Chapter 9

THE WOMAN HAD HER FULL SHARE OF CURVES....

Getting the information about Bruce West's address and private life was an easy matter. Her father gave her the addresss and told her it was a spacious apartment five blocks from the hotel.

"I'm almost sure he lives alone," he went on. "He doesn't seem to have any interest in women at all."

Not any normal interest, Calla thought, but kept the thought to herself. He prefers to peek at them and take pictures. She wondered how he reacted when he thumbed through the private collection she was sure he had built up over the years.

With her fathers assurance that he would keep the assistant manager busy at the hotel through the rest of the day if necessary, Calla hurried out to meet Jack at the bar where he was waiting for her.

Both were impatient to get on with the job. When Calla turned down the offer of a drink, Jack pushed his half finished drink away and they left.

In spite of their anxiousness to get there, they walked rather than ride a cab. It was only a few minutes before they were at the apartment block. It was one of the fashinable new buildings and Calla knew the rent was steep.

Still, they agreed, he could afford it if he didn't indulge in too many other luxuries.

They were pleased to find the lobby deserted.

Jack went to the row of buttons and pushed the one for Bruce's apartment. He gave it a long buzz. When there was no answer after a half a minute, he pulled a key chain from his pocket and calmly unlocked the inner door of the lobby.

"How did you know that was the right key?" Calla asked in wonder.

"I recognized the lock while I was pressing the buzzer. On a bet, I once opened one with a popsicle stick. It's a cheap lock, but it gives the tenants a feeling of security."

"Any ideas about the lock on his apartment door?" she asked with a grin as they stepped into the elevator.

"A pretty good one. I recognize the style of the building. It looks impressive as hell, but the quality isn't there. I'll bet you a steak dinner that either of these two keys will open the door as easily as his would."

He held the two keys apart from the others as they got out of the elevator and saw the West apartment door directly in front of them.

Jack had already checked to ensure that the hall was deserted. He fitted a key into the lock, turned it and pushed the door open. Calla blinked in amazement.

"As I was saying," Jack grinned, "even good locks are easy if you know how. These junk jobs don't rate at all."

They looked around the apartment and agreed it was hardly what they would have expected for a bachelor pad. Jack termed the decor chintzy and that seemed like a reasonably good description.

There was nothing of interest in the living room, so they went on to the bedroom. Jack walked toward a big closet as if he knew just where he was heading and what he would find.

"Does this look like the suitcase?" he asked.

"If it isn't the same one, it's a twin," Calla answered with excitement in her voice. "Is it heavy?'"

"Just don't try to pick it up," he said as he turned back into the closet.

A minute later, he almost staggered back into the room carrrying an obviously heavy cardboard carton. He had flipped the top open and Calla saw that it was filled with movie film cans.

"It looks like our boy is no mere candid camera man," Jack observed as he put the carton down. "The projector is in the closet."

Looking around the room, Jack decided to set up the projector on the dresser and shoot the pictures onto the white end wall of the room. It would be as good as a regular screen, he told her.

"While I set things up for Saturday evening at the movies, Calla chick, why don't you see what you can find in the way of drinkables. I'm sure our host would want us to be comfortable."

Grinning at his cool audacity, Calla went to see what she could find. She unearthed a well stocked liquor cabinet and decided something simple like scotch would do nicely.

Selecting the tallest glasses she could find, Calla poured the drinks long but not too strong. When she carried them into the bedroom, Jack thanked her and assured her that the curtain was almost ready to go up.

The mention of curtains reminded her that the drapes would have to be closed so she drew them. She was pleased to see that they were thick enough to keep the light out. After that, she closed the bedroom door, but Jack told her to leave it open an inch or two just in case.

The just in case, she knew, meant protection against being taken by surprise should someone come into the apartment while they were engrossed in the movies as she guessed they would be.

"Wouldn't it be funny if they all turned out to be Donald Duck," Calla observed as she leaned against the wall and watched the efficient way he handled the projector.

"Ha, ha," he frowned. "Wouldn't it be funny if I took your panties down and spanked your pretty backside."

"Grouch," she frowned back.

Just to ensure each other that they had been kidding, they kissed. After that, Jack flicked the switch and checked the focus. When it seemed perfect, they picked up their glasses and sat on the bed to watch what neither expected would be Donald Duck.

The woman who came to life on the wall was not at all duck like and couldn't possibly have been called Donald. She seemed to be in her mid-twenties and was all woman with a full share of curves.

The entire sequence showed her from fully clothes, through undressing, to stark nudity as she walked out of camera range and into the bathroom door.

In the next scene, she walked back still naked and still toweling herself. Completely relaxed as she had every right to be, she poured herself a big drink, gave the camera a backward and vertical smile as she bent to select a book off a low table and, slowly went to bed.

When she pulled a sheet up over her to her waist, the cameraman had been so annoyed, apparently, that he ended the film at that point.

After a short break, a new movie started. This time there was a man and woman in the room. Both were fully dressed, reasonably young and reasonably attractive.

The well-edited film showed them taking their clothes off while they chatted and laughed in an obviously happy mood. The man was naked first and although he seemed reasonably well endowed, he obviously wasn't ready for any serious action.

Seemingly very much aware of his condition or lack of it, the woman went into a striptease routine still wearing her bra and panties. By the time she removed them, he showed signs of improvement, but still wasn't improved enough to do her any real good in the department in which she was interested.

As if to encourage him, she dropped onto her back on the bed, raised her legs high and used her fingers to show him what she had to offer if he would hurry up and get ready to collect.

When that didn't work, she sat up and reached for the non-functioning portion of him. Using it as a handle, she drew him closer to her.

Her tongue licked out between her lips and she said something that caused the man to smile broadly. With a shapely, well manicured hand, she carried it toward her face and her lips parted wide, then closed around it.

The camera showed her jaw muscles working at the labor of love.

"If that doesn't do it, he's hopeless," Calla commented with a chuckle in her voice.

"I think he's hopeless anyway," Jack replied as they moved a little closer together on the bed.

And then it was working beautifully. As she emptied her mouth, her lips were parted in a proud smile.

Falling back on the bed, she pointed downward as if saying something to the man about equal time. It must have been that because he fell to his knees and performed a similar service for her that caused her to squirm and play with the slightly flattened mounds on her chest.

And then they were together on the bed and the man was moving between her thighs. The construction job she had performed for him was still functioning and he was quick to put it where it belonged.

The camera stayed with them all the way until they moved apart and the man rolled over tiredly. The woman gave a little look of chagrin and followed his lead in closing her eyes.

Looking as if she were falling asleep, she placed one hand between her thighs and moved it a little as if trying to keep the heat alive. The film ended on that note and the reel was empty.

"Want to see more?" he asked as he hit the stop switch.

"I do and I don't, Jack. I do want to see more of them and there's no point in lying about it. Still, I'm a bit nervous about staying here much longer. I'd hate to spoil things by letting him catch us now."

"Good thinking, chick lady. Tell you what. I think we should relieve our friend of the responsibility of looking after these cinematic gems. What say we take them and the projector over to my room and do our viewing there. We can relax and really enjoy the movies then.'"

"Do you mean it?"

"Why not? As long as he has the films, it can lead to nothing but trouble. If we have them, a lot of people become a lot safer. So he'll be mad, so what? He can't possibly know that we took them."

"I guess you're right at that. Of course, he can always take more."

"I don't think he will right now. I think when he finds these missing, he's going to go up the wall. For a little while, at least, I don't think he'll dare make a move."

Would it be all right to close up the special rooms for a while, Jack?"

"I think it would be a fine idea. So he'll know we know but that will only make him more nervous, nervous enough perhaps, so that he'll tip his hand more easily."

Although Jack didn't want her to, Calla insited on carrying the projector out to the elevator while he lugged the heavy carton of films.

"Shouldn't we pick up the glasses and put them away?" Calla asked instinctively as they were leaving the room.

"I don't think it matters much," he grinned. "When our little buddy finds his precious movies gone, I imagine he'll begin to suspect that someone was in the apartment."

Calla rewarded his little excursion into sarcasm with a quick darting of her cute, pink tongue between her lips.

"Keep that up," he warned, "and you'll get that spanking yet."

"Promises, promises," she said with a deep sigh.

The elevator arrived and they hurried aboard with their treasures. A few minutes later, they were driving away from the apartment with all they wanted safely in the taxi.

"Isn't this called theft or breaking and entering, or something," Calla asked with a grin.

"Some people would call it that," he agreed soberly, "but I'd call it protecting Bruce West from himself."

"You do have a way of putting things so nicely, dear," Calla said as she leaned back in the seat.