117

While we waited, I wrote everything down I could remember about the wedding and who had attended and where they lived. I still had the list made up from writing my Thank You cards and Tiffany and I went through the list with a fine tooth comb, trying to decide what names to give Jolene when she got here. All the groomsman, Best Man, closest friends. Theoretically, it had to be someone who knew all of us, knew most of the details of our personal lives and had some type of access to those closest to me.

"If you had to pick one name off this list who jumps off and grabs you by the throat," Tiffany said, "who would it be?"

I tapped one name with my pencil. Geoff Short.

"God, me too," Tiffany said. "That slimy weasel is exactly the sort of person who'd be involved in something like this."

Suddenly, I remembered why Friedrich had looked so fucking familiar to me. He looked a little like Geoff.

"Do you know if Geoff has any family? A brother, or cousin, someone who might look a little like Geoff?"

"I'm not sure," Tiffany said. "I never paid any attention to Geoff or anyone he was close to. I hate him so much, why would I want to know more about him. He might have mentioned a cousin while we were dancing together, before I had to practically slap his face and leave him on the dance floor. He said something like his cousin and he would love to double team me some time. That's when I left him on the floor. What a prick!"

"Do you remember the cousin's name?" I asked. "It's kind of important."

"I'm not sure. Shit it was months ago and a guy I detest. Maybe Fred or Freddie."

"Could it be Friedrich?"

"Maybe, but I thought Geoff called him Fred. Why do you ask? What's so important about a cousin?"

"I might have met him at the BDSM club last weekend. He wanted to tenderize my cunt before fucking me. It's the only nice thing Oliver may have ever done for me, making Friedrich leave me alone. Maybe Fred's a pet name or nickname for Friedrich."

Jolene arrived and I invited her in. She joined us in the living room, sitting across from Tiffany and I.

"Jolene, this is Tiffany, my best friend. Tiffany, this is Jolene Baxter of Caponero Investigations. I apologize, Tiffany, but I had Caponero investigate you and all my friends to find out who was betraying me. She probably knows more about you than you'd want her to know, but she didn't find any connections between you and Oliver, so it's the reason I was willing to take a chance on our friendship, so I hope you can forgive me and forgive her."

Jolene leaned forward and shook Tiffany's hand, then leaned back, serene and looking calmer than I felt.

Tiffany said, "Actually, I understand perfectly well and don't blame either of you a bit. In fact, I'd like to hire you again on Brooke's behalf."

"Tiffany!" I said. "It's not necessary for you to do this."

"If you could have trusted me earlier, we might have been able to stop Oliver before now. I'm sorry you couldn't. I understand, but now you do, I have to help."

Jolene smiled for the first time. "If you're hiring me on her behalf, I can't share information with you unless Brooke wishes me to."

"I don't care. I don't care where your investigation leads. I want to do everything in my power to make it end, to make her nightmare stop."

"It might be expensive."

"I've got money to burn. I'd spend it all to save Brooke. She's told me some of the things he's done to her and it's tearing me up inside."

I started crying again and buried my head on her shoulder. I knew her shirt had to be soggy by now. This was the third time I'd cried on her.

Tiffany pushed the list we'd composed across the table. "These are the people most likely to be involved in some way. We circled the best man's name. Nobody likes him except Tanner. He's the slimiest person we know. Brooke saw some guy who looked similar to him at a BDSM club she was at last weekend. She thinks a Friedrich or Fred, might be related to Geoff."

"I'll get started tonight," Jolene said.

"Thank you. Brooke told me you took vacation time off to help identify Oliver. You may add that to my bill if you wish."

"Not necessary. That was my gift to Brooke. I feel much the same way you do. It's why I haven't been able to let this go."

"We know you were able to ascertain the types of cameras used to photograph Brooke. Any luck tracing them or where the signals were sent?"

"No. The cameras themselves were part of a massive shipment to some companies in the Atlanta area. They weren't resold. My guess is they were either given to or stolen by Oliver by someone in one of those companies. We can only track the signals while they're being used. My understanding is, Oliver has enough of a hold on Brooke, he doesn't bother with hidden cameras anymore. Would that be true, Brooke?"

Things were moving at a breakneck pace. I was having difficulty keeping up. Apparently, Jolene was speaking Tiffany's language and vice versa. "Yes. He set up a normal camera to record me today. Used a flash drive, I think."

"My understanding is Brooke can't get this to stop, even by killing Oliver," Tiffany said, "because her previous activities will be released, bringing a tremendous amount of shame on her and possibly causing her prosecution. This could all end if we can find where his information is stored and can destroy it, including finding out who will release the information if something happens to Oliver. If we can trace the radio frequency of any hidden cameras, it might help us to determine where the information is stored."

"I would agree with your assessment," Jolene said.

"If we could force them to use a hidden camera again, do you have anyone who could trace the signal?"

"I know someone we will sometimes hire for tech jobs such as this. He's very good. But how do we get them to use hidden cameras again?"

"They may still be using them for specific activities," Tiffany responded. "Brooke, did you receive photos or movies from your trip to the BDSM club last weekend?"

"I receive them from every activity. It's part of the shaming process, to make me feel like a whore when it's done."

"Did you see any cameras or anyone taking pictures with a phone? Even security cameras?"

"No, but I wasn't looking for them. I already assume I'm always being recorded, so they're always there someplace. I no longer bother looking for them anymore."

"It seems to me, a BDSM club would be verboten for any kind of camera. Depending on who's there and who's participating, it could be great blackmail material. It's why we didn't want cameras or phones at your Bachelorette party. Too embarrassing if we do something stupid. Why would they have security cameras of internal activities? Makes no sense to me at all. Were you even recorded in the bedrooms?"

"Yes, in Mistress Toni's bedroom with Slut."

"Slut?" They both asked in unison.

"Mistress Toni's slave or sub. Her name is Slut. It's the only name she gave me and the only one anyone used. I was Whore, at least to Mistress Toni."

"No, this makes no sense to me. If you were recorded there, it had to be hidden cameras," Tiffany said. "Those people would be awfully pissed to know every perverted detail of their lives was being recorded."

"You're right," Jolene said. "Brooke, I need to see that movie and please excuse me for looking at it."

I handed her the phone after opening the file. She politely turned the sound off before watching a portion of it. "Please write this number down for me." Tiffany picked up the pencil and jotted down the number Jolene read off.

"Tiffany, this movie makes me think it's hidden cameras even more. There's no panning of any of the individual shots, or any movement to show someone was controlling the camera. Since this is a compilation of many different cameras recordings, which was edited, I couldn't get all the EXIF metadata, but this number was still available." She pulled out her phone. "Read the number back to me please," after opening an app. Tiffany did so. "This serial number comes back to another nanny cam type camera, wireless type."

"So if she goes back to this club," Tiffany said. "We can trace anywhere the signal goes."

"That's my understanding from the tech guy."

"Who is he?" Tiffany asked. "Is he reliable and can he keep a secret? We don't want Brooke's information getting out any other way, either."

"I'd trust him with my life," Jolene said. "Worked with the 75th Ranger Regiment, in their cyber warfare and anti-cyber warfare department. He knows shit I'll never know. He works as a security guard for some rich asshole north of here. No offense."

"None taken," Tiffany replied. "Some rich people are assholes."

"Jackson?" I asked.

"Yeah, Jackson Hart. Do you know him?" Jolene asked.

"Jackson's rich asshole boss just purchased two nude paintings of me. Another one is being painted on the estate now every weekday, though not for him. This one's for Tanner. I see Jackson just about every day. I didn't know his last name."

"Jackson's boss is Shizuko's patron?" Tiffany asked.

"It would certainly seem so."

"You might want to add Jackson's boss to the list of people to investigate," Tiffany said to Jolene.

"Why?" I asked.

"Do you remember what painting he wanted to commission next?"

"Fuck!" I exclaimed.

"Yeah, fuck." Tiffany replied.

"Why fuck? Jolene asked.

"It was a bondage piece," Tiffany said. "Given where Brooke spent last weekend, does anyone else think this is a total coincidence? I wouldn't be surprised to find out rich asshole isn't a member of the fucking club."

"What's the name of the club, Brooke," Jolene asked, pulling the paper over to write on.

"Oliver said it didn't have a name, only a motto. It was on the plaque by the front door. French for 'Do What Thou Wilt'. You can find the French name in your research on the Hellfire Club. I recognized it from your printouts."

"If Jackson's boss is unreliable and a possible member of the no name club," Tiffany asked. "Is Jackson reliable to be used for what we need him for?"

I thought about Jackson and all the conversations we'd had over the past several months, his teasing, his professionalism, the way he alone, of all the guards didn't try to stare at my nude body. He'd been a good friend, but right now I didn't trust even my closest friends.

"I think he'd be reliable," Jolene said. "I've worked with him before and like I say, I'd trust him with my life. But, it's Brooke's life we're talking about here. I think it's her decision."

"I don't know," I said. "I like Jackson a lot and want to trust him, but let's face it. Unless I go back to the club, he won't have a job to do. Personally, I hope I never go back to that place. I detested it."

"Maybe not," Tiffany said. "If they are recording with hidden camera's there, it's not just you they are recording. We might be able to get at least some of the information we need without you going back. I think you should make a decision about Jackson sooner rather than later. The faster we get this information, the faster your nightmare can end.

"Let me think about it," I said.

Our conversation sort of petered out after that. Jolene gave both of us hugs and left shortly thereafter taking her new research with her. Tiffany left a few minutes later.

"Thank you, Tiffany. I love you so much. I can't believe you're helping me out like this."

"Brooksie. I told you I feel partly responsible. I'd rather spend the money on you than a new dress or stereo system. Those are just things. People are what count; not things. I'd rather die with lots of friends than lots of money." She kissed my cheek and hugged me again. "We'll find a way to get you out of this, Brooke. I mean it."