Everyone Has Secrets

Chapter 2-3

I shut down my computer, tapping my fingers together as I leaned back, deep in thought. I had the information I needed from the club, linking Saunders to the name he used when he visited there—which turned out to be one to three times a month for the last six months. He was definitely a regular.

But I needed more. I needed visual proof, and the only way to get that was to stake out the club’s private entrance which unfortunately—from my perspective—was through a restaurant on the next block. In years past, when the building housing the club was first built, it had been a bordello. Just like today, there were people who preferred not to be seen entering, so secret tunnels were built from it to three of the city’s major hotels. Two of them were subsequently filled in when new construction took place in the area. Most of the third was as well, except the part running under the alley from the club to the restaurant, which was owned by the club through a holding company.

I knew the restaurant end of the tunnel was in the basement, next to a storage area. However, it’s well secured and watched by trusted security guards. I had to find a legitimate excuse to be down there when Saunders made use of it. Or better yet, it occurred to me, to be at the club’s end when he exited the tunnel into the room housing the stairs to the club’s second floor. That, I might be able to pull off.

I dressed for the evening in slacks, a blue dress shirt, and tie, topped by an overcoat since the weather was turning colder by the day. I also added one accessory—the reason for the tie—a miniature camera masquerading as a tie clip.

I figured the chances were slim Saunders would be there, but I still needed to scope out where I could be when he arrived at the club. On the second floor wasn’t an option. Sure, I could do as Alan had, and pretend to be killing time by talking to Marcus. Or I could hang out in the lounge used by the men who were waiting for their companions to arrive. But every night? That would be more than suspicious.

My best bet, I decided, was on the first floor landing, since the basement entrance was as well secured as the one in the restaurant, including a security guard. I had one thing working for me. There were no cameras, overt or hidden, anywhere along the route the special members took into the club. That meant I wouldn’t be showing up on security monitors any more than they would.

“Coming straight from work, Mr. Colton?” the doorman asked when I took off my overcoat after entering the club.

“Yep. How did you know?”

“You don’t normally wear a tie. In fact, it seems to me you once said you hate the things.”

“I do. But I had a dinner meeting with an important client an hour ago and was too lazy to go home and change.” I left my coat in the cloakroom and headed to the bar, where I got a scotch on the rocks. Then I wandered into the back room which has a dance floor, surrounded by tables for two.

There were several men at the tables, either together or in a few cases alone. Some of the singles I knew, a couple of them I didn’t. I stopped to chat with Bill, one of my occasional bed partners when we were both here and wanted someone to go home with. Or take upstairs, which I might have suggested, if I wasn’t at the club for another reason entirely.

A young man sitting across the room, and apparently on his own, caught my eye. Bill picked up on it and chuckled. “He’s new, and from what I can tell, pretty shy. He looks, but when anyone approaches him, he shakes his head. No clue why he bothers coming here, with that attitude.”

That was intriguing, but again, nothing I was willing to explore right then. Leaving the room, I made my way to the upstairs foyer. Marcus greeted me, asking if I was waiting for someone.

“Nope,” I replied. “Just bored but not ready to head home yet. Who knows who’ll show up later?”

“True, that. Take a load off.” He gestured to the chair by his desk. “It’s been slow, so I wouldn’t mind some company.”

“No special members hooking up?” I asked with a knowing look.

“Now that would be telling. Actually, not tonight. Your friend Jeff Jefferson was in last night.”

“Damn. I missed him.” I sighed dramatically and he laughed.

At that point, it got a little busy as two couples came up from downstairs. I stepped back to let Marcus do his thing and somehow ended up in the lounge, and then by the door leading to the stairway going down to the tunnel. Taking a quick glance to be certain Marcus wasn’t checking on me, I opened the door and made my way down to the landing. As with the rest of the building, it had ornate crown molding and waist high wainscoting. I touched my tie clip to take several shots of them because I had an idea which might save me from a great deal of hanging around where I wasn’t really supposed to be.

I quickly returned to the second floor, easing the door open to see what Marcus was doing—which was talking to the second couple, pointing to the room that would be theirs until they were ready to vacate it. I took advantage of that to come back into the foyer, quietly closing the door behind me. After spending a few more minutes chatting with Marcus, I left—both the second floor and the club.

* * * *

I returned the next evening, much more casually dressed in slacks and a turtleneck under an open shirt. As usual, I stopped at the bar to get my scotch before finding a vacant table. I ordered a light supper, chatting with a couple of men I knew while I ate. Alan appeared but he was with someone else so we only nodded to each other before the pair found a table across the room from me.

Done with my supper, I ordered another scotch and sipped it while watching the stairs. When three couples, including Alan and his companion headed up, I followed. Marcus had his hands full, and the lounge was vacant, which made it easy to get to the stairs leading down to the landing without him or the others noticing. Keeping an ear open for the sounds of anyone approaching from either direction, I spent the next few minutes setting up the two miniature Wi-Fi cameras I’d brought with me. They would send any images straight to my iPhone and, since they were motion activated, I wouldn’t have to worry about them dying on me at the wrong moment.

Now it would be wait and hope. Given what I’d found out about how often Saunders visited the club, it shouldn’t be more than a matter of days until I caught him on camera.

It turned out to be the following Friday, and I was at the club when he arrived.

My phone let me know whenever the cameras were activated. When it vibrated this time, I took a quick look and was rewarded with a photo of a lewdly smiling Mr. Saunders as he came onto the landing with a companion. A second later, there was another one of them kissing.

Luckily, I was alone at the time, sitting at the bar. Taking my drink with me, I made my way upstairs, arriving just as they did. When Marcus went into the lounge to greet them, I was in a position to see Saunders, who had his arm wrapped tightly around the waist of the much younger man with him. Feigning a phone call, I activated the phone’s camera, taking several shots of the two men—including one of them entering the room that they’d be using, off to the right side of the lounge. I put the phone back in my pocket just as Marcus came back into the foyer, casting a questioning glance my way. I told him the call had been from a guy I was supposed to be meeting who had finally arrived. I got a nod in reply as I headed downstairs.