by Maria Pease
“I’ll go, but I’ll be back.”
“No! We’ll have to meet somewhere else. It’s too dangerous here.”
I handed him my card and slipped out the door. “Get in touch, or I’m coming back with your mom!”
I made my way down the back stairs and around the building. Alana must have seen me because she appeared just as I was making my way back toward the pool.
“Geez, Sam. I almost had a heart attack! I could barely whistle.”
“Let’s go.”
Frank was on the phone when we arrived, so after I made it clear I had important information, I moved to my desk.
Alana powered up the computer while I sifted through the pile of mail.
Frank abruptly ended his call and stood up. “What the hell happened down there?”
“I talked to Michael. Frank, he’s got a murder bag! He said he can’t leave and that he’s at the bottom of some hierarchy. I’m not sure exactly what’s going on, but it’s very serious. Michael said they’d kill him, his mom or anyone else who gets in the way.”
“Jesus,” Frank muttered.
“I gave him my card and told him if he didn’t get in touch, I’d be back with his mom.”
“You really think he’ll call?”
“I don’t know, but he’s scared of what could happen to his mom, so he might.”
“Sam…” Alana said.
I glanced at her and immediately knew something was wrong. She was white as a ghost.
She was staring at Wally’s Facebook page. She pointed to a strand of messages and I read through them.
“Oh, shit. Frank, you need to see this.”
Frank joined us and read through the messages. He looked at me and I knew we were thinking the same thing. It had been in the back of my mind for some time, but I’d been trained not to jump to conclusions. I’d suspended belief… until now.
“It all seems very clear to me now,” Frank said.
Alana spoke up, “What’s clear?”
“Alana, it looks like we’re dealing with a teen trafficking ring,” I said.
“Trafficking? Like human trafficking? You mean that can happen here?”
“Unfortunately, it can happen anywhere. Ladies, we need to put a plan together. The only way to stop this is to get the evidence we need to lock them up.”
“How are we going to do that?” Alana asked.
“Very carefully. Keep looking for anything that could help us to learn more about who we’re dealing with. Sam, go back through all your files. Highlight anything that seems relevant. Alana, go through the social media sites and do the same.”
Alana began reviewing social media, so I moved to Chuck’s computer. With a clearer picture of what this case was about, I re-examined what I had on everyone involved, expanding my search. I couldn’t afford to miss anything.
After several hours and six pages of notes, I logged off and stood up to stretch. The sound of music caught my attention and I walked outside to see what was going on.
Out on Front Street, workers were out in force, putting up holiday decorations as Christmas carols played throughout Old Town. I set my gaze down the street toward the Rodeway Inn and thought about the teens I’d seen there. I wondered why I hadn’t connected the dots earlier.
I was lost in thought when Frank appeared next to me. “Is it me or are they decorating earlier this year?”
“It’s not even close to Thanksgiving.”
“I do like this time of year, though. Are you holding up okay?”
“Yeah, I’m good. I’m going to head in and look through Michael’s things to see if I can find anything.”
“Okay. I’ll be right in.”
I headed into the conference room and stared at the items on the table. I moved to the box and took everything out.
As I pulled up a chair, Alana came in. “Want some help?”
“Thanks.”
Alana looked through Michael’s yearbook and I powered up his laptop. Too many failed attempts at a password got me locked out, so I called Ted at the Justice Center for help. Forced to leave a message, I set it aside.
“Have you come across anything interesting?” Frank asked from the doorway.
“Not so far.”
“How about the laptop?”
“No password. I put a call into Ted, so as soon as he gets back to me, I’ll check it out.”
“Okay. You’ve got ten minutes. I have an appointment so you two will need to get out of here.”
“Why?”
“It’s personal,” he muttered.
I hadn’t heard back from Ted, and since we were being kicked out of the office for unknown reasons, I decided we may as well take a ride and see if we could find Ted.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Frank said as he practically pushed us out the door.
I had a gut feeling that something wasn’t right, so I pulled around the corner and waited to see who showed up.
“Are we spying on Frank?” Alana asked.
“We’re just checking things out.”
Ten minutes later, a black Lexus pulled into the lot. I grabbed my binoculars and watched as Cookie and Hector made their way upstairs and disappeared behind the door.
“What the hell?” My mind raced as I tried to figure out what was going on. It wasn’t like Frank to keep secrets. He was a straight shooter. It’s what I liked about him. I never had to guess where I stood because he told me, whether I liked it or not. Now, for the first time since I’d known him, he was keeping me in the dark. The question was, why?
Chapter 38
I tried to focus on the case, but Frank’s secret meeting with Cookie and Hector was weighing heavily on my mind.
Alana must have sensed it was bothering me because she didn’t utter a word.
As we pulled into the Justice Center, I spotted Ted getting out of his truck. I pulled up next to him. After explaining my situation with the laptop, we headed to his lab. He asked us to give him fifteen minutes, so we waited in the lounge. Alana flipped through the pages of a magazine but I was restless.
“I’m going to see if Jake’s in his office.”
“Okay.”
I found him leaning back in his chair, reading over a case file. “Hey, are you busy?”
He looked up and smiled. “No. Come on in,” he said, closing the file. “What’s up?”
“I was just getting some help on something from Ted and thought I’d say hi.”
“I’m glad you did. I’m just about done here. Want to grab a bite?”
“I’ll need to take Alana back to the office to get her car. Can we meet at my house in an hour?”
“Absolutely.”
“Okay. See you soon.” I kissed him.
When I got back down to the lab, I found Alana reading a Car & Driver magazine. “I didn’t know you were into cars.”
She laughed. “I didn’t have much choice. I’ve already read through everything else.”
Ted opened the door and stuck his head out. “Sorry for the delay. I reset the password. Is there anything else you need?”
“No. That’s it for now. Thanks so much, Ted. I really appreciate it.”
He handed me the laptop and a piece of paper with the new password.
The black Lexus was still in the lot when I dropped Alana off and I was curious about what was going on. I sat in the Jeep, staring at the office door and wondering how Frank, Cookie and Hector were connected. When I’d told him about them, he hadn’t indicated he knew them. Now, they were all having a private meeting? I was uneasy about being left out but mostly, I just couldn’t figure out why he didn’t want me there.
All at once, I realized I’d lost track of time. Driving home, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was going on and I intended to find out what it was. Arriving home, I found Jake relaxing on my couch with a beer and the sports page.
“You’re late,” he announced without looking up from his paper.
“I’m sorry. I lost track of the time. Give
me ten minutes to freshen up.”
I ran upstairs, put my hair up, and turned on the shower. I closed my eyes and tried to think of how I’d get Jake to tell me about the connection between Cookie and Frank without him knowing that I was fishing.
I was lost in thought when I felt Jake behind me. Neither of us spoke as our hands and lips slowly moved over each other. Eventually, we moved from the shower to the bed, all without a word. It was intense, and a total turn-on. Wow!
We dressed and headed out for dinner at Gourmet Italia, and although it was late, Mario was kind enough to give us special treatment, allowing us to linger over our lasagna and cabernet. When they brought our raspberry sorbet, we realized we were the last ones there, so Jake paid the check and we finished it off.
When we got in bed, I still hadn’t gotten any information from Jake, despite bringing up Cookie’s name three separate times during the evening. He either couldn’t take a hint, or he didn’t know anything. Either way, I was still in the dark. I tossed and turned for most of the night, and when I woke up to the sound of rain splashing on my window, Jake was gone.
Pulling myself out of bed, I willed the coffee to be hot in the pot. I wasn’t disappointed. Jake must’ve known I’d need it. I poured a cup, curled up on my couch, and turned on the morning news. When I saw the woman being interviewed, she looked very familiar, but I couldn’t place her. I turned up the volume and my heart jumped into my throat. I scrambled for my cell.
“Turn on channel 7!”
“What the hell is going on?” Frank asked, clearing his throat.
“Just turn it on. Now!”
We both watched Stacy Carson plead for the return of her missing sixteen-year-old son. A photo of a much-less-confident Michael appeared in the upper right corner of the screen. When reporter Melissa MacBride finished her report, I was stunned.
“Who the fuck authorized that?” Frank yelled.
“You mean she didn’t tell you about it?”
“No! What the hell is she thinking?”
“Frank, we need to get him out of there. They’re going to kill him!”
I’ve never gotten ready so quickly, but I knew Michael’s life could be in immediate danger. I hauled ass and met Frank in the Stampede Bar parking lot across from the Rodeway Inn. It was 6:00 AM. The sky loomed dark above us and drizzle dotted the windshield.
“What room is he in?” Frank asked.
“Up there,” I said, pointing to the second-floor room.
“Let’s go.”
We moved up the stairs and knocked gently on the door. “Michael?”
Frank knocked a little harder. “Michael, get your ass up!”
A moment later, Michael’s face appeared through a crack in the door. “What the hell do you want?” His voice was defiant.
“Open the fucking door!” Frank yelled.
Michael paused and removed the chain, opening the door. We rushed in and shut it behind us as Frank laid out the situation to Michael.
“Shit! I can’t go. You don’t understand. There are others. I can’t just leave them!”
“Your life could be in immediate danger,” I said. “We need to get you out. Once we do, we can help the others.”
It took a few moments, but finally, Michael rushed to get dressed as Frank scanned to see if it was clear.
“Okay. Let’s go.”
“Wait!” Michael moved back into the room to retrieve his backpack and cell phone.
“Hurry up!” I closed the door behind him and followed him down the stairs, across the street, and into Franks truck.
“Hold on a second.” A thought flashed into my mind. “Michael, who are the girls in the other room?”
“They’re new, except for Melody. They still think they’re going to be models.”
“Sam…” Frank looked at me, shaking his head.
“I’m going back up.”
“They won’t come with you,” Michael insisted. “They really believe they’re going to Hollywood to be famous.”
“What about Melody? She knows the truth, right?”
“Yeah, but Wally told her she’ll end up like Eva if she doesn’t play along. He threatened to kill her family. Melody is there to help convince the other four how lucky they are.”
“Then she’s going to help me to get them out,” I said.
“She’s terrified of Wally,” Michael said.
“I have to try.”
I got out of the truck and made my way up to the room. I knocked and waited impatiently as my eyes darted around the area. I knocked again, harder.
“Melody! Open the door!”
The curtain moved, and I saw her face looking out at me.
I smiled. “It’s okay.”
She opened the door a bit. “What do you want?”
“Do you remember me? From the hospital?”
“Uh, huh.”
“I’m here to take you home.”
“I can’t.” Tears pooled in her eyes.
“We have to hurry.”
One of the other girls came to the door wanting to know what was going on. I looked at Melody.
“I’m here to take you to the studio to get your photos taken. Get your things. Hurry. We’re late.” I led them down the stairs and across the street where Frank and Michael waited in the truck.
I hurried them inside and closed the back door while Frank started the engine. As we made our way down the street, I looked back just as the maroon SUV was turning into the Rodeway Inn. I eyed Frank and let out a sigh of relief.
We rushed them up the stairs and into our office. Frank bolted the door while I brought them into the conference room. I began my questioning by asking for names, addresses and phone numbers, as well as how they’d met the “agent” who’d recruited them. I attempted to be as casual as I could and took notes of everything they said. Then, I snapped a photo of each girl and took one of the group.
When Frank and Michael joined us, we broke the news to them. Of course, they didn’t want to believe us, but Melody assured them it was all true. With tears in her eyes, she moved her hair off her neck, revealing a tattoo. The sight of it caught us all off guard. I swung around to look at Michael, and for the first time, I noticed he had the exact same tattoo. Catching my horrified expression, he slowly raised his hand to cover it, suddenly self-conscious.
I could only imagine what he must be thinking. I heard the knock on the door and was relieved for the diversion. I stepped out of the conference room to let Alana in, quickly catching her up on what was going on. When we went back into the conference room, all eyes were on her. I introduced her and I handed her my notes on the girls.
“Did this happen to you, too?” one of the girls asked Alana.
“Um, no,” she said, nervously.
“Sam, can I have a word?” Frank stood and moved into the hall.
His tone was hushed. “We need to get the four girls to the precinct to be interviewed, and then back home. I’m going to call Monique to come get them. We’ll talk with Michael and Melody after the others are safely out of here.” He pulled out his cell phone and dialed Monique.
Frank explained the situation and asked her to meet us as soon as she could and disconnected. Next, he called the captain and filled him in as well. After a short conversation, he hung up and moved to his computer.
“What’s the plan?” I asked.
“We’re going to have a meeting with the captain to compare notes on what we have. He said they’ve been working on a case that may be connected. We’ll figure out our plan of attack once we meet. Until then, we need to keep Michael and Melody safe. That means we keep it quiet.”
“What about Stacy Carson?”
“We can’t tell her a thing. At least not until we have everything we need. Got it?””
“Got it,” I said.
Once Monique and her partner, Eric, were briefed, they collected the four girls and headed to the Justice Center.
Frank and I joined Alana, Michael and M
elody, who were talking casually when we walked in. I don’t know why, but in that moment, they seemed like regular teenagers. Deep down, though, I knew what they’d been through had been anything but regular.
Chapter 39
Michael began by filling us in on how he and Wally had first connected. He then went on to explain how it had unfolded.
As I listened, I realized how naive I’d been. I knew trafficking occurred, after all, I haven’t been living under a rock. It’s just that this is Temecula. It never occurred to me that our quiet town could be home to a teen trafficking ring. Even after seeing all those teenagers coming and going, I just couldn’t wrap my head around the reality.
Michael told us how the school bullying had started when he was fourteen. “At first, it wasn’t so bad, but it quickly got worse. I was afraid to go to school. Some days, I convinced my mom I was too sick to go, but then they just did it online. They’d send me endless messages on social media sites and through email. I tried to ignore them, but they just wouldn’t stop. Soon, I felt like I was under attack twenty-four hours a day.” He took a deep breath and his voiced cracked. “I was so desperate, I even tried to kill myself, just to make it all stop.”
As he went on, he admitted he had always been awkward around people and didn’t make friends easily, so gaming became his way of socializing. “The better I got at playing games, the more friends I made. I could be whoever I wanted to be, and no one knew any different. I actually felt… I dunno… normal. I felt comfortable around gamers.” He paused, gathering his thoughts. “I met Wally playing an online game called World of Warcraft. He was a good player and we just got along really well. He told me that he’d been bullied, and no one understood what it was like. It was something that totally sucked that we had in common. I listened to him for a long time; eventually, I kinda told him what was going on with me. We felt like we understood each other. The more we talked, the more I realized we were two-of-a-kind. At least, I thought we were.” He shook his head.
“When did he invite you to come here?” I asked.
“We’d been playing together for months when he said I should come to Temecula. He said he had an awesome thing going and I’d have more friends than I’d know what to do with. At first, I laughed at the idea and turned him down. I mean, how the hell would I even get there, right?”