I'M FEMALE, I'M MAFIA

SOFIA, BULGARIA

Just as she was about to leave, she sat back down at her stark desk. She looked at the dark computer screen, hesitated, then turned it on and logged into the system. The damage has been done, she thought.

She opened up the criminal databases and continued her work on the Romeo Estella case.

After only an hour, she stumbled on something exciting.

There was a modeling agency that was started in Dayton, Ohio only two months after Next Superstar disappeared. It was only open eight months, then closed. According to city records, the owner had been R. E. Kingsley.

Kingsley - Ms. Cynthia Kingsley - that was the name his assistant had used.

What about Romeo E. Kingsley?

Jade typed the name into the FBI criminal database, waiting on pins and needles.

After a moment, it came back with a match.

Romeo E. Kingsley, a.k.a. Romeo A. Estella, a.k.a. Steven B. Hayes, a.k.a, Edward T. Cane, a.k.a... The list went on.

She opened up the rest of the file.

Her heart gave a thump as the man’s mug shots appeared, front and side views, holding a number.

It was him! He still had the droopy mustache, and a beard as well.

She skimmed through the file, her heart beating faster and faster. Wanted for direct mail fraud, computer phishing, passing bad checks, currency counterfeiting... a dozen white collar crimes.

Jade frowned, confused, scrolling back and forth through the long file. Where was he now? He’d obviously been arrested, because there were mug shots.

Ah, there it was. Five years ago...

Convicted on three counts of direct mail fraud, Decatur, Illinois. He was sentenced to two years in an Illinois minimum security prison.

And then what?

The file seemed to end there.

Then she noticed the last line.

September, 17th, 2002. Deceased.

Deceased? she thought numbly. The man is dead?

That couldn’t be...

With a growing sense of disappointment, she clicked on some more buttons. She finally found the death certificate.

Cause of death: heart failure. It is the opinion of the examining physician that the deceased passed away peacefully in his sleep.

* * *

Sofia, Bulgaria turned out to be a pleasant surprise. The city had a distinctly European flavor, with balconied buildings overlooking tree-lined, cobblestone boulevards that rattled with slow moving trams. The summer air was filled with the smell of flowers and the sounds of laughter and romantic accordion music. There was simplicity to the Bulgarian people and the way they lived, that Jade found charming and down to earth.

In the center of the city, the men and women were better dressed than in the States, the men in suits and the women in stylish skirts or dresses, most wearing high heels. When they walked in couples, the woman would often take the man’s arm the old fashioned way.

The males, with their dark eyes and swarthy looks, were handsome enough, but their attitude towards females left much to be desired. In some parts of the country, girls as young as fourteen were still auctioned off at fairs to the highest bidder.

Still, Sofia was a thrilling place for Jade to find herself. A helluva lot more interesting than Great Falls, Montana.

The day she arrived, she was met at the airport by a Bulgarian driver from the office and formally escorted to an apartment in the center. The flat had been rented for her on a weekly basis until she could find permanent accommodations. It was lovely, with antique furniture and ten foot ceilings, and overlooked a quiet, tree-shaded square.

When she arrived at the Secret Service office, a stocky receptionist said, “We’ve been expecting you,” in accented English. She motioned down the hall. “The SAIC’s office is the last one at the end of the hall."

Jade didn’t know a thing about the SAIC except that her name was Brenda - Brenda Hanks. She went down the corridor and stopped at the door marked with her name.

There was someone Jade thought was a tall, broad-shouldered man bent over a desk cluttered with papers, stained coffee cups, and other debris. He was counting out money from an envelope, muttering to himself, and scribbling on a piece of paper. Jade couldn’t see his face - he had long, unkempt brown hair that obscured it. He was wearing faded, holey jeans, hiking boots, and a cracked leather flight jacket over a wrinkled-looking linen shirt.

He looked up, brushing the hair out of his face. He saw Jade and gave a warm smile. “Hi there."

Jade was astonished at the figure before her, first, she'd thought he was a man, but considering the two small shapely bumps on the chest and the sound of the voice, she was the most handsome - no, pretty - woman she had ever laid eyes on.

“I’m Brenda Hanks,” she said, offering her her strong looking hand. “You must be Jade?”

“Yes,” she finally said. She didn’t want to let it go.

“I’m about to go on an undercover assignment. You wanna come along, get the feel of the place?”

Jade glanced uncertainly down at her business suit.

“Don’t worry, you’re dressed just right for this assignment." She paused. “Got your service pistol with you?”

“Yes, of course." Jade started to open her satchel.

“Leave it here." With a faint smile, she said, “I read the note in your file."

* * *

Five minutes later, they were climbing into an old cherry red Mustang that was parked in a garage near the office. Brenda put the key into the ignition and the engine thundered to life.

“Bought this in New York, shipped it to the UK, and drove it all the way here from London,” she said proudly, as she pulled out of the garage. “An original Boss 429. ‘68 model." She glanced at her. “You’re probably not much into muscle cars...”

“No,” Jade admitted. She was still a little offended by the comment she had made about the note in her file.