Wine and other Goods 2

The house where Laya had her flat was at the beginning of an area restricted to cars, meaning she would have to walk the last 200 yards. Noticing that her guest was uneasy with that. Verena Beil offered to accompany her.

»If you allow me to use your bathroom, we are even!«, she added with a smile, and Laya offered to prepare some tea, too.

»Best of India?«

»Best of Ceylon«, Laya replied, having been mistaken for an Indian once to often to still bother. At her flat, she apologized for it being messy, but the Policewoman didn’t seem to care. Whilst she was in the bathroom, Laya prepared some tea and provisionally cleaned up the kitchen table.

Verena had taken off her coat, and Laya, who had assumed that she was rather petite, noticed that the Policewoman was in fact rather athletic and quite busty. Even with her high-heeled boots, she was just as tall as Laya with her 5’4’’.

»If you let it steep for another three minutes, it has got a soothing effect!«, Laya explained, handing a filled cup to her guest. Verena thanked her and brushed through her blonde bob.

»If so, I will come to you every evening!«, Verena joked, and Laya replied:

»Your boyfriend would soon become jealous!«

Verena giggled, but there was a wistful glance in her dark blue eyes. Laya didn’t dare to ask, but she guessed that Verena either didn’t have a special someone or had some relationship issues.

They chatted a bit about Laya’s work, and it was obvious that Verena wanted to get a few hints if there were irregularities in Luna Carstens’ company Laya had noticed.

»I am only working there for two months, and so far, it looks as if Mrs. Carstens is just struggling to both modernize the accounting and to get access to the Asian market!«

Before Verena could ask, she added:

»Maybe, that’s one reason why I got the job! After all, I speak Tamil and Sinhala, and Sri Lanka definitely would be a new market, though I doubt that there are too many wine drinkers!«

Nevertheless, the idea of having to put on a Dirndl to promote wine at her birth country amused Laya. Verena finished her tea and told Laya to lock her door, though she doubted that the burglars would come for her.

Laya followed the advice, and though it was a warm night, she also kept her bedroom window closed.

***

Verena felt a bit guilty on her way back to her car. Not because she had tried to grill Laya a bit about her employer, for that had been obvious. The reason for her concerns rested in the inner pocket of her coat.

At Laya’s bathroom, she had noticed the overstuffed laundry hamper, indicating that the overworked girl had little time for household errands. Verena had chosen something small enough to fit into the small evidence bag, and something Laya would most likely not miss. For a third reason, she had chosen a pair of panties.

Verena looked at her watch; it was close to two am. So, it was likely that Dr. Gabelstein would still be at the forensics institute.

 Erik Gabelstein was not only a night owl, he was also a genius when it came to securing evidence and to draw conclusions – and he was a pervert. He did his official work excellent, but it was an open secret that female Police Officers could persuade him to do some extra work for them – if they were willing to pay the price.

Verena had used his services twice in the last three years, and in both cases, it had ended with an arrest that had gained her a good reputation, and she guessed she would be Oberkommissarin before her 30th birthday. Now, it would be her third dive into the abyss.

As she had guessed, there was light at the lab, and when she knocked at the window, Dr. Gabelstein opened the door.

»Ah, my favourite criminal investigator! What an honour in the blackest hours of the night!«

When he helped her out of her coat, Verena felt his eyes wander over her breasts, and, knowing what she had come for, she put back her shoulders a bit. Then, she handed the evidence bag to the man who raised it to his eyes.

»Is this just for my collection, or do I have to work overtime?«

»The latter! Have you heard about the assault at the Carstens’ Wine Company?«

Gabelstein nodded.

»They sent me a mail that I should check the official evidence by tomorrow! Obviously, someone doubts the official version!«

»That someone’s me!«, Verena replied, »the door wasn’t broken, and the burglars only stole some files of little value! So, I presume that there is more behind it – and perhaps, it was an inside job!«

She briefed the man about the case and her talk with Laya, and Gabelstein agreed that it was indeed a potential scenario: Luna and her accomplices were staging the assault when Laya accidentally stepped in and got involved. However, he didn’t seem too convinced:

»You told me that they humiliated Luna Carstens – opened her blouse, exposed her panties!«

He stopped and smiled, and Verena knew that he was imagining the scene.

»Creepy pervert!«, she thought and forced herself to remember that this man was also a genius and she needed his help.

»In addition, if the accountant hadn’t been able to alert the guard, she would have been tied up like this for eight to ten hours – that’s a bit long for a fake! On the other hand, it would have been even more convincing if she had been found having peed her panties!«

Again, the idea seemed to rather arouse him, and Verena shuddered. Gabelstein suddenly looked serious and asked:

»You are suspecting the other girl, too! That’s why you brought me her panties!«

Verena was surprised, and he raised the evidence bag.

»These are not Luna Carstens’! A posh CEO like her sure wears something lacy and silky, maybe Satin, not these plain white cotton things! It’s like with you, Verena! You are a thong woman!«

»I want you to check for Laya Potu’s DNA, too! I mean, you already have her scarf, but it has soaked Luna Carstens’ sweat, and so, you might want something with – less contaminated traces!«

Gabelstein nodded, and he didn’t even pretend looking elsewhere than her boobs. Verena sighed.

»How much, if you keep the extra information exclusively for me?«

The man scratched his head.

»That’s an easy job, so, the price is low – one minute, skin on skin, plus one of your thongs if I find something that helps you being ahead of the official investigation!«

»Deal!«

Ostentatiously matter-of-factly, she took off her top and unclasped her bra. When she stood topless, she thrust out her breasts, staring at her wristwatch whilst Gabelstein fondled her boobs.

»You are a dirty old man, and you will rot in hell after a life in loneliness!«, she stated whilst she put her bra back on. Gabelstein grinned.

»And yet, you are always coming back to me! Seems that there are places in hell waiting for the two of us!«

***

To her surprise, Laya had managed to fall asleep quite easily, and in the morning, she noticed that it was shortly after 7 am when she woke up. Whilst her coffee ran through the machine, she routinely checked her mails, surprised to find one from Luna Carstens, sent only an hour after she and Verena had left the company that night:

»Dear Miss Potu, please forgive me for contacting you, since I am sure you will take the day off to recover from last night. However, I still have my company to run and therefore, I would be grateful if you could get to the train station and fetch Miss Miura at 9:37 on stage 4! Please, don’t feel obliged to do so, but text me back asap whether you are able to do that for me! Thanks in advance, Luna-Marie Carstens!«

Laya scoffed. The subtext of that mail was a barely veiled order to brush off last night’s ordeal and to fulfil  her duty. She remembered the name: Kaede Miura, a junior executive of a Japanese company distributing European dishes in Japan. Luna was trying to get an exclusive contract for her Riesling, a deal that would grant her 50 Grand annually, quite a sum for a small company like hers.

»Well, as my former boss always said, feeling bad is for pussies!«

So, she sent a message that she would go and pick up the Japanese and took a shower, trying to find an outfit that looked professional. She had one clean business jacket left, and her black skirt more or less matched, though it actually was a bit too tight. Remembering the last night, she did not put on a scarf and chose a decent necklace instead.

In broad daylight, she had no problems to walk the 20 minutes to the station where she still had a few minutes left when she reached stage four. As it was almost mandatory in Germany, the ICE train had a delay.

»I read that in Japan, the conductors apologize if the train is one minute late! I hope that first impression doesn’t set the mood for the negotiations!«

She guessed that a businesswoman would travel first class, and though the train came from Frankfurt, there wouldn’t be too many Asians on board. And indeed, she discovered a woman that looked very much Japanese, pulling a trolley behind her and carrying a handbag and a laptop over her shoulder whilst sipping from a coffee to go. Laya approached her.

»Miss Kaede Miura?«

The woman stopped and looked at her with a questioning smile.

»And you are-«

Laya introduced herself, excusing her boss for not being able to come herself. Kaede Miura’s smile became friendlier, though she still had a slight frown.

»Mrs. Carstens didn’t reply when I asked her whether someone could pick me up! Well, luckily, she didn’t forget about me!«

»Hardly, as she is talking about nothing else but meeting with you for days!«

It was only a slight exaggeration, and Laya thought that the assault had hit Luna harder than she admitted, if she had forgotten to reply to the Japanese’s request. She overplayed the situation by asking whether Miss Miura had had a decent flight and then apologized that she hadn’t come by car and therefore, they would have to go by taxi.

In front of the station, they were approached by a woman that was wearing a chauffeur’s uniform. She lifted her cap and asked in English:

»Do the Ladies need a ride to their hotel?«

Before any of them could answer, she told them that she and her friends were running the »Safety Car Taxi Service«, a service that only transported women, due to the rise of assaults on females. Laya, who had been bound and gagged by two women considered objecting, but Kaede Miura seemed interested and so, they followed the girl in the uniform to an old fashioned Mercedes limousine, and once her guest’s trolley was in the boot, there was no way back.

The backseat of the Mercedes was indeed luxurious, and there was a small tray between Laya and Kaede. On the driver’s seat was another woman in a uniform, and the one who had lured them inside now placed two Champaign glasses on the tray.

»A special service to our first 100 customers! Would you prefer real sparkling wine or an alcohol-free alternative?«

Her slightly offensive friendliness didn’t leave the option of refusing the drink completely and so, since Kaede did so, she chose the alcohol-free version. The woman filled their glasses, and Kaede raised hers.

»Well, to business, both yours and mine! Kanpai!«

She and Laya toasted and took a sip of the drink. Once the woman had turned away, they exchanged a look of mutual understanding: this drink tasted like a mixture of Kool Aid and vinegar.

The car had started, and Laya quickly told the driver which way to go. She thought of doing some drive-by sightseeing advice to Kaede when she noticed that the Japanese was blinking rapidly and covering her mouth with her hand.

»Miss Miura? Are you – huh! – okay?«

Laya felt a sudden rumour in her stomach, and she had a problem in focussing Kaede clearly. She turned towards the passenger seat and wanted to tell the woman to stop when she felt that her tongue became heavy and did no longer obey her.

»Something in – our drinks!«

The shock made her raise, and she clawed her hand into the backrest. A croak came out of her throat, and she saw her vision blur. Then, everything went black.

***

At the Police Department, Verena had a meeting with her colleagues, and the attack on Luna Carstens and her accountant of course was one of the main topics. She referred about the door not having been broken, leaving the assumption of a potential inside job to her colleagues. At 10 am, Dr. Gabelstein appeared and reported about the forensic evidence that so far wasn’t helpful. However, Gabelstein handed her a note that said:

»My office in 30 minutes! Bring the payment, I deserve it!«

Verena’s first reaction was to ball her fist and to curse the creep. However, Gabelstein also was a genius in his field, and her curiosity took over. Five minutes before the date, she rushed into the bathroom and took off her panties, finding the feeling of her jeans without underwear a bit strange as she walked over to Gabelstein’s lab.

»I hope you at least discovered the lair of these two women!«, she snarled as she handed him the garment. Gabelstein let the black thong run through his fingers.

»Mhmm, still warm!«

He let it disappear in the pocket of his lab and told her to sit down.

»Both pairs belong to the same woman – and if you didn’t by a strange coincidence pick someone else’s at Laya Potu’s apartment, she is that woman!«

Gabelstein’s assistant had mentioned it to her before her interview with Luna and Laya, before he had brought the evidence to the forensics: The guard had of course freed the two, and their gags had landed on the floor. However, when collecting the items, the young man had noticed that the damp white ball that had stuffed Luna’s mouth had been a pair of cotton panties.

Verena hadn’t mentioned that detail when speaking to the two women, nor later, during her talk with Laya. Luna had also kept it to herself. Verena guessed that either, she had felt embarrassed about the humiliating gag – or, in her state of panic, she simply hadn’t realized it. Gabelstein chuckled.

»These panties have been worn before! Believe me, she would have noticed what her gag was!«

Verena shuddered with disgust, and once again, she felt the urge to kick this man where it hit the most. He looked at her and asked:

»Now, whom do you want to confront with the terrible truth first? Luna or Laya?«

In Verena’s head, an askew, yet plausible scenario developed: Laya was the accomplice of the two burglars, and for some reason, maybe just as a little revenge for all the overtime, she insisted that they used her panties to shut her CEO up. It would also  explain why Luna had been humiliated far more than Laya.

»Maybe, they had even discussed her plan of using the microphone, and so, it was all just part of the plan! I mean, we still have no clue why they only stole unimportant stuff, but in this scenario, Luna Carstens is off the hook!«

Gabelstein had no objections. Verena decided that she would go and see Luna Carstens. She would bring up the special nature of her gag, but not mention that it had been Laya’s panties; just to see what Luna had to say before Verena would decide what to do about Laya.

She sighed. The Sri Lankan girl had been nice, and if she hadn’t been so hospitable, she would not be able to follow that lead at all.

***

Laya woke up from a chill on her feet, and she wanted to get them under the blanket, but found she couldn’t move her legs properly. She blinked, and she saw that her bedroom carpet had vanished.

»Mhhm?«

Her hands refused to obey when she wanted to wipe her eyes, and then, the terrible truth hit her like a hammer: she was tied to a chair!

Her wrists were cuffed behind the backrest of some upholstered chair that moved when she tried to squirm, and her knees had been bent over the armrests and were tied off there, so her feet were off the ground, and she could only weakly flail her lower legs.

»Uuhmmph! Mmhhmmm!«

For the second time within 24 hours, her lips were sealed by rounds of tape, and something stuffed her mouth. She pushed against the gag with her tongue, for the gag felt different to the scarf: it was scratchier, and it had a strange unpleasant taste. Like-

»Uuhhmmm! Mhhmmmmmm! Hhrrrmmmm!«

With disgust, Laya realized that a pantyhose, a worn pantyhose, had been stuffed into her mouth. Reflexively, she shook her head and tried to get rid of her gag, but to no avail. When she pulled on her bonds, she realized that she had been stripped to her bra and panties.

»Oh my God! What happened? Where are we?«

Like flashes, the memories hit her: the strange female taxi service; the free drink; the fact she and Kaede Miura had been drugged.

Kaede! What had happened to the Japanese? Laya managed to spin around the rolling chair, and her eyes fell on a similar one a few yards away. In it, a petite woman was tied similar to her, and she also was wearing just a plain white bra and matching panties. She was just regaining her consciousness, and when she raised her head, Laya could see the widened eyes of Kaede over a mass of grey duct tape sealing her lips.

For a short while, both women screamed through their gags, but their moans just echoed through the empty room that seemed to be a large cellar, windowless, but with a bright neon light, and with concrete walls and an iron door. Except for their two chairs, it was completely empty.

Exhaustion forced them to pause, and panting, Laya stared at the door, half fearing that one of their kidnappers would enter, half hoping for it, for he, or rather she, could give her an explanation for their ordeal.

A movement caught her attention, and she could see Kaede bring her upper body upwards by straining her legs. The rolling chair shook and moved, and Laya gasped when it almost toppled over. However, the Japanese not only managed to avoid falling, she had also been able to bring her bound wrists over the backrest. Laya half-heartedly tried the same, but her less ideal weight-to-thigh-muscle ratio made her stop quickly. Instead, she watched Kaede’s further struggles.

The Japanese squirmed and twisted, trying to pick on her tied knee. Soon, she was covered with sweat, and she was grunting and wheezing, but with admirable endurance, she finally could loosen the knot.

»Mph!«

Laya gasped and moaned with compassion when the changed position made the chair topple. Kaede landed on the floor, but obviously hadn’t hurt herself. She continued to fight her bonds, and after a few more minutes, her other leg was free, too. Sitting on the floor, Kaede brought her hands to her front and began to unwind the tape from her mouth. She retched as she pulled a beige wad from her mouth, and Laya groaned when she realized that it was her own pantyhose – which meant that most likely, she was forced to chew on Kaede’s.

The Japanese got over to her, and she quickly untied Laya’s knees and helped her to raise from her chair. Once she had ungagged herself, too, they stared at each other, not sure what to say. Kaede finally just asked:

»What now?«

Their prison was very much »you get what you see«, and there was nothing to wear for the scantily clad girls. Maybe except for their pantyhose that had gagged them, but these wouldn’t have added much cover, and in addition, both were appalled by the idea of putting the saliva-soaked garments on again.

They sneaked to the door and pressed their ears against it. There was no sound coming from the other side, and more with desperation than with hope, Laya pressed the handle. To their great surprise, the door wasn’t locked.

Their fear of getting seen by their captors was without reason, for on the other side was just a narrow corridor, as bare as the room. It was only lit by the light from their prison, and the girls sneaked forward until they reached some stairs leading upwards.

»Do you think they are up there?«

Still, neither of them had the slightest idea who »they« were, but what mattered more was what to do as long as they were free and undetected.

»If we are in a cellar, and these stairs lead upwards, then maybe, this is the way out!«, Kaede concluded, and Laya had also not seen any other doors, and the corridor ended here. So, it was either waiting for things to come or trying what was on the other side of the door.

They walked up the stairs and tried the door. It was closed. Laya groaned with despair, but Kaede tried the handle again and meant:

»It has moved one or two millimetres! Maybe, it isn’t locked but just stuck!«

Still, there was the risk they would stumble directly into their captors. However, Laya came to the conclusion that if so, they would be recaptured, but if not, they maybe would be free soon.

So, they got ready and on »Three!«, they threw themselves against the iron door.

It sprang open, and the two girls landed on the floor, entangled in each other. There was a considerable noise around them, cars, music, lots of people, and suddenly, a voice crowed:

»Look! They are just in their underwear!«

***

When Verena reached the Carstens Wine Company, she was directed into a small office by a Luna that seemed quite upset. It turned out that she wasn’t the reason for that.

»I completely forgot that this morning, an important business partner from Japan would arrive! So, no one was at the station, and so far, I haven’t got a message from Miss Miura, nor could I reach her! And I also could not get Miss Potu on the phone! I hope she is okay!«

Luna sounded as if she was rather angry about Laya skipping a day at work than really concerned. Verena frowned. Had Laya become frightened and therefore decided not to show up? Or was she indeed innocent and just needed some time to cope with last night’s attack?

»Mrs. Carstens, I see that I am coming at a bad moment – but I am trying to find the two thugs who broke into your office! So, may I ask a few questions?«

Luna took a deep breath, and she smiled apologetically.

»Sorry, it just seems that everything bad comes at the same moment!«

Verena decided for a direct approach:

»Yesterday, your attackers seemed quite determined to also humiliate you – including by the – peculiar way of gagging you!«

She focussed Luna who took a few deep breaths and gulped before she was able to answer.

»Y-yes! Yes, it was – peculiar!«

Luna wiped her lips, as if she could still taste the strange panties, and then, she seemed determined to no longer hide the terrible details:

»They made a show out of it, you know? Before they – stuffed them into my mouth, they held them to my nose – forced me to smell them!«

She had turned pale, except for two red spots on her cheeks, and Verena felt compassion for Luna. If she was acting, it was worth an Academy Award!

»The thing is – I of course have competitors, but I just can’t think of any real enemies – at least no one who hates me – in such a way!«

Verena wanted to say something when she felt her cell phone vibrate. The display said it was the Police Department. She excused herself and accepted the call. Luna waited discreetly by the window, and when the Policewoman had finished the call, Verena looked as if she had been hit by a bus. With a strange voice, she said:

»The good news is that your guest from Japan showed up! However, there is nothing good about the circumstances!«

***

20 minutes later, Verena and Luna were at the Police Department where a young Officer who seemed slightly amused led them to a room where four people were gathered around a table. A female Officer Verena knew from seeing, both Laya Potu and Kaede Miura, and a fourth woman who was trying to sketch a picture from the description of the two women.

Kaede wore a pair of sweatpants, flip-flops and a white T-Shirt, and Laya sported an oversized sweater to her borrowed pants. The Police had collected a few items from the lost and found box, so they could get provisionally dressed. A medic had looked after them, and now, the Officer was trying to get phantom sketches of the two women who had run the fake taxi service.

Of course, the »Safety Car Taxi Service« had been completely made up, and it turned out that neither Laya nor Kaede had taken much notice of their kidnappers, except for their fancy uniforms. All they could say was that both had been white and one had had either light brown or dark blonde hair whilst the other one had had darker hair.

»That fits a few hundred women just here in Bingen!«

Luna, who had been searching for the right words to say to her employee and her business partner, suddenly stared at the two.

»Oh! My! God!«

She had noticed a detail that so far, neither Laya nor Kaede had realized: each woman was missing one of her earrings.

***

»And you really think that this is a good idea? I mean, I could also check in at a hotel and-«

»It’s the least I can do!«, Luna insisted against Kaede’s protest. Once the formalities had been done, she had insisted that the Japanese would come with her, to stay at her guest room. Luna felt guilty for the attack, though the email to Laya had been sent by a fake account, as it had turned out during the investigations.

»I have an advanced security system, and in addition, you may either chose from my wardrobe or do some online shopping to refresh your clothing, just as you like!«

Despondently, Laya listened to their conversation. Of course, it was nice of Luna to take care of her guest – but in a way, she had it even worse. The kidnappers had not only stolen her clothes, but also her handbag, completely with her wallet, her phone and the keys to her apartment.

»Where are you staying?«, Luna seemed to have read her thoughts. A bit reluctantly, as they were boss and employee, she added:

»I have only one guest room, but if you don’t mind sleeping on the couch, you may prefer staying with us instead of your home – at least until the locks are changed and you have an alarm installed!«

Laya felt too grateful to refuse the offer, and so, Verena drove all three of them back to the Carstens’ Company where they changed for Luna’s car.

Verena looked after them as they left the parking lot. These latest events seemed to suggest that Laya also was innocent – or she was part of what seemed more like a conspiracy of madmen than a real crime.

»If she’s innocent, they are better off at Luna’s place, with the three of them to take care of each other – but if Laya’s not what she seems, she could be the literal Trojan Horse!«

An hour later, Verena, carrying a bulky gym bag, stood at the entrance of Luna Carstens’ house that wasn’t a veritable mansion, but quite big nevertheless. Beside the intercom, she could see the eye of a camera focussing her, and she showed a what she hoped innocent smile.

»Mrs. Carstens, it’s me, Verena Beil! I thought that you might feel even better with some – Police protection!«

After a few moments, the door was unlocked, and Luna awaited her at the door. Verena noticed that she was holding a gun she lowered when she recognized it was indeed Verena and nobody else.

»I am allowed to own a weapon, don’t worry!«

»So am I«, Verena replied with a smile. »Also, since you mentioned your lack of guest rooms, I brought my air mattress and a sleeping bag! It’s almost like a sleepover!«

Luna smirked.

»At my last sleepover, I found out my then best friend had slept with my then boyfriend! Big drama, I can say! Well, at least, that is unlikely to happen again!«

She escorted Verena to the living room where Laya was just busy putting a sheet on a sleeping couch. She seemed rather relieved about Verena’s idea of staying with them.

»The more, the merrier and saver!«, she stated with a forced smile, and to Verena, she looked as innocent as one could be.

»If I find a clue to that case, I will donate Gabelstein my entire panty collection, and I will sign each of it with red lipstick!«, she promised in her thoughts.

***