Ten Little Bimbos

Elizabeth Besting

- Socialite. Traveled to Beau Island to become a model. Presently a bimbo.

Hannah Evens

- Beau Resort maid. Presently a bimbo.

Rena Lacke

- Psychiatrist. Traveled to Beau Island to negotiate a contract for a talk show.

Dr. Cara Lin

- Doctor. Professional medical license presently revoked. Reasons for traveling to Beau Island unknown.

Joan McKatt

- Private detective. Ex-cop. Reasons for traveling to Beau Island unknown. Presently a bimbo.

Sam Morton

- Darkview strip bar owner/operator. Traveled to Beau Island Resort for vacation.

Eric Parker

- Beau Island Resort chef. Married to Tori Parker. Presently a bimbo.

Tori Parker

- Beau Island Resort manager. Married to Eric Parker.

Aubrey Rush

- Chrystal Heights University professor- archeology. Traveled to Beau Island Resort to secure funding for next expedition.

Paul Straight

- Beau Island Resort security specialist.

Part 5

Paul Straight, security specialist for the Beau Island Resort, sat on the dock and watched the morning sun slowly rise.

He held a travel mug of instant coffee in his hand. The security man had made the coffee himself, using bottle water. Despite the unlikelihood of bimbification by coffee, he felt it a reasonable precaution.

Straight was sitting on the farthest point of the dock. As the dock jutted into the bay, unless one was employing scuba equipment- and there was no scuba equipment on the island- no one could approach him without him seeing them first, something he also felt to be a reasonable precaution. Thus he saw Dr. Cara Lin walk onto the dock well before she arrived.

The security man waited until Dr. Lin was ten feet from him before holding up a hand.

"That's close enough, Dr. Lin," said Straight. "Can I help you with something?"

Dr. Cara Lin was short- an inch or two under five feet- and her Asian heritage was quite obvious. Her black hair was short and spiky, although it appeared more angry than intentionally styled. Her arms moved very little when she walked and she rarely looked like she paid attention to anything that did not involve her directly. Yet she had surprised them all at times with unexpected observations.

Dr. Lin was smart and resourceful, regardless of appearances. Straight had no intention of underestimating her.

"Dr. Lin?" repeated Straight. "Why are you here?"

Dr. Lin remained silent for a moment. Then she said, "Why are you here, Officer Straight?"

Paul shook his head. "I'm not an officer," he said. "I'm a security specialist."

Dr. Lin said, "Why are you here, Mr. Straight?"

Straight shrugged and said, "Mr. Beau hired me, that's why. I guess I should have asked more questions."

Dr. Lin sighed. "No, Mr. Straight, I mean why are you here on this dock?"

"Oh," said Straight. "I see. I'm waiting to see if the boat shows up this morning."

Dr. Lin gave the security man a direct look. "Are you expecting to see a boat arrive, Mr. Straight?"

Straight sighed. "Unfortunately, no, I'm not. Whoever put this all together almost certainly did something to prevent the boat from returning as scheduled. But that's not stopping me from hoping. There's still a chance that the boat simply broke down yesterday or the pilot got sick and couldn't make the trip. Maybe the water was too high or too rough to make the trip. It's a small chance, granted, but I figured I'd keep an eye out...just in case."

Dr. Lin said, "Your ability to, we shall say, cling to hope speaks well of you, Mr. Straight."

The security man paused, as if on unsure ground, then said, "Thank you."

"Will not Mrs. Parker find fault with your actions?" said Dr. Lin. "Will she not suggest that your time be spent elsewhere, attending to the island Internet or searching for the elusive Benjamin Beau?"

"Yeah," said Straight, "I'm sure she would. But she's going to find fault with anything I do, so it doesn't particularly matter at this point."

Dr. Lin said, "But you do not have to tolerate her boorishness, do you, Mr. Straight?"

Straight shrugged. "She's the boss."

Dr. Lin persisted. "But you will not have to continue to listen to her insults, will you, Mr. Straight?"

The security man finally returned the short Asian woman's penetrating stare. "What exactly are you trying to say, Dr. Lin?"

Dr. Lin said, "I wish to help you create art."

Straight said, "I beg your pardon?"

"Your art," said Dr. Lin. "I wish to help you create your art."

Paul shook his head. "Dr. Lin, I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean."

"You have created art," said Dr. Lin. "You have caused the maid to dance softly, beautifully, with heat. You have taught the model how to satisfy with her mouth. You have allowed the mocha beauty to learn the allure of her lower curves to pleasure."

"Wait a minute," said Paul. "You think...you think *I* did that?!"

"Of course it is you," said Dr. Lin. "The barman is far too coarse and sees only cattle. He has no soul. Mrs. Parker seeks to dominate, not to create. Dr. Lacke is a mechanic, not an artist, and she is cold inside. Professor Rush seeks satisfaction through adventure, not appreciation of beauty through art."

"Dr. Lin-" said the security man.

"I do not seek to expose you as such," said the Asian woman. "Rather the opposite. I wish to help. Together we can create true masterpieces. This island can represent my finest work!"

Straight eased into a defensive posture. Under normal circumstances, he had no doubt that he could easily take the small woman, but the doctor appeared to be ranting. The security man wasn't sure the doctor even remembered he was there.

"Dr. Lin," he said carefully. "Thank you for the...the offer. I appreciate it. Truly. But I'm not the one creating the...the art. I'm afraid you're mistaken."

Dr. Lin was silent for several seconds, her gaze locked on Straight. Then she said, "Of course you would say such. As you wish, Mr. Straight. I only ask that you consider my words. This island cries out for beauty, Mr. Straight. I will work alone if I must. But to find a kindred soul...the sums of creative fire burn brighter than the individual flames, do they not, Mr. Straight?"

"I'm sure they do, Dr. Lin," said Straight. "I hope you are able to one day find a...a kindred spirit."

"That is my hope as well, Mr. Straight," said Dr. Lin. "Incidentally, Mrs. Parker has asked me to deliver to you a message. She instructs you to report to her immediately. The others are having breakfast and Mrs. Parker wishes to assemble all guests and agents afterward."

Straight nodded. "All right," he said. "I was heading back to the resort anyway. Thank you for the message, Dr. Lin."

*****

Everyone turned when Paul entered the dining room.

"Glad you could join us, Straight," said Tori. "Find anything?"

Lips tightly compressed, Straight shook his head.

"I didn't think you would," said Tori. "In the future, please remain where I can see you."

"Seriously?" said Straight. "How the hell am I supposed to get anything done?"

"It's not like you're getting anything done as it is, Straight," said Tori, "so this isn't likely to make any difference."

"Damn it, Tori," said Straight, "I am tired of you constantly criticizing my-"

"Can it, Straight!" said Tori, holding up a hand. "This isn't about your ability to do the job anymore. This is about stopping the bimbifications. This is about catching Beau and getting us off this island with our brains intact and our sex drives stable. Or would you rather be in your room flogging your fucking log all day and trying to fuck everything with a hole?"

The security man opened his mouth to speak, then changed his mind. He gave a curt nod.

"Good," said Tori. Then she looked around the lobby.

Rena Lacke, psychiatrist, was there, sitting next to Professor Aubrey Rush, the archeology professor with the Indiana Jones reputation. Sam Morton, the Darkview strip bar owner was there as well, sitting across from Dr. Cara Lin, the doctor with the suspended medical license and a shady rep.

Tori addressed the group. "All right," she said. "I'm sure you know where we stand, but I'm going to sum it up anyway. Two days ago, you all arrived here via the ferry. Shortly after your first meal, we all heard a recording accusing each of us of various misdeeds. Shortly after that, our maid Hannah was bimbified."

"Turned into a stripper, you mean," said Sam. "She can't keep a stitch on, can she?"

"Mr. Morton," said Tori, "don't try my patience. I realize being abrasive is your nature, but this isn't the time for it. Do I make myself clear, Mr. Morton?"

Morton grinned, but gave an amiable nod.

Tori continued. "Hannah's condition came about just after lunch. Later that night, Elizabeth Besting- who had come to Beau Island to become a model, I'm told- found herself in the same condition as Hannah."

Morton said, "The same?"

Tori sighed. "Fine, Mr. Morton. Miss Besting became a blowjob bimbo, Satisfied?"

Morton said, "Sure."

Tori continued. "So on day one, Hannah and Miss Besting became bimbos. On day two- which was yesterday- Eric, my husband and chef for Beau Resort, was bimbified just before lunch. And then last night, Detective Joan McKatt was bimbified."

"Turned into a bimbo butt-slut, you mean," said Morton.

Tori said, "However you wish to phrase it, Mr. Morton."

"Just keeping it real," said Morton.

"Your dedication to accuracy commends you, Mr. Morton," said Tori dryly. "At any rate, that's where we stand at the moment- four bimbifications within two days since the arrival of the guests. Obviously intentional."

Rena said, "I think we can all agree that the bimbifications are intentional, Mrs. Parker. How long were staff present on the island before the guests began arriving?"

Tori said, "There were various workmen working on the resort for several weeks before any of us arrived. The resort had been out of use for quite a while before we re-opened, remember, and some work needed to be done. We weren't part of that process, however. I had presumed Mr. Beau himself to be on hand for overseeing the work, but I don't know for sure."

Rena nodded. "I quite understand. You came later, then?"

Tori said, "Yeah. Eric and I arrived about two weeks ago. It was technically to get everything ready for our opening, but since we hadn't had any time off together over the last couple years, spending time together alone on a private island served as a sort of vacation as well."

Rena smiled. "I can imagine."

Aubrey said, "I could see an upside to it myself."

Tori said, "Anyway, Hannah arrived a couple days later- she was sent early to help prep the rooms and as an extra pair of hands for anything we might need- and Paul arrived a couple days after her to set up and troubleshoot the security."

Rena looked at Straight. "What did setting up the security entail, Mr. Straight?"

"Mostly cameras," said the security man. "That and the wireless setup. I'm sure you've seen the various cameras set up around the resort. It wasn't difficult; just time-consuming."

Aubrey said, "Wait a minute. Couldn't we just check the video to see who went into Joan's room with a fricking bimbo dart gun last night?"

Straight shook his head. "Wouldn't work for two reasons. Reason number one- there are no cameras in any of the rooms, for obvious privacy reasons. And reason number two is that with the wireless system down, the cameras are effectively useless."

Aubrey said, "I wouldn't presume to tell you your job, Paul, but I'm curious as to why you chose to implement a wireless system for the cameras. Wouldn't a hard-wired system be more dependable on an island?"

"Hell, yes," said Paul. "More expensive, but far more dependable. I didn't order the equipment, though. That was all Beau. I thought he was out of his mind when he told me to go wireless and told him so. He said he wanted a sleek, modern appearance when it came to security, not a bunch of wires all over the place making it look like a mid-century institution. He acknowledged that there might be an occasional problem, but he wasn't overly worried."

Rena sighed. "Not particularly foresighted of him. A video of someone entering Miss McKatt's bedroom last night would be worth rubies right now."

Morton laughed. "Pretty sure 'foresight' has nothing to do with it, sweetheart."

Rena raised her eyebrows. "I beg your pardon?"

The bar owner pulled a flask from his pocket and took a swallow. He screwed the lid back on and put the flask back in his pocket. Then he said, "I'm pretty sure Beau's decision not to use cabled cameras was intentional and for exactly the reasons you just said. The wily Benjamin Beau can hardly bimbo everybody on the island if we're watching his every move on video now, can he?"

Tori said, "Unfortunately, Mr. Morton is right. Mr. Beau has been several steps ahead of us from the beginning." She looked around the lobby, then said, "Assuming we accept the concept that someone is attempting to turn each one of us into a bimbo, I find myself asking 'Why?'. What could motivate someone to put this much money and effort into attempting to bimbo an entire island of people?"

Aubrey said, "Well, the recording that played the day we arrived would suggest that Beau sees himself or herself as a fighter for justice. Going after those the law can't touch."

Morton snorted. "I doubt that. Staunch defender of justice? Sounds like a load of crap to me. I think it's a distraction. Something to keep us from seeing what's *really* happening."

Aubrey said, "But a distraction from what? Instead of having an island of strangers with little to no communication with each other, now Beau has everybody talking, working together- sort of- to figure his identity. That would be counter-productive if he or she were trying to create a distraction."

Tori looked at Rena. "You're the psychiatrist, Dr. Lacke. What is your opinion?"

Rena said, "I'm loathe to offer an opinion on someone with whom I've had no face-to-face communication. There are pros and cons to both approaches. Mr. Morton's feeling that this is a distraction would appear to make more sense on the whole, however."

Tori said, "Oh? Why so?"

Rena said, "Justice as a motivation factor is feasible, but the cost would be prohibitive. Also, even assuming Mr. Beau has access to the required funds to set this up, it would appear that most of the persons on this island are innocent of the accusations the recording presented. That is to say, rather, that everyone has claimed innocence."

Aubrey said, "Everybody except me, you mean. We established that I was guilty, remember?"

Rena was quiet for a moment, her eyes hard. Then she said, "Yes. I remember."

An uncomfortable silence filled the room. Then Tori said, "What if I told you that perhaps more than just Professor Rush were...guilty of what they were accused of?"

Everyone stared at Tori.

Rena said, "I would say that I am not surprised to hear this. But perhaps you could be a bit clearer, Mrs. Parker?"

Tori said, "Look, when Hannah arrived, the resort was mostly ready to go. There wasn't much to do, so Eric, Hannah and I spent a lot of time together." Tori looked uncomfortable. "A lot of time," she repeated.

Rena said, "We quite understand, Mrs. Parker. Please go on."

Tori shrugged. "We spent a couple nights drinking wine and just...well...talking."

Straight grunted, but said nothing. Morton grinned.

Rena said, "We're all adults here, Mrs. Parker. You needn't use euphemisms."

Tori said, "Fine. Anyway, the point is this: during one of those nights, Hannah drank too much wine. She was talking way too much. The main thing she kept going on about was how it wasn't fair she was a maid, she was supposed to be rich, and so on."

Rena said, "She felt she deserved a better station in life?"

Tori said, "Yeah, but she didn't mean it in a general way. She meant it specifically. From what we gathered, she had been sleeping with her previous employer- Lord Carrigan, a powerful industrialist from North Chrystal Heights- and Hannah thought he was going to leave his wife for her. When that didn't happen, Hannah decided to expedite the process and she bimboed Lord Carrigan's wife. She didn't tell Carrigan what she had done, but he knew it was Hannah. Unfortunately for Hannah, though, Carrigan refused to leave his wife and he was actually upset about the situation. He couldn't accuse Hannah of doing it without revealing the affair, however, so he instead chose to terminate Hannah's employment instead. And the affair as well, obviously."

Morton took another swig from the flask. "Typical. I suppose I can't blame her for trying, but Carrigan's a pretty heavy player. He wasn't going to settle for a fucking maid. She should have known better."

Aubrey said, "She sounds like a real piece of work."

Tori gave Aubrey a look. "I think you're missing the point, Professor Rush. I wasn't sharing the story so everyone could hold Hannah up and judge her."

Aubrey said, "Then why did you tell us Hannah's personal business, Tori?"

Rena cut in then. "Because Mrs. Parker is trying to make the point as gently as possible that perhaps not everyone here is as innocent as they claim."

Sam Morton chuckled. "All right then, Tori," he said. "If you're so sure that the bimbifications are happening as acts of justice, then maybe you can explain why your husband got bimboed."

There was another sudden silence. Then Rena sighed and said, "Mr. Morton is being his usual abrasive self, it seems, but it *is* a valid question, Mrs. Parker. However, if you would prefer not to discuss it, we will quite understand."

Morton said, "Bullshit we would understand. If she's hiding something, then I'm thinking maybe we've found our mysterious Benjamin Beau."

Tori's eyes flashed as she glared at Morton. "I'll be more than happy to discuss it," she said, "on the condition that Mr. Morton shares his little secrets with *us*."

Morton took a swallow from his flask. Then he shrugged. "Sure," he said. "Why not? McKatt's out of the picture and it's not like you clowns can prove anything."

Rena said, "What are you saying, Mr. Morton?"

The bar owner said, "Some of the stories you've heard about my bar are probably true. Most of the chicks who dance for me do it on their own, but I may have had a couple that received a little chemical persuasion."

Dr. Lin suddenly spoke up. "You are a heathen, barman, with no soul. Your efforts to herd art are deplorable."

Morton shrugged. "I'm not in the business for your approval. Or anyone else's, for that matter."

Rena said, "To be clear, Mr. Morton...are you saying you're guilty as charged by the recording?"

"I would say 'guilt' is a relative thing, counsellor," said Morton, "particularly in Darkview. It's a whole different playing field out there. Not that you'd know anything about that, would you?"

Rena flushed, but Aubrey cut in before the shrink could answer.

"Don't be an asshole," said Aubrey. "Just answer the question."

Sam brayed laughter. "Of course you're going to stand up for Lacke, aren't you? Well, you might want to ask your fellow carpet muncher some pointed questions, Professor, because I'm pretty sure you don't know the shrink as well as you think you do. But to answer the question...guilt as it's meant in that recording? Yeah, I probably qualify."

Tori said, "Why am I not surprised?"

Morton shrugged. "Part of my natural charm, I suppose. Now, Parker, why don't you tell us what you and Chef Eric were up to that got you invited to this little island soiree."