Chapter 6

At her desk, Sarah laid down the robbery file, took the Tammy Cameron file from her drawer and opened it. She stared for several seconds at the lovely face smiling back at her from the photo. God, she's beautiful, thought the detective.

"Still got the hots for her, eh?" smiled Banks as he walked up from behind.

Caught by surprise, Sarah was a bit flustered as she quickly closed the folder. "Uh, just wondering if we missed anything."

"Uh huh. I'd say you're missing her all right," he chuckled.

"Frank, you promised no more..."

"Yeah, okay but I still say a woman as fine looking as you is sure wasting it by only giving it to other women."

"Who I choose to spend my time with is my business."

"Sure, sure, whatever you say."

Slowly, she withdrew the file and reopened it. "You know, the more I read this file the more I'm inclined to believe the husband. There just isn't anything here to indicate that she ever went out on him or that she wasn't happy with him."

"Sometimes they keep it under wraps. You women tend to keep everything inside."

"How would you know?"

"Hey, three marriages, three divorces. I've got the track record to know what makes a woman tick."

"I'd say you've got the track record to prove you don't have a clue as to what makes a woman tick."

"Touché," he smiled. "But you know the LT. said we couldn't put any more time in on that case with these four burglaries and two armed robberies still open."

"Yes, I know. It's just that -- well, the husband seems a decent sort and from what I've been able to find out about her, she is too. I know that the evidence is overwhelming that she simply took off with another man, yet something just doesn't seem to add up."

"Well, if you're gonna stay with it, you're gonna have to do it on your own time. We're supposed to be on our way to that liquor store robbery scene right now."

"Okay, let's roll," she said grabbing her jacket. But as they walked out the door her mind was still on that face -- the most beautiful she had ever seen.

The chateau was high in the French Alps, a massive stone structure forbidding on the outside but warm and welcoming throughout the interior. The rooms were large and many. Erik, Elena and Ebonita had been met at the door by an aged butler who had taken their wraps and shown them to the great room where the "exhibition" was to be held. Erik, splendid in his tuxedo escorted Elena, elegant in a velvet gown of royal blue and bejeweled necklace, her arm in his. Ebonita followed behind, wearing a silk floor length gown, stiletto heels and nothing else, silently awed by the splendor of the mansion.

As they entered the huge high ceilinged great room, three things caught her immediate attention: First, in additional to the tuxedos, the elegance of the gowns the woman wore who were obviously collectors or wives of collectors. This was obviously an occasion for flaunting their wealth and prestige. She and Larry had attended the opera and other formal affairs, but never had she encountered such opulence as there was here. The gowns were magnificent and the accumulated value of the jewelry would have been in the millions.

The second was the pedestals. Standing perhaps a foot and a half high, each of the twelve Roman columned pedestals was topped by a small platform just large enough for a person to stand upon. The pedestals were empty at the moment awaiting their exhibits. Although there were a few scattered works of art on the walls, Ebonita searched vainly for an art exhibit of any kind.

The third thing to catch her attention were the pets. Standing in subdued obedience behind or to the side of each of the collectors were some of the most beautiful women Ebonita had ever seen. All were dressed in heels, a floor length gown and collar. The collectors and their spouses were in small groups, a total of perhaps twenty. All were being served drinks and engaged in small talk, occasionally engaging a pet for a brief comment then directing their attention and responses back to the other collectors.

A handsome man in his mid thirties approached Erik and Elena, a warm broad smile filling his face.

"Ah, Erik, Elena, how nice to see you. Welcome to my chateau."

"Pierre, darling," said Elena, "how sweet of you to host the pre-tournament exhibit this year."

"Actually I would have loved to have hosted much earlier but I have been having extensive renovations done to the house and grounds for the last, let me see, almost two years now. It was only a few weeks ago that the final touches were completed."

"Well, it is quite impressive," opined Erik.

"Thank you my friend," he said but his eyes were already on Ebonita.

"And what have we here? Have you been hiding this visual delight from us?"

"No, she's a new acquisition, with us only a few days actually."

"Are you entering her in the tournament, I hope?"

Erik laughed. "What do you think," he chuckled, "worth playing for?"

Pierre moved to the lovely black his arm going around her, hand starting at her back and moving to her buttocks. Ebonita was decidedly uncomfortable but dared do nothing.

"I dare say she will be the objective of every player's game," smiled the Frenchman.

"You are a decidedly beautiful woman," he said to her seductively.

" ... Thank ... thank you," replied Ebonita hesitantly, not sure how Erik or Elena would wish her to respond.

"Hmmmm, very well trained. Yes, I predict she will be the hit of the tournament -- although..." He turned and snapped his fingers. Immediately a lovely girl, no more than fifteen, appeared by his side. Her eyes, like those of all the pets, were cast downward, but Ebonita cast a sideward glance and noted their intense emerald green, a perfect complement to the girl's golden honey hair and well tanned skin.

"May I introduce you to Francesca, a little something I picked up in Australia not long ago."

"Hello my dear," said Elena taking the girl's chin in her hand and forcing her to look the older woman in the eyes.

"How do you do ma'am," stuttered the girl, her eyes darting to Pierre in fear and uncertainty.

"Are you good, Francesca?"

"Ma'am?"

"Are you good? In bed?"

The girl reddened.

"I ... I ... Pierre says I am."

"As a matter of fact, quite good, for one so young." rejoined the Frenchman. "Don't let her tender age fool you, however. As you shall see her body is a delight to both look at and partake of."

"Well, then I think this tournament may be quite enjoyable," laughed Erik.

Pierre looked back toward the arched entry door, noting an older woman entering leading a young woman of swarthy complexion and amazon physique. Her hair was coal black, hers eyes of the same ebony color. Prominent cheekbones and deep set eyes gave the attractive woman an air of mystery. But at six feet one and sporting a body builder's physique, she commanded the attention of all.

"Ah, Coleen has arrived at last.," said Pierre. 'We shall begin the exhibition shortly."

"What will it be this year?" laughed Elena.

"Coleen does make it a habit to shock us, doesn't she? chuckled Pierre. 'I suppose we shall see."

Although waiters had made their way through the guests serving drinks and hors d'oeuvres earlier, the pets now took over that duty and, over the next hour or so, Ebonita met each of the eleven other collectors, spouses and their pets. Although all the captive women were indeed beautiful, Ebonita drew the most attention garnering a number of gentle caresses as well as several second looks and some outright stares. She was briefly engaged in conversation as well, her wit and education impressing the collectors.

Erik and Elena circulated as well, making sure they greeted each of the other eleven collectors and those whose wives or husbands were with them. Each had brought a most attractive pet, some of whom in which Erik and Elena showed interest.

At last Pierre stepped to the center of the room and held up his hands for everyone's attention.

"My gracious friends, I hope you are enjoying yourselves!" There was a round of polite applause. "I think the time has come for the most enjoyable part of the evening!" Laughter and more applause. "Each of us has brought our entry for the tournament. You have had a chance to meet them. Now we shall see exactly what we shall be playing for!"

Erik and Elena had found Ebonita and now stood behind her and close to one of the pedestals. As the other collectors did the same, Erik indicated to Ebonita that she was to step up onto the pedestal. This she did. When all the pets were atop the pedestals, Pierre smiled broadly. "Now if you will please display your entry!"

Ebonita suddenly knew what Pierre meant. Elena flicked her finger toward the robe and hesitantly the lovely black woman untied the small ribbon at the neck and the gown first fell open and then slithered from her to the floor. Ebonita, as did each of the eleven other pets, except for the heels, now stood naked and on display. There were a few "oohs" and "ahhs" from the collectors as the gowns fell away revealing an exhibit of feminine beauty the likes of which were to be found nowhere else in the world.

Titters rose from the assemblage when Coleen's entry dropped her gown to reveal a full fledged penis growing between her legs. There was even laughter as the appendage, at Coleen's urging, reached full erection.

But having appeared in many a beauty contest, Ebonita knew how to strike a pose and although she was decidedly uncomfortable with her nudity, her professional stance and seeming assurance as well as her physique made her the instant center of attention.

"What lines! What elegance!" said one woman as she and her husband stopped to admire Erik and Elena's pet. For the next hour and a half the servants again served drinks as the collectors circulated among the entries. Elena had told Ebonita that one purpose of the exhibit was so the collectors could determine which of the pets they would keep if they won and which would be sold or traded. Erik and Elena had told her they would probably keep no more than three of their trophies if they could repeat as champions. She kept her head high, looking out over the room, trying not to establish eye contact. An older man stopped to ask if Ebonita had ever been to Denmark. When she answered no, he smiled and assured her that if he won her she would be residing there for some time to come and how much he was looking forward to it.

About every ten minutes, Ebonita would change poses to prevent her muscles from tiring or cramping. She cast a few glances about the room and noted the other pets also rising above the crowd of onlookers. All were beautiful including Coleen's entry who, despite her unusual appendage, was otherwise every inch a curvaceous and alluring female. Ebonita had heard of both transvestites, biological men who groomed themselves and dressed as, as well as assuming the mannerisms of women. She had also heard they often underwent surgery to acquire breasts and even in the most extreme cases have their penises removed. Then there were hermaphrodites who were actually born with both male and female sex organs.