"Commercial property manager contract, please." Clarity handed the papers provided by Donway to the building's head of security, a tall woman wearing sunglasses, while she noticed Maxini and the two ex-employees from Owens & Owell stepping on the helipad area, moving towards the helicopter.
"You're new, aren't you, you coming from Dubai?"
"No, from Abu Dhabi, we've worked at the Marriott there cleaning windows before." said Clarity.
"This licence is from last year, it's not valid now."
"The papers are official, we work for the kingdom's Construction Ministry." The woman in charge, in her mid thirties, brushed her hair back and lifted her sunglasses, revealing beautiful hazel eyes.
"The building's finished, we signed the cleaning contract with another company, not with the Construction Ministry. I bet you caused the problem with the light switch of the signs, and you're nosing on the Church of the Holy Flower, aren't you?"
"Not at all, we were about to clean the O from the Owell sign, at this rate, we'll never finish," said Montana. One woman unzipped the overalls of Montana and placed her face against the letter O from the Owell sign, while the remaining guard did the same with Clarity, placing her against the letter W from the Owell company sign. Montana dropped her squeegee and grabbed the letter O with both hands to avoid falling head first on the ground.
"You can't clean the letters with a squimjim," said the head of security.
"I told you squimjim was correct," said Montana, looking at Clarity.
Maxini called the head of security and the other two women to the helicopter. The two brides-to-be had requested in-flight security to be part of their bridal shower. The head of security pointed to the giant O&O signs, looking at Clarity, who was ensuring only the back of her head could be seen by Maxini.
"Light up these letter signs or you'll get fired, then leave the building, we have to go."
"You can go anytime," said Clarity. She faked fainting and fell on the arms of the woman in charge. Holding on to her jacket, she grabbed a small skeleton key swiftly from the jacket's pocket, corresponding to Scafarel's backoffice area, the area of Telval Studios where the all-women adult film 'Abu Dhabi Chic' had been shot. Money Fact's undercover inquiries inside the Church of the Holy Flower were correct.
"Sorry, I don't know what happened to me, just fainted," said Clarity.
"Too much time cleaning windows," said the woman. Clarity stood up and zipped her overalls. Shortly after, the helicopter left, leaving them at the top of the terrace.
"Do you know how the lights for these giant letters work?" asked Montana, "if we don't light these, they'll come after us, and we won't be able to work here anymore."
"We're undercover, Montana."
"Every job counts with my father, I want to prove to him that I am as practical as he is. Still, we have to turn on these lights."
"I know, not sure if this'll work, let's see."
Clarity walked behind the Owell giant sign and noticed a red switch. Beside it, there was a small yellow cable. Using scissors from a swiss army knife carried in her overalls, she cut the yellow cable and pressed on the red switch. The lights of the 'Owens & Owell' sign lit up, emitting bright, pale blueish neon light, lest the O of Owens, which was due for cleaning.
"We're set," said Clarity, "now, we eat some dinner and wait till night sets in, that's when Scafarel leaves her office."
"How did you do that, the lights I mean?"
"Not sure, Donway sent a team yesterday, he told me to cut the yellow cable, his team installed some kind of resistor preventing electricity flow. Give me the roast beef sandwhich, we have an hour, let's admire the view here, wish we could go swimming in the sea." At nine thirty PM, it was pitch dark. They opened the door leading to the building and took the elevator down to the thirty fifth floor, the floor of Telval Adult Production Studios.
Clarity opened the office door of Scafarel and moved directly to the drawers of her desk. Fortunately, one of them was open. Inside, there was a copy of Decadence, with a smaller leaflet inside describing the meaning of Rosebud. She beamed the flashlight on the text. Rosebud was a reference to a real flower, the flower on the vase that Scafarel always kept near her, a white rose which had a name.
'And so the rose of levity will lift the spirit of the one watching it for more than thirty seven minutes in a row, and will reveal the thirty six false views, among them greed, disbelief in cause and effect and clinging to views, which prevent us from attaining the noble eightfold path of proper conduct, speech and livelihood, proper diligence, mindfulness and concentration, proper views and proper intent, compass of the Church of the Holy Flower, a Church made for the affluent woman.'
The flower in the vase, known as the rose of levity, was unique. It was an icon in botanical circles, one of the most expensive flowers in the world, a gold of kina balu rose, a variation on a Mrs. Herbert Stevens Rose. Clarity extended her hand against Montana's hip.
"Pen drive." Montana searched in her overall pockets.
"Here it is."
"This should get us into Scafarel's computer, according to Donway. The pen drive has a code from Hexas Style in the Bahamas that Scafarel used to transfer money from the Bahamas to Telval, here in Bahrain." Clarity inserted the pen drive and the laptop turned on.
"What are you looking for?" asked Montana.
"I want to know who these two girls are, the new members of the Holy Flower."
Clarity opened the file, revealing the naked front photographs of the two women, showing their faces and breasts. The blonde woman was Shalia Owell, twenty three year old daughter or Charles Owell III, grandson of the founder of the Owell industrial lighting company. The dirty blonde woman was Jenny Owens, twenty two year old daughter of Brooke Owens, chairman of the board of the Owens & Owell conglomerate, a merger betweens Owell Inc. and Owens Corp. which had taken place years earlier, after a daughter of Charles Owell II beat a son of Winston Owens, father of Brooke Owens, the current chairman of O&O, while playing beach polo with two percherons from the British Horse Society previously used for forestry work and pulling carriages.
"These are the two women who wanted me to go with them to the Bahamas, with Maxini," said Montana.
"Wow, these two women are a lot like you," said Clarity.
"What do you mean like me?" asked Montana.
"Rich, very rich, these are jet-setters."
"I'm not rich, my father's rich. I look and feel rich, though, that may be the case at times. I certainly want to be a jet-setter, but my father says it's not good for me, he always points out the example of Paris Hilton, although it makes me wannabe a Paris Hilton wannabee." Montana leafed through the book of Decadence and found a shriveled piece of paper acting as bookmark to the index.
"Look, there's an affidavit here from Jenny Owens and Shalia Owell." Clarity beamed the flashlight at the paper.
'In the event of marriage or wedding between us two, between Jenny and I, Shalia Owell, as per the rite of any type of wedding rite, including any naked variations thereof, as long as our wedding rings are not from Target, we hereby authorize the Church of the Holy Flower and its sole representative, Lady Scafarel, the beloved, intimate, and feminine guide of our Rosebuds, to replace us in our roles and positions as members of the Board of Owens & Owell, worldwide, after completion of the Musharaka joint venture agreement between Lady Scafarel and O&O to establish and provide lighting to Highway five of the Kingdom of Bahrain and to complete the Air Fashion Flyjet project, all of this in exchange for food and lodge provided by the Church. Signed: Jenny Owens and Shalia Owell, members of the Board of Directors of Owens & Owell Incorporated, a Delaware Corporation operating worldwide under any weather condition, under the trademarks Owens&Owell, O&O or double O, as in the letter O, not as in number zero.'
Chapter Three
"Scafarel is a middlewoman between the kingdom of Bahrain and Owens & Owell," said Clarity, "that's how she got in touch with the O&O daughters and why she has an office
in the O&O building."
"Check their agenda," said Montana, "the Heidi Klum emoticon kissing Paris Hilton's calendar. I want to know where these girls are now." Clarity clicked on the calendar, looking for the after hours schedule of the O&O attractive board members.
"They're at the Cocoon Lounge in Juffair, a lovely grooving bar with funky music from the island's best D.J's, and a VIP Champagne room to entertain the guests."
"Let's go there." She pressed her hand on Clarity's hand to keep the photographs of the two women onscreen.
"What do you think of the one on the right, the blond one, Shalia Owell?"
They were both pretty, thought Clarity, both displaying refined features, both products of a good upbringing. She looked at their resume, they had both gone to prep school in Switzerland, and were currently attending University of Arizona majoring in human sexuality.
"I like the breasts of both," said Clarity.
"Yeah, mine are slightly more apple-shaped, but they're nice, I love their hoop earrings, click on them, please." Clarity pressed on the screen earring, a white gold duragold hoop earring with fifty eight positive reviews on 'Tr?s Sugar', at over one hundred dollars, well beyond her wallet's reach. Clarity turned off the computer and closed Scafarel's office. They dumped their overalls and left the building using the passes Donway had provided. Clarity was surprised that Donway wasn't at the front door of the building, as they had agreed, and called him.
"We got arrested around eight thirty three PM," said Donway, "both me and Money Fact, for trespassing and not having a visa or a working permit. Your friends are at the Duty free shop at the airport, I'm going to try and tell the authorities here that I work at the City of Wellington, that ocean liner you mentioned. Money Fact's speaking Arabic to the police officer, but apparently, he's not very satisfied with the answers."
Clarity smiled, and then stopped smiling. Donway arrested in Bahrain meant they were on their own and that Central Intelligence was sort of abandoning them. Doing what Donway had suggested, they took a cab to the Cocoon Lounge, where the bouncer gave them a hard time, blocking the entrance.
"You can't get in, I said," he said.
"We're not VIP, but we're not that ugly," said Clarity smiling inocently. After a few seconds, the bouncer ended up smiling, after Montana tickled his navel and showed a sheepish smile.
"Come in, women get in for free, are you new here?"
"My friend is, I live in the Emirates a few months each year," said Montana. "Where's the VIP Champagne room?"
"Can't miss it, beyond the bar, up the stairs, it says VIP Champagne room, it's sponsored by the Ko Phi Nga Thai Champagne tonight. You won't get in there, private party going on."
"Thanks," said Clarity.
Clarity followed Shalia Owell to the luxurious bathroom decorated with arabesque geometric patterns reminiscent of those found in the Alhambra, in Granada, Spain. Montana entered as well, guarding the door.
"Shalia Owell?" The blond girl looked awkwardly at Clarity.
"Yes, who are you?"
"We want to help you so that you don't get married," said Montana.
"My father sent you, right?"
"No, but my father would like to meet your father, I'm sure," said Montana.
"We're sent by Central Intelligence, unofficially but genuinely. Let's speak about this like adults," said Clarity. She was surprised by her self-assurance, but nine hours of massage by Money Fact around hip level would do that.
Clarity placed her hand on the shoulder of Shalia Owell, explaining that Cassandra Scafarel had engaged in various illegal activities, including the sale of fraudulent beauty lotion with artificial ingredients, Elony, and that the shrewd but naughty business woman was also responsible for abducting several women to the Middle East, and for misleading many through an infomercial to a place difficult to leave once a guest there. The only reason, in fact, she said, Scafarel was not in jail, in general, was that she was protected by high ranking officials of the kingdom of Bahrain, people with a vested interest in seeing the Church of the Holy Flower grow. It was in their best interest to go with them, responsible adults working for the Sensual Brigade of Central Intelligence and go straight to Daddy Donway. Easy mission, thought Clarity, nearly finished before it started. Shalia Owell pulled her arm away.
"No, I'm not going with you, none of that is true, Cassandra is good to us, very good, she worked hard to be where she is."
"I bet she's good, but she works hard to rip others off, and she knows perfectly well what she's doing, she uses connections and misleads affluent women. Do you know anything about the Hexas Style resort in the Bahamas?"
"Yeah, loved it, that's where I made love with Jenny for nine hours," said Shalia. Montana turned around.
"Nine hours? Where is this place in the Bahamas?" asked Montana, "and what do you mean when you say Lady Scafarel is very good to you?" Montana had a slightly different idea of the word investigation and mission.
"If you keep calling her Lady Scafarel, you're going to get attached to her, guard the entrance, Maxini should not see us here or she'll take you to Hexas Style," said Clarity.
"Someone's coming," said Montana. Clarity turned to Shalia Owell.
"Don't say anything, Central Intelligence jail in Cuba is a scary place to be," said Clarity. She moved swiftly to one of the bathroom stalls, closing the door. Jenny Owens stepped inside the bathroom, knocking Montana against the wall. She was holding a bottle of Ko Phi Nga champagne.
"I know Scafarel's secret," she said, "it's preservation of youth, the rose of levity is the ineffable shade of time, it leads to this chart in the champagne bottle, Maxini gave a poster size version to me, she said now that we're members of the Church and that we paid fifty thousand dollars for it, we can have it. There's nothing like this in Decadence."
Jenny Owens displayed the chart she was holding in the other hand on the floor. From one of the stalls, Clarity could see the chart, it was an oriental chart showing energy points in various parts of the body, similar to chakra points, but more of them, running along the spinal chord on the back side, and also on the front side and head, arms and legs.
"How does this work, where is the Holy Flower?" asked Shalia Owell, her eyes filled with anticipation.
Chapter Four
"The holy flower is the navel area, the chi-chung point, leading to the sea of chi point, slightly lower, and to the ovarian palace." Jenny Owens lifted her head and noticed Montana, who was looking at the chart between their heads.
"Who is she?" asked Jenny Owens, turning to Shalia.
"Not sure, your father sent her, I think, when he heard the O&O Air Fashion double deck jet wasn't ready because of problems with the lighting gear."
"Did not," said Montana. Clarity opened the stall and told both O&O girls to keep hush. It was important to keep matters within the delicate, private area of the women's bathroom. The two daughters and brides-to-each-other did not agree.
"Call security," said Jenny. A corpulent, six foot giant named Habib, wearing a grey suit and dark grey tie opened the bathroom door about twenty nine seconds later, explaining that Maxini had been arrested by unidentified intelligence officials.
"Get them, they're not part of the Church," said Shalia Owell, pointing to Clarity and Montana.
"Come with me ladies, Church membership is open."
"Run to the VIP champagne area," said Clarity. Habib moved towards her, leaving an open space for Montana. Montana threw a glimpse to Clarity and disappeared through the bathroom door. Clarity grabbed the chart from Shalia Owell and threw it on Habib, before following Montana. They ran to the VIP champagne room, and found several information technology managers from London drinking heavily from a large bottle of Ko Phi Nga champagne.
"This champagne is different," said the first man, known as Forster.
"Sure is, brings in good company on its own," said the second, an executive, as Montana sat on his lap, while Clarity moved to Forster's booth. Habib came running toward
s them.
"We're with these gentlemen," said Clarity.
"They're with us," said the executive. Montana grabbed her arm, using the other to wrap it around the executive's neck.
"I don't want to do what Bar Refaeli did, kissing this guy on the lips, call Money Fact, Clarity." Clarity threw a quick glance to her right. Sitting in the neighboring booth, hidden from the VIP room's light, was Al Donway, in the company of a woman seating astride her, and of Money Fact, explaining to the woman, how to sit astride Donway for a better, pleasure enhancing experience.
"Do you mind, we've got a security problem here," said Clarity. Money Fact brought her face into their booth and approached Habib, who was eyeing Montana. The agent showed official Brigade accreditation.
"These women are off jurisdiction, where are the Owens & Owell girls?" asked Money Fact. Shalia Owell came walking slowly inside the VIP champagne room, followed by Jenny Owens who was checking her smartphone. Both were visibly angry, because their bridal shower was not going well.
"It's Scafarel, she said we should leave now, she's waiting for us, the broderie is ready, and she needs us to put in place the lighting gear for the King Fahd Causeway going to Saudi Arabia."
"Don't meddle in the affairs of the kingdom," said Shalia Owell, "or the kingdom of Bahrain will throw you out of here." Habib escorted both ladies to the entrance of the bar. Donway left the woman seating astride him, his wife Betty, at 'Le Meridien' hotel, inside a Chevrolet Caprice, and then ordered Money Fact to find the O&O daughters.
"Use the decryptor to find the broderie, we find the broderie, we find the daughters, and then we can go home."
Money Fact ran a scan with the words 'broderie' and 'embroidery' to the Pentatone Learning Systems decryptor, and a location highlighted on the GPS Navigation screen of the sedan, south west of Manama, Bahrain's capital, in an area called Al-Malikiyah, south of the small town of Karzakkan.
"It's in the Bahrain International Investment Park," said Money Fact.
"Let's go, we'll look for Scafarel later."
"What's there, where are we going, what broderie?" asked Clarity.
"Your friends are there, and also what we're looking for, the OOL wedding broderie of either Jenny Owens or Shalia Owell. It is a fundamental part of the wedding rite that is going to take place, which cannot place." Clarity texted a short message to Lanai to check on the librarian's location. Last time she checked, they were spending some time at the duty free area. The answer was short but came back quickly.