inch heels and Julie just shook her head. Since her first encounter with Dana, Julie took to wearing four-to-six-inch heels, usually stilettos, as well, but not when she was working. You couldn’t chase the bad guys in those heels. When she was working, she wore flat shoes. Today she had on a nice pair of flat shoes good for running if needed.

I see you’re dressing a little more expensively, Adrian said. I’m guessing that outfit cost more than you make in a week.

More than we both make in a week, she confirmed. Hell, if I don’t spend some of Dana’s money she gets pissed. So I’ve decided to wear some nicer clothes. You may have noticed that David’s wearing a silk suit, silk shirt, silk tie and Italian loafers also.

Does Dana have room for Frank and me? Adrian asked smiling.

Julie was now on the Parkway and going ninety. The car was a manual shift and Julie was having great fun. Suddenly, there were blue flashing lights in her rearview mirror. Shit, she said, and reached down and turned on her blue lights and siren.

Adrian just looked at her. As your boss I should tell you not to go so fast, but what’s the fun of a fast car if you can’t see what she does.

About three minutes later as they slowed down to exit at Squirrel Hill, her radio said, Unit forty-six-oh-two from dispatch.

Adrian picked up the microphone and said, forty-six-oh-two.

Forty-six-oh-two, are you in a black Porsche going about ninety?

Yes, dispatch, Adrian replied.

Chief, the State Police are telling me that they are sure that Lieutenant Markos looks sexy as hell in her black Porsche, but they’d like her to drive the speed limit, or turn the blues on before they try and stop her.

Yes, dispatch, I’ll relay that message to her. Tell them were sorry.

A minute later, as Julie was headed down the hill toward the Homestead Grays Bridge and the Waterfront, the State Trooper behind her shut off his lights, but proceeded to follow her anyway. Less than two minutes after that, Julie pulled in front of the Tower Casino and stopped her car. The Trooper right behind her.

Julie walked over to the Trooper’s car and leaned in. Hi Miranda, she said. Sorry about that, there’s been a murder at the Tower Casino.

State Trooper Miranda Jones smiled at Julie. I see you’re looking as radiant as always, Lieutenant. I should tell you that you’re going to have to show me those tits if you want to get out of this ticket, but I won’t. Maybe you can take me for a ride in your rocket ship one of these days.

Give me a call, Miranda, she said.

I will, and Julie, it’s safer with the lights and siren on when you are going ninety like that.

But what’s the fun in that? she said and smiled. I’ll give you a call.

Thank you, Lieutenant, be safe. Were the two of you wearing your five point seatbelts?

Thank you, Officer Jones, and I don’t drive off unless everyone has their seatbelt on, Julie said and walked back to where Adrian was.

So did she give you a good tongue lashing for your actions? Adrian asked.

She wanted to, but there were too many people around, Julie replied and smiled.

Yes, I may have to punish you for your actions also. Now I guess we need to get to work."

Chapter Three

This way, Lieutenant, Chief," the sergeant in charge said as he saw Julie and Adrian walk in the Casino.

I’m told a cleaning person found the body, Julie said following the sergeant.

I don’t know anything about that, Lieutenant, he said. I was just told to secure the scene and that you would be the primary on this. There are two other detectives in there now, from the Homestead Precinct.

Thanks, she said as they followed the sergeant.

They reached the office of the Chief of Security. There was another officer at the body, he smiled at the two of them when he did. They both walked in. What do we have? Julie asked as soon as she entered.

The first detective turned and stopped. Yes, the dreaded Chief LaDuke is here with Lieutenant Markos, Adrian said, get over it.

Yes Ma’am, he said, or should I say, Chief?

Either is fine, now I think the Lieutenant asked you a question.

Well...... he began when David walked in. What do we have? he asked.

They were about to tell me that, Chief, Julie said. Now you’ve intimidated them and their scared to make a mistake.

Tell Lieutenant Markos what you have, he ordered.

Ah, yes Chief, the detective was clearly uncomfortable with the Chief here like this. "We don’t know a lot to be honest. Dispatch called us and told us the Chief of Security had been murdered and that Lieutenant Markos would be the primary. We arrived about ten minutes or so before you. We haven’t touched anything. Forensics hasn’t arrived yet, either has the Coroner.

What we do know, he said getting a little more comfortable, is that the victim here, who we are told was the Chief of Security has a single bullet shot to the front of his head. There is no exit wound, so the bullet wasn’t from anything too powerful. We have blood evidence on the desk that would suggest the victim was at his desk and working. So it appears that he was shot here.

Okay, Julie said. I’m told that a cleaning person found him, is she around?

I don’t know, Lieutenant. The General Manager isn’t talking to us.

Fucking great, she stated. Okay, I’ll go talk to him shortly. Were there any police around his office?

No, the detective answered.

Julie called out to the sergeant. When he came in, she said, take two officers with you and arrest the General Manager for interfering with a murder investigation. Handcuff him and take him somewhere where he can’t communicate with anyone. I want an officer in the room with him and one outside the door. No one gets in but me, understood?

Yes Lieutenant.

Well that should shake him up, Lieutenant, David added.

She smiled at him, yeah I think it should. Let’s see if we can see what was so important that they had to wait ninety minutes to report his death.

Julie began by looking at the desk. It was an expensive dark walnut desk. It was covered with different papers. Near the top of the desk was a blank space about nine by twelve, the size of a standard binder. There were pictures of a woman and two kids on it. His head was on a piece of paper as well. The paper was stained with his blood.

Next to him was a matching computer desk. There was a computer tower on the bottom of the desk. Julie put on a pair of latex gloves and pressed a key on the computer keyboard. Nothing happened. She looked to see if it was turned on and connected. It was, but she saw something else. She got on her hands and knees in front of the tower. She studied it and then stood.

Someone didn’t want us to see what was on that computer. There’s a magnet stuck to the side of the tower. Probably destroyed everything on the hard drive. Maybe the computer geeks can work some miracles.

She went to the desk and began to open drawers. The top drawer and the drawers on the right side were locked.

She went over to a filing cabinet. It was locked, and there was a combination lock on it like you’d find on a safe. Then she began to open cabinet doors and looked inside. She discovered a wall safe in one of them that was locked as well.

Forensics had arrived and looked over the scene. Well, Lieutenant, this is just a guess, but I don’t think it was a woman tortured to death, James Houseman one of the Forensic techs told her.

Think so, Jim? Julie asked. I don’t know, that may have been a woman and they made her have a sex change operation. I think being a man would be considered torture.

Houseman looked at David, Chief, I think that constitutes sexual harassment.

I was thinking the same thing, Jim. I’ll deal with her insolence later.

No Chief, Adrian said, I’ll deal with it.

That brought a laugh from Julie and David. Okay, Jim, so this doesn’t involve a woman being tortured to death, but it’s still my case. I want pictures of the desk, and everything on it. Notice that bare spot, I want that documented. I also want a close up of it. Then dock your printer and give me a composite of the desk top and a picture showing the blank area. After that I need you to get the filing cabinet, the safe and the desk open. The first thing I want photographed is that magnet stuck to the side of the computer tower. Then bag it and get the tower to your geek friends.

My geek friends! he said. A guy doesn’t carry a gun but uses his brains and you label him a geek. Chief, I do believe this is harassment.

I’m sorry, David said, I’m just a dumb ass that carries a gun so I don’t know what to do.

Christ, can’t catch a break here, Houseman lamented. He got on his knees took about a dozen pictures of the tower with the magnet on it. Then he pulled it off and put it in a plastic bag. He handed it to his partner.

Jim, get me those pictures of the top of his desk as soon as you can, okay?

Sure Lieutenant, he answered and began to photograph the desk.

Julie walked out of the office. There wasn’t a lot she could do at that point. She would have to wait until things were open. She could go and talk with the GM, but she wanted the pictures in hand first.

Dana was there when she left the Security Chief’s office. You had the General Manager arrested. she stated.

Yes, he didn’t call as soon as the body was discovered, and he called you first. He never called the police at all. There is a binder missing from the Security Chief’s desk. I want to know who took it and who wanted to wipe the hard drive clean and why. The GM is hiding something, so I’m going to let him sit and think about it.

Are you going to let him go back to work? Dana asked. She had her typical outfit on, a low-cut blouse, today it was green, the color of her eyes, a short green skirt and green six inch platform stiletto heels. She was towering over everyone.

Yes, Dana, Julie said, unless he confesses. Why, worried about your investment?

Hardly. We make a nice penny from this place, you and I, Julie, but we don’t need the money. There are very few people in my world that are irreplaceable. Jennifer, my assistant, Gloria, my lawyer, and you, my love. Maybe David, but only, and I hate to admit this, because from time to time, I enjoy a nice hard cock that is actually functioning. David is good for that. He realizes that I’m a lesbian that enjoys the occasional dick, and he is rather considerate in that manner. Of course, you love him, so I guess that means I have to love him as well. How was the car?

Great, Julie said. A State Trooper tried to pull me over because I was going ninety without the lights and siren. Now tell me, Dana, are you involved in any way?

No, Julie, I swear. Like I told David, why would I take a chance on losing you for money I’ll never be able to spend.

Now that companies are courting you, maybe the thrill of the chase is gone. Maybe you needed a little criminal activity to make things interesting again.

No, Dana replied, and it’s fine that they are courting me. It makes for a less hostile life.

Julie walked out of the back of the casino were the offices were and into the casino itself. It was almost eleven. This was the slow time for the casino. People were working normal jobs. The gamblers came out at night. Even the professional gamblers came out at night. There would be no reason to come here to win grandma’s nickels and dimes when the high roller wannabes came out at night. It was like the wild, wild west. The professional were the gun slingers and the wannabes were the ones that wanted to take them down and make a name for themselves, but like in the old west, it was the professionals that usually came out alive.

Sure in the Texas Hold ‘em tournaments the amateurs won about half the time. When you are one of five to ten thousand players, professional or amateur, it was tough to win, and no matter how skillful you were, lady luck was still an element. The thing is over the long haul it was the professionals that ended up taking the amateurs money. Some amateurs, like in any sport, became professionals and then came out after dark to pray on the amateurs, but for the most part, the amateurs didn’t stand a chance over time.

If it was difficult to beat the pros, it was almost impossible to beat the house. Casinos didn’t become profitable by giving away money. The slot machines might pay back eighty to ninety percent of the money they take in, but when you take in millions of dollars a day, that ten to twenty percent adds up. For the gamblers, that ten to twenty percent slowly eats into your stash.

Now at eleven in the morning, it was mostly tourists and the unemployed that were playing the slots. A few people were at the Black Jack tables, the Roulette tables and the dice tables, but at this time it was mostly the slots.

In the distance, Julie heard the sound of a C Major chord. She turned to Dana and said, someone won some of your money, Dana.

Some of our money, dear, she replied. Then she added, hear that?

I don’t hear anything, Julie told her confused.

That’s right, dear, you don’t and that is the sound of us taking their money.

I was going to say that I wish I had the money that this place makes, but then I realized you’d say that I do.

You do, Julie, Dana told her, putting her hand on her arm. Why do you have a problem with that? Is it your fear of commitment or that you will lose your personality? Or is it your fear of rejection? I know where you are coming from. When you are as beautiful and sexy as you, fear of rejection is a real problem. It’s hard to have someone that you care about leave you for someone else and then you discover the other person isn’t as good looking and sexy and you and wonder why the person you loved was willing to leave you for someone less attractive. I’m sure that can play on the mind.

Maybe, Julie answered. Maybe I just don’t know what I want. Maybe I’m afraid to get too used to the money. If you leave me, I’ll have nothing.

Then we’ll change that, Dana said. I’ll make you my partner.

What about David? Julie asked. I can’t get in a legal union with you with David in the picture.

You could, she said, but that wasn’t what I meant. We can make it a business partnership. We could be equal partners.

And if you get tired of me, then what? What am I bringing to this partnership?

Julie if you haven’t figured that out by now, than something is wrong with you, Dana said.

Before Julie could answer, she saw Houseman walk past her toward his van and the printer. After he was gone, Julie said, but that’s the problem, Dana, I don’t feel like me, this body, these tits, this pussy, this face, this brain, this personality or everything combined is worth over a billion dollars. You yourself told me that on our first date that you liked me as a dancer, but not enough to offer me a job, let alone your partner.

That’s true, Julie, Dana replied, and that’s the point. It isn’t that your tits and pussy are worth a billion dollars. I can find a submissive with tits and pussy like you have. Maybe they would be also as sexy and beautiful, but I can’t find someone with the soul you have. So it’s your soul that’s worth billions.

So now you’re the devil and I’ve sold my soul to you, Julie said and smiled.

Yes, my love, but I’ve sold my soul to you. Why are you with me? It isn’t the money, we both know that. Yeah, I’ve got you to buy more expensive clothes, and that suit looks nice on you. I’d like it to be a skirt and heels, but I realize it’s not practical. So you aren’t with me because I have a billion dollars and you aren’t with David because he is the Chief of Police. So why are you with me and David?

This isn’t the time and place for this discussion, Dana, Julie told her.

Why, the victim isn’t going to get any more or less dead, she reminded her.

You’re right, okay, I’m attracted to strong people, strong men and strong women. I don’t want some weak person, someone that’s whining to me about not getting their fair share. I want someone that takes control of their lives. You two are both very strong-willed people that see what you want and go after that, and you aren’t bad to look at. I look good being seen with you, but now I’ve gotten to know you, and David, and it is what is inside that I love.

So is it so hard for you to believe that I feel the same way, Julie? Dana asked.

Sometimes, she said. Sometimes I’m afraid that people see me as a set of great tits and a pretty face. That they see me as your trophy girlfriend.

So you are insecure, so what, so am I. So is David, so is everyone. You’re just as strong willed as I or David or anyone else you are attracted to. That’s why you are a submissive, because you are so strong will and always have to be in control that you must let go from time to time, so you like to be a submissive with women so you can relax and let go. Christ, Julie, no one is right all the time. So you fuck up from time to time, live with it. So you are insecure, so what. So people think you are my trophy wife, you know, I know, David knows and the people that care about you know you aren’t. So if that guy over there at the slot machine thinks all you are is tits and a pretty face and I’ve bought your affection, than fuck him. What difference does it make to you. You can’t make everyone happy or even respect you. We’ve had this conversation before, Julie.

Yes, Dana, she said and sighed, and we will probably have it again. Like you said, I’m insecure and I’m not perfect.

Dana kissed her right there in front of everyone. No you aren’t, but to me you are as perfect as they come.

Thank you, Dana, Julie smiled, and if it makes you feel better, I’ll spend more of your money.

Dana smiled back. That’s what I want to hear, I think.

Houseman was standing there watching them. Julie turned to him. You have pictures for me, Jim?

Yes, Lieutenant, he said and handed over a packet of pictures.

Julie looked through them quickly and said. Very good, Jim, nice work. Okay, now if you could get the other stuff opened that will be great.

I’ll get right on it, Lieutenant.

Well than, Julie said turning to Dana, shall we go see the General Manager?

Chapter Four

Lieutenant, David said as she headed toward the room were the General Manager was locked up. I don’t think you need me here anymore; I’m going back downtown."

Alright, Chief, Julie told him. If I need you, I’ll call, but I have Dana, I don’t think there should be a problem.

Good, I’ll talk to you later. With that David headed back to his limo.

Julie walked into the room were Frank Norton the General Manager of the Tower Casino was sitting, in handcuffs with a uniformed officer watching him. When he saw Julie, he became even more angry than he was previously. I’m told you’re the one that ordered me arrested. I’ll sue you. Take these fucking handcuffs off me.

Julie nodded to the officer and he removed the cuffs, Tell me, Mister Norton, she said, why is it that whenever someone is guilty of a crime they talk about suing when they get arrested?

And just what crime have I committed, Lieutenant? Norton asked.

Interfering with a murder investigation, obstruction of justice, and possibly murder or conspiracy to commit murder, she told him.

Murder?!?! he exclaimed, why would I kill my Chief of Security?

I have no idea, she told him, but someone took something off his desk. She tossed the pictures in front of him. You’ll notice the empty spot. Something was there, it isn’t now. Also, what time was the body discovered?

I don’t know, he said, about seven-thirty or eight.

And you called Dana at nine-thirty. We didn’t get the call until almost ten o’clock. Furthermore, neither you nor anyone else from this casino called the police. I’d call that the actions of someone that is guilty of something.

Norton sighed. "Alright, Lieutenant, to start with I wasn’t here when the body was discovered. Daylight is the slow shift. The casino manager works that shift. It’s a strange way to think, but if he wants to get promoted to General Manager, he needs to work daylight when normal people work. He deals with delivery people, maintenance people and sales people. Then after he’s learned how to do that job well, and there’s an opening, they promote him to General Manager and he doesn’t work daylight any more. So he was here when the body was discovered, not me.

I’m told that Dan Radcliff, the Security Chief, was found dead in his office by the woman that cleans it. He is usually at home at seven when she starts. She found his body and call Jake Gillman, he’s the manager. He went to his office and saw that he was dead. He called me, I came over and checked on Radcliff, then I called Dana and she called you.

"And that is interfering with a murder investigation. You mean to tell me that when she found Radcliff with is face down on