Chapter 8

"Is Kathy still one of your "ladies?"

"Yeah and still one good looking piece of ass."

"Her movie career?"

"She gave that up a long time ago. Tried porno films a couple of times, but the pay wasn't nearly what she could make workin' for me."

"Turning to another subject, there are stories of pimps hitting, even beating their hookers. Any truth to that?"

"Yeah, but not me. Oh, I may slap a girl around a bit if she tries to short me on a night's take, but I don't beat 'em up. It don't make no sense. You beat a girl up and she can't work. She can't work, you don't make no money, you know what I mean?"

"Do they try to hold out on you very often?"

"Naw, they know it ain't worth it."

"Do you take any of your ladies to your own bed?"

"'Course. That is, the "A" team. The "B" team, naw, not so much."

"Are you afraid of disease?"

"Not with my best girls. I tell 'em all to get checked. The smart ones do. The others ... well..."

"Do you try to protect them?"

"How you mean?"

"Well, you mentioned that Trixie had been beaten pretty badly."

"My best girls always have an escort who keeps just out of sight. They all carry beepers. Somebody tries somethin', they beep him and he's there in seconds."

"And your so-called "B" girls?"

"Not much I can do. They get into a car and drive away with a guy, it's just a chance they take."

"Have any of your other ladies been beaten?"

"About six months ago, Marlene, she worked the streets, went to a hotel room with a guy. The son-of-a-bitch tied her up and beat the crap out of her. And to top it all off, he stiffs her."

"Is she okay?"

"Naw, he done somethin' to her head. She ain't right -- acts funny around her Johns, so I cut her loose."

"Where is she now?"

"Hell if I know. Out on the streets somewhere I 'spose."

"Homeless?"

"Probably. These girls ain't much on makin' it on their own."

"Then why... ?"

"Hey let's talk 'bout somethin' else."

"All right. You mentioned that you seduced or set up both Trixie and Kathy in order to recruit them. Both were naive virgins who fell under your spell."

"Yeah, fell under my spell. I like that."

"How about others? Do any of your other ladies come from a different background?"

"Oh sure. Let's see, there's April. College girl. She works for me mostly during the summer between semesters, but sometimes when there's a big event in town she helps out on the weekend."

"How did she come to work for you?"

"She needed the money for college, heard that hookin' paid good money so she decided to try it on her own. But about the only trade she knew were college kids who didn't have much money. One night she ran into one of my girls at a bar and they got to talking. She complained that she couldn't get hooked up with the right clients, so my girl said she should call me. She did and we met. She is one nice piece of ass. Anyway, she said she wanted to work weekends and summers and while she didn't care for the split, I told her with my connections she'd get enough business to make us both a lot money. She agreed and she's been workin' for me for the last year and a half."

"She one of your "A" team?"

"Definitely. Great body and best legs I've ever seen. Screws like a minx. If I was goin' to recommend just one of my girls to give you the fuck of your life, it'd be April."