Revolution

Part Seven

Part Seven

Victor walked into the Cafe Cleopatra and saw Leonard sitting by himself at a small table against the far wall and joined him. 

Leonard said, "I don't understand, why do men want to see other men dressed as women when there are perfectly good places in this city to see women dance naked." 

"Repressed homosexuals," Victor said. "Is that Prescott's secret?" 

"If that would help us, we could make it real enough, but no," Leonard said, "that's not it." 

A waitress came to the table and Victor looked at Leonard who said, "No, it's a man, that's why he wears the scarf," and the waitress said, "That's not the best way to tell," and winked a heavily made-up eye and big fake eyelash at Leonard. 

Victor said, "Canadian Club on the rocks," and the waitress walked away saying, "Whatever you do, don't try and enjoy yourself." 

Leonard said, "The police, as inept as always, are shaking down every client the prostitute had but are finding nothing but expensive English lawyers and air tight alibis." 

"They haven't spoken to Prescott." 

"No," Leonard said, "not yet, but that's costing us. I did find out that they actually have a witness, an old woman in the building saw a young woman leaving just before Prescott arrived." 

"She didn't see him?" 

Leonard shook his head, "No, she didn't. She was concerned, there had been noise in the apartment, breaking glass, she was going to call someone." 

The waitress returned and put a tall highball glass with an umbrella in it on the table in front of Victor and said, "Grasshopper, right honey?" and laughed and walked away. 

Victor looked at Leonard and said, "A woman, and the prostitute wasn't raped, was she." 

"No." 

"Was it a robbery?" 

"There was nothing missing, a little jewellery not worth much, diamond earrings that were a gift from Prescott and apparently she wore a gold chain around her neck with a cross, like all these Catholic girls, but that's all that was missing." 

"So why?" 

On stage the master of ceremonies was ending his long and overblown introduction of the next dancer, "All the way from Paris, Coccinelle!" 

Leonard said, "Yes, Paris, by way of Chicoutimi." 

Victor started to pick up his drink and then stopped, putting it back on the table and saying, "So what is it?" 

"They never would have found out anything about the woman leaving the apartment, but I found out that one of the prostitute's friends is a dancer who works here." 

"A transvestite." 

Leonard pointed across the bar to where a woman, what looked like a woman, tall and thin and elegant looking in a chic minidress and thigh high boots, was sitting with a businessman. "He'll be arrested later tonight if you want to wait." 

Victor said, no, that wouldn't be necessary. "The police will be satisfied with this? A twisted lovers' quarrel?" 

Leonard was still looking at the drag queen sitting with the businessman, both of them laughing and flirting. "He'll have another whole group of clients they can harass, it'll keep them busy for months." 

"And Prescott will never be questioned." 

"Never. They don't even know he exists." 

Victor said, "Good work," and stood up. "You'll stay and make sure the arrest happens?" 

Leonard held up his glass, his scotch, and said, "The sacrifices I make." 

Victor said, yes, "As we all must," and walked out.