Copenhagen Noir

“Yeah, that’s not gonna work, but I’ll call Teddy Bear,” Lasse said. He punched the brothel owner’s number, explained the situation to him, and had a long talk, after which he updated the others: “Teddy Bear will under no circumstances have her go to the emergency room. But we can send her home and get a new… You want to go home?” he asked her in English.

Cindy looked at him blurrily, then her head fell on her chest.

“I think she has a concussion,” Claire said. “I have a proposal: I know a doctor at a private hospital who will be discrete about this. Let me take care of it.”

They all agreed, provided no one told Teddy Bear.

“But I have to drive Lara and Theresa out on three outcalls, so you’ll have to take a taxi,” Lasse said.

First Claire had the taxi take them back to her home on Kystvejen. She picked up her Philippine au pair’s residency permit and passport, then they rode to the private hospital.

“My au pair has been hurt. She hit her head and cut her hand…” she explained to the doctor.

“She seems disoriented. We’ll have to do a brain scan and hold her for observation. Her hand isn’t serious, no tendons or vital parts have been cut, but it will have to be stitched,” the doctor said, after a quick examination. Then he looked questioningly at Claire. “It looks like an assault.”

“Yes, she had a fight with another Philippine, a boyfriend, but he was on his way out of the country, leaving today, presumably he’s already flown the coop, and she won’t go to the police… Would you like me to pay a deposit?”

“Yes, thank you.”

Cindy was wheeled away on a trolley while the doctor did her case sheet on his computer, entering various details from the passport.

“Her name is long and it’s hard for us to pronounce,” Claire said. “So she calls herself Cindy. She doesn’t speak Danish and understands only a little English, but we’ve found ways to communicate, so get in touch with me if there are any problems-and let me know when she can be picked up. I’ll stay in touch.”

First name: Cindy, the doctor wrote, and nodded politely at Claire.

She paid a deposit of twenty thousand kroner, putting it on her gold card.

That evening she told Bonnie: “I have some family coming next week. I’ll have to work quite a bit from home, so don’t put me on any shifts.”

The truth was, John was coming home from Brazil the day after tomorrow. She had given a lot of thought to how she would conceal what she was doing. Her excuses would have to be the fitness center and visiting friends. Fortunately, he wasn’t the controlling or suspicious type.

It was Sunday evening, and he would be home Tuesday morning. She debated whether she should surprise him by going out to the airport. No, that would seem peculiar. His car was parked out there, he always drove home alone. She should just stay home and greet him with a warm bath and a nice lunch. That’s how he liked it.

“Monday is okay, but I’ll have to take Tuesday off,” she said to Bonnie.

Bonnie frowned, worried: “Then I’ll have to start calling around to freelancers. It’s tough right now. Christmas rush. But anyway, it’s okay. You have to take care of things at home,” she sighed.

Monday, Claire had three out-calls before Bonnie rang her at six o’clock:

“Okay, listen. Teddy Bear wants a session tonight. He’s coming in at nine, and he’s really looking forward to you after all the good things Lasse has told him. As you know, Teddy Bear is a little bit special. He wants it really hard, for a long time. Bound and gagged. The rack, cage, gallows.”

Claire looked at her watch: “I have appointments until nine, and I have to get something to eat.”

Bonnie: “Perfect. Lara and Theresa can tie him up and gag him, then he can stand there and wait until you appear as the dark mistress of the night, the slavedriver… Also, he likes the big black wigs and lots of black around the eyes. Oh, and by the way: when he blinks with one eye, stop with the pain. That’s the game.”

Claire visited the private hospital with flowers for Cindy and to hear the results of the scan. The news was bad. The scan revealed a hematoma in the brain, and Cindy needed a serious operation.

“We’ll operate tonight and hope for the best, but there is a risk of permanent damage. The hematoma is in an unfortunate location…”

The doctor brought out the scan and pointed and explained. Claire was only halfway listening. Her other half boiled with anger.

Back at the brothel, she put on the entire circuslike garb: stilettos, net hose, leather costume, half-mask, whip, and black wig. Then she slipped on the long gloves.

The long gloves that she had never taken off in the S &M room.

“The deal is, he’ll stay down there until tomorrow, but you can just leave him after he’s had two or three ejaculations. That’s the deal. Then he’ll have another ejaculation early tomorrow before he goes home to his wife, but Lara and Theresa will take care of that…”

Just before ten she walked into the soundproof basement room.