The sex club was called La Masque, and in the rain of the night, the reflection of the lights from all of the police cars seemed out of place. 

The street police, in their raincoats and plastic wraps on their caps, looked up and then stepped back to allow the tall man in the dark, long leather coat to move through. It was the gold badge that marked him as a detective and gave him the right to go past the crime scene. Following him closely was a short female who wore a similar gold badge who must have been his partner. She was trying to keep the raindrops off her pad as she read something on the screen.

They both stopped under the long awning and took time to put the blue booties on their wet shoes. Standing, the tall guy pulled out some blue thin rubber gloves and pulled one on, holding the other in his hand. He nodded at the cop at the door and let the man hold the door open for them.

Stepping into the surreal reception room, they were into an area that would have cost most people ten thousand dollars to stand in this red velvet room with the candles and pale light.

“Let’s get the lights turned on everywhere.”

The scene did have a different appearance in the bright white lights. Yet, as they looked around, their first surprise was how clean everything was in this red-paneled room. A policeman stood there with a young man who was dressed in a strange outfit. There was a body of a man on the floor, still dressed as a customer at any good restaurant. He was dead with a large hole in his head. 

The cop spoke first. “I’m patrolman Mosco. I guess you two are the detectives in charge?”

The tall man nodded. “I’m Detective Reed Bower, this is my partner Detective Roberta Pervis. Where are the scenes of the homicides?”

Patrolman Mosco turned and motioned to the young man in the strange costume. It was a pair of really tight pants that outlined everything, including his genitals. The pants were red and fit low on his hips. He also had on a red vest that had only one button that was cut out to show each of his nipples. He was holding a mask in one hand.

Mosco smiled as he introduced Charlie, "This is Charlie, who works here. He was in the storage room and has been cleared. The owner has assigned him to escort you through the club."

Detective Rob raised her pad and took a picture of Charlie and Patrolman Mosco. Deciding to wait and see the other two bodies, Reed didn't do much more than see the dead body had been turned over. It was Reed who gave the instructions, crisp and expected to be obeyed.

"Thanks, Patrolman. Stay here for now. Charlie, let's go to the first site. We have been notified that three deaths were found here tonight, correct?" Reed looked at Charlie with the last word.

Charlie looked down and stepped forward in an action that all three of the police found strange. Then Reed nodded as he had been in kink situations before. Charlie had accepted him as a Dom, interesting.

"Charlie, no role-playing now. This is real life. Lead us to the murder sites." Reed spoke in a harsh voice, hoping to break through the youth's natural submissive nature.

“Yes, this way M…”

"Stop," Reed ordered. "Call me Detective." He knew the kid was about to call him Master. Damn, he hated these sex clubs.

“Yes Detective. Please come this way.” The young man led them past the curved reception desk and down a long hall. The lights here were almost too bright to reflect the polished wood on the walls and the deep red carpeting. 

“What did the original report say, Rob?” Reed asked of his partner. Rob did some taps on her large pad as she walked with her head tilted to read. “Police called at 12:05 am that a body had been found. Police reported that upon arriving at the location, there were a lot of people leaving the scene. They called for backup and started to hold people outside the address.” 

"By 12:42, with additional officers on the scene, many adults were being held in the backs of official vehicles, and the first officers entered the site to discover more than one deceased adult in separate areas of the address. The final report of three adults dead under unusual conditions and all adults that had been detained were questioned. All officers and adults left the scene to wait for detectives, coroner, and forensic team."

By this time, they were at the end of the hall, and in the first room was a bar and several tables. Rob thought it looked like any standard fancy place in town until she saw the first set of handcuffs and chains. "What the hell?" Needless to say, even though she had been on the police department for some time, this was her first introduction to a BDSM club.

“Hey, Reed. This club has been open for a couple of years, but there has not been a cop call for it in all that time.”

Nodding as he listened to Rob, Reed did his usual quick glance and took in small details that most would have missed. There was a half-finished drink on the bar. There was only one shoe, a woman’s, under one table. Most of the handcuffs were closed, but he did see a couple that were open. One chair was turned over. All the furniture in this room was heavy and expensive. The customers here would be comfortable.

"People left this room in a hurry," Reed mumbled, and Rob made a note on her pad. "Did the house give a 'safe' word when the first body was found?"