Chapter 19 Play by my rules
Roger was able to track the driver's number plate and look him up. Shame invaded his veins when he realized that the only pictures he had of Karen were from the CCTV footage, while he had dozens of Tonia.
Instantly, he deleted all of Tonia’s pictures on his phone, replacing them with those from the CCTV. He had requested an Uber after getting close to the driver, and just as he programmed it, they were linked.
Cybersecurity was an amazing tool in his hands, and he was glad to know how to manipulate it.
After changing into something more like the old Roger, he entered the Uber and instantly began to do some digging. Time was more precious to him right now than gold because it involved Karen. “A thousand bucks for a little information.”
The driver was suspicious at first, but Roger said something that made him relax. “Don’t worry. It’s nothing illegal. You picked up my wife two days ago.”
He showed him the footage to prove it, and the driver's eyes widened. “She’s your wife? Then why did she go to a motel?”
“A motel?” Roger was confused. “Can you take me there?”
The driver hesitated, but there was an aura about Roger that scared him. Only a few people could have such a powerful aura, and this man had promised to pay, indicating he was wealthy.
“You have to cancel the trip and rebook,” the driver hinted. Roger suddenly saw it as unnecessary since his car was parked close.
“You know what, just give me the address,” Roger countered, throwing a wad of cash on the passenger seat.
The driver gleamed with shock before writing the address for him with shaky fingers. The moment Roger received it, he got out of the car and returned to his own after canceling the trip and paying the charges.
Then he hacked into the motel security from that night. The bookings and everything else were displayed, and getting a hang of the room number, he monitored for anything suspicious.
If Karen went to a motel, was it to meet that man? From the footage, she was alone, and the room was only booked by her, indicating she was the only one there.
Monitoring how long she stayed, he saw three men enter the room and his heart sank. Suddenly, he couldn’t see anything anymore.
After using all his skills, he realized that a part of it had been wiped clean. His fingers on the keyboard shook. As much as he tried to recover the deleted file, he realized that another hacker was online, making his work difficult.
“Who the heck is DK-1?” He murmured, trying to uncover the real identity, but it turned out to be a challenge. If he tried harder, he might blow his cover as well.
Whatever Karen was doing at that motel with those three men before being driven in by that man was unsettling. Or, was the man sent to harm her? Too many thoughts occupied his mind, but the greatest fear was her being in danger.
If necessary, he might have to sneak into the Fletchers' residence to extract every piece of information from Tonia.
It had been months since he had worn his designer attire, and this was the right time for it. Checking the motel schedules and identifying the receptionist who was on duty at the time, he paid her a visit.
At the sight of him, she began to flirt, and he took advantage, something he never did, yet it came out naturally because he was doing it for someone worthy. His kitten.
Remembering her angry cute face brought a rare smile to his stoic expression. That smile was enough to melt the receptionist. “Hello handsome, what are you doing at a place like this?”
Now he realized he had chosen the wrong attire for the mission but quickly thought of something. “Hey beauty, I should be asking you the same question. A figure like yours should be all over vogue.”
The receptionist blushed, swayed by the compliment. “I work here.”
“I can make your life better," Roger leaned in, sounding alluring without trying.
"How?" the receptionist asked, sounding interested. Roger read her tag and addressed her by name.
"It depends on how well you play your cards, Rhoda." His sudden seriousness hit a nerve. "How about we meet somewhere?" she asked, sounding interested.
"Choose the place and time, beauty," Roger's voice regained its allure.
Thinking he was one of those kinds of men, she chose the place she thought would be best suited for him. "There's a strip club about fifteen miles from here."
Roger let out another breathtaking smile, though he hated such places. Despite coming from a mafia background, his mother was a pillar that prevented his dad from patronizing such places, so he grew up finding interest elsewhere.
"I know it. I'll pick you up after work, but I'd like to check into room number 312." That was the room Karen lodged in, so he hoped to at least find some clues.
"I'm sorry, but that room is out of order," Rhoda revealed. Roger felt a twitch in his stomach. Since Uncle Hank didn't give him any information, he didn't want to involve anyone.
"Can I ask why? I pay well," he straightened his designer shirt, and Rhoda swallowed hard.
"Pick me up in the next two hours."
"Or, I'll just wait for you at the car park. It's an Oro alba Lamborghini."
She gaped at the mention of a Lambo, and exactly two hours later, she was at the car park. Being there gave Roger the time to answer emails and calls from his parents, not filling anyone in on what he was doing.
Roger drove to the strip club, his movements discreet to avoid the half-naked men and women at the club, buying her anything she liked while he drank nothing. The music was loud enough to drown him, but as a man on a mission, he endured the noise and moved to the VIP section.
Intoxicated, Rhoda moved to sit on his lap, but he pushed her away. “I’ll pay for a lap dance for you later, but you have to tell me what I need to know.”
Getting her in this state, he was certain she wouldn’t be able to hide anything. She made a gesture with her hand, indicating that she needed the money first. Roger didn’t argue, dropping a wad of cash she quickly stuffed into her purse.
“I can get fired for sharing this information.”
“I can give you a job if you play by my rules,” Roger shrugged. Rhoda was finding him even more attractive.
“Three men said they were called by the guest. Yes, Karen was her name, but they didn’t allow me to confirm with her, threatening to erase me and my family if I blew the whistle,” she began to narrate. Roger shifted uncomfortably in his chair as she added, “turned out they were serial killers.”
Roger felt a lump in his throat. One night, Karen went through so much, and what was he doing? For the first time in his life, he felt less than a man.
“So where is she?” His chest tightened as if the air was pulled out of his lungs.
Rhoda smiled and downed another green tea shot. “Safe. A man, more like a mafia don, went in there and saved her. Those three men, all dead.”
He could finally breathe again. That man was the same one who took Karen away, and he needed to find him. “Tell me about this man.”