^{the kimmel center}

^{I woke first, early. I got up and walked quietly out to the hall.}

^{When I wandered into the living room, I noticed the white envelope with the blackmail letter and the photos sat on the shelf above the TV. We forgot to put it away. I pushed the eject button on the VCR and put the video back into the white bag. I turned, walked back to the second bedroom and placed it on top of the shelf in the closet.}

^{Back in the kitchen I made coffee and sat on the couch and started reading the second journal, the white one. Andi had reached the present time and the writings became diary entries.}

^{I'm not sure how much time passed, but my next sip of coffee was cold and the sun had cleared the townhouses across Cyn's street.}

^{I heard the toilet flush. It was only 7:45 in the morning.}

^{I put the journal down, made Cyn's cup of coffee, with cream and sugar, and walked back into the bedroom.}

^{Cyn was headed back to bed and turned toward me. She looked very appealing, with her tangled hair, her bedroom eyes, her nightgown, her tattooed arms and legs and her big smile. It's so much better than the serious scowl she too often shows the world.}

^{I handed her the coffee.}

^{“Thank you.”}

^{I mentioned the envelope and journals. “If you want me to, I could take it down to my house and put it in my safe for safety's sake.”}

^{“Yes, do it.”}

^{I couldn't stop myself. “Cyn, you're incredibly beautiful. It was wonderful seeing you on film without clothes. I mean, it's a real privilege, oh, I'm sorry, I don't mean to embarrass you.”}

^{Cyndie said, “Shut up, you jerk. I'm sure you liked seeing Andi even more.”}

^{I left that comment alone. I said, “Cyn, you guys weren't fooling. It was everything, love, passion, mad sex…”}

^{“Yes it was. It's embarrassing that such a private moment was caught on film. But I'm not upset that you watched it. I'm glad you liked it. I just wished I looked better.”}

^{I replied, “You look incredible.”}

^{Cyn touched her hair. “Oh, Stevie, you're so kind to me.”}

^{I kissed her lips, got up and went back to the living room. I picked up Andi’s itinerary and studied it for a minute.}

^{Cyn got up and started to make her breakfast.}

^{I picked up Cyn’s telephone. Three phone calls changed everything.}

^{I called the big red rental car company and asked about Andi's Denver rental. My heart stopped for a moment; the customer service rep explained the car was turned in early at the Denver airport, on Sunday morning, six days before.}

^{The second call brought the biggest concern. The Holiday Inn said Andi's room still had her clothes and her reservation ran out five days ago. They packed her gear and ended her reservation yesterday.}

^{I briefed Cyndie and then placed a third call. I made my own reservations with my travel agency for a round-trip to Denver, a rental car and a room at the Fort Collins Holiday Inn, leaving Monday morning. I really wanted to get out there as soon as possible. I thought of leaving the next day, Sunday, but decided against it at the last moment, because I’d likely have more success finding people on a weekday and I wanted to first follow up on the few things we found here, in Philly.}

^{I hung up and returned to the kitchen. I explained my tentative plan to Cyndie.}

^{Cyn had a determined look on her face but didn't know what to say. “Stevie, so who blackmailed Andi?”}

^{“I think Colorado holds some clues.”}

^{“I hope.”}

^{“Cyn, something is wrong with this whole story. It’s too coincidental that Andi was about to file for divorce and then the Kimmel Center night happened. Robert beat her to the punch. How did he do that?”}

^{“What do you mean?”}

^{“How did he know you guys were having an affair and that you would be at the Kimmel Center?”}

^{Cyn responded, “Well, we weren’t exactly discreet.”}

^{“How indiscreet were you?”}

^{“We were hugging and kissing inside and outside of work?”}

^{“Who saw you?”}

^{“Lot’s of people. Red Sable, others, I don’t know who.”}

^{I thought a second and then asked her, “Is the tape in your bedroom the one that was sent to the Grayson’s home in Delaware?”}

^{“I think so, it's a copy. Andi got it from Walter, her attorney.”}

^{“Do you know who has seen the tape?”}

^{Andi said clearly, “Robert, his attorney and your ex-witch Eve Simmons, the judge, her attorney, Andi, me and you have seen it. I don't know who else. Maybe others have in the judge's office.”}

^{“Cyn, something isn’t right about this. But, let me ask a few questions about the Kimmel Center lounge. When I looked at the tape, I couldn't believe this was just a security camera. First, the quality is too good. Second, the camera is focused on the couch. How big was the room?”}

^{“It was like a big living room, maybe 15 feet by 25 feet.”}

^{“Was there any other furniture inside the room?”}

^{“Yes, at least two side chairs and a few tables. Also, there was a bar or a front shelf area, with some stools too.”}

^{“See, I don't know why the camera would be focused on the couch. Wait a minute, where did you put your cat suit and g-string before you lied down?”}

^{“I think it was on a side chair, why?”}

^{“Do you remember afterwards, when you two sat up and got dressed? The camera followed you to that chair. I need to watch that part again.”}

^{“Stevie, you're right, I do remember that. But, what does that mean?”}

^{“The camera could have been controlled by someone. In other words, someone else was watching, moving the camera, and they followed you and Andi to the side chairs.”}

^{“Oh my God, Stevie!”}

^{“I want to go to the Kimmel Center to check out that lounge. Would you be willing to come with me to walk through that night again?”}

^{“Sure, when would you like to go?”}

^{“Very soon, okay?”}

^{“Yes.” Cyndie thought for a moment, and then said, “I need to call Walter Hines and let him know you're helping investigate the blackmailing. I’ll ask him about the will too.”}

^{I replied, “Sure, that’s a good idea.”}

^{“Stevie, let's check out the Kimmel Center.”}

^{I asked, “When?”}

^{“Why not right now, this morning?”}

^{“Okay, let's do it.”}

^{“While you get dressed I’ll go get my car.”}

^{“Good idea.”}

^{Three minutes later I was making my way across Rittenhouse Square on my way to get my Miata out of the Liberty Place parking garage. An overnight rain shower and quickly passing cold front had provided crisp early summer air and a mild breeze.}

 

^***

 

^{We arrived at the Kimmel Center around 11 a.m. and parked her car across Broad Street in a parking garage. Cyn held my hand as we walked the block to the entrance. Cyn went with her Goth look; another black corset-like top, a sheer multilayered black skirt and black mid-calf lug-soled boots with long laces.}

^{As we got closer, Cyn became quiet and her grip on my hand became tighter. I realized she was frightened and thought about how I could make her feel more at ease. I just continued to hold hands.}

^{The Kimmel Center is a new music hall in center city Philadelphia with a large main theatre and several smaller theaters all under a clear glass semi-cylindrical roof. The center occupies a full city block and is very modern. Inside it is an impressive world of dark wood walls, brass railings and fixtures, smoked glass windows, and terracotta tile floors.}

^{I asked Cyn where they entered the Kimmel Center that night in February and she directed us toward the main entrance off Broad Street. Cyndie then walked ahead and showed how they strutted into the building. I followed and we were soon standing in the center of the lobby. From there, we looked around and I noticed that this was a very open space. There were four stories with many doors off the multi-levels around and above us.}

^{There was a musical event of some kind with about two hundred people, mostly elementary school children, milling around the lobby. Andi pointed towards the main theatre, which opened ahead of us.}

^{Cyn said they first headed to the bar, which was left of the entrance. We walked there and saw the table and chairs.}

^{I asked Cyn, “Okay, now where was the lounge?”}

^{Cyn froze and said, “Up the escalator one floor and then down that hall a little way.” Cyn pointed up to the left.}

^{“Show me.”}

^{Cyn walked around the bar and headed to the escalator. We rode up one flight and started down a narrow hall heading back toward the Broad Street entrance. I followed and then she stopped until I caught up. We walked holding hands.}

^{After about 60 feet, Cyn stopped, turned and pointed towards a dark walnut colored door, and then said, “I think this is it, Stevie. Notice how private this whole area seems? I didn't see any one up here that night. Okay, let's go in, but you go first, Stevie.”}

^{I turned the door knob and found that it was unlocked. I pulled the door and we entered. The door was on the left side of the front of the room. The room opened to the right and was at least as large as Cyn remembered. It had white walls and recessed, circular lights in the ceiling. The bar was on the left wall. A glass-paneled door on the back solid-glass wall led to the patio that overlooked Broad Street. The floor was covered with good quality off-white industrial carpet. The room had a white leather chaise lounge in the middle with two black leather side chairs. In front of the chaise lounge was a black coffee table and there were two black end tables at each end of the lounge. There were about five metal padded chairs along the back wall.}

^{Cyn gasped when she saw the chaise lounge again and re-held my hand.}

^{I asked Cyn, “Is this the room?”}

^{“Yes it is, Stevie.”}

^{I spent a minute or two looking around, evaluating the lounge. Even though the back wall was glass, its dark smoke shading, the subdued interior lighting, the wide patio, and lack of tall buildings across the street, created a very private lounge. No one outside had a clear view of this interior. Then, I asked Cyn if she would mind lying on the chaise for a moment. She hesitated, but said she would.}

^{After she was lying down, I asked her if everything still felt familiar. She said it did.}

^{I then asked her, “Did you ever notice the camera when you were in the room?”}

^{Cyn laughed and answered, “Well, I was kind of busy with Andi.”}

^{I looked around the room trying to get the same angle of the camera that made the video. It was above the action and from the left. That made the point of view near the door.}

^{We walked over to the doorway and looked up. I noticed that one of the suspended ceiling tiles had a small rectangular hole, near one of the metal cross supports. The hole looked to be about 3 inches square.}

^{I turned and said, “ Cyn, bring over one of those metal chairs, I want to look up there.”}

^{Cyn brought the chair over and held it steady, while I stood on it. I slowly lifted the ceiling tile. The tile was two feet square and very light, made of dry, chalky material. Looking closely I noticed small holes drilled through the tile on two sides. Lifting the square up and out, I stood on my toes and stuck my head inside the cavity between these tiles and the true ceiling of the second floor. I didn't see anything - no wires, or cords, or outlets - except white dust on the cross support.}

^{I put the tile back in place and said to her, “Some one cut out this square and it's possible that a camera could have been stored up above the suspended ceiling. You know what I notice Cyn?”}

^{She answered, “No, what?”}

^{“There isn't any camera or other electronics at all in this room, except for the two smoke detectors in the ceiling. I think the camera was planted by the blackmailers.”}

^{Andi asked, “How can we prove it?”}

^{I answered, “Let's talk to security.”}

^{“Yes, let's go.”}

 

^***

 

^{I turned off the lights in the room and led Cyn back down to the lobby. I went to a guard and asked him if he could direct us to the supervisor on duty. The guard wanted to know if there was a problem. I said there was, but not anything right now, we were interested in an event that happened here over three months earlier.}

^{He pointed us to an office at the far back left corner on the first floor of the Kimmel Center. The guard told us that the manager, Jim Mason, was on duty. He even used his walkie-talkie to call the boss and informed him we were on our way. We thanked him and set out to find the boss.}

^{We reached the security office and Jim Mason met us in the outer office where they had a counter. I noticed two other security officers on duty; one was behind the counter answering phones. The second officer was looking at TV monitors and controlling the security cameras that provided these images.}

^{Jim Mason was a forty-something guy in a blue uniform. He had greying dark hair and a growing belly on his five feet ten inch frame. He was fairly friendly, especially when he saw the gorgeous woman on my arm. I introduced Cyn, and Mason asked how he could help. I requested a few minutes of time in his office to discuss a private matter.}

^{Mason agreed and escorted us to his office. Mason took his seat behind the big wooden desk. I took the side chair by his desk, while Cyn sat on his small sofa.}

^{I handed Mason my business card, which he placed on the middle of his desk. As Mason enjoyed the views on the sofa, I grabbed part of his attention with an edited version of Cyn's incredible story, indicating that a tape was made of Cyn and her friend in one of the lounges in the front of the building on the second floor. I told him that, subsequently, that friend, Andi, was blackmailed and her life has been severely impacted. As I spoke, Mason's eyes took several trips up and down Cyn's body. As if we planned this ahead of time, Cyndie began to cry and I knew I had Mason. Ms. Myst is such an actress when she wants to be.}

^{I asked him, “Jim can you help us with a little information?”}

^{Mason quickly replied, “What kind of information?”}

^{Seeing my opportunity, I asked, “Do the front lounges have security cameras?”}

^{Mason answered, “No, they don't. Only the front hallway does. When the lights are turned on in those rooms, a red light appears on our security board in the outer office, but we don’t have cameras inside. Once a red light appears, that room becomes part of our floor detail, which means a guard will go by once an hour to check on the room.”}

^{“Do you save the tapes from the front hall's security cameras?”}

^{Mason thought a moment and then replied, “Yes, we do, but I don't have them. I think they are stored in the computer. I'll find out about that. What was the date?”}

^{Cyn answered, “Saturday, Feb. 14, Valentines Day. We arrived around 7:15, about forty-five minutes before the orchestra started.”}

^{Mason wrote that down.}

^{As we were talking, I noticed Mason was trying to hide his wedding ring and I caught a glimpse of a middle aged woman and two children in a picture on his desk. I suppressed a grin, guessing that reaction was almost normal when you saw Cyn.}

^{“Jim, who does your maintenance work on the security equipment?”}

^{“We use different firms.”}

^{I asked, “Was any work done just before and after February, 14?”}

^{“I don't know. Repairs are controlled by our maintenance department, which is in the office next door. Only thing is they're closed on weekends. I can check it out next week. Okay?”}

^{I answered, “Sure, that'd be great. Thanks.”}

^{Not having any other questions, I thanked him for all his help, and asked him if he would be kind enough to show us the security camera in the hallway, and how his monitoring equipment worked in his outer office.}

^{Mason did so with pleasure. We noticed that he put his arm around Cyn's back as he escorted her to the front room. He told the guard on duty to take a five-minute break and they sat down at the control board. Mason showed us the security camera in the front hallway, which displayed a fairly dark picture of a tile floor and wooden walls. Mason also pointed out the lights that would turn red when the lounge overheads lights were turned on.}

^{Next, he walked us slowly towards the front of the center and showed us the security cameras along the way, ending with the camera in the front hall of the second floor.}

^{I thanked him again and reminded him to call me if he got any images from the security cameras. We said our goodbyes.}

 

^***

 

^{We left the Kimmel Center and walked out into a steady rain. Another storm front had moved in. The overcast skies matched our moods. It had turned colder and windy too. I told Cyn, “Let's go eat lunch. It will give us time to think about all we've learned from Mason, and plan our next steps.”}

^{“Great idea, Stevie.”}

^{Holding hands, we went back to the Miata. We drove a few blocks east to one of Cyn's favorite restaurants, Moriarty's, on Walnut Street. Once we were seated, I said, “Let’s recap what we know. We know that someone put a camera in the Kimmel Center lounge. It wasn't a security camera.”}

^{I stopped and thought out loud, “So, how did this blackmailer know you were going to be there that night? They needed lead time to plan their moves.”}

^{“I don’t know. Maybe someone told him.”}

^{I responded, “But who?”}

^{Cyn answered, “I don’t know that either.”}

^{“The strange part is why? What was his motivation?”}

^{Cyn replied, “Maybe he knew Andi was rich. I mean, Robert was rich. That's motivation enough.”}

^{I answered, “True, but something else is missing. I'm not sure what.”}

^{Cyn said, “This is all so scary and crazy to me.”}

^{I didn't think she knew anything else. Maybe a memory would come back if we just started planning other stuff. I just needed to be patient. I talked a little about my trip to Denver. Maybe that might bring some good news. My gut told me I shouldn’t be optimistic.}

^{Cyn again showed her modeling discipline as she ate less than half what I did – no wonder she looks like she’s still in her twenties. We finished our lunch and ran to my blue baby to avoid the rain. Fortunately, we only had to go around the corner of Walnut and run down 11th Street to our metered parking spot.}

^{Cyn slid in to the front passenger seat and I shut the door behind her and then walked around and got in the driver side.}

 

^***

 

^{When we got back to Cyn’s apartment, we parked and I escorted Cyndie inside.}

^{I picked up Andi’s large white envelope and started saying my goodbyes to Cyn.}

^{“Cyn, why don’t you come down my place for the rest of the weekend? I’ll make dinner on the grill.”}

^{Cyn looked at me and said, “Stevie, I’ll do it, but let’s be clear. This is a no commitment, friends only time.”}

^“Sure.”

^{She paused and then said, “I just want to be with you, Stevie.”}

^{Cyndie walked out of the room. I was left to watch Cyn's cute behind move inside her sheer black skirt.}

^{I waited on the couch, while Cyn packed. I passed the time by scanning Andi’s white journal. I kept reading the same phrase again and again during the past year’s entries; Sexy Girls. Who were they? I’d ask Cyn later, once we were at my home.}

^{After twenty minutes, Cyn was ready and we locked up her apartment.}

 

^***

 

^{Cyn followed me in her Ford SUV and pushed me on our trip south on the interstate, but my baby blue Miata beat her to my suburban Wilmington home.}