Catfish

Cat Fish

Mandarina Fish, sat on the balcony of her hotel room. She nursed a glass of Johnny Walker Blue as she watched the sunset on a calm ocean horizon. She was afraid of heights but always wanted to experience the best of things, so she was on the top floor of the greatest hotel in town. Her work took her all over the world and sometimes moving from one town to the next was a blur, but today was different. She was at peace. The world was still. She closed her eyes as a cool breeze struck her face with a gentle brush. She smiled slightly as she felt her flesh prickle with goose bumps. She sat on the balcony wearing nothing but a pair of panties and a thin clear silk robe awaiting company. The excitement and anticipation of it was extremely arousing. She found herself seductively gliding her fingers down her neckline and feeling her body tighten as her desire grew. She was not married and had no children. Her work had become her life. She had started at the age of twenty and it took all her focus but she had grown a multi-million business, in the end. She took another sip from her glass and resolved to herself that her life was better than it ever could have been if she had taken a different path. She did what most other people her age only dreamt of. She could have anything she wanted and in the end that is what she did...

Her ears pricked at the soft knock at the hotel room door. He had arrived!

Mandarina took one last sip of her whiskey and took her time to get up and move to the door. She did not want to seem desperate. She rose up slightly on her tip toes and peered through the peephole in the door. It was not who she expected. She saw a dark handsome looking man standing in the hallway waiting patiently. His eyes were deep and strangely stern. She could see he was well practiced at the waiting game and had to smile to herself at his patience. He was dressed completely in black but she thought it suited his complexion well. He raised his arm to knock again but stopped when she softly said,

“Who is there?”

He smiled as if she could see him, “My name is Andrew.” He said “I would like…”

She didn’t allow him to finish what he was saying as she swished the door open and hung seductively on the edge, “Come in” she cooed.

He eyed out her almost bare body and obeyed her immediately. He walked in slowly and turned around to meet her gaze as she closed the door and slowly clicked the lock of the door, locking it.

She smiled, “Can I offer you a drink?”

“Vodka,” he said.

“Sure. Would you like soda with it?”

“No just a shot of vodka” he replied as his eyes began to move around the room.

Mandarina glided majestically across to the room’s bar which was full to the brim with all types of alcohol. “I don’t see any vodka strangely” she said to him as she gazed at all the bottles.

“Check the freezer,” he replied as he moved around her suite stopping by the balcony.

“Ah yes! You were right it’s in the freezer. Will you bring my glass, it’s on the table there,” she pointed to him in the direction of the open doors of the balcony.

He moved outside and saw tucked to the side was a small glass table with a short tumbler on it. He picked it up and moved closer to her, placing the glass next to a shooter glass she was filling with vodka. He sat down on a bar stool and watched her, as she filled her glass with a recently opened Johnny Walker Blue whiskey. She placed a few ice blocks, in her glass and finally met his gaze.

“To meeting interesting people,” she said and raised her glass.

He picked up the shooter glass with vodka in it and raised it up,

“To you…”

He drowned his shot and tapped the empty glass back down on the counter.

“So, who are you?” He asked as she sipped from her glass.

“Call me Lioness,” she moved out from behind the bar and went to sit down on the couch in the seating area, of the suite.

He followed and sat down on the single-seater, opposite her.

She rolled her eyes slightly, “Why are you sitting so far?”

She patted the couch she was lying on.

He smiled, “One, cannot rush on excellence.” He leaned in a little closer, “Lioness…”

“What is it, you do?” He asked leaning back, moving his eyes around the suite. She drowned her whiskey before she lunged at him. Jumping right on top of his lap and began to kiss him all over. She ran her hands down his sides, wanting to untuck his shirt but stopped when she felt something cold. He quickly rose to his feet, lifting her along with him, using her buttocks to hold her weight up.

“You are so strong!” she whispered, forgetting about the thing she had felt hidden away. He moved quickly to the bedroom, using his foot to powerfully kick the two swing doors open. He dumped her on the bed and watched her stretch out enjoying every moment of it.

“I’m not who you think I am” he said, “Now, if you can just stay in here for the next few minutes, it would make things a lot easier.”

She raised herself on to her elbows and gazed at him confused “What?” “Who are you then?” She began to smile making it a game, “Are you my lion tamer?” She used her one hand to pretend like she was a cat scratching something “Rrrrrrowe” He met her eyes sternly and pulled out a gun from under his shirt, “You definitely are not making this easy.”

Mandarina went white. She could see the gun had a silencer on it and noticed for the first time he had gloves on. “Who are you?” She quickly backtracked on the bed, until she hit the headboard and covered up her naked body.

“I’m not who you were expecting, that is for sure.” He walked over to the bedroom door and checked the lock but there was no locking mechanism. “Well, that’s not good.” He met her frightened gaze, “Don’t have much choice then…” he pointed the gun at her.

“Wait! You don’t have to do this!” She screamed clutching at het silk robe even tighter. “I have no choice. I can’t have any witnesses” he aimed his gun at her again.

“There is always a choice! Surely there is something, I can do? What do you want?”

He met her frightened gaze “I want you, to not be here…” he whispered more to himself than her. Through the balcony there was a faint sound of sirens which distracted him making him look away.

“Stay here.” He barked, before he moved closer to the open balcony door.

Mandarina watched him as he peered out over the balcony looking down and darted her eyes to the front door of the hotel room. If she was quick, she could get out of the room without him noticing. She silently slid off the bed and ran to the door. She popped the lock and swung the door open but was suddenly pulled backwards and the door slammed shut again. She fell hard on the wood floor with a thud and looked wide eyed at Andrew, standing above her. She could see that he was angry.

“You are not making this easy!”

“Why are you here?” She cried, “What do you want from me?”

“I’m not here for you at all! There was someone else meant to be in this suite!” He huffed “How did you get this room anyway?” She gulped air as she spoke, “I bribed the hotel manager…” He narrowed his brow and nodded, “Well, that was a bad idea.”

His attention was drawn again to the sirens outside. Her mind started putting everything together “You are here for the Cat Stone!”

He snapped around at her, “What do you know of it?”

She sunk back down seeing him come closer, “Nothing…”

“No! You know more than you letting on!” he pointed his finger at her.

“I know that it’s supposedly coming here, secretly, before they move it to the next showing. They have a fake one in its place, right now.” “How do you know this?”

“I went to the grand opening and got the one guard talking to me,” she smiled at him.

“I see,” he held out his hand for her. She took it and he lifted her up effortlessly, clutching her in his arms, but quickly pushed her away. “Could you please put some clothes on.”

She looked down at herself, realising that she was still in nothing but her silk robe. She nodded and went into the bed room about to close the doors, when he grunted making her look at him. “Leave the doors open.”

She said nothing, only nodded, noticing the gun in his hand once again. She went to the wardrobe and took the clothes hanging in them. She looked over her shoulder realising he was still watching her and let the silk robe fall to the ground exposing her almost bare body and slowly got dressed. Once she finished, she turned to see, he had disappeared. He had moved to the balcony and was staring down to the streets below.

“You mean, to steal it?” She asked softly.

He did not turn to look at her, “That was the plan,” he muttered.

She walked over to him and stood by his side, gazing down at the streets below. Right at the foot of the hotel there were blue police lights spinning around noisily. She could see them climb out the cars, looking like ants from her point of view.

“Seems silly that they are making so much noise. They are just drawing attention to themselves”

She said stepping away from the edge of the balcony.

“I’m pretty sure they are not here because of the stone” he said.

“You don’t? Why not?” she asked puzzled.

He turned to meet her questioning gaze, “I made an anonymous call before I came here, saying someone had been murdered.”

Mandarina went wide eyed, “Why would you do that?”

“It is a diversion,” he muttered, “So, now I need to make a choice, because I’m sure they are going to be here very soon.”

“Why would they come here?” she scowled.

“Because, I said the murder happened in this room,” he looked down at his gun.

She went pale with shock.

“You are going to kill me?”

“I was going to kill whoever was in this suite but then you opened the door and well, were nearly naked…” he shook his head angrily, “Now, my plan has been foiled!”

“But why here? Why me?” she cried out.

“The stone is in the room below yours! If the police are focused on this room, I would slip away unnoticed,” he shrugged his shoulders.

“How were you going to get to the room below?” She asked, crossing her arms.

She watched as he went over to a cupboard, in the TV area and pulled out a rope with climbing gear.

“I placed this here a few days ago.”

She contemplated in her head, “Let’s do it!”

“What?”

“I want to help you do it!” she touched his arm.

“Why?” he looked at her strangely, “Why would you help me?”

“It seems fun!” She shrugged her shoulders and grabbed the rope from his hands.

She moved to the balcony and gazed over the edge, “So you were going to abseil down?”

She began to tie the rope around the railing.

“No…No!” he walked over and stopped her. “You are doing it wrong!”

He began to secure the rope at the bottom of the railing and brought the rope over the top from the outside, “We need to climb out, over the edge.”

“We? No…” she shook her head, “I can’t go with you!”

“You said you wanted to help” he started to put on the climbing harness, around his waist.

“I merely meant I would assist you, to get away…not that I would go with” she stepped backwards.

He grabbed her by the arm, his face changing slightly, “This is not a discussion. I can’t leave you here as the police are on their way up. You will tell them the truth!”

She shook her head, “No! No! I won’t, I promise!”

He squeezed her arm a little harder, “Let’s go.”

“But there is only one harness! How am I going to go with you?” she pulled her arm away from his clutches.

He quickly pulled his gun out and pointed it at her, “Don’t move! You will hold onto me. Now let’s go!”

Mandarina froze as she stared at the barrel of the silenced gun.

Andrew hitched the rope to his harness and climbed over the edge of the balcony keeping a close eye on her. He held the rope in one hand and balanced on the edge with his two powerful legs.

He used the gun to motion for her to come closer, “Climb over and put your legs around my waist.”

She walked closer, slowly, “I’m scared of heights!”

“You should have thought about that before you bribed your way into the highest room in the hotel!” He barked at her, “Now, let’s go!”

She reluctantly grabbed the edge of the railing and climbed over fearfully. She swung her legs around his waist and wrapped her arms around his neck, tucking her head into the side of his shoulder.

“Ready?” he asked.

She was about to swear at him when they both heard a knock on the door making her want to scream but couldn’t. She felt her stomach drop, as he pushed off the edge and started abseiling down the side of the building.

She wanted to vomit as he jumped down the building again but stopped abruptly, as she heard a deep voice say “What are you…?”

She heard two faint dart sounds and then a loud thud.

“You must climb off me, now,” Andrew said.

She reluctantly lifted her head and saw they were hovering over the balcony of the room, below her one. Andrew held her hand as she twisted and grabbed for the railing and got pushed over the edge by him using her butt for leverage. She was expecting a hard impact but landed on a man lying face down on the floor. She rolled off the body quickly and looked shocked as she noticed blood dribbling from underneath the body. She darted her eyes at Andrew who had his gun pointed at her. He clambered over the edge, trying to make sure he had her in his sights.

He unhitched his harness and felt down the side of the man’s neck for a pulse.

Mandarina, recognised the guard, when she saw his face and knew by all the blood that he was definitely dead.

Andrew moved past her, putting a finger to his mouth, to show her to be silent. He crept closer to the opening of the balcony, the curtains swishing in the wind slightly. It was eerily dark inside.

Andrew stepped behind the curtain, disappearing into the darkness. Mandarina expected to hear another dead body fall to the ground but after a short moment Andrew poked his head through the curtains, “Come in.”

She got to her feet and moved closer, stepping inside the hotel room. It was very musty inside and there was a smell of smoke in the air. Andrew was standing by the foot of the bed, as she approached. She stopped next to him and saw lying on the bed, was a silver briefcase with a combination lock.

“Do you think it is in there?” she whispered.

“Yes.” He muttered irritably.

“So, how are you going to get it,” she questioned.

He pointed his gun at it ready to fire but she stopped him.

“No! Don’t do that.”

She got to her knees and pulled the case closer. She began to move the numbers around, one by one.

“This is ridiculous! How are you going to get it right? There are probably a million…” He stopped, as the case popped open.

“Ho…How did you do that?”

She opened the case slowly until she saw a glimmer of light from the case and she threw the lid open, revealing a blue diamond.

It was not very big in size, only half a finger in length but it shimmered in the light and it resonated green and pink in the centre. It was mesmerizing! She had only seen it behind a thick glass casing and was not able to see the fine details, as she could right now. The Cat Stone, was named after the woman who it had belonged to. She had many cats living with her before she died, Catriona Fiende. She was a founding Egyptologist in the early nineteen twenties and had made many discoveries during her life time but none outshone the Cat Stone. It was said that it belonged to the pharaoh Ramesses II but it has been disputed a few times. When Catriona had passed away, her grandchildren ripped her house to shreds searching for the diamond ring as it was not part of her will and testament. They eventually found it in a litter box, one of many, that were around her house, for the hundred cats she looked after. Her cats had taken over her life when she had retired but it was quite gruesome when people found her dead body, as her cats, had nibbled on her.

The stone was auctioned off by her grandchildren for an astounding 13 million and was now in a private collection. It was, however, taken out once a year, to be shown around the globe.

“It is beautiful.” Mandarina whispered.

“Yes,” Andrew replied as he reached out to grab it. “We should move, as I don’t know if that guard was alone or not.”

“Eddie?” Mandarina said softly.

“What?” Andrew said, as he did not hear her.

She shook her head, “Nothing. What is the plan?” she rose to her feet looking at him.

“We leave.” He said, as he started to march towards the front door of the hotel room.

Mandarina got to her feet and followed him slowly. She noticed he put the diamond in his pocket before he looked out the peephole of the door.

“Looks clear,” he waved his hand to her, “Let’s go.”

He grabbed her hand and opened the door but stopped in his tracks as a police officer was standing right there. His hand was hovering in the air wanting to knock on the door, before it was opened suddenly.

The policeman was young, with a baby-faced, having thick dark bushy eyebrows hovering over dark green eyes.

The young man smiled, “Good evening. Sorry to bother you folks. There was a prank call and we are just checking with all guests if they heard or saw anything suspicious?”

Andrew’s hand went clammy as he started to stutter slightly, “Err…I’m…Err…”

Mandarina stepped forward, leaning against Andrew, moving her hand along his chest, “Sorry officer my husband and I are just out to go see a show by the theatre.” She shook her head, “But we haven’t heard anything strange, I don’t think. Right, Honey?”

Andrew met her gaze and shook his head while clearing his throat, “No…Nothing suspicious here,” he put on a fake smile.

The officer nodded his head, understandingly but did not move on. He looked silently at Andrew for what seemed an age before he spoke, “You look pale. Are you feeling okay?”

“Oh, yes he is fine,” Mandarina said, “He just ate something last night that has been plaguing him for a while.” She rubbed Andrew’s tummy and shrugged her shoulders, “We are hoping the show will cheer him up.”

“I see,” the young officer replied, “Well, have a great evening.” He bowed his head ever so slightly and moved towards the next room door.

Mandarina pushed Andrew out the door closing it behind them, then started moving as quickly as they could in the opposite way to the police officer.

They froze when the policeman called out to them, “Wait!”

They both turned slowly to meet the young man’s gaze, “What show are you going to see? I’m wanting to take my wife this weekend to go see something.”

Mandarina took a gulp of air, “We are off to watch “To catch a Thief.”

The policeman stepped closer, “To catch a Thief? What is it about?”

She smiled as she felt Andrew want to pull out his gun from his pocket but she forced him to keep it there. “It’s a classic movie about a former thief who gets mixed up in a robbery. You would love it!”

The young police officer smiled, “It sounds like I would, as long as the bad guy gets what’s coming to him.” He kept his gaze on Andrew, “Well, have a good evening and I hope you feel better soon…sir.”

Andrew smiled half-heartedly as he was turned around by Mandarina, “Let’s go,” she whispered to him.

They moved down the passage towards the elevator as the young officer knocked on the next room’s door.

They stopped outside the elevator door and pushed the button to go down. Andrew was extremely nervous. He kept looking at the officer down the passage, “Why is the elevator taking so long?” he pushed the button again.

“Be patient,” Mandarina said to him still holding his one hand in his pocket.

“Why didn’t you tell the cop?” He said to her.

She looked at him, “I suspect, you would have killed him.”

“Yes,” he grimaced.

“Well, that is why I didn’t say anything. You are going to let me go once you are out of here, right?”

He nodded but did not say anything.

The elevator pinged and the two sliding doors slid open.

A sleek looking man stood there in a flower shirt that was half unbuttoned. His hair was shoulder length and greased back revealing deep brown eyes. He sported tan lines around his eyes that suggested he had been in a tanning salon. The man smiled at them as they stepped into the elevator. The two doors closed and Andrew pushed the ground floor button. The elevator started again but headed upwards instead of downwards. It stopped one more floor above and the doors flicked open again. The man walked out and stopped, looking from side to side and gazing at something in his hand, before he chose a direction to go. The two doors closed and Andrew looked at her “Pretty sure that he was the guy you were waiting for. Maybe you can still meet him?” with a smile.

She rolled her eyes, “He was horrid!”

The lift jolted with a start and began to descend. They both stood silently, looking at each other in the mirror of the elevator doors. The lift eventually reached the ground floor and the doors slid open to a bustling main foyer. They moved quickly, out of the lift and made their way towards the swivelling doors, leading out of the hotel. They stopped short, as another old police officer, walked into the hotel. He was very over weight and wheezed as he breathed. He was talking to the radio attached to his shoulder. Andrew pulled Mandarina behind a huge pot plant trying to hide away.

“What are you doing?” Mandarina asked him, “You are almost out of here.”

“Something doesn’t feel right…” he looked around the foyer watching the policeman head towards the lifts.

“You, are almost out of here!” Mandarina said, “Do you want me, to create a diversion?”

He snapped a look at her, “Why would you do that?”

She touched his gun arm gently, “Just go…”

She moved out towards the police officer, “Excuse me sir…”

Andrew did not hesitate he walked as briskly as he could towards the exit.

“Freeze, scum bag!” a voice shouted out in the foyer.

There were screams as Andrew turned slowly to see the young police officer that they had met upstairs. His gun was out and it was aimed at him! The other officer came up beside him, gun pointed at him as well.

“What…seems to be the problem…officer?” Andrew said sweating, his eyes twitching around the foyer.

“You are under arrest!” The young police man shouted, “Take your hands, out of your pockets and kneel down on the floor!”

Andrew contemplated if he could get away but then he saw more police arrive and was completely surrounded. He had no chance.

“Take your hands, out of your pocket and get on your knees!” The officer shouted again as he stepped closer toward Andrew. “Alright. Just keep calm…” Andrew said as he slowly took his fingers off the handle of his gun in his pocket and held his hands up high. He then got to his knees watching the officer come closer to him. “Place your hands behind your head and interlock your fingers.”

Andrew did as he was told and then got pushed face first onto the ground. An officer sat with a knee on top of him and pulled Andrew’s hands behind his back, handcuffing them together. He was then patted down and his gun was pulled out of his pocket. “What have we here?” the young officer said to Andrew. “Where is the woman that was with you? Andrew was silent.

The young officer nodded, “Okay, be that way.” He looked at the other policeman who searched Andrew. “What did you find?” His colleague replied, “He only has a gun on him.” Andrew realized the diamond was not there! “Wait! Are you sure it was only the gun you found?” Andrew’s eyes searched the foyer for Mandarina but she had vanished.

The young officer went right up close to Andrew, almost touching their noses together. “Are you being flippant? Do you know how much trouble you are in? There are two dead bodies upstairs both shot to death. Andrew clenched his jaw, “Two dead bodies?”

“Yes, there was a woman in the top suite found in the hot tub shot twice in the chest. Then in the suite below, a man was found on the balcony of the room, I saw you coming out of with that woman.”

Andrew was silent to the police station.