"Which do you think is her main business, pimping or buying houses?"
Jack asked his experienced driver Aubrey curiously, standing in front of a beautiful villa.
"Is there a difference?" Aubrey smiled rather lewdly. "It's all about selling something that looks beautiful and glamorous, but has actually been used countless times."
It made perfect sense, and Jack gave him a thumbs-up.
"Oh, two handsome gentlemen, isn't this a nice place? You're going to love this house. It will definitely become your sweet home in the future."
An older woman who looked like Hilary and had the same style of clothing greeted them warmly.
"Uh, we're not a same-sex couple. Uh." Jack regretted not bringing Jiejie with him and coming here with Aubrey instead.
"Of course, of course, I know." The older woman, with sagging cheeks and eyebrows painted almost to her temples, warmly invited the two into the villa. After closing the door, the smile on her face disappeared, and she looked a little angry.
"But you two should at least put on some pretense. I don't want to be seen with two policemen."
"Uh, sorry, but let's confirm one thing first. You're the 'madam,' right? The intermediary who introduces call girls to those high-class men?"
This woman looked incredibly deceptive. She wasn't the brothel owner Jack had imagined, a professional real estate agent. He felt it was safer to confirm.
"Of course not," the older woman flatly denied. "I'm only responsible for arranging the date. Whether two adults fall in love at first sight and what happens next is none of my business."
"Uh, of course." Aubrey nudged Jack, indicating that this was his role.
Perhaps because Ms. Daniels, the "scavenger," had given her a heads-up, after listening to Aubrey's explanation of their purpose, the brothel owner, who called herself Ms. Peyton, invited them to sit in the living room, served tea and snacks, and then slowly spoke.
"Yeah, we've all heard about that bitch. She's really hurting our business."
"So, your business... uh... I mean, have your girls always been this expensive?"
Granted, Aubrey had been a playboy, but when he hooked up with supermodels and celebrity stars, he usually didn't just write checks directly. He was more subtle, giving them designer bags or luxury jewelry and clothing. While
his "relationships" usually lasted only a month or two, costing tens to hundreds of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of dollars, a night out of 20,000 yuan was still a lot of money, considering the unit price alone.
"Of course. While each girl's worth is different, the girls I train have always been at the top of the industry. That guy is truly a troublemaker. You have to know that our client base is extremely limited."
It was clear that the brothel owner was quite proud of her high-end flesh trade. Aubrey deliberately agreed, "That's understandable. After all, there are only so many people who can afford it."
Ms. Payton naturally began to talk non-stop, recounting the difficulties of starting a business back then. Finally, she sighed, "I don't understand why she did this. It's simply harming others and herself.
A call girl's client list is her most important asset. It's not only her source of income, but also her most generous 'retirement' when she retires. Who would deliberately cross names off their list?"
Jack was a little confused and didn't understand what she meant. "I'm sorry, Ms. Payton, I don't understand. Are you saying that the client lists are entirely in the hands of the girls themselves?"
"Of course. I'm only responsible for training them, teaching them how to please customers, how to increase their own value and how to avoid risks. After that, they will only come to me when they encounter trouble."
It sounds like this madam only takes in newcomers and provides protection for those call girls. The rest depends on themselves. Jack probably understood the operating rules.
"So what do you mean by 'retirement'? Do you allow the girls to blackmail the clients on the list when they leave?"
"Good God, how could you possibly think that?" The madam's voice suddenly rose, becoming sharp and piercing. "Of course, we sell this list to new girls. It's a very valuable asset."
"Oh, okay, my bad." Jack was a little embarrassed. He really didn't know anything about this business, only prejudice.
"Then can you tell me what services your girls usually provide?"
Aubrey met Ms. Peyton's puzzled look and began to form his words. "Our current hypothesis is that the murderer specifically murders clients who force her into unwanted sexual acts."
The madam chuckled, almost mockingly. "For example?"
"Uh, like abuse or being abused?" Aubrey said awkwardly.
"Haha, young man." Now it was clear the other party was mocking the two FBI agents. "What do you think of my girls?
Those whores pimping out freeway motels aren't getting paid $20,000 a night."
She poured herself a cup of black tea to moisten her throat before speaking slowly again. "I bet, dear, you're going in the wrong direction.
Let's start with your previous question. Why do you think a man would willingly pay five figures for a single night of pleasure?"
"Well, of course it's not just for sex. Isn't it simply because of the hush money?" Having completely exposed their ignorance in this area, Jack decided to come clean and ask for clarity.
"Of course, sex skills are essential, but that's only the simplest part," Ms. Payton said solemnly, as if imparting some profound truth.
"But compared to simple physical satisfaction, men care more about spiritual release."
Before the meeting, the two young FBI agents opened their mouths slightly, revealing an insatiable thirst for "knowledge." Mrs. Payton, her self-esteem greatly satisfied, smiled smugly.
"A good call girl is also a therapist. She can understand the worst of her clients' emotions and touch the softest spots in their hearts.
Worry, anxiety, insecurity, even fear—all the sources of stress, all the terrible feelings they can't bring home to their wives and families.
This is the ultimate goal of my training these girls to achieve: learning to talk to these men, how to guide and listen, and how to use demeanor and subtle gestures to make the client see her as the most trustworthy pressure valve."
"Sounds similar to what you therapists do?" Aubrey winked at Jack mischievously.
"I'm only a psychiatrist. I only analyze, not treat." Jack signaled the man to stop interrupting, then turned to Ms. Peyton and nodded, "Please continue."
"I don't know that woman's motive for killing, but I bet if she killed simply because she couldn't accept certain sexual demands, as you say, she wouldn't have reached the point where she's worth $20,000 a night."
The madam said this with a very confident tone.
(End of this chapter)