Page 9 of Wild Idol
Jack and I headed over to the Pearl Room. It was an upscale bar on Oyster Avenue that served expensive drinks and had a secluded VIP area tucked away from prying eyes. You could catch live acts as well as guest DJs. Sometimes it was rock ‘n’ roll, sometimes it was hip-hop, sometimes it was smooth jazz. It was an eclectic kind of place. The cover charge kept the riff-raff out, and the bouncer was selective—pretty people and celebrities.
The club opened for happy hour, but traffic was pretty thin at this time. The place didn’t get hopping till 10 or 11:00 PM. There was no bouncer at the door at the moment. No cover charge yet.
It was the kind of place where you could have a business meeting over a few cocktails and appetizers while chilling on a comfy couch, doing $1 million deals before it turned into a loud, thumping club.
Cute waitresses in skimpy outfits pranced around in high heels and fishnet stockings. It had that old-school vibe of an exclusive members-only club. Black and white pictures of famous celebrities who had indulged at the Pearl Room lined the wood-paneled walls.
JD and I made our way to the bar and leaned against the counter. I got the bartender’s attention and flashed my badge. “Looking for a guy that works here named Jason or Jamison.”
The bartender shook his head. “Nobody by that name works here.”
“Are you sure about that?”
He gave me an annoyed look. “Yeah. I’m positive.”
He was in his mid-20s with medium-length wavy brown hair, dark eyes, and a square jaw. He had an athletic frame and stood about 6’2”.
“Was Sable Fox here night before last?”
He shrugged. “A lot of people come and go.”
I pulled out my phone and displayed the picture of Haley with Sable. “Do you recognize this girl?”
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The bartender leaned across the counter and studied the image briefly. “No.”
“Where was that photo taken?”
He shrugged again. “Hard to say. Looks like the VIP room.”
“Mind if we take a look?”
“Knock yourself out.”
“Can you tell me who else was present besides Sable?”
“I’m sorry, I can’t.”
“So, you know, but you’re not willing to say?”
His face tightened with annoyance. “Like I said, a lot of people come and go. I wasn’t working in VIP that night. I don’t really remember. I had heard Sable was here and a few other celebs, but I really didn’t pay attention. Honestly, most of them are entitled assholes. Some of them tip well, and some of them don’t. Some of them expect everything for free.”
JD and I started to walk away. I casually looked over my shoulder and said, “You don’t remember hearing anything about a girl overdosing that night, do you?”
He laughed. “I think that’s something I would remember.”
I handed him a card before we left the bar and walked back to the VIP room. It was completely separate with its own bar, plenty of couches, and more large pictures of famous celebrities from all eras. There were pool tables, another small stage, large flatscreen displays, soft lighting, and a stripper pole. There was even a Jacuzzi for those parties that got really crazy.
I found the spot where the photo had been taken. The couch was pretty identifiable, as well as the image on the wall behind it.
I glanced around the room and tried to get a vibe. But it’s not like these walls were going to talk.
I flagged down a waitress as she passed. “Were you working the night before last?”
“No.”
“Do you know who was working in the VIP room?”
