by Maria Pease
Just after 3:00 AM, I bolted up in bed. I thought I heard something downstairs, so I quietly got out of bed and grabbed the bat I keep next to my bed. I descended down the stairs, trying not to make a sound. The wind was blowing hard and tree branches hit the house. I moved into the kitchen and froze when I saw a dark figure outside the glass door. I backed up, trying to decide what to do. The figure was large and dressed in black from head to toe. I couldn’t see a face or even begin to imagine who it might be.
It began to rain, and I watched as the figure just stood there, getting drenched. My eyes darted around, searching for my phone. I was afraid to move but at the same time, I knew my bat wasn’t going to be helpful if this person decided to break in and attack me. The sky flashed with lightning and the figure held up his fingers like a gun and pulled the invisible trigger pointing at my head. My heart stopped. I’d dealt with a lot of crazy situations, but this was the first time I felt like my life could be in danger. Maybe it was inexperience, but I’d never feared for my life. Now, I wasn’t so sure.
Thunder boomed and the sky lit up again. The figure was gone. I scanned the area outside then checked out my windows for any movement. Nothing. I breathed a sigh of relief but still wasn’t sure he was gone. My heart pounded as I checked my doors and windows, making sure they were all locked. Once I felt it was secure, I headed back up to bed. I tossed and turned as crazy thoughts seized my brain and I wondered who the black figure had been. When the sun came up, I was glad for the brightness of the day. I still hadn’t shaken off the night before. I’d planned to get out for a run but decided an extra cup of coffee and a shower might be a better choice.
Johnny Mountain’s forecast helped me to choose jeans and a blue and white striped sweater, and although I’d planned on wearing boots, I decided on my sneakers instead. As I put on my make-up, I stared at my reflection and wondered if I was cut out for my job. I couldn’t shake off the uneasy feeling I had and knew it could become a problem if I didn’t pull it together.
The ringing of my phone snapped me back to reality and I moved downstairs to search for it, finally finding it between my couch cushions. “Hey, Frank.”
“Sammy, I need you to meet me at the Justice Center. Get a hold of Alana and I’ll see you both in an hour.”
“We’ll be there,” I said, noting the time.
I called Alana and told her I’d pick her up in twenty minutes. I had some time, so I took out my file on Michael Carson and updated it, along with my index cards, paying close attention to how the case had unfolded. When I reviewed getting caught at Wally’s and how it had played out, I grew uneasy. At the time, I was relieved to have escaped, but now that I had some distance, I concluded either they were terrible at securing a prisoner, or I’d been set up. Of course, I didn’t really have any idea, but something about it just didn’t add up.
Checking the clock, I grabbed my bag, put the file inside and headed out to pick up Alana. As I drove, my thoughts wandered, and I found myself thinking about the dark figure that stood outside my door. Could he be related to my case or could it have been random? At this point, I didn’t know, but it had me feeling unsettled. I considered telling Frank about it but wasn’t sure if I wanted to share it with Alana. After all, I didn’t need her freaking out. She had enough on her plate with trying to juggle classes and working with us.
When I pulled up, Alana was waiting outside, and I was relieved I wouldn’t have to go to the door. She hopped in and I pulled away, heading toward Winchester Road.
“Hey, what’s going on?”
“I’m not sure. All Frank said was to pick you up and to meet him in an hour.”
“Okay. Are you all right?”
“Yeah. I’m fine,” I lied.
Chapter 41
Checking in, we were told to head to Monique’s office. The smell of coffee filled the hallways and I suddenly felt as though my two cups wouldn’t be enough to get me through the day.
Frank was leaning back in the chair behind Monique’s desk with his eyes closed when we walked in.
Alana and I looked at each other, grinning. “Should we come back?” I asked.
Frank opened his eyes. “Good morning, ladies.”
“So, what’s up?”
Frank stood and stretched. “First things first. Anyone want coffee?”
“Oh, yes!” I said.
Alana nodded.
“This way.” Frank led us to the break room where we all helped ourselves to coffee, then moved to the conference room and sat down.
I took out my files and skimmed them, rereading my notes concerning Grace Yasmin.
“Where’s Monique?” Alana asked Frank.
“She’s in a meeting. What do you two have on your schedule for today?”
“We’re going to talk with Grace Yasmin, the girl who helped teach Michael the ropes. She must know something,” I said.
“Okay. What else?”
“Did we get the warrant to see who was renting the rooms at the Rodeway Inn?” I asked.
“It was denied, Sam. Apparently, we don’t have enough to show cause.”
“Are you kidding? How am I supposed to get information if I can’t see the records?”
“You know how the system works. It was a long shot, at best.”
“Shit,” I muttered.
“What else do you have going for today?” He asked.
“We’re heading to the Bundy house for surveillance unless there’s something else you want us to do.”
“The Captain mentioned possibly needing our assistance, but he hasn’t gotten back to me so just check in with me later.” He stood.
A phone buzzed and Alana excused herself to take a call, so I asked her to meet me at the Jeep. I don’t know what it was, but watching Frank, I felt like something was up, and I wondered if it had something to do with Monique. I shook my head and tried to brush it off. I gathered my files and put them in my bag.
“Sam, are you okay? You seem distracted.”
I looked at him. “I didn’t want to say anything in front of Alana, but I had a visitor last night.”
“What do you mean, you had a visitor?”
“I woke up in the middle of the night, and there was someone standing outside my back door, dressed head to toe in black. When the lightning lit up the sky, the figure motioned like it was shooting me with a gun. It scared the shit out of me, Frank. I’m a little shaken up.”
“Was Jake there?”
“No. I was alone.”
“Why didn’t you call me?”
“Honestly, I didn’t think to call you, Frank.”
“Jesus, Sam!” He shook his head. “Look, I know you’ve said you don’t want a pistol, but I think it’s time to reconsider. I’m going to call my buddy at the range and get you in for some lessons. Once you go through the course, you can decide. Okay?”
“Yeah. I guess you’re right.”
“We deal with some dangerous shit, Sam. You need to be able to defend yourself.”
I headed out to the Jeep, pondering my immediate options for self-defense. I never wanted to feel as vulnerable as I had last night. It was time to get serious.
I got in the Jeep and spotted Cookie and Hector going into the Justice Center. I knew it couldn’t be a coincidence. Something was going on, and I deserved to know what it was. Color rose in my cheeks, and as I retraced my steps, I breathed in deep trying to calm down. The lady at check-in recognized me and waved me in. I headed down the hall and stood outside of the conference room.
The door was closed, and I hesitated. After all, I wasn’t sure who was inside. I went over different scenarios in my mind, playing them out, then stopped; I was acting like a complete lunatic. I felt embarrassed for not trusting Frank. My rational mind knew he’d fill me in when the time was right and I should just let it go. Whatever was going on, I’d find out soon enough.
I was heading back outside when Jake walked in. “Hey, good-looking,” I said.
“Sam. What are
you doing here?”
“I was meeting with Frank. How about dinner tonight?”
“Can I call you later? I’m on a new case.”
“Of course.”
He gave me a rushed kiss and was gone.
Wow. That’s the second time he’s blown me off. I stared after him then moved to the Jeep.
Alana was leaning against it, focused on her phone.
We got in and headed back to the office. “Does anything feel weird to you today?”
“What do you mean?”
“I can’t put my finger on it, but I just feel like I’m in an alternate reality. Is it me?”
“I don’t know. Things feel normal to me.”
“Hmm. Okay.”
The office light was on when we arrived, and I immediately panicked that I hadn’t turned it off when I’d gone home last night. Opening the door, I realized that it was something far worse.
Chuck had decided to torture us with his presence.
I sucked in a breath and eyed Alana. “Hey, Chuck. How’s it going?”
“Hey, Sam.” He nodded at Alana.
“We’re just stopping in. We’ll be out of your hair in a few,” I said.
“Look, can we just call a truce?”
I stood, unable to move, wondering if I’d heard him correctly.
He sat back, looking at me, apparently waiting for me to respond.
“Um …yeah. Sure.” No fucking way! I didn’t trust Chuck. He’d never liked me and he had a passive-aggressive personality that seemed even more pronounced when I was around. He’d lied on numerous occasions and if given the chance, who knows what he was capable of doing.
I moved to my desk to check my email, and when I glanced at Chuck, I saw the smirk on his face. I decided right then nothing had changed. I got what I needed and turned on my heels. “Ready, Alana?”
“Right behind you,” she said.
We left without saying another word.
“Hey, would you mind if I head home? I have an exam I need to study for and a paper to write.”
Although I liked working with her, I felt a lot of pressure to keep her safe which, in a way, complicates things for me. I run best on instinct which means that safety is not always my focus. With her heading home, I felt relieved for the break. I jumped in the Jeep and pulled out of the lot, glad to get out of there. I wasn’t sure what Chuck was trying to accomplish with his bullshit truce appeal but, whatever it was, it wasn’t good.
Arriving home, I locked the door and took a quick look around, making sure I was alone. I grabbed my laptop, a glass of iced tea and dropped on the couch. I did an internet search for self-defense and a variety of martial arts and kickboxing classes popped up, along with a long list of weapons and sprays. I wanted something fast, so classes were out. I went directly to Amazon and, after checking out all my options, decided that mace and a stun gun would get me started. With my Prime membership, I’d have them in just two days.
With that out of the way, I took out my file and looked up Grace Yasmin’s contact information and dialed her number. There was no answer, and I decided not to leave a message. I wanted to talk to her face-to-face. I put her address into Maps and found that she lived in the Stonewood Apartments, just off Margarita Road. I grabbed my bag and headed out.
I pulled in through the broken security gate, noting that their lack of security made my job a whole lot easier. I found her building and drove slowly, looking for her apartment. She resided on the second floor, so I turned on the recorder and headed up. I knocked hard and waited. Big trees seemed to block most of the natural light and I figured the apartments were likely pretty dreary.
Grace opened the door, wearing a pink T-shirt and a pair of jeans. “Can I help you?”
“Grace Yasmin?”
“That’s me.” She beamed.
“I’d like to speak with you regarding Wally Mason. Do you have a minute?”
“I don’t know who that is.” Her enthusiasm dimmed.
I narrowed my eyes. “Listen, Polly. We need to talk.”
Her expression changed, and I could tell she knew the gig was up. She stepped back to let me inside.
I showed her my ID and she offered me a seat.
“Am I busted? It was supposed to be an acting job. That’s what he told me.”
“You’re not busted. I just have a few questions.”
“Okay.” She let out a long sigh.
“Tell me about that first contact.”
“I found an ad on Craigslist for models and actresses, so I sent in my photo. A few days later, he called me to set up an interview.”
“Where did you go for the interview?”
“The casino. I met Wally in the café and he bought me pancakes. After we talked for a while, he asked me to come back for an audition with the other agents. He said to prepare to do a scene from a movie.”
“When did you meet with them?”
“An hour later in a hotel suite.”
“Who was at that audition?”
“Wally, some lady, and two other men. I can’t remember their names, though. I was really nervous. Apparently, they’re big-time agents.”
I reached into my bag and took out the file with photos of Chanel, Montgomery, Archie, Wally and Cesar and laid them on the table.
“That’s them.” She pointed to photos of Chanel, Wally, Archie and Montgomery. “I think her name is Kennedy. I remember thinking it was a great stage name.”
“Kennedy?” I’d heard the name before.
“I’m not positive, but I think so.”
“So, what did they ask you to do?”
“I was supposed to entice this guy, then lure him to have sex.”
“What guy?”
“A kid named Michael. I was told I’d be picking up on him at the casino. That he wouldn’t know anything about it.”
“Is this him?” I showed her a photo from my phone.
She nodded. “Yeah. I was surprised when I met him. He’s a nice kid. Very gentle.”
“Did you know what was really going on?”
“Not at first, but I picked up on it. I really needed the job. I have bills up the freaking wazoo and they paid me half up front. Michael was adorable and even though he didn’t really know what he was doing, he was sweet.”
“What exactly was going on?”
“They had some kind of scam going. They wanted me to teach Michael how to please women. He’s adorable, so I figured they were all looking to make some money pimping him out to women who weren’t getting any at home.”
As I listened, I couldn’t believe that she was so blasé about her part in their scheme. Didn’t she understand what she was doing? For God’s sake, she was as guilty as the rest of them! I was in utter disbelief. I wanted so badly to take her in, but I had to keep my cool if I was going to get what I needed.
“Okay, so to be clear, first, they put an ad on Craigslist for models and actresses, and you answered it. Then, they told you that your audition was to lure in a guy for sex. Somewhere along the way, you realize they wanted you to teach Michael how to please women sexually. Do I have it right so far?”
“Yeah. That sounds right.”
“So, what happened next?”
“Like I said, I knew they were bullshitting me. After all, what kind of pervert watches us have sex so he can be sure I’m doing a good job? So, I went to Wally and told him that if he didn’t fill me in, I was going to the cops.”
Holy shit! “You threatened to go to the cops?”
“Yup. I also told him I wanted another ten grand. I was an important part of it so why shouldn’t I get what was coming to me?”
Oh, you’re going to get what’s coming to you, all right. “What did he say?”
“He told me some bullshit story about Michael being his little brother and he wanted to build his confidence with girls in school. He acted like I was an idiot. C’mon. Why would anyone go through all that auditioning shit for that? It was ridiculous.”
“I set him straight. I told him I knew he was full of shit and he had one chance to make it right. So, he told me he was training him to be an escort and he agreed to give me the extra ten grand if I spent a couple of weeks being Michael’s girlfriend… with all the benefits. That’s about it.”
“So, after a few weeks, you parted ways?”
“Well, I must have done a good job because he offered me a job.”
“What kind of job?”
“Really? You need me to spell it out for you?”
“Yes.”
“He asked me to be an escort.”
Chapter 42
I knew I should have called the station and turned over my tape. After all, Grace had freely admitted she’d known that what she was doing was illegal and she’d identified several of the suspects. But if I did that, without more evidence against the big guns, there was a chance that Grace would end up the only one behind bars. While she was part of the problem, locking her up wouldn’t solve much; I needed to get more.
I dialed Alana and left a quick message, letting her know I was heading over to the Bundy house. I didn’t expect to hear back from her because, besides having school work to do, surveillance wasn’t the most exciting way to spend an afternoon.
I parked, grabbed my bag and headed into the garage. There was no sign of Clint Durber, so I climbed up to the loft and made myself at home. I took out my binoculars and scanned the area. I felt my cell buzz and picked it up. Hearing Jan’s voice on the other end, I listened intently as she filled me in. When I disconnected, my head was spinning.
She told me she’d received a call from Chanel Pinkay and that she’d agreed to let me do an article on her. She’d asked me to meet her later to go over the details.
When I dialed Frank to share the news, he didn’t pick up, so I simply left the message, “I’m in.”
As I watched for movement, my thoughts drifted to the opportunity that was in front of me. I was going to get a glimpse of Chanel Pinkay’s world and find out what made her tick. Knowing where she’d started, I was eager to learn more about her and find out how she’d ended up dealing in human lives. Most of all, I needed to find out everything I could about the operation and get enough evidence to lock up the whole crew.