Irving Wallace - The Golden Room

There was a gamble involved in confessing his mission, Varney realized, but given this girl's mood, it might be safe.

'Maybe I can see that you're better paid,' Varney blurted.

The girl stared at him. 'How? By living with you?'

'No. It's something else. What if I told you I could pay you $3,000 cash if you did something for me?'

'For doing what?' she asked suspiciously.

'For telling the mayor what you just did with me, and then testifying to the same before the chief of police.'

Fanny blinked at him. 'They'd shut down the Club. I'd hate to be responsible. Well, at least not for $3,000.'

With her last sentence, Varney knew that he had her on the hook. He propped himself on an elbow and prepared to negotiate.

Dr Herman Holmes, gripping his black medical bag, was proceeding along the upstairs corridor of the Everleigh Club, about to conclude his first day at work, and was now running late. A pleasurable and sensuous day it had been. He had closely, intimately, and lingeringly, examined fourteen of the healthiest and most breathtaking girls he had ever seen.

It was a bonanza of a job, with the most exciting prospects on earth, and from the easy manner of the girls, there would be none to resist him.

He had one more vagina to examine this evening, the fifteenth. He glanced at his list. This one's name was Fanny. He reached her door. About to knock, he realized that she might have a partner inside and he did not want to disturb her until she was finished. Instead, he tried the doorknob. The door was unlocked, and he opened it a few inches to peek in.

'Yes, $5,000,' he heard a male voice say.

About to shut the door, Dr Holmes heard Fanny speak out. 'Actually $5,000? In cash? You mean that? Just to testify against the Everleighs? Why, even if they shut the Club down, it wouldn't matter to me. With $5,000 I could set up my own dress shop in the Loop and never hustle again. Tell me again, Jack, so I understand for sure.'

Dr Holmes did not shut the door. He left an inch open so that he could hear the rest.

'I told you,' the male voice resumed. 'I work for Mayor Harrison. He guaranteed me that if I had sex with any Everleigh girl I could offer her $5,000 if she would testify that the Club is still a brothel. You were smart enough to take me up on it.'

'What happens next?' Fanny inquired.

'We get dressed. I leave the room first and find Aida and pay up for the evening. Then I'll step outside and find a public telephone and call the mayor's office. I'll say we're coming right in. Then I'll go to the corner and wait for you. Any problem getting out?'

'Of course not,' said Fanny. 'This isn't slavery. I'm allowed to go out and get some air.'

'Let's get moving.'

Grimacing, Dr Holmes softly shut the door. His heart was beating fast. That stupid girl in there was about to double-cross the Everleighs. Holmes didn't give a damn about the Everleighs, but he did give a damn about the Club and keeping it open for ever as his fleshy playground.

Dr Holmes's first reaction was to race downstairs and inform Minna Everleigh, but he thought twice about that. Minna would not know the proper way to handle the mayor's secret spy. He could not see her killing the man or hiring someone else to kill him. She wasn't the type. She'd try to reason with him or bribe him. Holmes was afraid the man would get away, contact the mayor, and close the whole Club down. Holmes knew that for his own sake he could not risk letting the man go free or let that double-crossing Fanny out on the loose.

Dr Holmes knew what to do. He alone could do it.

He rapped sharply on the door, then pushed it open slightly.

'Fanny?' he called out. 'This is Dr Holmes, your new physician. I'm here to give you a routine examination. I'd like to come in.'

'Can't it wait?' Fanny called back. 'I still have a customer here.'

'I don't mind the customer,' said Holmes. 'I'll just give you a brief examination and leave.'

He pushed the door fully open.

They were both staring at him. The thin man had one leg in his trousers, and Fanny, entirely nude, was heading for the bathroom.

'Can't you see we're busy?' she shot out irritably.

Calmly, Holmes advanced towards her. 'It seems to me you've finished your business. Unfortunately, I haven't finished mine. I promised Minna I'd examine fifteen girls today, and I've done fourteen. You're the last, Fanny. Please be cooperative. It'll only take a few minutes.'

'What am I supposed to do?' she said, still irritable.

'What you've done with the previous doctor. It'll be a similar examination.' Dr Holmes turned to the man. 'Once you're dressed, sir, I'd suggest you wait, just in case there is something wrong which you may have contracted… All right, Fanny, let's have a look.'

Pouting, Fanny returned to the bed and lay back, legs apart.

Dr Holmes kneeled down between her legs. What he saw was truly mind-rending.

A pity to do what he had to do, he told himself, but it was a dire necessity.

Using his speculum, he tried to look inside. Then he inserted two fingers into her vagina.

'Hey,' Fanny protested, 'what are you doing? The other doctor never did that.'

'I have to because I'm afraid I see something. I've got to be sure.'

After a few moments, he removed his fingers.

'Just as I suspected,' he said. 'Give me a moment in which to wash my hands. You can sit up now.'

When Dr Holmes returned to the bedroom, Fanny was sitting up, eyes fixed on him.

'What's going on?' she said. 'You found something wrong?'

'Yes, definitely,' Dr Holmes said. 'There's an infection, sores, a febrile disturbance that would indicate secondary syphilis.'

'That can't be,' Fanny protested again. 'I'm clean, always have been, and so is everyone who works here.'

'How can you be certain?' said Dr Holmes, putting aside his speculum. He looked up at the young man seated on the chair, nervously watching. 'As for you, sir, you may have contracted Fanny's syphilis. We'll find out soon enough, and I'll do what I can to help you both.'

'You're not going to tell Minna, are you?' Fanny wailed.

'No, I won't. But I will have to ask you and your friend -I didn't get his name -'

'Jack Simon,' Varney croaked.

'I'll have to ask you and Fanny to come to my office where I can treat her – and examine you.'

'Can't it wait?' asked Varney. 'We had another appointment.'

Dr Holmes wrote out his address and handed it to Fanny. 'Meet me there in a half hour. No, Mr Simon, it can't wait. Allowing the infection to remain untreated will only endanger both of you. Once I've treated her – and possibly you – with mercury, you will be free to keep your appointment.' Dr Holmes went to the door. 'A half hour from now, at my office.'

When they were alone, Varney turned to Fanny. 'Why don't you dress? I have to pay my bill and make a phone call. I'll wait on the corner, and then we can see the doctor together.'

When Varney came down the mahogany staircase to the street floor of the Everleigh Club, he found a diminutive, thin, pretty young woman waiting for him.

'Mr Simon, I presume,' she said.

'Yes.'

'I'm Minna Everleigh,' she introduced herself. 'You met my sister. Did you enjoy yourself?'

'Immensely,' Varney said. 'The supper was superb. The girl, Fanny, my companion, was even more superb.'

'I'm glad,' said Minna. 'Then you won't mind paying the bill for the restaurant and the entertainment upstairs.' She fished into a pocket, brought out a bill, and handed it to Varney.

He noted the total, took out his wallet, extracted $150 and handed it to Minna. 'I suppose a tip is in order,' he said, and pulled out another five dollars.

'Very good, Mr Simon. I hope you will remember us the next time you're in Chicago.'