3 comments/ 10822 views/ 6 favorites Meticulous Malice By: KAnneMeinel To my readers, please feel free to leave feedback for me so that I know that you liked my stories, what you would like to see, and perhaps maybe suggest one. Please also vote on how you liked it, every vote does count. If you'd like to read it over and over again, favorite it and come back to enjoy it like an old friend. I look forward to hearing from you...K'Anne Alice closed her laptop after making certain that it shut down completely. She knew very few people in the world could break the encryption code it would take to get into the computer and the regular password and thumbprint were to keep out the amateurs, but it never paid to not be careful. She was a creature of habit on certain things, these habits were automatic and deeply seated, she had to finish what she had started, shutting down the computer completely was one of those habits. Her cell phone rang and she picked it up. "Hello?" "Hi Alice, I have those test results you asked for." "'bout time" she griped good naturedly. "Hey, I put off city work to get your results for you" he returned defensively. "With the amount of money I and others pay you, you should" she said with a slight smile as she looked down at her manicure, she needed to add more polish. "You're sure that money is safe?" he quavered with unease. She grimaced. She wasn't fond of cowards, but she needed his expertise occasionally so she put up with his slow results and his constant worry. "Yes, I told you, they will never be able to track it. You have enough put by to retire comfortably on." "Well, I better not say much, they may be monitoring the phones." Instantly annoyed she asked "are you calling on your cell or a landline?" "My cell, but I saw...." She interrupted "you watch too many CSI shows, unless you've raised red flags to arouse their suspicions there is absolutely no reason for them to go to that expense" her voice was a warning despite the reassurances. He immediately calmed down; she had brought him many 'benefactors' and the amount in his portfolio in off shore accounts was impressive. He couldn't afford to anger this particular client. There was something about her, he couldn't put his finger on it but something told him not to piss her off. There was nothing about the petite blonde that physically intimidated him but still, there was something...he always got the impression she could and would do his job better and more thoroughly, or that she knew the results before he had a chance to even run the tests. He never understood why she needed them done, but with the amount she and others paid him under the table, he wasn't going to begin asking questions, he knew better by now. "Just drop the results in the normal way" she told him impersonally, her mind already elsewhere. Maybe she would spend some time on her manicure. "Are you sure you don't want me to deliver them personally?" he asked hopefully, he loved seeing her in person, she was worth the look, and he always hoped she would take a personal interest in him. "No, I'm going out of town" she told the lie without a hesitation, it lent credence by saying it so quickly and succinctly. He was always trying to have more of a relationship than she was willing to give, wasn't the money enough? She sighed, someday she might have to eliminate this particular relationship, and she didn't want him knowing where she lived or what she did with his test results. The P.O. Box he would send them to in the anonymous county mail envelope would be enough. Disappointed he said "well call me if you need help interpreting any of the ....." "Okay, goodbye" she interrupted knowing that he would blabber on indefinitely if she didn't stop it now as she disconnected the call. Getting up from her desk she looked out over the balcony to her living room. It was fastidiously clean and in order, but then, she wouldn't have had it any other way. Some might find her taste in furniture futuristic; she found it orderly and functional. It required a minimum of cleaning; she could dust, vacuum, and clean the room in twenty minutes flat, something she had timed herself out of boredom one day. Her entire apartment never took more than an hour unless she decided to disinfect the bathrooms. She was a neat person normally, but occasionally, the bathrooms needed extra attention. Thinking about the rest of the day she thought about how she would pass the time. The cleaning had been done yesterday; her work necessitated a minimum amount of her time and this periodically during the day unless the market was wildly fluctuating. She could access some of her business accounts from her smart phone, and unless needed, her laptop rarely was opened but once a day, ritualistically every morning after she got up and ate breakfast. Most mornings she got up out of bed; pulled the blanket and sheets back to air the bed for the twenty minutes it would take for her to bathe. She hated showers, and loved to soak in a tub. It warmed the bones and her delicate ones were frequently cold. Even washing her long blonde hair didn't take any time at all. Shaving was no longer necessary since she had laser surgery to remove the excess hair on her legs, feet, toes, underarms, and knuckles. She had hated having it waxed and detested shaving it, having the money to do what she wanted she had justified the expense by the time and effort it saved. With blonde hair, laser surgery took a little longer, something about the pale blonde follicles or some bullshit; she figured the technician just wanted to see her repeatedly for these two hour stints until all the hair was removed, permanently. After bathing she would dry off as much as possible, rubbing the excess water out of her locks while she made her now aired bed. Once a week she changed the expensive Egyptian cotton sheets and changed them to another almost identical set. Buying these in bulk saved her money but occasionally they didn't have the same pattern and while it annoyed her, she shrugged off these little human idiosyncrasies. Getting angry over sheets was not in her forte. Quickly, efficiently, the bed looked like no one had ever slept in it. Even the pillows were smoothed out and looked welcoming to their next occupant, weather it was her or a guest she might bring in. As this was rare, she didn't worry about it. Quickly she looked around to make sure everything was in order, nothing left on the floor, or side table. She went to the dresser and brushed out her hair before stepping into the bathroom again, down the small flight of stairs to the next landing, her bedroom being on the uppermost landing of her series of lofts. Now that her body was dry she rolled on anti-perspirant and brushed her hair again before fastening a couple of barrettes to keep it back from her face. She checked the mirror for any blemishes or imperfections that would need dealing with. She still occasionally got them but knew how to deal with them quickly. Returning to her room, she swore she got her exercise from going up and down these infernal steps, she dropped the towel to change into underwear she had bought in France. It was sexy lingerie but also functional. It enticed when she allowed it to be seen, it intrigued for the casual glance down her blouse, and it made her feel sexy besides, attitude was everything. Pulling on functional but classy clothes she was soon dressed. Wiping off the top of the dresser from where she had leaned on it, the droplets of water from her hair brushing and body cleaned off the top with her towel. A minimum amount of makeup and she was good to go for the day. Hanging the towel in the bathroom on her way down, she turned and looked into the spare bedroom on the second landing, no one ever used this room but she felt better having it, it led to the impression that she was expecting someone, that a friend could stay anytime. It had never been used. Even when family came to visit she convinced them that a hotel was a better place to stay. Something about having this empty room made her feel comfortable, almost luxurious, she had worked hard to achieve this kind of space and this empty room was one of her indulgences. It only made her uneasy occasionally and this was why she checked it occasionally, obsessively, daily to see that all was in order within. The bed never changed, the minimalist furniture never changed, nothing was ever out of order, but she couldn't help checking it to see all was in order. Periodically she pulled the sheets and blankets from the bed to wash them but otherwise it always looked ready to accept a guest, no one had ever slept in the bed though. Her paranoia over this room led her to check the empty closet, making sure the hangers were one inch apart and ready accept someone's offerings to hang up apparel, they had never been touched since she set up this room years ago when she bought the place. She glanced at the loft office room on this second level that contained the bathroom, the guest bedroom, and the office. Nothing was out of order and she resisted the urge to go to her laptop and do research or check balances of her various accounts. That kind of obsessive compulsive behavior she was able to resist. She didn't realize the rest of her own OCD. She headed down the final steps to the main living room and then turned down a short hall to the kitchen which was under the main bedroom loft. Ah, her coffee was brewed to perfection, accurately timed to her schedule. She popped a bagel into the toaster and sipped her coffee black while she waited for it to pop. When it did she put down the cup of java and pulled a plate from the cupboard, not before, as the bagel needed to cool marginally before she would put butter, not cream cheese on it. She wanted the butter to melt slightly but not drench the hard bagel and make it soggy. Today she had indulged and she had blueberry in her bagel and she stood there eating it and sipping her coffee as she finished her breakfast. Washing the plate, her cup, and checking for crumbs on the counter she quickly dried both and put them away. Looking around the kitchen she saw it was all in order and she went back to her office to start her day. Now her morning ritual was complete and she had the rest of the day to do what she wanted. She could go for a walk in the Marina, use her boat, or borrow a kayak. She didn't want to get wet, salt sprayed, or sweaty though and when she glanced out the window she saw it was a gloomy sort of day. Something Southern Californians were used to during late May and all of June and sometimes into July, these June glooms as they were called were a fact of life. 'Going out of town' made her think over her conversation earlier, maybe she should go out of town. She opened a locked desk drawer and checked that her passport was there. Other sets were in the safe under her feet but she had no reason to use these other sets, they had other names and her face on them and she had used them rarely. In fact, she didn't check this safe but once a month or even longer, her obsessive checking of her things not lending to this particular aspect of her life. She didn't want any tell-tale signs leading to this safe that contained false identification, money enough to start over, although she could access her money from anywhere in the world and had it spread out enough that no one would ever find all her hidey holes, cash though bought immediate need things if necessary. Money though gave her a thought about getting out of town; it was time to open another account. Picking up her phone she checked her contact list and using a code only she understood found the number she was looking for. That way if she ever lost her phone, Uncle Bob wouldn't mean anything to the casual observer. She had several copies of her SD card in the safe for safe keeping. She rarely had to add new numbers and this only occasionally, the main numbers she kept were safe forever. She called the airlines to get an open ended flight to South Carolina. To anyone who might be tracking her she was taking a vacation to a beachside location she frequented. She didn't think anyone was tracking her but it paid to be careful. Her second call to Uncle Bob assured her another flight, but this one from a beachside quay that few people knew about. Thinking momentarily, she carefully peeled back the carpeting and opened her safe using a set of algorithms that would defeat most safe crackers and few of any of the most expert people in the world who would break into such a safe or have reason to. She knew when she employed one of them to put it in that they would someday be back to try it out and had added a few of her own surprises. She was a fairly intelligent woman and had watched and learned from some of the best people, this safe was just one of the many things this condo contained to protect her and her anonymity. Learning how to install it, how to avoid detection, what to do to prevent others from getting inside had been easy. Topping it and preventing the expert teacher had been hard. She carefully avoided the laser insights, the claw that would grab an unsuspecting hand and rip it off at the wrist, she deactivated a few of the other safety protocols, even a rat trap that would break fingers to the unsuspecting. Some of these were inspired by late night movies, some mere annoyances, all designed to keep someone out of her personal and more private information. She gathered cashier's checks and bonds in a large bag and threw in one of her alternate passports as an afterthought before reactivating her layers of security to the safe. The expert who had installed this safe she had found dead here after a delightful weekend spent in the wine country up in Central California with 'friends' or rather a delicious and delightful redhead. She had known that the lure of why she needed a high tech secured safe such as this would bring the thief back someday and her little surprise additions had proven useful. The beams that would have set off an alarm had been child's play to the thief but the claw and the rat trap amused Alice at their efficiency. The thief had bled out from the claw, the harder she pulled, the tighter it gripped the vein in her wrist and the rat trap had to have added to her agony when it broke her fingers. The money that had been in the safe was rendered useless by the amount of blood that had dripped on it. The entire safe casing had to be replaced but Alice had been able to do that herself. She had rinsed the previous casing but made sure it was recycled in a fiery furnace before she breathed a sigh of relief over minute traces of blood. She had also had to replace the carpeting in this room. Her thief had bled on it as well and nothing could get out those stains. An off duty carpet installer had gladly shown her how to stretch the new swatch of carpet in her office, never noticing the wood flooring square that hid her safe. He had been more interested in the possibility of dating the little voluptuous blonde and while she had enjoyed his company she hadn't been interested in sex with the boy. She dated him a little while, having fun with him, but the romantic chemistry wasn't there or so she led him to believe. It had been easy to get rid of her admirer; it had been harder to get rid of the body of her safe cracker. Fortunately the old carpet came up with the padding easily and rolling her in it had allowed Alice to drag her down the steps and out the patio door to her dock where her boat lay. Having to do it on a dark and awfully rainy night had been miserable but Alice figured the rain washed away any signs of the drag to the dock, and perhaps any minute traces of the woman's DNA. A midnight ride in a choppy ocean was not her idea of fun but she drifted enough that she could honestly say she was caught in the storm. Weighting down the body and the carpeting had cost her another anchor and chain. The whole experience had been distasteful to the petite blonde but then she had taken care of business matter of factly, the thief had gotten what they deserved, a bit more possibly than they deserved, but business was business and Alice's business was private. Scrubbing down the room with bleach and another chemical not readily available on the market but obtained from her admirer at the lab she breathed a sigh of relief that any investigation would not show traces of her thief having been there. Any DNA elsewhere could be explained from when she installed the safe. Alice really didn't worry; there was nothing to tie her to this or that body. There was no reason for anyone to investigate her. Her boat was washed down from the storm and while she had a hell of a time bringing it back to the harbor, she felt no one could have seen the blacked out boat leave in the first place in the storm. No one had ever inquired. Alice packed a bag with enough clothes for a few days. She looked around her bedroom one more time to be sure everything was in order and stopped in the bathroom to pack a few things before leaving that room in order as well. She loaded her laptop into a shoulder briefcase and it's accessories including the thumb pad, the charger, and her roller track ball which she found more comfortable than the pad on the actual laptop. Packed discretely into the lining of her briefcase was the flattened bag containing the bonds, the extra passport, and the checks. To a screener it would look just like paperwork which was to be expected in a briefcase. She placed it all by the hallway and checked the patio doors to be sure they were locked taking the added precaution of a hunk of wood in the track and screw locks at the base of each of the doors to keep anyone from just randomly opening the doors and unless they broke the glass they couldn't get in. She glanced out at her covered boat floating at the dock and nodded to herself as she closed the drapes. Security in this gated community was adequate to her needs but Alice always took the extra measure as she armed the pad and went out her front door. She drove herself to the airport in her Porsche, barely hesitating at the gate as the admiring gatekeeper watched her drive down the road in the expensive car. For someone to live in this community they had to have a lot of money and while he knew she was in investments he wondered what kind would afford such luxury. Alice never gave him another thought as she drove first to the P.O. Box she kept in a Postal Annex franchise. She knew the results wouldn't be there yet but she gathered her mail that was now there as other mail would build up for the few days she was planning to be gone. She glanced at it and threw the junk mail in a recycling bin by the photocopier before taking the rest out with her and stuffing it in her briefcase, further making the hidden bag look normal with the addition of the envelopes. Driving to LAX or Los Angeles International Airport was always an adventure. It could be two o'clock in the morning and there would be a traffic jam. It was constantly a challenge and she effortlessly drove the powerful Porsche in the traffic. It didn't take long as she knew what freeways to avoid and what city streets would get her where she needed to go. God I love this city she thought as she avoided an idiot driver from colliding with her car. It would of course have been the other driver's fault, never hers. Parking in the long term parking lot she set the alarm on her Porsche. She had been lucky in the year she had owned this particular car, no break in's but it might happen at any time and she was kind of resigned to it. She kept nothing of value inside the expensive car, just her registration in the glove compartment. Just the fact that it was a Porsche would tempt a thief and while she had a Harmon Kardin radio and sound system, the car itself would be the draw. She shrugged; she was insured for this sort of thing. She walked confidently to the overpass that would take her over the roadway to the terminal and an elevator down to the check in. In the elevator she was accompanied by several people and one set off her internal alarms. He looked at her a little too intently, a little too long, and Alice played the dumb blonde to the hilt as though she wasn't aware of his interest. She wasn't sure his interest wasn't romantic or at least lustful, she engendered this reaction in men and women but she also couldn't be sure it wasn't more and was careful about what she did. Meticulous Malice Walking to get in line she saw him take up a location in the line further back. She waited her turn and presented her reservation number and frequent flier miles card. Her bag was weighed and sent on its way and she soon had her ticket. Her flight was in 45 minutes and she decided to go through security. If the man was an admirer he would have no business going to her terminal unless he was flying on the same airlines, if he was a cop he would show up anyway. She wasn't going to worry about it. If she flinched at every admirer or person who had followed her over the years she would have gone crazy. She only allowed her OCD to come out in the security and privacy of her home where she could afford to be a little paranoid, to relax, to be herself. Security posed no problem since she had done her homework and her papers were in chaotic disorder as befitted a briefcase. Her laptop was of course examined; it's accessories still in the briefcase. Nothing red flagged the examiners and she was soon striding down the concourse to her flight. She had time for a quick meal but preferred to use the bar for a small light drink, a Shirley Temple, she rarely drank alcohol, refusing to allow her inhibitions or guard down too often. Besides, she was about to board a five hour flight, it would be foolish to allow herself to get ill for that length of time. She watched unobtrusively for the man who had set off her alarms earlier but saw no sign of him. It might mean several things. One that he was just admiring the petite blonde, two that he was really good at concealing himself, or many more things that her active imagination could conjure up. She didn't allow herself that indulgence but she kept it firmly in a file in the back of her brain. It paid to be attentive at all times and while she had been careful over the years she didn't ever dismiss such small incidents. She was still sitting in the bar when her flight was announced. She strolled non-challantly towards the gate with her briefcase strap over her shoulder looking like a seasoned traveler. They checked her boarding ticket and she was let into first class with no problem. "Can we get you anything before we take off?" a steward immediately asked the first class passenger. Alice nodded, and while she had just had one she ordered a Shirley Temple. She liked having the fruity concoction on hand. A lot of the time it was just for appearances and prevented people from encouraging her to drink more or to buy her a drink. They often didn't realize it wasn't alcoholic by its appearance and this suited Alice. She sipped on it absentmindedly as she thought about what she would do once she arrived in South Carolina. The plane ride was long and boring. Someone of Alice's active nature found it a trial but she passed the time by dozing, not really sleeping, she wouldn't in so public a place, besides it left her vulnerable. She was just in time to catch someone from trying to 'move' her briefcase from under the seat where she had placed it and the shoulder strap around her ankle had woken her. "What are you doing?" she asked the woman who was surreptitiously moving the bag. "Oh ah, I um was moving it over, I didn't realize you'd wrapped the strap around your foot" she gestured to the other bag she had in her hand amazingly similar to Alice's own case as though she needed to move Alice's over to make room for it. Alice realized instantly it was a cheap imitation of her own expensive Gucci bag. "I don't think so" Alice said to the woman who she now recognized as her seat mate who had sat down late next to her before they took off. She didn't know if the woman's story was legitimate and to give her the benefit of the doubt the other storage space was taken up by another bag, but Alice wasn't given to taking chances. "I'm sorry I woke you" the woman apologized. Alice accepted the apology and then sat up as dinner was served. She thought about the man she had seen earlier and the actions of her seatmate. She knew to a degree she was paranoid but it seemed entirely beyond coincidental that two things should set off her radar today. It put her a little on edge as she ignored all attempts by her seatmate to engage her in conversation as she looked out the window and ate her dinner, the woman finally got the hint when all her questions were answered with one word answers. Dinner was excellent but that was one of the many reasons she chose first class, the meals, the extra space, the courtesies were all better up here. She had flown business class many times in the past and hated the cramped space, the rude passengers, and the service. She much preferred being catered to on trips. She had to admit though this time she felt closed in on and was relieved when the captain announced their gradual descent. Alice retrieved her bag and hailed a taxi outside the terminal. She had looked for her earlier admirer and saw no sign of him but that didn't actually mean anything so she remained alert. Her seatmate she saw had only one bag checked and this one could have been a carry on. In a time when most travelers carried as much of their baggage as the airline would allow this was curious that she hadn't. Alice shook herself, she really needed this vacation, she was seeing things in everyone. She gave the address of the dockside terminal and the taxi sped off. She looked around interested as they sped through town towards the ocean. Just this morning she had woken to June glooms in California and now she was in South Carolina at a different coast, a different ocean, a different time and place. Her looks around weren't just the normal tourist gawk though as it appeared, she was looking to see if they were followed, she was pleased to see she wasn't right in this instance. Her alarms though had gone off twice today and it paid to stay alert. She paid the taxi, giving him a generous tip because she knew he would go back to the city empty. She carried her luggage and shoulder briefcase to the waiting plane that was floating at the dock. "Ms. Weaver?" asked the black man with a decided Jamaican accent. She smiled charmingly and nodded as she allowed him to take her travel bag, keeping her briefcase for herself as she climbed into the amphibious plane. She watched as he stowed it in the back seat behind her own. "We have one other passenger" he told her and her earlier alarms made her a little nervous as they waited. "How was the flight over here?" she asked to make conversation. She was always pleasant to her drivers, people who did service for her; it was a good habit and created good will wherever she went. You never knew what information you could glean from them and they certainly appreciated the tips. "Ah, it was a little buckey coming into the winds, they had a storm yesterday and I see it is still causing a little bounce but it should be in our favor going back" he explained. She assumed the 'buckey' meant turbulence and hoped they wouldn't encounter it going back in the small plane. "You've been to the islands before?" he asked friendly. She smiled and nodded "yes, it's a beautiful place, I enjoy the visit." "I think I've flown you before" he said as he smiled his bright white teeth gleaming against his dark skin. He was a handsome man. Alice looked closer and recognized him from previous trips down here "yes, I think you have" she agreed. She must have made a favorable impression. He glanced at his watch "well, he must have missed his flight" he said as he sighed and got out of the plane to throw off the ropes that tied it to the dock. He gathered them effortlessly and got into the rocking plane. Alice could admire his casual skill, it was so easy to be thrown off balance by the waves and he handled it with the grace of a dancer. "Well, we will be on our way" he stated unnecessarily as he handed Alice a set of earphones to clamp over her head. He put on a set himself and started his checklist. Alice was relieved that the other passenger had not shown up, preferring having the plane to herself and the pilot and not having to engage in unnecessary conversation and then wondered why they hadn't made the plane. It took real effort to make plans to catch this plane, they had to have wanted to go to the islands and she wondered what could have caused them to miss it. She let her paranoia wander for only a moment as she thought up possible reasons and then dismissed them. From bombs on this plane to delays of other flights, there could be hundreds of reasons why the man had missed this connecting flight. He could hire a boat to take him to the islands or wait for a flight in the morning. The flight took 45 minutes and the sun was setting as they flew into the bay that marked the main island of the Cayman's. They were soon tied up at a dock and the pilot sprung out to hand Alice off to another man as they both steadied her. Between the bobbing of the plane and the dock it was a balancing act and the man respectively took her arm as he carried her luggage to a waiting taxi. Before she left Alice had thanked her pilot for the excellent flight, they had talked about deep sea fishing, and while Alice didn't know a lot she had gone once, studied it and could talk knowledgeably about it. His enthusiasm for the past time was infectious and she thought she might try it again. She gripped his hand, surreptitiously handing off a $50 American to his delight. An officer was waiting at the end of the dock to check and stamp her passport. She knew this was only for forms sake, many people came and went on these islands without being checked but she wanted this stamp this time. The taxi whizzed her across town to the Hilton and she was soon checked into one of her favorite suites. Looking out over the ocean from her hotel balcony she thought about her paranoia today and wondered if it had been justified at all. She shrugged it off. Ordering room service for her first night she didn't want to draw attention to herself, especially as going out would make her have to take her briefcase with her, there was no way she would leave that amount of money lying around for a maid or someone else to riffle through. She knew a lot of the tricks as she had done them herself, from paying off a maid, to becoming one herself. There were a million ways to get into someone's rooms and rifle through their belongings, all without them having a clue. She knew until she had gone to the bank in the morning she wouldn't feel relaxed though, she needed to get rid of these bonds and checks. Alice slept well, but then the islands always soothed her. Whether it was the Cayman Islands, Hawaii, or Fiji, she always slept well on islands. She thought she should feel trapped on these small pieces of land dotted around the Earth but instead their cool tropical breezes enthralled her, made her feel invigorated, and once her business was concluded, would relax her. She called for breakfast and ate a hearty meal of an omelet with bell peppers and ham, a delicious concoction lightly spiced with something she only found here in the Caymans, a Jamaican influence she often thought. After a refreshing bath she dressed in shorts and a thin red spaghetti strapped blouse that allowed her large breasts to be held in by the built in shelf bra. She covered this enticing blouse with a white button down shirt and buttoned only the bottom three buttons. The red of her undershirt would show through attractively and she looked enough like a tourist that anyone who saw her would not discern the seriousness of her business. She checked her on line accounts as was her normal morning habit but the market wasn't open yet in New York with the time difference and it didn't matter anyway, she was on vacation, sorta. She was well protected money-wise and nothing short of a catastrophe in the stock market or a government collapse could affect some of her funds. Closing up her laptop she slipped it into her case. She decided to walk to the banking district. Run by the Swiss government it was the closest access to her Swiss accounts from the United States that Alice could personally access. Some of her transactions required her personal touch and she enjoyed traveling to the Caymans for personal as well as business get aways. It was a beautiful spot to transact anything she thought as she walked along. Her alarms had quieted after a good night's sleep but she still was aware of her surroundings and those people around her. She made her way to a tall building, at least tall for this tropical island, an unobtrusive building, nothing special about it. Few people would know that it handled billions of dollars in transactions around the world daily. Alice had been a depositor for years. She went through their security, an arduous but necessary task; something the airline could learn a thing or two about as they scanned her for weapons, bombs, or any threat to their security. This bank would never be threatened; most of their money was in the form of electronics or rather electronic transfers. Alice made her way to the secure boxes on the lower level, necessitating further security measures on their part, checking her, scanning her once again before allowing her access to her safety deposit box. An official of the bank greeted her, recognizing her from past visits, checking her identification and passport, and accompanied her to the safe where her box was held. This was one of several safes, not all boxes were in the same safe, a secure precaution as the bank official used a retinal scan to enter the safe and escort her in. They used their identity cards simultaneously so the door would open and then an old fashioned set of keys to simultaneously unlock the door to her box. He pulled the long box out for her and left her alone to open it in private. Alice was alone in the vault. No cameras, no other people, nothing to see what she kept in the box. She opened it to check that it was the same as she had left it before. Nothing was out of order as she thumbed through the bonds, the cash in several denominations that she kept there, the raw gems in their various packets, and a couple more passports in various names for her use. She put her briefcase on the table and rifled through the secret compartment for the bonds she wanted to place inside the secure box. She took out one of the passports and replaced it with the one she had brought with her. It didn't pay to have passports without current stamps on them occasionally; they were rendered useless if one didn't pay attention to details such as this. Her eyes gleamed at the amount of money that this box represented. Few people realized that cash was actually useless in the long term and that negotiable bonds were a godsend in this world's economy. Precious gems could be easily transported and bought and sold and Alice had learned from a one of the best a few years ago, her lover had enjoyed teaching her before going on her way to another pupil, another student, Alice hadn't minded, the knowledge she gained had been invaluable. She locked the box back in the wall after closing it tightly with her valuables intact, memorizing their placement for future visits. Alice knew behavior like this was obsessive but her compulsive need to know where things were, meticulous accounting of things, had saved her time and again in this cutthroat world. The bank officer wasn't necessary to lock the box, only to unlock it and she closed the wall lock with confidence knowing it would take a nuclear blast to get in these vaults. She met the official outside the vault waiting patiently for her to complete her businesses inside. "I will need to make a deposit" she mentioned as she adjusted the strap to her briefcase on her shoulder, he nodded as he escorted her back upstairs to the conventional bank. He left her in one of the private offices and she was soon joined by another banking officer. "Hello Ms. Weaver" a familiar voice intoned. Alice looked up surprised and pleased to see Sonja smiling at her. "Why hello" she said expressing her pleasure in her tone "this is a pleasant surprise, I thought you went to Switzerland?" Sonja nodded as she held out her hand to shake Alice's lingering a little long in her caress; they both knew what it meant. "I did, I studied there for six months and they sent me back home." Alice was very pleased; this meant she wouldn't be alone for the duration of her trip. Sometimes breaking in a new girlfriend was more trouble than it was worth and searching the local tourist spots or clubs could get boring. Sonja knew her, or at least thought she did and they could have a nice time together while Alice was on the island. "Would you like to have dinner tonight to 'catch up?'" she said with a little innuendo that they both understood they would eventually wind up in bed. Sonja looked delighted at the prospect as she agreed "now, I'm sure I am not what brought you to the islands since you didn't know I was here" she said coyly. Alice laughed, Sonja was all business on some levels and for that she approved wholeheartedly. "I'd like to open an account" she began. Sonja never turned a hair. As much as she enjoyed this American and the little she knew about her she would never let on how intrigued she was by her and her business transactions. It would be unseemly to mention the hundreds of thousands of dollars they handled for her, sometimes millions. "What have you got for us today?" she asked instead. In fairly short order the cashier's checks were deposited in a Swiss bank account that only Alice could access. There would be of course a short hold on the funds until the checks cleared their issuing banks. Even cashier's checks were subject to fraud these days and while Alice would have normally transferred the funds, this personal touch had been necessary to check the safe deposit box and deposit the bonds in it, they had been building up in her home safe and she felt better having them here. Next time she might choose one of her other hidey-holes but a trip to the Cayman's had sounded good to her. Now finding Sonja here made it an even better trip for her. "I've put the normal safety and security protocols on this account?' Sonja asked as they concluded their business and she typed into her computer. "That would be fine" Alice answered knowing that these types of things were necessary when handling large sums of money, to even open an account in most Swiss related banks here in the Caymans you had to deposit $300,000. The cashier's checks she had just deposited totaled many more times that amount but it always paid to be careful, to spread out your wealth between various accounts and transactions. She noted the new account in her phone, sending herself an email, encoded, before erasing the email once it was sent. She was always careful that way, erasing the history, the places she visited on her phone, even her phone calls. She knew it all could be recovered by someone with the right equipment but the casual thief, the casual look, or the local law enforcement usually didn't have the right equipment and she wanted to make it as hard as possible for anyone to find out information about her. She certainly wouldn't make it easy for anyone. "So, now that we are done with business, where did you want to go for dinner?" Sonja's voiced turned coy. Alice smiled, she liked that about Sonja, and she always kept business, business and personal, well personal. "Your choice, pick me up at my hotel after work?" "Give me a little time to change into something" she looked down at her business suit "a little more casual." Alice agreed as she gathered her now empty briefcase, except for the ever present laptop. She hung the strap from her shoulder, her relief over having concluded her business was almost something palpable to her but you wouldn't know it from her appearance as she looked casual, a common tourist. "Okay, I'll see you later then" she smiled and the banking executive returned the smile, anticipating a lovely evening. Meticulous Malice Alice spent the rest of the day enjoying the town, sight-seeing, seeing what had come and gone since her last visit. She enjoyed the little outdoor open markets, buying a few trinkets for herself and friends, even potential friends. She could afford it and while she bought some cheap things she knew enough of what not to buy and what to buy to get some really good deals. She avoided the calls of some of the sharper merchants who tried to take advantage of tourists. Sitting in an outdoor grill as she sipped a rum concoction along with a hamburger that had nothing American about it, it consisted of mostly vegetables, perhaps a kind of omelet, very little beef but absolutely delicious. She people watched and actually felt a little as though she were being watched again, she used several of her usual tricks but didn't catch anyone. Either they were very good, or she was becoming very paranoid. There was nothing on her that could be used against her, even the extra passport was disposable and could be rendered useless if she got it wet. It would immediately begin to dissolve. She couldn't shake her sixth sense and as it was ALWAYS right she didn't try to. She did not however change her plans or her actions. If someone was observing her, watching her, they were going to be disappointed. Back in her hotel room she took a long warm bath, taking extra care with her toilet. She checked that no superfluous hairs were on her lasered body, occasionally one popped up but they seemed to all be gone finally. While she was resting from the bath she thought about what she could do if someone was following her. She 'hid' her briefcase between the mattresses, remaking the bed better than a hotel maid would. Her laptop she 'hid' under the sink in the bathroom, using medical tape to adhere it to the counter underneath and out of sight. She took these two precautions knowing that they would not fool most people, but would tell her if her suspicions were confirmed. Sonja was prompt as the doorbell rang at 7pm. Alice answered it as she put on the last earring. "Hello" she smiled her greeting and Sonja took advantage of her hands being preoccupied on the earring to lean in and kiss her. "Hello" she whispered in a sultry voice. She pulled back to lightly brush the lipstick from Alice's face. Alice laughed at her as she finished getting the earring screwed into its back. This set of diamonds were a little expensive not to have them secured a little more firmly to her ears and she had them drilled with a screw on back especially for occasions that she would be wearing them. "So, where are we going?" she asked noting the form fitting sun dress the other woman was wearing and admiring the sight. Her long slender legs were dreamy. "I thought we'd try out a new place at the other end of town" Sonja told her as she eyed Alice just as closely. A black crossover dressed, with a deep V that showed off her excellent cleavage had Sonja salivating in anticipation of the evening. She would have liked to forgo dinner but knew that Alice liked a little bit of class, a little bit of that anticipation, like a nice meal, a bit of chat, and a lead up to the seduction. They both knew they would end up back in bed together, that was a foregone conclusion but the foreplay was equally important to build the expectation, their eagerness over finding each other again. The new place that Sonja took her to was similar to a few other places, the same Jamaican influenced music, the tourists, dressed as though on a Hawaiian island, the only difference was the food. A smorgasbord of fruits and vegetables, exotic meats, and a barbeque where the fat sizzled and dripped onto the coals made for a different ambience. Both Sonja and Alice were overdressed for the occasion but as they were there for each other and not the numerous single businessmen who constantly hit on them they didn't mind. They even played along occasionally as they amused themselves. Neither was serious about any of the outrageous invitations they got, alone and together. Quite the little den of iniquity they were in. "Did you know what this place was before you selected it?" Alice asked amused as two of their more persistent suitors left with their tails tucked firmly between their legs after their set-down. Sonja laughed aloud as she shook her head "I'd heard it was a great place to eat" she answered as she helped herself to more watermelon and grapes. "Yes, but eat what?" Alice asked as she helped herself to some shrimp and scallops that had just come off the grill. They found two new fruity drinks at their table but they didn't touch them even when the server hastily explained they were from two admirers. Neither of them were stupid, the drinks had been unattended and who knew what was in them. Instead they ordered a Rum concoction that Sonja enjoyed and ate their meal as their disappointed admirers got their drinks returned. There was dancing after dinner and the exotic beats let women dance with women. Although men joined in periodically, Sonja and Alice obviously had eyes for only each other. After a few hours of fine food, good drinks, and great conversation Sonja suggested they head back to her place. Alice agreed, she knew she could trust Sonja, but she had known her on a couple of her trips to the islands. After the second time they had been together she had checked out Sonja, snooping into her personal credit, files, and professional items as well. She had nothing to worry about the woman, she was what she seemed, an official with the Swiss bank, who lived in the Cayman Islands. She enjoyed women and on rare occasions men. She had offers to get married but preferred her own company and occasionally people such as Alice who while this American intrigued her more than most she realized she was equally unattainable. She enjoyed her when she infrequently showed up. Sonja's condo was a newer one. Built to withstand gale force winds it had automatic shutters to protect the many windows from hurricanes when they blew through from April to September in this tropical climate. Sometimes they even lasted into October or even November. Most of the year this was a paradise to live in and Sonja thanked God that she lived here, had a prestigious job, dealt with people from all over the world and all walks of life, and was able to live well above the poverty level she had been born into. They walked up the pristine white steps to her stuccoed condo door; made of mahogany it was impressive and solid. Unlocking the door they were barely inside when Alice pushed her against the wall and reaching up her taller frame whispered "miss me?" before taking her lips with her own and masterfully silencing her. Sonja didn't mind, this little bundle of blonde was one of the best and most inventive lovers she had ever experienced and the only one who could have convinced her to leave her little world willingly. Unfortunately she had never asked and Sonja wouldn't presume to ask. She accepted their occasional bouts of incredibly good sex when they happened which was rare, the last time over a year ago. Since Alice hadn't expected to see her at the bank, had expected her to still be in Switzerland, learning Swiss banking practices at the source, she knew she was genuine in her affections towards her and relished the surprise for them both. Sonja managed to steer them towards one of the two bedrooms her condo boasted as they began pulling their clothes from each other's bodies. A trail led from the front hall to the bedroom as they kissed, licked, and fondled each other's exposed skin. When Sonja had nothing on and Alice only her garters and stockings, Sonja stood back for a moment to admire this girly attire, Alice was one of the few women she had ever come across that wore such frilly knickers, they suited her, making her short legs look long and lean and eminently edible. Sonja sank down before her lover at the edge of her bed to remove first one garter and then the other, rolling the stockings down her legs, kissing the uncovered skin. She looked up at the busty blonde, enjoying the sight of her now naked body as she knelt before her. She caressed up her shorter legs, now devoid of the stockings and garters and began kissing the soft skin along her knees on the inner sides of her legs. Alice wrapped her fingers in the taller woman's hair, encouraging her as she laved attention up her legs. Slowly Sonja pushed Alice to sit on the bed. Her legs automatically parted to accommodate her but it was her bust that intrigued Sonja right now, she had admired the large mammaries all evening long, eagerly anticipating getting her hands on them, and delicately handled them with her palms and fingertips earning a moan of contentment from the blonde whose own hands reached out to caress and pet her partner, letting her enjoy her body as much as she wanted. When Sonja finally got off her knees to kiss her way north, avoiding the V of Alice's legs for the moment she kissed across her belly and delighted in taking the small saucers that passed for the areola of her breasts into her mouth before flicking the erect nipple with her tongue. She fit it all inside but her intent was on the sensitive nipples of her blonde partner. Her one hand was massaging and gently pinching the other large breast as her mouth teased and played with the one. Her other hand gently caressed down her curvy hip and Alice arched into her, enjoying the ministrations to her body, she enjoyed someone like Sonja who knew her way around a woman. When Sonja came up for air and transferred her attentions to the second breast and her hand back to the very wet first one Alice arched into her mouth, encouraging her attentions, letting her know without saying a word that she was enjoying what she was doing to her body. So many potential lovers only saw the large breasts on her petite frame and while she enjoyed them being played with she enjoyed a lot more about lovemaking. Sonja had learned this about Alice early on and she came up for air again and captured the waiting blonde's lips with her own, her body covering the smaller blonde, warming it with the heat from it. Alice rolled with her, gently trapping the taller woman beneath her as she switched things up for them both. Taking turns was fun foreplay but she wanted to touch the tall, attractive, woman the same way if not more. Alice's hands caressed up and down the taller and leaner woman as she wrapped her legs around the woman, playing with her legs up and down with her own, grinding suggestively against her as her fingers and nails played havoc gently on her back, her buttocks, and her hips and thighs as her lips and tongue fenced with Sonja's. "Damn, you're a good kisser" Sonja breathed as she kissed along Alice's jaw, breaking the lip lock that was consuming her ability to think. Alice smiled as she looked down on her lover and her hand came up to cup the woman's much smaller but very nicely rounded breast and squeeze it into the palm of her hand. She recaptured the other woman's lips, nibbling lightly as she sucked the lower and then the upper lip into her mouth, tonguing them, exciting her partner as they swelled under her ministrations. She kissed and tongued along Sonja's jaw towards her neck, sucking lightly to cause her senses little tingles that had her arching into Alice's body which was held firmly against her. Alice used every bit of her body to entice Sonja, her legs caressed up and down and occasionally wrapped around her waist, grinding slightly, suggestively, her breasts rubbed against the other woman's, their nipples grazing each other, her hands were everywhere, caressing, kneading, and pinching, her nails coming into use occasionally. It was her lips and tongue though that drove the other woman insane as she tickled along her neck, her ear, and jaw. The whole combination was exciting them both as they rolled over again and again, one above, one below and their bodies wrapped around each other. Finally they began to play between each other's legs as they sensed the need in the other, their passion was equally matched, driven higher by their knowledge of each other, their foreplay, they need to make the other feel as good as they were feeling. As their fingers rubbed, caressed, pinched, and plunged, playing with the wetness, their lips sucked, licked, and bit their way across each other, shoulders, necks, lips were all engaged in their passion. When they mutually exploded in each other's arms they continued on as the aftershocks rippled through and they drove each other higher once again, and then again. Finally satiated they slept in each other's arms, content for now, and knowing it wasn't over, only beginning. When Alice woke up the next morning she turned over to see Sonja snoring slightly, completely worn out from the Decathlon sex they had participated in the previous night. She smiled wryly; she had slept soundly and enjoyed herself immensely. "What are you smiling about? You look very self-satisfied." Sonja smiled back up at her lover. "I thought you were asleep?" "I think I was waiting for you to turn over, nice to wake up to your pretty face" she reached up to cup her cheek and fluff the amazing blonde hair that she envied. "Don't you have to work today?" Sonja shook her head "banking holiday in England, so here too, good thing you came in yesterday." Alice nodded pleased with the news. "What were you planning on doing today?" "Anything you want" Sonja offered generously. "Anything?" Alice asked putting enough innuendo into the word that it could mean ANYTHING. Sonja nodded pleased with the blonde's reply, she knew Alice could be outrageously inventive and she eagerly anticipated anything that was on her agenda. "Let's go parasailing and snorkeling or perhaps scuba diving?" Alice smirked knowing that Sonja had anticipated a day in bed but if Alice wanted to go scuba diving she had to get it in a full 24 hours before she flew again. Something about not being able to fly and scuba dive in that period, it messed with the pressure in your head or something like that. "Are you sure you wouldn't rather stay here for the weekend?" Sonja enticed indicating the bed they were both wrapped up in. "Yes, but I'm on vacation too, let's go have fun" and Alice rolled over her, stole a kiss but firmly held off her grasping hands to roll out of bed. "I thought this was fun" Sonja laughingly pouted as she followed the curvy blonde to the bathroom for a bath together, they had a lot of fun 'washing' each other and playing in the tub that morning. Alice was as good as her word, booking a tour later in the afternoon to explore the reef offshore. Meanwhile Sonja convinced her to go to her class, a sort of tai bo class Jamaican style that combined a workout and a self-defense class. They were both left sweaty with burning muscles but feeling great. They agreed to meet at Alice's hotel room after they both had bathed and changed. When Alice used her key card to go into her room she could immediately tell that someone besides the maid had been in there. There was a faint odor, perhaps sandalwood in the air. The maid had to of seen that the room didn't need to be made up, the bed however was slightly askew, the mattress not lined up like Alice had left it. She carefully moved it to see that her case had been rifled through. Her fake passport examined and she used her 'make-up' brush to lift off several good finger prints and preserve them. They hadn't found her laptop and while it wasn't important to check her accounts today she left it where it was hidden. Carefully she put back her case and left the bed as she had found it. The room safe was ajar but as she had left it that way she wasn't surprised. She found no fingerprints there. She was genuinely annoyed, her sixth sense had been right. Someone was following her but why? She hadn't left a trail that anyone could follow other than just a casual trip. It would have cost someone a lot of money to follow her on impulse and she hoped she was a worthy quarry because there was nothing for anyone to find, at least this time. If their intent had been to rob her, the bonds were in the safety deposit box and the checks deposited in the bank, she had nothing of extreme value on her other than her jewelry and this wasn't worth a whole hell of a lot. She bathed and noticed the maid must have left her new soaps; she ignored these, especially since she knew that someone other than the maid had been in here, who knew what they might have done to them. She used her own shampoo and smoothed it down her sweaty body to wipe it down. She left the room an hour after entering it and met up with Sonja in the lobby and pretended nothing had happened. As far as anyone watching her was concerned, nothing had. Her active mind though was speculating, wondering, and analyzing, she didn't have a lot to go on and only two unrelated incidents to go on, or were they unrelated? Despite the worry on her mind, she had a wonderful time with Sonja going out on the boat and scuba diving, looking at the odd fish, and enjoying the beauty of the reef. Their guide was really good and they got a good show for their money. Alice tipped him well for the excellent service and he offered to take them out at night sometime. It sounded wonderful but Alice wasn't in the mood. She and Sonja had other plans besides, they headed up from the docks to another quay where they were able to catch a parasailing excursion and take advantage of a spectacular sunset aloft from the ocean and being towed about 50 or more feet above it. Sharing it together, they were excited. That excitement translated to other ideas for both of them. "Let's go back to your hotel" Sonja pleaded when they came back down to the boat. It drove them back to the dock in the twilight, it was romantic, beautiful, and their feelings for each other lent to a feeling that only could be expressed physically. As they made their way back towards the taxi stand, Alice spun around quickly to look back at the sunset, she pretended she didn't see the man who quickly hid behind a building. Sonja thought she was being romantic as her arm crept around the woman's waist and held her tight to her side. All her instincts told her to go after this guy who was following her. Her thoughts were temporarily vicious but her countenance never betrayed what she was thinking. She let Sonja lead her to the taxi stand and they caught one to take them back to the hotel. They spent the weekend making wildly passionate love as Alice enjoyed her vacation. They made it out of the hotel long enough to go sight-seeing, having a native in the form of Sonja was a blessing as she could find all the hot spots that a normal tourist wouldn't know about. The amazing beaches, the wonderful parties, and the whole Caribbean experiences was relaxing, except for the fact that a man and possibly a woman were following Alice. All too soon for both of them the weekend came to an end. Sonja had to return back to work and Alice to her home, although she seriously thought of continuing on to Europe. Whoever was following her, she could make it really expensive to continue. She knew a lot of the hot spots, she knew how expensive it could be to go some places, but at the same time, she wanted to know why he was following her, why she sensed he wasn't alone, why and who he was... Kissing Sonja goodbye that last night together she escorted her to a taxi before waving her off. She knew she was being photographed, she heard the clicking of the shutter in the warm tropical air. How stupid was this stalker of hers? With digital it could have been silenced but an older camera and its shutter noises that carried, it was a dead giveaway. Maybe he wanted to be caught? She had to carefully consider her next move.