The Case of The Devil's Octopus

Chasey continued, "Because this Justice of the Word gang is rumored to be a subsidiary of a much larger, more powerful crime syndicate. This syndicate often reaches out to small time gangs like these and promises to share the profits of their illegal activities with the understanding that they never mention any association with the syndicate. These petty gangs are the front line operators for major drug, extortion, and human trafficking enterprises."

"But how do you know all of this?" Yvonne replied perplexed.

"Well my dear, I wouldn't be known as the snoopiest reporter in town if I didn't know this. Suffice it to say I learned of this syndicate and the gang's connection from a very reliable -- and very anonymous -- tipster. It seems this syndicate has been flying under the radar for years in this area. That is, until now."

"You really trust this informant of yours to be telling the truth? Don't get me wrong honey, but it seems a little fantastic that a bunch of drunk yahoos could have the smarts to get tied up with a professional crime syndicate."

Chasey, as she continued direct eye contact with Yvonne, replied in earnest, "I completely agreed with your initial assessment. That is until I confirmed a tip my informant shared with me to prove what that person was saying was indeed true. Last night I followed this tip down to the warehousing district and observed Gary and Eustace unloading wooden crates from their truck onto one of the loading docks. The crates all had some sort of marking on the sides that I could barely make out from the building floodlights they were using to perform their task. From what I could tell the mark looked like a giant octopus with five tentacles. Each tentacle was holding a trident. I was going to get a closer look, but I accidentally kicked a glass bottle as I stepped closer to the corner that I was peering around. The sound got their attention, but they obviously weren't that concerned as they decided to pick up the pace with the unloading. About two minutes later they finished their task, then got in their truck and left."

A knock on the bathroom door broke the spell of Chasey's story. Both ladies looked anxiously at each other, then Chasey turned her head towards the door and told whoever was knocking that the room would be available in a jiffy.

Yvonne, anxious to hear more, replied, "Before we leave, I still don't understand all of the secrecy of you telling me this in person? Do you think they know it was you snooping on them?"

"I can't say for certain," Chasey replied as she adjusted her hair and smoothed out her skirt, "but I did receive an envelope in the mail from an unknown sender today. It contained a black and white photograph of me caught in a pose of snooping around a corner. This picture was from a recent assignment I worked a month ago, and occasionally I receive subtle hints like these from time to time. But it does seem coincidental the timing of the two events."

The knocking on the door came again. This time Chasey opened the door, and then she and Yvonne exited the bathroom one after the other. The person who knocked paid them no mind as she bolted into the bathroom and promptly closed the door. Chasey took Yvonne again by her good arm and proceeded to make their way back to where Lyle was standing (Yvonne saw that he was engaged in conversation with someone who appeared to be dressed as Henry VIII). As they walked Chasey leaned in towards Yvonne's ear and said, "Tomorrow morning I plan on returning to that same loading dock and see what else I can find out."

*****

Yvonne and Chasey returned to where Lyle stood, and he turned to comment on their return. He then introduced them to Charles (the guy, as Yvonne rightly guessed, was dressed as King Henry VIII) and the four of them made small talk until Charles' wife -- she introduced herself as Anita, was dressed as Mary Queen of Scots -- came over to take her husband away to meet another couple at the party. Another five minutes later Chasey excused herself to go mingle with the other party-goers. Yvonne told her that they would probably be leaving soon, and said she would call her tomorrow.

It was another ten minutes or so later that Yvonne and Lyle made their way over to Miss Tina, and thanked her for a lovely party. Yvonne told Tina that her arm was bothering her and she needed to get home and take some pain medicine. Miss Tina went into her bedroom and retrieved their coats. Again Lyle helped Yvonne with her trench coat, buttoning it up so that a portion of her cast extended outside the fabric of the coat. They thanked the hostess again and stepped out into the cool, drizzly evening. Lyle opened the umbrella and held it over his sweetie as they walked home to Yvonne's apartment.

As they walked along the sidewalk Lyle asked, "So what did Chasey tell you? You ladies were in the restroom for quite some time,"

Yvonne, huddled up to her man not just for his company but also to make sure herself and her cast stayed dry, replied, "She told me that she had a big scoop on the guys that attacked me the other night. That she believes those guys are tied into something big."

"Like what exactly?" he said.

"Well, she revealed some confidential information to me. Something that she has not yet proven, but has good reason to believe. I'm sorry darling to be so cryptic, but that is all I can say for now."

"That's okay darling. I understand. A good reporter does not reveal sources or leak information without some level of trust. I would hate to break that trust between you two. However, I am deeply concerned for your safety. How can I help you if I am kept in the dark?"

Yvonne stopped walking, and he did so as well. She then turned to him to meet his gaze, "You are so sweet! Your chivalrous nature is something that I just adore about you. I feel safe around you and want you to be my protector. But I think for right now we should both stay out of the way of Chasey's investigation until she has more solid proof of what she thinks is going on. Does that sound okay with you?"

Lyle leaned in and gave her a peck on the cheek. He then put his arm around her waist and they both resumed walking the remaining block to her apartment before he continued, "I'm okay with that if you are okay with that darling. You mean the world to me and I don't want to see anything else happen to you. Seeing you the other night at the hospital and knowing what happened really burned me up inside. Ever time I look at you and your broken arm I can't help but think about what I would do to those guys if I ever found them alone in a dark alley somewhere."

"Which is exactly why I am asking that you, both of us, stay out of this for the time being Lyle. You are my world too, sweetie. I don't want anything to happen to you either. Based on what Chasey shared with me, those guys who attacked me the other night are very dangerous men not to be trifled with. She is a professional who knows how to work with law enforcement to help bring down the bad guys. Let her do her job and we can assist her as needed."

As she finished her last sentence they arrived at the main door to the apartment building where Yvonne lived. He entered the security code, and a buzzing sound indicated that the main door to the lobby has been unlocked. He opened the door, she entered first followed by him, and then they proceeded to the elevators. An elevator was waiting, and they stepped inside. He pressed the button for the seventeenth floor, the elevator doors shut and the car started its slow, upward journey. As they rode the car he turned to her, "You're right darling. We should let Chasey do what it is she does so well. I promise to keep a level head."

When they arrived at the seventeenth floor, the elevator car doors opened. At first they didn't observe the elderly man standing in front of the elevator doors resting on his cane, but when they did she saw the look of surprise on his face. During the ridiculously slow elevator ride (the only complaint she had with living in this building) Yvonne and Lyle had been in the midst of a serious making out session when the doors opened. They stopped their play, smiled first at each other and then, when they discovered they were putting on a show for an interloper, smiled at the old man as they made their way past him down the hallway to Yvonne's apartment door. They heard the old man offer up some cheesy comment followed by a phlegmy laugh. They turned to see him as he smiled and waved moments before the elevator doors closed.

Lyle unlocked and opened the front door to her apartment. After they both entered, and he closed the door behind them, Yvonne stopped him right there in the foyer before he could go any farther. She looked at him with her best bedroom eyes, gently pushed him against the front door, and with amazing dexterity with her good hand unbuckled his belt, unbuttoned his pants, then pulled his pants down just past his crotch before doing the same with his boxers. While still looking at him with a naughty expression, she got down on her knees, tucked her booted legs underneath herself, and bent over so that she was eye level with his penis. He was hard as a rock with anticipation. With her good hand she stroked his shaft while her tongue flicked the head of his unit. When she saw that he was throbbing with every lick she placed his impressive cock in her mouth. It wasn't until Yvonne became a full time trans woman that she learned the art of fellatio. Since she and Lyle have been together, she had since mastered the art. And this time was no exception judging by the volume and intensity in which he delivered his load into her willing mouth.

*****

The next morning Yvonne told Lyle, who had been staying at her apartment since the accident, that she felt better and was going to call in to work and let them know she felt up to putting in a half shift today. She worked as an assistant manager at a high end clothing boutique that sold both men's and women's clothing. Since her accident her boss told her to take off however much time she needed, and to let him know when she was ready to come back. That morning she called her boss and told him to expect her for the opening shift. Her boss said he was thrilled to hear that she was feeling better and would let the rest of the staff working that morning know. She then asked Lyle to help her get dressed, and to drop her off at work on his way into the office of his place of employ. He agreed with great delight. Yvonne noticed how much he liked to help her get dressed.

Today she decided to wear a coat and tie paired up with a miniskirt and boots. She picked out a light yellow button down shirt matched with a red, black and blue diagonal striped tie, along with a deep navy blue blazer top. Her skirt of choice was her trusty black leather mini with a hemline that came down about three inches below her crotch. Rounding out the ensemble where her silky, suntan pantyhose and a pair of black leather knee high boots that complimented her skirt perfectly. Business on the top, playful on the bottom as Lyle told her once she was dressed. Her cast and sling hung over her tie and the blazer had enough room to drape comfortably over her right shoulder; much like her taupe trench coat.

He dropped her off at work about half an hour before opening time. She was greeted by the floor staff that she would be working with that day. The had thrown a small welcome back party for her, even with short notice, that included pastries and mimosas. Yvonne briefed her staff on the current sales, and the virtues of excellent customer service. She received a brief round of applause, then opened the store for business.

Her shift progressed smoothly considering this was her first day back with her arm in a cast and sling. Her staff graciously helped out with any activities that required lifting and other cumbersome tasks, and she spent her time walking the floor helping out associates with sales and providing clothing and accessory suggestions to customers. She even received a few flirty compliments regarding her outfit (and her sexy legs) from customers, and some of the staff too. It was about ten minutes to go before her shift ended that something happened which caused her otherwise perfect day to become disquieted. Yvonne was at the back of the sales floor helping a customer decided between a couple of evening gowns when one of her sales associates named Marcy approached her with a concerned look on her face.

"Excuse me Yvonne, I hate to interrupt you with a customer, but there is a gentleman at the front counter who wishes to speak with you," Marcy said expectantly. From what Yvonne could tell Marcy seemed unnerved by this person. Ever the professional Yvonne excused herself from her customer, took Marcy by the arm and walked a few paces out of earshot from said customer,

"What is it Marcy? Is there some issue with a transaction that you are unsure about how to handle?" Yvonne said. This was unlike Marcy. She was a good salesperson that could handle just about anything without direct supervision.

"No ma'am," she said, "This gentleman requested to speak with you directly. Only he didn't ask for you by name. He pointed at you and said he wanted to speak to the woman with the broken arm. Do you know him?"

Yvonne shifted her attention from Marcy and looked at the man waiting at the counter. He was a shabbily-dressed man that didn't look like the type of clientele this store catered to. He also seemed to be the fidgety type as he kept looking down at his hands and turning over the object he was holding. He seemed very out of place. She redirected her attention back to Marcy,

"No, never seem him before," she replied. As she said this she smiled at Marcy and continued, "I'll go over and see what he wants. You take over with my customer and help her pick out an evening gown. If after five minutes he is still here talking with me then call mall security. It will be okay, alright?"

She smiled back at Yvonne, and her body language relaxed now that she knew her manager would handle the situation. "Thanks Yvonne, I will." Marcy made her way over to the customer and introduced herself. Yvonne made her way over to the front counter to see what all the fuss was about.

"Welcome to Rogers, Taylor and Cogner. My name is Yvonne. How may I help you sir?"

The gentleman stopped looking down at his hands and looked up into her eyes (he was a short man, never mind the fact that she was six foot two in the heeled boots she was wearing) with an apprehensive expression. He seemed like he was in awe of her and her height. Without saying a word he held up his hand and extended the object to Yvonne, The object in question was a sealed manila envelope. With a puzzled expression Yvonne took the envelope from his hand. After the exchange was completed the funny little man returned his gaze towards the floor and, without uttering a word, proceeded to quickly exit the store.

After watching him leave the store, Yvonne placed the manila envelope on the counter to examine it further. It was a plain brown manila envelope with no markings on it whatsoever. It was glued shut so opening it would be a challenge. She began to clumsily attempt to open it when another associate named Joseph -- an older man in his mid-fifties with beautiful silver hair -- came over and stood next to her.

"Here, let me help you with that Yvonne. So what was that all about anyway?" Joseph said as he took the envelope from her. He walked around to the other side of the counter, opened a drawer, produced a letter opener and then proceeded to run the opener under the glued flap tearing the envelope open at the top seam.

When he finished opening the letter, he handed it back to her. She replied. "I'm not exactly sure Joseph. He came in here to deliver this envelope to me."

"What an odd, little man. Such poor taste in fashion too," he said. Sensing that the situation was under control, and this was probably none of his business anyway, Joseph excused himself to return to the sales floor. Yvonne thanked him for opening the envelope.

As soon as he was gone she fished out the contents. It was a single eight by ten black and white picture. She looked at the photograph, and a sensation of unease washed over her. It was a picture of both her and Chasey taken at last night's costume party. As she stood there transfixed at the still shot, taken around the time she and Chasey were headed towards the restroom, a familiar voice startled her back to reality.

It was Lyle come to pick her up from work at the end of her shift. "Hi darling. How was your day? What is that you have there?"

*****

At first, the drive home was silent. Almost as silent as when Yvonne and Lyle departed from her place of employment. Both were separately dumbstruck by the encounter she had with the mysterious stranger. Neither of them said much in the way of meaningful conversation during the walk from her work to the car, nor during the first few minutes of the drive out of the parking lot. It was Lyle that decided to address the uncomfortable topic before the tension became dramatic.

"Darling, this situation is becoming more than just a little concerning. Especially after what you said last night as we were walking home from the party -- all this hush, hush, top secret stuff that Chasey mentioned to you. I really think that we should go back to the police with this new development and show them the photograph," he said with great earnestness in his voice.

"But what can they do that they are not already doing right now?" she replied as she stared out through the windshield. She knew he was right, but could not help feeling that this was something that needed swift attention. And the police would not be able to react as swiftly as she thought necessary.

"My love, I know that you and Chasey have a strong bond of friendship that goes back before you and I ever met, but this is serious business. I mean to say that I didn't notice anyone at the party that seemed to be spying on us, let alone trying to take unsolicited pictures of either one of us. Do you remember a photographer at the party last night?"

"No, not specifically. Then again I wasn't really paying that much attention. I was more concerned with meeting Chasey than anything else," she replied. Her gaze had dropped from staring out through the windshield to to her broken arm. She idly read some of the autographs prominent to her immediate view, reflected on who signed her cast at the party, when a moment of remembrance came rushing back to her. "Wait a minute... I do remember someone unusual from the party last night."

"Who?" he inquired.

"When Chasey and I stepped into the bathroom, she made a comment to someone who watched us enter together. He was some some guy dressed as a zombie that neither of us recognized. He was wearing heavy makeup so it is not surprising that even if we even remotely knew who he was we were not able to make the distinction. He didn't introduce himself either. But here is the odd thing... when Chasey and I returned from the bathroom I don't remember seeing him again."

"Really? Why didn't you mention this to me before now?" he replied. His response sounded terse, the way a school teacher would reprimand a misbehaving student. They were stopped at a stop light, and she sensed that Lyle had turned his attention to her while waiting for the light to change.

She turned her attention towards him with a somewhat apologetic look on her face and replied, "I'm sorry sweetie. I didn't think much of it. At the time it seemed like a random encounter."

"No, I'm sorry darling. I didn't mean to get upset with you," he said as he first looked into her eyes, and then she saw him looking at her arm. "Do you remember if he was someone who signed your cast?"