Cleaning a body
is a lot like washing your hair. You make sure to remove all the sebum. Some
apply shampoo or soap to their hair, and lather the surfactant with
water. They rinse out the dirt, they comb down the hair and gently remove any
tangles. That’s the perfect coiffure. Lawyer Tamara Tarpon was no hairdresser,
but she had an impressive résumé when it came to cleaning the dirty or untidy
state of things. Before working for her current employer, she had a night job
in the Death Care Industry. During the day she was in Law School. Then, she had
had plenty of practice, working for the biggest criminal in Sea Snake City.
Tamara personally made sure that no one else, apart from her perfectly selected team, approached the kitchen of the Coral Reef. Her deep blue eyes were coldly wandering around the great hall, observing all the guests enjoying the luxurious party. The cleaning squad was composed of ten people, all Freshok men and women wearing the waiter tuxedo attire of the classy restaurant. They accessed the restaurant passing through the back entrance and swiftly headed for the canteen. They entered the kitchen passing through the aluminium swinging door followed by the lawyer. The cleaners were carrying silvery plates with a cover dome or pushing catering trolleys covered by white candid tablecloths. At the head of the party was a burly and muscular man with black round glasses and long lateral fins hanging from his cheeks. He saluted the lawyer with a nod and removed the tablecloths from the trolleys. He wore a pair of thick plastic gloves and started to prepare his workstation by gathering a variety of sponges and spray bottles. He asked his guys to take one of the big plastic containers from the trolley. Two of the biggest men lifted the body of the dead chef from the floor and placed it inside the canister, they sealed it and carried it back on the trail. The cleaning team worked silently, with efficient and chirurgic precision. They sprayed and sanitised everything with antivirals and disinfectants. They cleaned all the rubble and deposits and covered the hole on the wall by nailing a series of wooden panels. The group leader approached Tamara.
“The panels are fastened,” he said, “the bricklayer will come tonight to finish the job”.
“Thank you, Housekeeper. You are free to go”.
The cleaning squad left the restaurant as quickly as they arrived. Tamara took her phone from the inner pocket of her velvet suit. She dialled and brought the phone to her ear “The kitchen is clean. Bring back the cooks...We have a party to host. The chef had to go home…I know. Mr Bubble, too…”
She left the kitchen and headed for the back of the restaurant. She walked across an empty corridor towards a faded wooden door. She entered the changing room and locked the door.
“You are late!” Miss Edith Fighting-fish was elegantly leaning against a tiled wall with a captivating smile on her graceful face. Her big emerald eyes were gleaming at Tamara under the golden light of the arc lamp hanging from the wall. The lawyer felt all the tension leaving her vigorous shoulder and melted in a relaxed smile. She walked to her and gently placed a hand on her slim and sinuous hip, then she kissed her softly on her full red lips.
“I’m sorry, Edith. Tonight… was crazy” Tamara was tenderly caressing the long flowy fins cascading on the woman’s silken cheeks. Her big hand slipped on her long and colourful hair, to touch her curvy breast “You look…breath-taking…I missed you…”
Miss Fighting-fish sighed “We can’t now…The speech is about to start…They’ll be looking for you and…is that blood?”
Tamara impulsively retracted her hand and looked at her jacket “no…no, just tomato sauce. I had to help in the kitchen… The inept chef…disappeared “.
“That is not on your job description, Tamara…” Edith, was now primping the beautiful dress she was wearing. Her gala attire was covered in delicate and colourful patterns depicting waves and corals from the sea. It was perfectly harmonious with her long and undulated fins. Wide loose sleeves overlayed with blue velvety seahorses were hanging on her sides. The vibrant silk of the front garment was tied with a golden tight belt. The kimono style dress had a split thigh skirt showing her athletic long legs confidently standing on her high heels.
“You don’t know Mayor Angler as I do… He won’t take ‘no’ as an answer” Tamara opened a locker and took a fresh clean dark suit hanging from a holder.
“I know him too well, my love…” Edith said, “He’s a murderous monster, and you helped him for all these years…”
Tamara scoffed “What…? And why would you say that?”
“You don’t need to know. What matters now is that you can’t get rid of those blood-stained clothes. I need them”. Edith’s voice took a threatening tone.
The lawyer placed the clean suit back in the closet. She gradually turned her head towards the woman. Her neck muscles were nervously contracted. She looked at Miss Fighting-fish with her blue suspicious eyes.
“I told you… that’s not blood. What’s up with you, all of a sudden?”.
“In the endless months we’ve been together, I learned things. You talk in your sleep, you know? And you are so sensitive, so trusting when you are in love.” Edith laughed softly “Did you really think that I would mix up with a dirty Freshok like you. Someone of my heritage? I used you, Tamara. And tonight, this ends… for you and your boss”. Edith stepped closed to the lawyer, intensely looking at the stains on her suit jacket. Her charming smile was gone. Tamara’s blue eyes were now injected with blood.
“I always knew that Korals don’t mix up with people like me” the lawyer smiled unconvinced “But I couldn’t let a beauty like you slip away” she smirked and moved her tongue across her lips “You have no idea what you got yourself into, Edith. I don’t want to, but I’ll have to hurt you now.” Tamara was twice the size of Miss Fighting-fish, but not nearly as agile. She broadened her arms and tried to grab her. But Edith dodged and swiftly picked a sharp object from one of her big sleeves. She rapidly crouched and twirled the sharp knife at Tamara’s ankle. The lawyer dropped on the floor ruinously. Lady Fighting-fish stood up and slowly walked towards the door, while cleaning her knife with a white handkerchief. She was almost mumbling to herself “The Achilles tendon is a tough band of fibrous tissue that connects the calf muscles to the heel bone… I just severed it. It’s unlikely you are going to walk properly ever again”. She opened the door, and the room was shortly filled by big Krosters wearing the city police uniform. The lawyer was put in handcuffs and securely escorted out of the back entrance of the building. Tears of resentment fell down her cheek, while she watched Miss Fighting-fish walking away from her forever.
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