by Karen Rose
‘What about Aunt Tabby?’ Scarlett asked.
Mila’s eyes filled anew. ‘Is she alive? All Father Trace knew was that she was in the hospital. What happened to her?’
‘She’s unconscious, but still alive,’ Scarlett said. ‘I called to check on her on my way down here. She’s holding on. She was beaten severely by Chip.’
Both women gasped. ‘We left her alone there,’ Mila whispered, guilt ravaging her face. ‘That beast beat her because she cut our trackers and let us go.’
It was true, and Scarlett wasn’t going to insult them by denying it. ‘Marcus found her under a bed. She told us about you, said we had to find you and keep you safe.’
Mila bowed her head. ‘She is a good woman. We didn’t want to leave her there, but she made us. We’ve prayed for her all night.’
Good luck with that, Scarlett thought, startled to realize that there was more hope than sarcasm in her mental voice. ‘Can we get back to Drake?’ she asked gently, and watched Erica’s shoulders tense and her gaze drop back to her lap. ‘He could be important to our investigation. You said he was Stephanie’s boyfriend. Did he live close by?’
Erica shrugged. ‘Close enough to come by several times a week.’
‘You said he did anything he wanted.’ She gently took Erica’s hand. ‘Did he rape you,?’
A very small nod. ‘Mostly Tala, but sometimes me when Tala was . . .’ She covered her face with her hands. Scarlett very gently tugged her wrists, going down on her knees in front of Erica’s chair so that she could see the young woman’s face. ‘You have nothing to be ashamed of,’ she whispered urgently. ‘I know this is hard for you.’
‘How could you know?’ Erica flung back bitterly. ‘Have you been raped?’
‘No. But I’ve been a police officer for a long time and I’ve worked with too many women who have been raped. It’s hard for them to tell me what happened, but those that have and that can see their rapists come to justice . . . I think it helps them heal.’
‘It’s an American court,’ Erica said, her bitterness unabated. ‘They won’t listen to me.’
‘I’m an American police officer, and I’m listening to you,’ Scarlett said. ‘I will do everything in my power to find him and bring him to justice. That’s all I can promise. But I need your help. I need to know everything about Drake that you can tell me so that I can find him. I also want to know because someone is trying to hurt Marcus. If Drake knows anything about Tala’s murder, he could be the one trying to kill Marcus.’
‘Because Marcus is still alive,’ Erica said, back to that flat, dead voice. ‘Because he had on a Kevlar vest. Why did he? Did he know Tala would be killed?’
‘Erica!’ Mila exclaimed.
‘It’s all right,’ Scarlett said, knowing that part of Erica’s question was simply an attempt to change the subject away from her assault. ‘Marcus helps a lot of people who are in abusive relationships. He helps them get out. He thought Tala was being abused and wanted to help her too. He’s been shot before, so he wears the vest.’
Erica’s nod was grudging. ‘Okay.’ Her head still down, she looked up from beneath her eyelashes to meet Scarlett’s eyes. ‘Drake forced Tala to have sex with him every time he could. Every time Mr Anders wasn’t home and sometimes when he was. But when she was having her . . . monthly . . .’
‘Her period,’ Scarlett supplied, and Erica nodded again, miserably, but said nothing. ‘Drake would force you when Tala had her period?’
Tears began to roll down Erica’s face. A glance up at Mila showed she’d closed her eyes, her heartache so heavy that Scarlett could feel it too. ‘Can you tell me what Drake looks like?’
‘Tall,’ Erica whispered. ‘He was six feet. Big shoulders. Strong. Stronger than me. Blond hair, brown eyes.’ Her lips curved grimly. ‘A broken tooth.’
‘Who broke it?’
‘Tala. The first time he forced her.’
‘Good for Tala.’
Erica’s shoulders moved restlessly. ‘Not really, because Drake beat her and Stephanie got mad at him. Said her father would see Tala’s bruises and be angry. That Tala was his.’
Scarlett squeezed Erica’s hands. ‘You’re doing great, honey. Can you tell me which tooth Tala broke?’
‘His front tooth on the bottom.’ She tugged one of her hands loose to point to her own mouth. ‘This one.’
‘Very good. Did you notice any scars or tattoos?’
‘One tattoo on his left upper arm.’ Erica slipped her hand back into Scarlett’s. ‘A snake with its mouth open.’ She shivered. ‘It scared me.’
‘It would scare me too,’ Scarlett said ruefully. ‘Was he dark-skinned, light-skinned?’
‘White. But he’s tanned now because it’s the summer. For a while he worked for the landscapers that cut the grass at the house.’
‘That’s very helpful. Do you know the name of the landscaping company?’
‘Belle’s Bluebells,’ Mila said stiffly. ‘I remember the truck. It’s owned by Drake’s sister. He quit in June when Stephanie came home from college. She was supplying him with more money than he could make cutting grass.’
‘All right, give me a second.’ Scarlett took out her phone and typed a text to Deacon.
Locate Drake Connor, sister owns Belle’s Bluebells Landscaping. DC is bf of Stephanie Anders. Maybe Tala’s killer.
She showed the text to the two women. ‘I’m sending this to my partner, Special Agent Deacon Novak. I want you to see that I didn’t mention your names, but we need to find Drake.’
‘Your partner knows you’re here talking to us?’ Erica said suspiciously.
‘He doesn’t know where “here” is.’ Scarlett hit SEND. She almost told them about Kate Coppola and the FBI investigation into human trafficking, but she decided to wait. Her instincts told her that the two women were far from being convinced of their safety.
Scarlett moved from the floor back to her seat. ‘Anything more you need to tell me about Drake or Stephanie?’
Mila’s jaw tightened. ‘Stephanie was abusing my Tala as well. Sexually.’
Erica’s head whipped around to stare at her mother in new horror. ‘Mama, no.’
‘Yes, Erica,’ Mila said heavily. ‘They also made her buy their drugs.’
‘Because Stephanie got in trouble once before for buying drugs at college,’ Scarlett said, and Mila blinked at her in surprise.
‘This you knew?’
‘I guessed.’ She didn’t want to tell Mila that Tala had been found with drugs in the pocket of her jeans. ‘Your daughter was killed in an area known for its drug dealers. I couldn’t figure out why she was there or how she got there until I learned of Stephanie’s arrest record. You said that it was Stephanie’s job to walk the dog. Why was Tala doing it? And how? If your and Erica’s trackers were programmed to alarm if you left the house, why wasn’t Tala’s?’
‘Drake was lazy, but good with computers. He and Stephanie wanted to take Tala with them to buy the drugs, so he got into Mr Anders’s computer and figured out how to change the settings. I don’t know how. Sometimes Stephanie wanted to have Drake to herself, so she told Tala to walk the dog, and that she’d be following her on the computer. Tala didn’t know if she would be, but she was afraid not to believe her.’
‘I understand. Especially since they could overhear your conversations with the trackers.’
Mila looked ashamed. ‘No privacy, even when they let me see my husband for the last time. We knew they were listening, laughing. Like we were animals in a zoo.’
Scarlett sighed, emotionally drained, and she’d only borne witness to their ordeal. They’d lived it. ‘When we find the Anderses, they will be punished. What about the people that brought you into this country?’
Mila shook her head. ‘My husband managed all the details. He was tricked.’
‘He’s being taken care of by the FBI now. They’re making sure he has nutrition and medical attention – both Mr Bautista and John Paul.’
Mila went very, very still. ‘Then it’s true?’ she asked, the words no louder than a breath. ‘They really are alive?’
Scarlett felt like she’d taken a physical blow. The woman had been sitting there talking to her while still wondering if her husband and son were alive or dead. ‘Yes, they’re both alive. Father Trace told you this, didn’t he? Did you think he was lying?’
New tears rolled down Mila’s face as she embraced Erica, who was also crying. ‘No,’ Mila sobbed, ‘but he had pictures that were old, taken before we came here. I thought he might be wrong.’
‘Or that the police were lying to him,’ Erica added through her tears. ‘The Anderses told us that Papa and John Paul were dead.’
But they believe me. The responsibility was immense. ‘They are alive. I promise. If you’ll allow it, I’ll ask my partner to get recent photos. He may have to ask another agent in the FBI. They may guess that you’ve been found.’
Mila and Erica looked at each other, then both slowly nodded. ‘Yes,’ Mila said hoarsely. ‘I want to see them.’
Scarlett shot the text to Deacon and put her phone down. ‘Mila, let’s talk bluntly. Pictures will not be enough. You want to see your husband and son in person, don’t you? You want your granddaughter back, yes?’
Mila nodded, but said nothing.
Erica started to rise from her chair. ‘You promised not to turn us in.’
‘And I won’t. But this situation may not be as bleak as you believe. You have options. Please, hear me out.’
Erica sat back down. ‘What options?’ she asked with cold suspicion.
‘Do you remember the lady that Tabby called to take Malaya? Her name is Annabelle Church.’ They both nodded. ‘She took very good care of Malaya, bought her formula and diapers, and when the time came for her to turn Malaya over to Children’s Services, she brought her lawyer along so that Malaya’s rights were protected.’
‘But Malaya is just a baby,’ Mila whispered, stunned.
‘She’s a US citizen,’ Scarlett said. ‘That fact alone doesn’t help you get a green card or citizenship yourselves,’ she added when hope filled their eyes, ‘but Annabelle’s lawyer told us that if we found you, he would make sure an immigration lawyer took your case. For free.’
‘Why?’ Erica asked, still suspicious.
‘First, Annabelle’s lawyer is also her grandson. They’re nice people. Annabelle went straight to the hospital after meeting with us and she’s been at Tabby’s bedside ever since. Her grandson stayed with her through the night. Annabelle’s grandson doesn’t need or want anything from you. His grandfather on his father’s side was also an immigrant, so he just wants to help. That means you have legal help from an expert who knows immigration law. I’m not an expert myself, but I do know that because you’ve been victims of human trafficking, you are eligible to apply for new visas. This one is called a “U visa”. It allows you to stay in the country if you’re helping law enforcement with an investigation. Mr Bautista will be given the same offer.’
‘That’s not a green card,’ Erica said with a frown. ‘Is it?’
‘No, but it can lead to one. You’d need an employer to sponsor you. Marcus can help with that. But to get the U visa, you’ll need to cooperate with the FBI.’
‘Will we go to jail?’
‘No. You’ve done nothing wrong.’ Scarlett leaned forward a fraction. ‘You are victims of a terrible crime. No one will blame you. Do you understand this?’
Erica lifted her chin, but her lips quivered. ‘Americans hate illegal aliens.’
‘Not true,’ Scarlett said. ‘Some do, I’ll allow you, but you’ll find most Americans will feel compassion for you and anger at the people who tricked you into coming here under false pretenses. The community will want to help. That’s not to say everyone will be kind or nice. Illegal immigration is a complicated problem. But you didn’t sneak in. You had legal visas when you arrived. I’ve seen the records.’
‘They took them from us,’ Mila said in a trembling voice. ‘Which doesn’t matter now. The visas expired two years ago.’
‘You’ll get new ones,’ Scarlett said with a smile. ‘But you’ll have to trust me.’
Mila drew a deep breath. ‘Where will we have to go?’
‘You can come back with us. My partner and some of his fellow FBI agents want to talk to you about the people who brought you here. They’ll need your help to catch them.’
Mila twisted her hands together. ‘Will you . . . stay with us?’
Scarlett’s heart broke and she had to clear her throat. ‘As long as I can. Marcus will too. And Father Trace.’ She took Mila’s hands in hers. ‘You have friends here. You’re safe.’
‘Where will we live?’ Erica asked, trying hard to make her question sound forceful, but underneath Scarlett heard a scared little girl.
‘We’ll find you a place. It might be a safe house at first, just until we figure out who’s behind all this. That might mean you’ll have a police guard. That doesn’t mean you’re in jail. It just means we don’t want anyone to hurt you.’
‘For how long?’ Erica persisted.
Scarlett sighed. ‘I wish I had an answer for you, Erica. But let me tell you this – Marcus is very, very important to me, and right now his life is in danger every time he walks around in public. Even if I didn’t care about you and your family – and I do care – I’d be trying to solve this as fast as possible to keep Marcus safe. That’s all I can promise, except that I am very good at my job, and so is my partner, Agent Novak.’
Mila was quiet for a long moment while Scarlett held her breath. Then Mila nodded and Scarlett exhaled in relief. ‘We’ll come with you,’ Mila said. ‘But no handcuffs.’
Once more Scarlett’s heart broke. ‘Of course no handcuffs,’ she promised gruffly. ‘You have my word. I’m going to ask Marcus to come back into the room now and we’ll take you to Cincinnati.’
‘That’s what the other guys said,’ Erica muttered as Scarlett turned to go.
Her hand on the doorknob, Scarlett turned back to face the girl. ‘Which other guys? Anders and his wife?’
Mila shook her head. ‘No. The man and woman who met us at the airport and took us to the Anderses. They said they were married and that they ran the business where we’d be working. We believed them.’
A male/female ‘married’ pair to meet a family. It made good sense if you were the traffickers. A married couple would inspire confidence, encourage the victims to let their guard down. ‘Can you describe them?’
‘The man was very big,’ Mila said. ‘And dark-skinned. Maybe forty years old or a little older. The woman was smaller than the man, but bigger than any of us, including my husband. She had blond hair and was much younger than the man. They pretended to be nice and loving for the first day, but then they stopped for the night and . . .’
‘Out came the handcuffs,’ Erica said flatly. ‘The man was big and strong and fast. Trained in karate, I think. He put Tala in a stranglehold when she tried to get away with me and John Paul. My father tried to fight, but the man switched arms and knocked him unconscious with one punch. And then, um . . .’ She looked away. ‘He raped Tala. That was our first clue that we were in trouble,’ she finished bitterly.
Scarlett released the doorknob without opening the door, slowly walked back to Mila and Erica and knelt in front of the girl. ‘Did he rape you too, Erica?’
A hard swallow and a nod.
Scarlett closed her eyes and sighed. ‘I’m so sorry.’ Then her eyes popped open on a frown as Erica’s words sank in. Big, dark-skinned, fast, with an arm-switching maneuver? It was a long shot, but worth a try. She took out her phone, pulled up the video of Phillip’s attacker that she’d shown Marcus the night before and chose a segment that showcased the man’s walk and his eyes through the holes in the ski mask.
Without a word she showed it to the two women and watched them begin to shake.
‘That looks like him, like his walk,’ Mila
whispered. ‘I can never forget it. He is in my nightmares all the time.’
‘And his eyes,’ Erica said flatly. ‘He had cold, dead eyes.’
Mila put her arm around Erica. ‘It could be him. He’s the right size.’ Mila’s jaw tightened, her shoulders squaring. ‘She called him Demetrius. He called her Alice. I don’t know if those were their real names or not. Who is the young man with him?’
‘Marcus’s friend Phillip. He was shot a few minutes later, as was another man.’
Mila’s eyes grew wide. ‘Did he kill my Tala too?’
‘I don’t know.’ Tala knew her attacker. She would have known a man who’d raped her, but apparently both this man, whose name was possibly Demetrius, and Drake Connor had assaulted her. Scarlett should have been relieved that she was finally getting some new pieces to the puzzle, but she wasn’t. Her gut told her that something was still missing, and she’d learned to listen to her gut. ‘Let’s get back to the city so that you can give an artist a description of this Demetrius’s face. While we drive, I’ll work on getting you reunited with your husband and son.’
Cincinnati, Ohio
Wednesday 5 August, 11.15 A.M.
Deacon Novak was waiting when Marcus and Scarlett arrived at the Netherland Plaza with Mila and Erica. Scarlett was in full cop mode, her eyes darting everywhere, her body positioned to protect the two women who’d been through so much.
Marcus was also keenly aware that Scarlett was positioning herself to protect him, especially when Deacon joined them in the hotel’s lobby. The two partners created a wall separating Marcus and the women from anyone who might want to hurt them. He wanted to grab Scarlett by the shoulders and yank her behind him, but he didn’t. She was who she was, which was a cop. To deny her the ability to protect him would hurt her deeply, and Marcus couldn’t even consider it. Still, he kept his hand on the grip of the gun she’d loaned him out of her own collection, since his old Glock was locked up in her gun safe.
Deacon towered over the two women just like Marcus did, but – just like Marcus had – the Fed hunched his shoulders so that he didn’t seem too intimidating. He also wore his trademark wraparound shades inside the hotel so that he didn’t startle the women with his odd eyes.