Chapter 9: Northern Passage

Arrangements during the first meeting of the PIs promised L would follow Joe and Marta without them stopping first at the office. She wanted discretion if the car was followed. Once outside the environs of Chicago, she'd pass them if she spotted a tail. Evidently no tail existed.

Marta couldn't have been more surprised by Joe's car. In fact she and Mary had passed it when they searched for him at the curb. He had to step out and yell and wave.

A 1966 cherry red Mustang convertible with a black soft top ("It's most inconvenient attribute when the weather turns cold," explained Joe.), it had been his father's pride and joy until illness prevented his driving. Joe and a greaser friend, one of several examples of Joe crossing the clique threshold in high school, worked on it to keep it in shape. Larry showed Joe the workings of motors circa mid-sixties and the specifics of the Ford. Joe kept it in the cheapest parking garage he could find in the vicinity of his apartment, still exorbitant to his small town/smallish city experience, taking it out for a drive once or twice a week and tinkering with it every couple of months. A chick magnet for Roger who borrowed it many times leaving his unimpressive Honda at home, Joe never used it that way. He met his girlfriends and had his rare one night stands established before the car came into the equation, but it impressed them.

It impressed Marta and Mary.

"Wow," said Marta taking shotgun.

"Cool," said Mary crawling into the back seat.

"Welcome inside the Beautiful Beast or Beau Bête."

"Bobbette?" inquired Mary.

"Beautiful Beast in French," Marta decoded.

"Sorry about the pretentiousness."

"It's cute. You're cute, isn't he Mary?"

"Kind of," Mary waffled.

Discussing the car brought Joe's parents into the conversation. His father's struggles and the heroic altering of his and his wife's lives because of it gave Mary a more positive view of both Joe and Roger.

The car also brought Roger in. "I had to air it out after Roger borrowed it. It reeked of sex. He couldn't bring the girl home because of his girlfriend and if they couldn't head to the chick's room, they only had Beau Bête."

"I hope he didn't leave any condoms," said Mary.

"No, and I provided him with a blanket for the back seat which he insisted on cleaning."

"I don't mind his cheating," said Mary. "He's handsome and exudes a sexy self-confidence. And being in a constant libidinous state, why stifle it?"

"What about Carol?" asked Joe.

"Who's Carol?"

"His longtime girlfriend. They were together since high school with a seemingly unbreakable bond of love despite Roger's predilection for diversity."

"What's she like?" asked Mary.

"Pretty. Golden blonde hair. Petite. A real Upper Midwestern type. Tons of energy. She's starting medical school a year ahead and works as an administrative assistant at Hennepin County Medical Center after classes. I think she sees herself as chief intern down the road."

"Ambitious like you," said Marta.

"And unlike Roger."

"You two sound like you should be together," Marta suggested.

"Perhaps opposites do attract. I love her but not sexually. We get along well, a lot more comfortably than my brother and I. I'm the one she calls to vent the really deep shit she can't tell her family or Roger. That's how I heard about Roger and her best friend."

"He went too far," explained Marta.

"Did she know about the other women?"

"Not with complete certainty. She tried getting me to tell, but I refused. Whenever she attempted extracting the truth from me, I told her I couldn't become the axe cleaving their relationship. I think she knew."

"So how'd she find out after all his other infidelities?" asked Mary.

"Too close to home. She went on a field trip of sorts visiting unique clinics in Iowa and Illinois. She got lonely and horny one night and tried getting a hold of Roger. When he never answered or returned her call, she called her friend and heard Roger telling her friend in a way only Roger would to hang up and fuck him."

"That'll do it," said Marta.

"Is she better off?"

"I'm not sure. She called me the same night and cried and vented and threatened to drive to Chicago for a revenge fuck..."

"You wouldn't have kicked her out of bed," suggested Marta.

"It'd be like fucking my sister. It did get a little incestuous though. We had phone sex."

"Good for you," said Mary. Marta frowned at her. "Joe said she was horny!"

"You're right," Marta said with a chuckle. "Good for you Joe."

"It seemed to help. She seemed ready to sleep afterwards. But I haven't heard from her since."

"I see Roger and me sort of like you and Carol," Mary pondered. "We're a lot alike. I can talk to him. Mostly so far it's been pretty superficial, but I can imagine us getting down to the nitty gritty, especially since my ventee seems otherwise occupied."

"You know you can talk to me anytime," said Marta.

"Unless you're making love to the tall drink of water here."

"With you joining us as much as possible. And after our libidos become sated, in that lovely relaxed loving space, there's room for talk about anything and everything."

Conversation ended for several miles rolling north on the highway. "How do you feel about us, Joe?" Mary finally asked, leaning forward and watching him. "About what we do?"

Joe took a deep breath. "Not a question I want to answer." He looked at Marta who expressed her fear of what he might say. She thought about preventing his response but decided to listen. "I've never paid for sex, at least not directly."

"Very good Joe," said Mary with a brief chuckle. "Women whore themselves in many ways and men willingly pay."

"I never had a relationship based solely on my getting my rocks off and her benefitting from it monetarily. You are the first women I know of who survived on such relationships. It's therefore something I can only imagine."

"Maybe we should hire someone for Joe," suggested Mary.

"Maybe," said Marta. "Someone we don't know. Maybe a Backpages ad."

"Joe has to choose."

"Of course."

"And it has to be an incall, preferably a motel room; somewhere he can't be too comfortable."

"We'll let him use our review account to make sure she's got a good track record."

"Will there be a computer?"

"Probably my brother's."

"You guys are kidding, right?" asked Joe.

"No!" they stated simultaneously.

"Okay."

"You're too easy," said Marta.

"You're right though. I need some insight. It's not like I need the sex."

"He's definitely not Roger," said Mary joining in on a group laugh.

They took a detour to Beloit, directed by Marta. "I remember an internet coffee house. I bet it's got Wi-Fi. If we set something up in Milwaukee, it would be in the afternoon, a little earlier than now and the girl most likely would be available. Otherwise we'd be trying to make contact late."

"It could be the girl won't want a day ahead appointment," Mary pointed out.

"A lot of the better ones do. If not, we can at least shop."

The place indeed had set up Wi-Fi. Neither Mary nor Marta wanted the tether of the internet which functioned as ad placement and occasional e-mail appointments for their escort business. Marta knew Joe needed the tether, especially playing hooky from work. They found a corner table near a wall to keep nosy students from gleaning their intentions, preventing Joe's embarrassment. With naked ladies popping up on the screen, the most privacy possible seemed warranted. Sitting with their various coffee concoctions and light baked snacks, Joe booted up, the women leaning over to view the screen, Marta placing her hand casually between Joe's thighs, her wrist resting against the developing bulge. Mary extracted her little black brain book and found the addresses and the password needed to begin the hunt.

A couple minutes after, L joined them. She introduced herself to Mary, glancing at both Marta and Joe with subtle wonder. Marta mouthed "best friend," and shrugged. L nodded.

"What's going on?" asked Mary. Marta began explaining, but L stopped her before she started.

"Let me," L said. She glanced around the space and found students. No one looked suspicious. Nevertheless she whispered only to have Mary in full throat say, "Cool! A real PI! I love the Warshawski stories!"

"That's fiction dear."

"Of course, but I bet you've got some stories to tell."

"I suppose."

"How did you start?"

"My dad."

"Oh," Mary sighed with disappointment.

"You really are interested!"

"It's a mind puzzle. I figure it out and observe how the plot gets there. It's an easy exercise instead of the more challenging philosophy I like to puzzle through."

Imagining working with this luscious black haired woman turned L on. Whispering brought her close. "You smell nice," L whispered.

"You do too," Mary replied surprised. She surveyed the petite woman and enjoyed the tour. "You should remove your jacket. It's warm in here." The view got better. Mary could see the well filled scarlet bra beneath the light beige blouse. "Nice. So tell me what's going on." A steady throb of excitement shared by both women centered between their thighs didn't distract Mary enough to miss L's words.

Meanwhile Joe hunted for women, Marta scooting beside him. Not interested in them sexually, Marta gave a clinic to Joe about visual subterfuge; diverting him from many he considered. "They're not going to hold a candle to you, Marta," Joe commented.

"Thanks lover, but I want you to enjoy the experience and not be disappointed. It's not that they have to be particularly beautiful. But being tricky and disappointing a john right off portends of further deceit and disappointment."

"So you're not trying to fend me off meeting a potential rival, because..."

"I know my love. I really do want you to enjoy it."

When Mary explained to L what the two were doing, L chuckled. "That's a unique way to keep a man."