by John Moore
“And it’s all criminal activity?”
“Mostly. Maybe some hidden political stuff, like in China or something, I don’t know, but what I’ve found are ads for erotic services from sex workers as well as sites that sell drugs, weapons, and just about anything else you wouldn’t want people to know you’re buying or selling. Ms. Kitty bills herself as an exotic escort. Her rates are 1,500 euros a night. Her clients pay all of her expenses. She usually works on the French and Italian Riviera. Her site is linked to all of Victor’s sites on the dark web,” Piper said.
“Holy shit. Linked to Victor’s sites? That must really piss Jaeger off. No wonder he hates Victor so much. I still don’t know why he’s putting you and me in the middle of all of this.”
“I don’t either, but I can’t wait till it’s over and we can be together again,” Piper said. This time her voice cracked. She was about to start crying. “Gotta go.”
The connection went blank. I knew she didn’t want me to see her cry. Frankly, I wouldn’t have been able to take it. My emotions were in a knot. I missed her, and Tom too. What was he going through in Mexico? He must be scared to death. I wondered if he knew what was happening to us here in New Orleans. I really hoped not. It would only make things worse for him.
Oh shit, I’d completely forgotten that I had to go to Mr. Morris’s wake. Charlotte had texted me the times and funeral home location. She really wanted me to come. I thought how awkward it was going to be with Mandy and her creepy Uncle Garrett there. But Charlotte needed my support, so I jumped in the shower and put on a black dress. I hadn’t worn that dress since Sarah’s funeral. Memories flooded my mind. The emotional tsunami caught me completely off guard. I began to cry. All of my fresh mascara ran down my cheeks. Crap, I thought, now I have to wash my face and reapply my makeup. That’s when I heard a knock at my door.
I thought it was the cute girl selling Girl Scout cookies again, so I got a twenty-dollar bill from my purse. When I opened the door, there stood Victor Ivanovich and El Alacran. I jumped back at the sight of them. Victor’s green eyes nearly sparked the air between us. Damn, he was good looking. The scorpion even looked respectable in his beige suit with blue shirt and yellow tie. Both men grabbed their coat jackets with their hands, opening them as they said, “We come in peace.” That was a statement I highly doubted. Since I had a dress on I didn’t have my gun strapped to my leg. I decided to let them in anyway. If they wanted to hurt me they would have others with them. And they wouldn’t be nicely dressed, standing at my front door so everyone could see them.
“Excuse me for a second. I have to unplug my curling iron.” I went to the bedroom and took the SMS card out of my phone. Piper would have been so proud. Victor couldn’t clone my phone now. When I returned I said, “I have somewhere to go. So get to the point. What do you two want?”
El Alacran spoke first. “See how these American women are, Victor? They don’t offer you any hospitality. They don’t have proper manners. My son is a chemistry student at Tulane. I’ve told him not to get involved with an American woman. Colombian women know how to treat a man.”
I narrowed my eyes and clenched my jaw. As if any self-respecting American woman would want his slimy, black-hearted son. I didn’t say that though, just gave him my best go-to-hell look. He smiled back at me, the no-good bastard. It was obvious there was no love lost between the two of us. I never felt hatred for anyone like I did for him. He was responsible for killing Sarah. I watched him kill Camila in Colombia. He would have killed me too if he could have.
I turned my eyes to Victor. “Look, Alexandra,” he said, “maybe we got off on the wrong foot. I would like to start over. We have so many common interests now. We both want that German asshole Jaeger off our backs. Word is he’s going to charge you with the murder of one of the poor unfortunate girls under your care at that home you run. Your friend Susan is already in jail, and you’re sure to be next. We also both want what is best for young Constance. Her mother misses her. I miss her. Now that her father’s dead and her uncle’s in jail in Mexico, she needs to be back in the loving care of her family. We appreciate all that you’ve done for her, but it’s time she came home.”
My blood began to riot in my veins. My face turned red and my heart rate increased. I wanted to keep controlling myself, but it was nearly impossible. His patronizing tone and the memory of Piper’s grief was just too much to bear. My blue eyes flashed at his green, serpent eyes. My hands turned cold and clammy. I balled my fists.
“Who do you think you are fooling? Piper’s mother is dead. You murdered her. She sent Piper to her father’s house in Chicago to get away from you. You only want her for what she can do for your criminal enterprises. I told you before, Tom and I are her family now. She hates you. She knows what you are and what you did to her mother. I’ll see you in hell before I let you have her.”
“I was hoping your current legal troubles would make you see matters a little more clearly,” Victor said as he focused his emerald green eyes on me. He seemed not the slightest bit affected by my accusations. “I can see you are not quite ready to be reasoned with. Soon, I think you’ll come around. And, by the way, I spoke to my friends in the Mexican Justice Department. They think your boyfriend is part of an international terror group. They intend to make an example of him. If you ever think we can talk more civilly, call me. I think I can convince them he’s just a harmless environmentalist.”
El Alacran breathed in and out like a man who’d just run a marathon. His hate-filled eyes met mine, and he said, “My friend here is very tactful. I do things differently. If you don’t do what we want, puta, I am going to cut your head off and put it in a box and send it to your boyfriend in the Mexican jail. Once he has a chance to cry and scream, I’m going to cut his head off and send it to his hippie parents in California. You hear me, bitch?”
Victor grabbed his arm and led him to the door. Victor flipped a business card on my table and said, “My number’s on the card if you want to talk.”
They left the condo, and I took a few minutes to calm down. These were definitely two different types of demons. They both dealt in depravity and death. One was a little smoother than the other, but they were both death dealers. I was in a world of shit and so was my whole family. I collected myself and put my SMS card back in my phone. I’ll bet Victor shit in his $500 pants when he couldn’t clone my phone. Score one for Piper and me.
Even though I’d foiled his attempt to clone my phone, they’d delivered the message. Play ball with them or they would destroy Tom and me. Victor showed me he had control of Tom’s fate in Mexico. He also let me know he’d release his rabid dog, El Alacran, on me if he didn’t get what he wanted. I couldn’t make any deals with them. They would kill me no matter what I agreed to. It didn’t really matter because I wasn’t agreeing to anything anyway. The fight was going to be to the death.
I put my gun in my purse and headed to the funeral home. I hoped the wake would be less dramatic than the first part of my day. Too much to ask for, I feared.
I found Charlotte as soon as I arrived at the funeral home. The seating was a little disturbing. There was a friends of the bride and friends of the groom thing going on. Mandy and Garrett Morris were on the left side of the aisle, and Charlotte and most of Superior Sugar’s employees were on the right side. I felt the tension in the room as soon as I entered. What struck me as strange was that the family was dry-eyed, laughing and joking, while the employees were somber, silent, and crying. Role reversal on display, to say the least.
I walked to the front of the room, being careful not to view the body. I didn’t like carrying the image of a person in their casket around with me. I preferred to remember them in life. I gave my condolences to Mandy and Garrett before I joined Charlotte on the other side of the room. My poor friend was hopelessly grief-stricken. Her eyes were nearly swollen shut from crying. She greeted me with a half-smile as I sat beside her.
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“Alexandra, I don’t think I can face the world without him,” she whispered. “He was always there for me. He was a great man.” She broke down again, whimpering as she cried.
It was a pitiful sight to see. But, I couldn’t help but think that all of his problems were solved now. He was at peace. His family, well, that was another matter altogether. He’d left his daughter, Mandy, and his brother, Garrett, behind to sort out their lives. Garrett was a gambler and sexual deviant. Mandy was a more lamentable creature. Her life shifted with the most dominant male influence in her life at the time. I hoped she would find someone other than Garrett to influence her. I remembered how many people warned me to stay away from him when they found out I was working for Superior Sugar. I knew he went to dog fights, but had no idea the depth of his depravity. I just knew I didn’t want anything to do with him.
When Charlotte’s crying spell settled, I took her by the arm and led her out of the viewing room to the funeral home’s kitchen so we could talk. She needed to get out of that room for awhile. This whole place was pretty sterile—not the cozy café I would have chosen—but at least there were no dead bodies in the kitchen and we were alone. We poured ourselves a cup of coffee then went and sat in the lobby together.
“Charlotte, I am so sorry for your loss. I know he meant a great deal to you.”
She looked out the window at the swaying trees and said, “More than you’ll ever know, Alexandra. He was such a good person. He didn’t deserve the problems his family gave him. He always tried to do the right thing.”
“I didn’t know him well. But I could tell he was a wonderful person,” I said.
She really didn’t hear my words. She was in her own world of memories. “When he discovered the contribution sugar made to the world’s obesity epidemic, he decided he couldn’t stay in the business any longer. That’s when he opened the stevia company. He didn’t want to be in a business that hurt people.”
Mandy approached us as we spoke. I prepared myself for a rant but was surprised by her conciliatory attitude. She sat next to Charlotte and took her hand. It took a moment for Charlotte to comprehend who’d taken her hand. Before she could react, Mandy said, “I’m sorry for the scene I caused at Superior Sugar the other day, Charlotte. I was overwhelmed with grief at the loss of my father. I want you to know how much our family appreciates you. You’ve shown unconditional dedication to my father throughout the years you’ve worked for Superior Sugar.”
Charlotte seemed comforted by Mandy’s gesture. I doubted the sincerity. But it didn’t matter to me as long as it made Charlotte feel better. It did make me wonder what Mandy was up to. Maybe I was being a little too paranoid. Then she turned to me.
“Alexandra, I hope you will continue your relationship with our company. We need you more than ever now. This isn’t the time to talk about business, but I would appreciate it if you would come to our office in the next few days to talk about how we could work together.”
She stood and walked away, her long black dress trailing behind her. Charlotte said I should meet with her. I really didn’t want to think about it now. Fortunately, I received a text from Jess Johnson before I could respond to Charlotte.
“Demetre and I would like to meet with you tomorrow.”
What now?
Chapter Twenty-Seven:
Human Trafficking
When I returned to my condo, my bed sucked me into it. I threw my clothes off and debated with myself about the need to take my makeup off. I lost the debate and was thankful the task was mindless. I fell into bed like a live oak tree toppled by a hurricane. Healing, dreamless sleep left me motionless on my bed. I awakened the next morning without having ruffled the covers. I’d slept on top of them and didn’t move enough during the night to disturb them more than slightly.
I brushed my teeth, finding I’d regained the energy sapped from me yesterday. I looked at the clock. Holy shit, it was ten o’clock in the morning. I’d never slept that long in my life. I pushed the button on the magic machine and called Jess.
“When would you like to meet?” I asked.
“How about in an hour at the Community Coffee shop by the newspaper?”
“I’ll be there.”
When I hung up the phone, I opened my computer to read my blog site. Louisiana had become a hot spot for missing young women. Girls from Shreveport to Morgan City were reported missing. The numbers weren’t large by Los Angeles or New York standards, just excessive for Louisiana. All were between sixteen and twenty-two. Most were considered runaways by the police. I knew better. It wasn’t a coincidence that Victor was moving his operation into New Orleans at the same time as the spike in missing girls.
Piper had left me a sweet message. She wrote, “I hope you sleep well tonight. I miss you and love you. Can’t wait to be back with you:).”
I sent her an “I love you” message back. I didn’t have time to write more because I had to head out to meet Jess and Detective Baker. I made sure I had my pistol strapped to my leg before I left. From now on, I resolved not to go anywhere without it. It took me a few minutes to drive to the coffee shop. I made sure I wasn’t being followed.
Jess and Baker were already seated when I arrived. I loved the smell of freshly brewed coffee that dominated the shop. They had chosen seats in the back corner with their backs to the wall. I had to sit facing them, leaving my back exposed. I wasn’t comfortable sitting like that, but I knew these two wouldn’t let anyone sneak up on me.
Jess always dressed comfortably. She looked professional and matronly at the same time. She chose dark colors even in the summer. I suppose because she was always seated at her desk in the air conditioning. Detective Baker, on the other hand, always wore a suit that screamed, “I’m a cop.”
Jess took the floor, “Alexandra, I’ve been researching Victor Ivanovich’s past. He was descended from one of the Russian Czars. His family always enjoyed great wealth. That is, until World War II broke out. Both his maternal and paternal grandfathers fought against the Germans. They were both killed in action, and the family lost all of its wealth. His family background plagued him in communist Russia. He grew up a scrappy street kid in Moscow. He was smart and ambitious. He formed his own gang, which took advantage of the breakdown of the Soviet Union. He brutalized his way to the top of the Russian Mafia hierarchy.”
Baker joined in. “He’s found a way to make political connections in Baton Rouge. He is the one who has gotten the Department of Family Services to go after the center and you. We are fairly sure that the girl poisoned at the center was working for him. My hands are tied. Jaeger has used political pull to get me thrown off of the investigation. He’s even gotten a couple of CIA contractors helping him. He has convinced Homeland Security that Victor is a threat to national security because of his hacking operation in Russia. Jaeger wants to use your girl, Constance, as bait to bring charges against Victor.”
“I don’t get it. How is Piper bait if she’s in a foster home?” I asked.
“His plan is a little twisted but also clever when you think about it,” Baker said. “Victor intervened in your lawsuit on behalf of the little girl’s mother to get custody of her. If he won, he’d have the girl. If you and Tom won, Victor could kidnap the girl and claim she ran away or it was just a civil matter. Not likely law enforcement would get involved. But if the State of Louisiana had custody and the child was in foster care, and then he kidnapped the girl, the state would have to pursue criminal charges and track her down. Victor would certainly be prosecuted along with anyone who helped him. So Jaeger placed her with a family who’s letting her have all the freedom she wants, to tempt Victor to take her.”
Jess chimed in, “I think this Butler woman with the Department of Family Services is involved somehow. She’s way too committed to taking Piper away from you not to be. Something is rotten with her. Jaeger knows Piper is a computer prodigy. He’s convinced Home
land Security if Victor gets her, she’ll be a danger to national defense.”
“She’s just a child. She’s not a danger to anyone,” I said. “She deserves a normal life just like everyone else. They are treating her like a pawn in some international game. I won’t stand for it.”
Jess said she was still putting her story together on Victor and wasn’t even close to going to print. He had concealed his illegal activities very well. Baker said there was some software given to the police department by Homeland Security that searched the dark web and mapped the connections to sites and people. It helped reveal the identities of the people behind the sites. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, DARPA, had developed this Internet search tool to help bust human traffickers. The problem was only one person in the New Orleans Police Department was trained to use it. There was no way Baker could get Jess access to it.
“Is it on the police department central server?” I asked.
“Yes,” Baker said with a broad smile. He knew what I had in mind. I’d get Piper to hack into it. She’d already mentioned software she and her friend in LA developed. She’d used her software to track down Jaeger’s granddaughter’s website. If anyone could get to the software, Piper could.
I told Jess and Baker what Piper had found out about Jaeger’s past. Detective Baker said if I could prove any wrongdoing on Jaeger’s part, it would go a long way toward getting him removed from the investigation of Tiffany’s death. Baker went on to say that all of the NOPD cops were in my corner and would help any way they could. It felt good to hear, but I still had to clear my own name. They had all been sidelined.
How was I going to get the evidence Detective Baker needed to eliminate Jaeger from the investigation? More importantly, how was I going to prove neither Susan nor I killed Tiffany? I had no way to track down what I needed to clear my name.