Emalee called and explained to her older sister what was going on and then arranged to have her younger sister Jenna join them. They met up at her apartment then left together, heading to the Western Club. Her heart was pounding as her sisters sat chatting about the last time they had gone out to a strip bar. It was for Jenna’s twenty-first birthday and the girls in the family, including their mother, made their way to the nearest bar that promised a world of new and erotic experiences for them. This time, however, it was Victor they were going to watch, not some stranger with a nice body and a hundred single dollars tucked inside his jockey shorts.

Michelle dropped Emalee off at the front door and went to park the car, so they weren’t seen arriving together. She looked around the area briefly, taking note of her old Toyota Camry sitting in the employees’ section of the parking lot. She had loaned her car to Victor, complete with its engine that had over a hundred thousand miles and a flat spare tire in the trunk. It made the story, that he was an out of work actor, appear more legitimate.

Emalee walked up to the entrance and was acknowledged by the familiar bouncer as he nodded his head and opened the door. Natalie Banton told the large Tongan what was going on and he was ready for her arrival, so telling him she had two guests joining her for the night wasn’t a huge problem. She stepped into the dark bar, flinching momentarily at the loud music that seemed to rattle the floors and walls. The room was mostly deserted, but it was still early, she reminded herself. She glanced around the room at the many small tables and seats that surrounded the half-circular stage. She could only imagine what it was going to be like in a very short time, all the screaming women begging to be entertained by the handsome array of men - including her Victor.

Her Victor. Good Lord, when did she start thinking that? It wasn’t as if he had declared his undying love for her. After they had finished making love, she helped him shave his legs and underarms as he took care of the more delicate areas alone, then left to get the appropriate clothing for the night’s events. They hadn’t discussed her virginity or how easily she gave it away after twenty-six years. They didn’t make plans for the future other than to say see you in a little while before he took her keys and drove away.

She really didn’t know if they would ever repeat the day’s events, though she secretly prayed they would. Maybe he didn’t enjoy himself as much as she had, maybe it was just a momentary occurrence. After all, he was the one who said he went for one-nighters and that he wasn’t able to give her what he thought she deserved. It was likely he was regretting the entire episode by now.

“Miss Peker,” Natalie said as she came down the stairs and saw her standing there gawking at her surroundings. “Welcome to the Western Club. Are you ready for your first night?”

Emalee frowned, the woman was acting as though she really was an employee and not an undercover cop, but then she noted the dark-haired man who followed behind her and forced herself to smile in return.

“Yes ma’am, I am,” Emalee stated, shaking the hand Natalie held out for her.

“This will be an experience for both of us. I’ve always frowned on photos being taken during the shows, but the idea of increased publicity and giving the customers a souvenir of their evening seems like a profitable adventure. Alex, this is Emalee Peker. She’s our new photographer. I think this is going to be a great idea, I can hardly wait to see how it goes.”

“Are you any good?” Alex asked winking at Emalee, making her think he was discussing something other than her skills with a camera.

“I’m very good,” she returned with a fake smile. “And I have a long list of references.”

Her eyes narrowed just enough to make the man laugh. She had met him on his own level with her remarks and proved she was one step ahead of him.

“I look forward to finding out,” he told her as he walked away, leaving Emalee and Natalie alone.

“I’m glad to see you Miss Peker,” Natalie said with a heavy sigh. “This whole thing is starting to get the best of me. First Gotum, then Derek and now this shooting business last night. I just don’t know what’s going to happen next, and it’s scaring the hell out of me. I feel much safer knowing you and Detective Armstrong are here to protect us.”

“We’re here for a lot more than protection and the name is Emalee. But you need to remember, Victor isn’t a detective here.”

“Yes, yes, he’s an out of work actor with a great body. I just hope he can play his hand well enough to convince the others.”

“I wouldn’t worry about him,” Emalee said, as male laughter echoed out of a doorway near the back of the bar, and two men walked out beside the man in question. “He’s been doing this a long time and he’s very good at his job. Just let us know if there’s anything that looks suspicious.”

“Don’t worry, you’ll be the first to know.”

Emalee watched the woman walk off toward the bar, waving a hand toward her three dancers.

“Oh my God, this place is amazing,” Michelle said in an excited voice as she and Jenna stepped out of the hall that led to the bar. “Excuse me,” she said catching Emalee’s attention as she played her role with expert dramatics. “Can we sit anywhere, or are these seats reserved?”

“I’m sorry,” Emalee said with a smile as she tried to keep from rolling her eyes. Her sister knew the story behind her being here and decided in the car to pretend they didn’t know her personally. “This is my first night. I’m not sure where you should sit for the show.”

“These seats are reserved for a bachelorette party,” the one dancer said with a warm smile. “But the second row is available for special guests. I think when it comes to two very lovely ladies like yourselves, I would be happy to consider you my special guests.”

Emalee watched as the dancer held his arm out for her sister to take, then led her and Jenna to the seats in question and waved for a waitress.

Emalee turned her attention back to preparing her camera, as she heard another male voice behind her, and turned to see a tall dark-haired Hispanic standing next to Victor, both staring at her as if she were to be served upon a silver platter.

“You must be the new photographer,” the man said, as they stepped a bit closer. “Natalie said you would be starting tonight. I’m Lonnie, this is Brad and Victor. It’s Vic’s first night too.”

“It’s nice to meet you. I’m Emalee Peker.”

“Nice,” the man who had escorted her sisters to their seats said, as he rejoined the other two. “I suppose if we have to get our pictures taken, it helps that the photographer is gorgeous. I’m David Travis, here to offer my service, my advice, and perhaps my free time.”

“Thank you, but I’m already involved with someone.”

“Lucky man,” Victor said with his half-grin that sent her heart flipping in her chest.

“Thank you,” she said with a soft blush. “If all of the dancers are here, I’d like to get a group picture before the show starts.”

“You aren’t going to use a flash, are you?” another man asked in a stern tone as he stepped around the back of the stage. Emalee looked up as he crouched down on his knee to look at her and the other dancers. “A flash will disrupt our routine and Armstrong is new. We wouldn’t want him falling off the stage and breaking anything of importance.”

“I do use a flash, but it’s designed for this kind of situation when the bright light isn’t acceptable, Mr….”

“I’m Carter Jennings. I’m the lead dancer and main attraction in this club, so I pay extra attention to what makes this show successful. The last thing we need around here is a snoopy photographer taking pictures and getting in the way.”

“I’ve had a great deal of experience with crowds, Mr. Jennings and I can assure you, I won’t get in anyone’s way.”

“See that you don’t.”

“That’s enough,” Natalie said as she approached the group. “We need to get things moving. The doors are going to open soon, and we have to have everything ready. Victor, do you feel comfortable enough with the routine, to join in tonight, or do you need to go slow?”

“I’ve got it, Ms. Banton,” Victor answered. “The habit of an actor, I memorize my role quickly.”

“Good, then let’s get things started.”

“Excuse me, Ms. Banton,” Emalee said, stopping anyone from leaving. “I would like to get a group shot of the dancers before the show starts. I think it will make a great souvenir shot for your customers.”

“Great idea,” Natalie said with an approving nod. “Let’s get everyone on stage.”

Emalee pulled herself up over the edge of the stage as the dancers jumped up or used the steps. She crouched down at the front of the stage and focused her camera as the dancers posed for the shoot, Lonnie in the back on the right with Carter in the middle, with his arms folded over his large chest, and Brad next to him. Victor was center front with Alex on his left and David on his right. She snapped off a couple of shots and was about to let them leave when Michelle stepped up to the stage, a drink in one hand and Jenna near her free arm.

“I’m sorry, but may I make a suggestion?” she said, smiling prettily at the dancers. “They are all gorgeous, but I think it would look a lot better if you switch the two in the center. Have the one in back up front and put that one in the back,” she said pointing to Victor.

Carter immediately narrowed his eyes to the woman and cocked his head to the side.

“I’m the lead dancer. I belong center stage.”

“That may be, but I own an advertising firm and I know what sells. Trust me, having him in the back will bring about a lot more publicity than the way you’re set up now.”

“I won’t do it,” Carter snarled as Natalie stepped up on stage, hands on her hips as she stood in front of the men.

“The customer is always right Carter, especially when she’s an expert. Change places with Victor.” Carter glared at his boss who narrowed her eyes to the man. “Now,” she snarled softly.

Victor stood up and walked around the back as Carter knelt, his jaw clenched tight as Emalee began snapping the pictures.

“Do we have time for individual photos?” Emalee asked as Michelle chimed in.

“Absolutely, individual photos are a great idea, and then you can print them out before the show and have them ready to sell as the women leave. You’re going to make a fortune on them.”

“I think we can make time,” Natalie said, looking to her dancers. “Who do you want to go first?” she asked Emalee.

“How about your lead dancer?” she suggested.

Carter sat down in a folding chair they used in their dance routines as the others moved out of the way, posing in his sexiest position, though Emalee had to admit it wasn’t very sexy at all. She had shot amateur models that did a better job than this lead dancer did.

Ten minutes later the photos were taken, and the dancers were heading back to the dressing room and Emalee was being led to the office to print off the pictures. Once out of earshot of the others, Natalie began to chuckle softly.

“Your sister was amazing,” she said in hushed tones. “I’ve wanted to knock Carter off his perch for a while now. I’m so glad she stepped in. Does she really own an advertising company?”

“Yes, a very successful one,” Emalee announced. “She really does know her stuff.”

“Well, I’m impressed.”

“How long has Carter thought of himself as the lead dancer?” Emalee asked sitting down behind the computer.

“Since before Gotum and Derek disappeared, I suppose. He’s been here the longest and he thinks he knows the business better than anyone. He’s a good dancer, but he can’t hold a candle to the others. I just hope your partner can dance as well as he claims, or Carter’s going to eat him alive. I mean Victor has the body for it, but does he know what he’s doing?”

“He knows,” she answered as she filled the printer with the right paper and began printing them off.

“I think this will be a very interesting evening,” Natalie said, stepping around the back of the bar and pouring a drink, holding the bottle up to Emalee who shook her head.

“I need to be free to talk with all your employees,” she said, removing the pictures as they were finished. “Someone might know something that we never thought about before.”

“You’re free to do whatever you feel necessary to get this solved. I’ll give you a copy of the keys to my office as well as the tape room.”

“Is it possible to get a copy of the tapes from Gotum and Derek? Maybe there’s something in them that could prove helpful.”

“You’re asking for a lot. They were very popular, there must be hundreds of them.”

“Just the last week, it may help us catch the killer,” Emalee said.

“Alright, I’ll get them burned over to a disc by the time you leave.”

“Thank you,” Emalee said, leaning back to wait for the photos.

The sound of music began to boom louder as the floors began to vibrate under her feet.

“It’s time for the festivities to begin,” Natalie said. “How long will it take you to finish?”

“That depends on how many copies you want. I can make a hundred and fifty each, but with your printer, it will take about an hour.”

“Not a problem. The dancers won’t be ready for another forty-five minutes to an hour. We give the customers a chance to mingle and get drinks before we start the show.”

“Alright, I’ll get them done and ready for you to start selling as soon as the first show is over.”

“You know, if this goes well I may have to hire both you and that very handsome partner of yours on a permanent basis.”

“Sorry, we already have a full-time job. This is just a special engagement, you might say.”

“I could pay you more in a month than either of you would earn in a year,” Natalie said with a wicked grin, causing Emalee to frown slightly.

“Let’s just see how things go and discuss the future in the future.”

“Agreed. I’m going to get your discs started and then I’m going downstairs. Come down when you hear Brad start to announce the show.”

“Alright.”

Emalee watched the woman leave before leaning back in the chair and looking around the room. It was not the ideal room for an owner of a club like the Western. It was dark with paneled walls that looked like they came out of the 1970s, thick brown carpet and leather furniture.

She picked up the photos that were still printing and stacked them in order of dancer, seeing the picture of Victor smiling back at her from the desk. He was handsome, far more than any of the others, which could be good or bad. If he was popular enough, it could put him in danger of being the next victim if he wasn’t careful. She looked at the one of Carter and frowned. She always prided herself on her instincts and she didn’t trust the man. He was more than arrogant, he had an attitude that seemed dangerous and his mannerism was rough and unrefined. The perfect combination for a serial killer, she thought.

With a heavy sigh, she forced herself to continue inspecting the photos for any imperfections. The idea of being here, of watching her partner strip his clothes off for the pleasure of strange women, made her emotions come into play. On the one hand, she was jealous, and she wasn’t ashamed to admit it. She had been in his arms just a few short hours ago, having the most incredible sex she had ever imagined, so that gave her the right to feel a little possessive, she assured herself.

Still, he was her partner and she didn’t have a say in what he did with his life. If this proved to be the success Natalie assumed it would, what would stop him from leaving the force - leaving her - to pick up where he left off twelve years ago? It was a thought that stayed with her the remainder of the evening.

Emalee stepped out of her bathroom five hours later, hair wet from her shower, her baby-doll pajamas stuck to her damp skin. She went into her kitchen and pulled out a bottle of Tylenol, taking two and swallowing them with a large gulp of her reheated coffee. The music had been so loud, that she refused to allow her sisters to speak on the way home from the club. If she didn’t know better, she’d have sworn bits of her brain had been vibrated out of her ears.

She took her computer and set it on the coffee table, sitting down in front of it on the floor, and began flipping through the photos she had taken, making notes next to each one. She had spent the better part of the night snapping pictures of customers as well as employees. She talked to the waitresses, along with the bartenders, and even some of the customers that were pointed out as regulars.

The photos she printed off sold like hotcakes as Michelle predicted. Natalie had been so impressed, she made an appointment to meet with her on Friday next week, to discuss signing on with her firm to take over advertising. The pictures had been so popular, Emalee had to print off an extra four hundred copies.

Unfortunately for Carter, Victor’s photos sold out first, followed by Brad’s, Carter’s had sold nearly as many as what was printed off - the first and only time.

Emalee paused at the photos of Victor on stage and smiled. He really was very good, and women were stuffing bills into his thong like water. He had gotten a lot more attention and applause than any of the other dancers, a fact that left a bitter taste in Carter’s mouth. After the show, the dancers and staff stayed on to celebrate. Everyone seemed genuinely impressed by Victor’s performance and they were all excited about the photos. Natalie asked Emalee if she could make a DVD of the photos as an advertisement, after discussing the idea with Michelle. She was going back next week to photograph the women during their performances.

She sat back against her sofa and closed her eyes. This was what she really liked, photographs were her life, it was what brought her pleasure, but was it enough? Then again, as much as she loved her job, was she willing to give it all up to concentrate on her talent? The thought of Natalie’s offer kept coming back to her.

This was what she went to school for, but was she ready to go for a new career this late in her life? She had a good job and it paid better than she could hope for. It was a steady income and photography wasn’t. Some months she barely made enough to pay her cellphone bill, others she made more than enough to pay her rent in advance.

It was all too unpredictable to justify leaving stability for. If she took Natalie up on her offer, she would have a steady check, tips and free days to pursue other clients. But then she wouldn’t be with Victor anymore. If they had a future together, it could prove as much of a dilemma as her decisions now were. They may have put their jobs in jeopardy by moving past the realm of friendship and into the arms of lovers. Maybe leaving the precinct was the best thing for both of them, though she was having a difficult time rationalizing exactly how.

The ringing of the back-door bell caused Emalee to jump in alarm. It was nearly four o’clock in the morning. Nobody in their right mind would be out this time of day. She slipped into her bedroom and removed the gun she had started carrying a few days ago from its holster, and walked through the kitchen to the door, just as the bell rang again.

“Who is it?” she asked through the barrier.

“It’s your partner,” Victor said softly. “Open up.”

Slowly, she unlocked the deadbolt and pulled it open, stepping aside as the large frame of the man, who had occupied her mind the past several hours, walked in. He smiled when he saw her standing on the other side of the door, gun in hand, and her hair damp around her shoulders.

“Can I come in or should I leave with my ass intact?” he asked with a chuckle as she closed the door behind him and locked it.

“Most sane people don’t go knocking on doors at 4 A.M.”

“Most sane people are in bed at 4 A.M.”

“What do you want Victor? It’s late and I’m tired.”

She walked back into her bedroom and returned her gun to its hiding place, before turning back to find him sitting on the edge of her bed.

“I didn’t want to go home with this hanging between us,” he said softly.

“With what hanging between us?” she asked with a frown.

“What happened this afternoon has us both thinking in different directions. I know you said you had no regrets, but that was then. I saw the way you looked at me tonight, or rather the way you looked away. Every time I would catch you watching me, you’d stop. It made me feel like you’re having second thoughts after all.”

“I’m not regretting what happened, Victor. I’m just confused.”

“About what?” he asked, reaching out and pulling her by the hand until she was sitting next to him.

“This could be detrimental to our jobs,” she said sadly. “I don’t want it to come between our friendship either.”

“Do you want to go back to the way we were? Forget everything that happened?”

“No,” she answered honestly.

“Then do you want to stay where we are, wondering what’s next, hoping for an answer that may never come?”

“No,” she said again.

“Then that only leaves moving forward. We made love, and I’m not going to forget it for a very long time. I will never regret it, and to be completely honest, I wouldn’t mind a repeat performance. I don’t care what happens to our jobs, we’ll survive. I don’t want to pretend this never happened. I’ve tried for three long years to keep my distance from you, but I always knew we’d end up together somehow. Now that we have, I find myself wanting more. You give me hope of a future I never imagined I’d have. I don’t know what’s going to happen a year from now, or even a month, all I know is right now we’re together and I don’t want it to end.”

“Do you mean that?”

“I’ve never been more serious about anything in my life.”

“Then maybe we should just pick up where we left off and see where it leads us.”

“Sounds good to me,” he smiled, kissing her lips with such passion she felt the tingle all the way down to her toes. “Unfortunately, as you said, it’s late and I need a shower. Can I stay the night? I promise to make it up to you in the morning.”

“I’ll bring you a dry towel and there’s an extra toothbrush in the drawer.”

Victor chuckled softly as he stood up, pulling her to her feet.

“Give me five minutes to wash the stench of cheap cologne off, and we can talk about what you learned. I have a few tidbits that might prove interesting as well.”

“Natalie gave me a copy of Gotum’s and Derek’s private dances from their last week. I’m hoping there’s something in them that will put us on the right path,” Emalee said a little while later, as they stretched out on her bed, reviewing the photos of the evening’s events.

“I was talking to Alex between shows. He’s really worked up over the shooting last night. He said it was his first time at the club and it scared him so bad, he’s not going back, and has decided to not offer private dances at all. The others aren’t far behind Alex. They’re all scared.”

“I talked to Natalie a little bit this evening before the show,” Emalee told him as she closed the computer screen and walked it over to her dresser. “She doesn’t have much respect for Carter.”

“The other dancers feel the same way.”

“Natalie said he started acting like the rooster of the coop while Gotum and Derek were still dancing.”

“I wonder how he would act if Gotum’s death made the news?”

“Nice idea,” he told her, as she walked back to the bed and crawled under the covers beside him. “We can arrange to have Natalie announce it tomorrow at rehearsals and watch the reactions of the customers as well as the employees. I’ll call her later and present the idea. So far, the news of Gotum’s death hasn’t made the papers because the precinct hasn’t released a statement. We can have Sweeny do that later this morning. I know the newshounds are going crazy trying to get names and details.”

“Let’s do all that later,” she suggested through a deep yawn. “I’m exhausted and if I don’t get some sleep pretty soon, I’m going to pass out.”

Victor chuckled softly as he pulled her next to him, wrapping his arms around her waist.

“Then sleep it is. I can’t remember the last time I was up this long.”

“I can,” she said with another sleepy yawn. “It was the night I was hired by Sweeny. I couldn’t sleep for two days wondering if I’d chosen the right career path.”

“And how do you feel now?” Victor asked, snuggling under the blankets a little further.

“I’m still not sure. I’m just better rested.”