Deviant(60)

Shaking his head, Humphrey ran his hands through his greying hair. “As long as you don’t go down with her, Dean. You’ve worked too hard for this. You can’t let anyone see you weak. It was stupid of you to go out when all this shit is about to go down tonight. Not only that, but what if she starts sniffing around the club, asking questions? Have you even thought of that, Dean? What if someone blows your fucking cover after years of setting this whole thing up?”

I grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge and took a long swig. “You underestimate me, old man. No one will talk. I can guarantee it.”

Humphrey closed his eyes for a moment. “Yeah, well, you better be right. I would hate to think you cocked up this whole operation just for a bit of pussy.” I shook my head, smiling. Humphrey smiled right back. “And less of the old man, asshole.”

I shook my head again, knowing Humphrey had calmed down a little. “So, how have the guests been?”

He threw his hands in the air. “As well as can be expected. They’ve just eaten, but were wondering where you were. Especially our special guest, Chief Superintendent Carmichael.”

Shit, I’d forgotten about him. He was my star guest simply because I needed him if the shit hit the fan tonight and the police came calling. “Don’t worry about him. I’ll go out there now and see to the old fart. I’m sure introducing him to one of my girls this evening will perk him up.”

Humphrey nodded, but still didn’t look one hundred percent happy about the whole thing. I guess I shouldn’t have gone tonight. I was about to do something that demanded my full attention, and the more witnesses, the better.

Just as I thought this, my phone chimed. I flicked it open and looked at the message. “It’s Jimmy. He’s on his way there.”

Humphrey sighed. “Well, you better get your ass out there now before he gets there.”

I saluted him. “Yes, sir!” Humphrey was so paranoid at times.

“I swear to fuck that you’re so laid back, I’m surprised you’re not lying horizontal all the time.”

I swigged the rest of my water and threw the bottle in the bin as I headed for the door. “Everything happens for a reason, Humphrey. What’s the point in getting stressed out about things? If they happen, they happen. Just let nature take its course.”

Humphrey patted my back. “You and this karma shit. I think you’ve let it all go to your head. What man in their right mind gets a flower drawn on their shoulder?”

I turned to him with a scowl. “Hey, it’s a lotus flower. Besides, are you saying I’m a fucking pussy?”

“Nah, I’m saying you’re a chump.” He smiled at me triumphantly.

“You might be older than me, but that doesn’t mean I can’t take you on, old man.” I was teasing him again and he knew it. He hated it when I called him old.

“Just fucking go, will ya? You’re really starting to piss me off.”

Laughing, I opened the door to the hallway. I quickly called Jimmy back, then rang a couple of my girls to come over as quickly as they could. I had no doubt they would be here within the hour.

Pulling off my hoodie, I placed it on the rack by the door and wandered over to the lounge. No doubt all my guests would be drinking, well on their way to sharing secrets they would regret in the morning. I couldn’t be like them. Drink only deludes the mind. I could never get drunk. It just places you in a vulnerable position, and this was exactly what was wrong with this chump that Jimmy’s on his way to get now. Too much booze and pussy. He was weak and needed to be put out of his fucking misery once and for all.

Sex, drugs, and alcohol will always sell, and I could offer people plenty of that. This was the advantage I had tonight. I had a horny, drunk chief superintendent sitting amongst others in the lounge, probably bragging about his status. The man made me sick, but he was serving his purpose tonight. I was going to make sure I paid him generously for being here.

Sure enough, as I walked in, Carmichael was at the centre of the show, a glass of my finest scotch in one hand and a cigar in the other. “Catching scumbags is what I live for. I’ve been doing my job for twenty years now and have earned every fucking stripe.”

Everyone turned when they saw me, but Carmichael was the last to look. “Hey, Deaney, my boy. How are you, son? I’ve just been wondering where you were.”

The man was pathetic. He made my skin crawl. I would love nothing more than to grab my folding knife and cut his fucking tongue out. Instead, I smiled eagerly and took my seat next to the old fart. “Sorry. I had, um…women problems, shall we say.”