Regina quickly put two and two together. It added up to the fact that Rodriguez must be following the same trail she was. He was checking out the names on the murder victim’s list. Regina wondered if he knew about the incompatibility of Aries and “AHH-LOO-OO-OO.” Probably not, she decided. If he had known, he would have eliminated Zelda Quinn from the list of suspects, in which case he wouldn’t be here. Unless, of course, his relationship with Zelda really was unrelated to his professional function.
Strangely, Regina found herself hoping the relationship was strictly business on Rodriguez’ part. She was frank enough to admit to herself that the swarthily handsome detective was attractive to her. But if the feeling was mutual, Rodriguez certainly managed to hide it!
“You’re playing detective again!” he said accusingly. Regina didn’t deny it.
“And without a license!”
The redhead shrugged.
“That’s a felony,” he informed her. “I warned you once. You didn’t listen. Now I’m taking action!” He took her arm firmly and steered her out of the apartment.
“What kind of action?” Regina wanted to know.
“Official action,” he told her. “You’re under arrest!”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
The Liquid Sounds of Love
New York City Police Department procedures allow a suspect, when booked, to make one telephone call. Usually the call is to a close relative, an employer, or a lawyer. Regina Blue, when she had been officially charged by Lieutenant Rodriguez, chose to ring up none of these. Instead, she called Irving Nicholas.
Regina had gotten to know Irving Nicholas, and his wife Inez, during the early days of her professional career. She had gotten to know the couple intimately. Quite intimately! . . .
When Irving and Inez Nicholas were in their early thirties, and had been married about eight years, they were still very much in love. This made it all the harder for them to face the fact that they had a problem. A sex problem.
Then came the night when they wrestled with it mightily and finally acknowledged it to each other. After an hour of the most intimate foreplay they found themselves lying side-by-side, exhausted, frustrated, too worn out to continue pursuing the orgasm which had eluded them both. It was Inez who summed up their predicament.
“What’s the matter?” she asked. “Couldn’t you think of anybody either?”
Emotionally they had enough going for them so that they were able to laugh together—albeit ruefully -—at the sad truth summed up in her words. They had grown used to each other. Some new stimulus was required. So—
First Irving had an affair. The girl he chose was his secretary. The result was office chaos. His inamorata started coming in late, leaving early, and cornering him during the busiest part of the day with hysterical demands for reiterations of his love for her. Finally Irving realized that he not only didn’t love her, he didn’t even like her. He much preferred his wife, and their relationship was far more satisfying, even with the sex problems it entailed. Irving ended the romance.
Then Inez had an affair. Her lover was a married friend of theirs. From the very first it was unsatisfying. They met, by prearrangement, at a local motel. He signed the register, then showed it to Inez and stood there chortling. “The Marquis DeSade and Friend,” she read to herself. She could feel herself turning red as the desk clerk stared impassively at her guffawing lover.
From there it went downhill. The “Marquis” was in all ways as subtle as a crotch. Inez found herself constantly comparing him to Irving, and—sex or no sex — there was no way Irving could come out second. After some six rather unpleasant weeks of clandestine meetings, Inez sent him packing back to his wife.
But Inez and Irving still had their problem. Irving bought an 8 mm. movie projector and a dozen reels of pornographic film. For a while that turned them on, but eventually it palled.
They read Fanny Hill aloud to one another, but that too had only a limited effect. They tried necking and petting in a parked car, and it got them very excited, but when a cop shined his flashlight in on them, they were so abashed that they were unable to pick up where they’d left off when they got home. Finally they bought a round, king-size water bed, complete with heating unit, built-in stereo and light show.
The water bed worked for a little while. But then the unusual sensations it provided wore oft and Inez and Irving were once again left with their problem. Drastic measures were indicated. They discussed the possibilities. And from that discussion came the decision to call upon the services of Regina Blue.
Irving had a friend who had a friend . . . Well, it doesn’t really matter how the contact was made. Suffice it to say that Regina Blue arrived at the Nicholas home one evening for the specific purpose of helping them with their problem.
“If I can watch Irving make it with another girl, I think it will really turn me on,” Inez told Regina frankly.
“Just the idea of being in bed with my wife and another woman arouses me.” Irving was equally frank.
Regina had admired the honesty of their approach. They were young and she found them not at all unattractive. Irving was tall and thin—a stringbean—and balding a little, and had a pronounced Adam’s apple, but compared to some of the men Regina had known professionally, he was quite likeable. There was an aura of good humor and politeness about him that was really very winning.
Inez was also tall, but, though by no means fat, she was perhaps five or ten pounds overweight. The excess weight was distributed over her thighs and bosom, and the heaviness was really quite sensual. Her large breasts hung a little low, but they were round and wide-nippled and the way they swayed when she moved was really very enticing. She had short black hair and a pretty round face, and her demeanor was as open and friendly as that of her husbands
There was a natural awkwardness among the three of them as they sipped the drinks Irving had made. It persisted when Inez led the way into the bedroom. But when Regina saw the water bed and bounced up and down on it, commenting on the tactile thrills it produced, her lack of inhibition put them all at ease.
Irving went into the bathroom to put on his pajamas. Inez produced a slinky, full-length black silk nightgown for Regina to wear. She herself donned yellow Baby-Dolls with a transparent gauze top that accentuated her heavy breasts. The yellow bikini panties likewise showed off her strong thighs to advantage.
Irving re-entered. He set the thermostat so that the water bed glowed warmly. He put a recording of the love music from Tristan and Isolde on the stereo. He turned out the bedroom lights and set up the water bed light show so that the transparent mattress was reflected on the ceiling and walls, lending a soft, sensual ambience. Then he joined Regina and Inez on the round, king-size water bed.
The bed rippled under his weight. The three of them lay there quietly for a few moments, rocking with the gentle slosh of the water in the mattress upon which they rested. Multi-colored patterns blended one into another over their heads, projections of the ever-changing ripple of the water.
Regina was the first to make an overt move. She slipped her hand under the top of Irving’s pajamas and caressed his chest. After a moment she reached across him with her other hand and fondled Inez’s breast. The water-bed rocked rhythmically with her movements: Slurp-slosh; Slosh-slurp; Slurp-slosh . . .
“Yo-ho-ho, the wind blows free! Oh for a life on the roaring sea!” Irving sang softly.
The three of them laughed.
Slurp-slurp; Slosh-slosh . . . Inez had turned on her side, causing a liquid response. She stroked Irving’s thigh and watched him and Regina intently. Regina had unbuttoned his pajama shirt now and was leaning over him, kissing one of his nipples. Her red hair tumbled over his moderately hairy chest. His arms were stretched out so that his hands could clasp her buttocks, which he found to be excitingly warmed from the heating apparatus of the bed. Under the silk of the black nightgown they quivered to his touch.