She leaned back, looking worried. “They’re upstairs.”
Frank released her and headed for his study. “Could you call them down and send them into my office?”
“Of course,” she murmured, turning to do his bidding.
Judging from her curious expression, Jack could tell she was dying to ask why, but refrained. Good old Olivia—the perfect politician’s wife. She’d wait until no one was around before venting. He damn sure didn’t envy Frank right now.
The two men wound their way into the very room he’d caught Lucy on her way out of three nights earlier. His gaze moved to the corner where he’d trapped her and kissed her, and a sudden streak of longing hit him. He missed Lucy. How sick was that? She’d left him without a word, not even a “thank you very much,” and then gone and done what he’d asked her not to do. Obviously, he and his wishes meant nothing to her. No different than Ginny, yet somehow very different because the hurt went much deeper.
Though devastating to deal with, Ginny’s actions hadn’t ripped his heart out. Jack had had enough of her selfishness and had planned to end their engagement, but she’d gone off and gotten herself killed first.
Lucy’s actions tore his heart in two and the pain was a hundred times worse than what he’d felt when Ginny had died, which spoke of more than just feeling responsible. It also meant Lucy had totally slipped past his guard.
Voices drew both men’s attention to the door where Marci, whom he recognized, and Kim, Frank’s niece, slipped into the room, both laughing and joking. Until they saw the two of them, when all smiles died.
Frank ignored their unease and motioned for them to sit. The moment their butts hit the sofas, he got right to the point. “I want you to tell Jack what you told me the other day.” His gaze was leveled on Marci. “And don’t leave anything out.”
Marci wrung her hands. The girl was wearing short shorts and a tight T-shirt rising above her midriff that left nothing to the imagination. What were these kids today thinking, Jack wondered. If she were his daughter, he’d make her put on some clothes that actually covered her body, at least enough to hide those curves. Christ. Didn’t she realize the enticement for hormone-driven teenage boys? No wonder teen pregnancies were at an all-time high, if the boys were faced with that kind of temptation on a daily basis. Kim’s shorts didn’t reveal as much and her shirt covered her waist, but still the outfit bordered on skimpy. Definitely made him glad he had no plans to have children in the near future.
“It’s hard to talk about,” Marci said, yanking him back to the reason he was here—uncovering the connection to Cassie Harding’s disappearance and Reecie Holloway’s death.
Jack listened intently as she reluctantly began speaking. Twenty minutes later, he continued staring at the girl, too dumbfounded to do anything else. How in the hell had Manny Graves coerced a bunch of high school girls into giving blow jobs to his upscale johns? Basically he’d turned them into some kind of teen hookers. At this point, he had no reason to doubt the bottom-feeder’s involvement. And what about the guys who were at the receiving end, paying kids to get them off?
Shit. It was the most disgusting and absurd thing he’d ever heard. Peering at the girl, who, except for her manner of dress, now appeared too lost and alone for anything so seedy, he fought to understand the how’s and the why’s. Tears filled her eyes, adding to her innocent guise. Marci looked every bit her young age. So much so, that if the story hadn’t come out of her mouth, he wouldn’t have believed it. The guy was cunning, that was for damned sure.
“God, I feel so stupid.” Marci wiped at the few tears streaming down the sides of her face. “I talked my friends into it.” She sniffed and brushed her face again. “Until I told Kimmy everything after Reecie died and Lindsay went missing, I just didn’t think about what I was doing. I liked the money too much. I played right into a pervert’s hands, didn’t I?”
Yeah, Manny had definitely played them, Jack thought. According to Marci, Reecie and Lindsay had been the contacts after he’d hooked them by friending them on Facebook. And why not? Without parental oversight, any teen was easy pickings, just as these kids must have been. Naïve and gullible and a little screwed up as to what sex was all about, no different than too many adults in this crazy world with sex hitting them from all angles since they’d been babies.
Jack sighed. Advertisers and television shows pushing the limits of common sense and decency. That was the world kids waded through these days. And even with a strong foundation of love and nurturing, it was almost impossible to walk the road untainted.
Marci’s tears were now flowing freely. “It seemed so easy. Now, hearing me describe it all, it just sounds ugly.”
Jack nodded. Yeah, real ugly, especially considering these kids had never met the sleazoid, as Lucy had called him. If they had ever met face-to-face, Jack was sure they would have seen the ugliness right away. Reecie had arranged everything and once she died, their orders came from online after he’d threatened them with Lindsay’s disappearance. Keep playing his game or end up the same way. What the hell had they been thinking to even consider something so dangerous? Frowning, Jack shook his head. Apparently, none of them had been thinking.
What was really amazing to him though, was that Marci still considered herself a virgin. Maybe she was or maybe she wasn’t. But he couldn’t sugarcoat their actions. Sex was sex. And when you sold it? That meant the person receiving money was nothing more than a prostitute. That hadn’t changed in thousands of years.
Jack glanced up at her, taken aback when she mentioned the address of where the transgressions took place, usually on Friday or Saturday nights. It was the same address he’d typed into his GPS. The house Lucy had used when homeless, the one her friend owned. Damn. A lump of dread nestled in Jack’s gut. That had to be the connection Lucy was looking for, and unfortunately she was searching for her answers in the wrong direction.
“I need to go,” Jack said. Lucy already suspected Manny Graves. “Mrs. Holloway, Reecie’s mom, gave us a date book and if her daughter is part of this, then Reecie might have mentioned something in it, and Lucy will find it. She hasn’t had time to finish reading it, but now, without a job, she’ll be more determined than ever to find Harding.” He spent a moment filling Frank in on what he knew about Graves, ending with, “Call Gerald Duncan to find out anything and everything on the guy. I’m heading there now.” He turned to go.
Thank God he had Manny’s address and could waylay Lucy, knowing without a doubt that’s where she’d go next. Finding him would spell disaster. God, please keep her safe, he prayed, heading for the doorway. Hadn’t the guy already proven he wasn’t someone to mess with by setting up teenage girls with low class guys who’d pay top dollar for a climax? Jeez, what was this world coming to?
“Check out his cell phone records,” he added over his shoulder. “To see if there’s a link to Reecie Holloway and try to find out information on this Lindsay.” Most criminals were morons who thought they’d never get caught and Manny fit that mold. The bottom-feeder most likely left a trail that led him to pimping minors.
Chapter 22
Lucy stepped toward Mike. She’d parked behind his car and now stood in front of Cassie’s house. “So, where’s your friend on the force?” No one else was in sight.
Mike shrugged and glanced around. “Don’t know. I thought he’d beat me here, but I guess he got caught up. I’ve already scouted around a little outside. The place is deserted. No sign of our friend Manny.” He held out a to-go cup. “Here. I picked this up for you at Starbucks. Thought you might need it, considering the morning you’ve had.”
“Thanks,” she murmured, taking what she assumed was tea, except that she’d already told him umpteen times that tea from a company specializing in making coffee fell far short of her expectations. Pushing out irritation, she smiled and took a sip of the weak brew, shivering as it went down. While he watched her, she continued sipping only to be polite, the whole time wishing she could spit it out. Refrainin
g, she swallowed the mouthful instead. Lord, the things she did for friends. If she didn’t at least show her appreciation, his feelings would be hurt.
“You wanna go inside and check it out or wait out here?”
Lucy shrugged. “I’d rather go inside.” If Cassie was here, she didn’t want to wait to find her. Having Mike with her and knowing one of Lexington’s finest was on his way were added bonuses if they encountered Manny Graves.
“It’s not locked.” He headed up the porch stairs. The minute his back turned, she poured out the rest of the tea, then followed a few feet behind him.
On the large front porch, Lucy stopped and rubbed her arms, looking around. Being here brought back memories of those days when she fended for herself. Cassie had done a lot to fix up the place and as much as the house was a godsend to anyone without a home, it truly wasn’t a home. It had been just a place to survive for another day.
Inside, cooler, drier air hit her face, indicating the air conditioner was on, but set at a high temperature, which wasn’t unusual. She put her empty cup on a dust-free table next to a couple of empty glasses, then picked up one of the glasses and sniffed. It smelled like bourbon, which was unusual. Cassie had only one rule about using the house. No alcohol or drugs.
Also, the remote control was on the sofa, rather than on top of the TV where Cassie kept it, another indication that someone had been using the place. Before seeing the pictures on Manny’s hard drive, she’d have attributed the signs of habitation to a rule-breaking homeless person. Cassie had gotten the word out that anyone living on the street was welcome. Yet in her experience, no one had ever risked losing the haven over breaking Cassie’s rules. It was rarely used in the summer, unless a heat wave continued for more than two or three days. The house and rules were just too confining. Obviously, someone took advantage of the unused state. Off the beaten path, the house was a perfect place for drug buys.
“Don’t forget your tea,” Mike said, approaching her as she turned to go upstairs.
Lucy offered a halfhearted, “I finished it. I’ll pick up the empty cup on my way out.” She pointed to the table. “Thanks. I appreciate your thoughtfulness.”
“Glad you liked it.”
Nodding, she headed for the stairs.
“You know I’d do anything for you.” He followed. “We already make a great team and if you’d just give me a chance, we could be a great couple too.”
Mike’s earnest tone of voice stopped her and she spun around as he stepped closer. His puppy-dog gaze was back. Her smile died and she had to look away, unable to keep eye contact after spying such sincerity.
Why couldn’t she find him attractive? Why did her heart have to belong to someone who’d never give her his? She reached up and stroked his face as sadness filled her. “I’m sorry. I’m just not in a place for anything right now.” What more could she say? That she’d never be in that place, so it’s better if he found someone who could give him what he wanted? Somehow, she didn’t think he’d appreciate her candor. Her attention returned to the staircase.
On the bottom step, a wave of dizziness hit.
“It’s him, isn’t it?” Mike’s voice sounded distorted, like it was coming from a tunnel. “You spend two nights at his house and now all of a sudden I’m not good enough?”
“What?” She shook her head to clear it, unsure if she’d heard him correctly.
“You don’t think I know you’ve been sleeping with him?”
Lucy’s eyes narrowed to slits as more dizziness assaulted her senses. She gripped the banister to steady herself. “Have you been following me?” She inhaled a deep breath and wiped at her forehead, suddenly overcome with profuse heat as sweat poured out of her.
Mike snorted. “I don’t need to follow you to know what you’ve been doing. Sexual satisfaction is written all over your body.” His menacing chuckle drifted past her ears and chills ran up her spine. “That dizziness you’re feeling is from the effects of the drugged tea.” He shook his head, tsk-tsking. “Stupid bitch. I knew you’d drink it to humor me.” The ground spun as he added in a snide voice, “Throw the geek a favor and he’ll be content. That’s always been your MO, hasn’t it, Lucy?” He grabbed her by the hair, knocking her off balance as her head snapped back. “You think I can’t read you like a book? And yeah, I’ve been following you because you’re so goddamned persistent. I needed to know what you and your new boyfriend were up to.”
“Did you break into my house and do something to Jack’s brakes?”
“Guilty as charged.” He yanked on her hair again. “You never should’ve joined forces with him. Then you wouldn’t have found the date book. You would eventually have figured out what I’ve got going on here.” His chuckle sounded hollow lending to its sinister tone. “Now you’ve left me no choice. I’ll have to kill you too.”
His actions and words confused her, but only for a moment. The split second she saw the hate glittering in his eyes, reality hit like a sledgehammer to the brain. Or was it his fist yanking on her hair causing the excruciating pain? No matter, she should have figured it out earlier. How had she not picked up on it when the clues were all there, staring her in the face? “Did you kidnap Cassie?” She clutched her stomach with one hand to alleviate an urge to vomit. “Is she up there?” The thought made her queasier.
“You’ll find out.” He started walking, tugging her behind him by the hair. “Damn, I had no idea anyone owned the place, especially that reporter who came nosing around at the wrong time. I paid the street kids to stay away. Never thought one of those losers would rat me out.”
“What do you mean?” Lucy was able to get out as she struggled to grab the banister for leverage.
Ignoring her question, Mike only jerked harder, leading or rather pulling her up the stairs. “Are your legs getting sluggish? They should be by now. The drug takes about twenty minutes to completely paralyze a person’s nervous and muscular system. Wears off in about the same time frame. Too bad you’ll be dead by then, along with your precious Cassie.”
Lucy tried not to stumble, but her legs did begin to feel as if they weighed two hundred pounds and she had a hard time climbing the stairs. After a few steps, she tripped.
“Get up, bitch,” he ground out, easing his grip enough for her to find her footing.
Tears stung her eyes. She blinked them back, ignoring the pain shooting from her scalp. Except now the pain was receding, most likely due to the drug she’d ingested. She’d only taken a few sips, no more than a fourth of the cup, but that didn’t seem to matter as she no longer had full control over her feet. At the top of the landing, her legs buckled.
Mike swore under his breath, the words again sounding distorted. Lucy tried to stand, but couldn’t. Finally, she closed her eyes and felt him lift her.
“Why?” she asked, fighting the effects. “I need to know why.”
She was lucid enough to know he’d carried her into one of the bedrooms and now almost threw her on the bed. Though her brain was hazy, Lucy noted three prone bodies on the floor. Two she recognized.
“I already told you.” He went over to Cassie’s limp body and kicked it. Lying next to her appeared to be an older teen, most likely Lindsay. “These two were causing problems with my business, so I had to eliminate them. I’d intended to sell both to some acquaintances I’d recently discovered online thanks to Manny over there,” he said, pointing to the third body. “And then your precious friend would be halfway to Mexico and so drugged up, it would take her months to figure out she’d been hooked and sold into prostitution. These guys are thorough.” He shrugged. “I mean, they have the sex slave trade sewn up in North America, and escape isn’t easy, but if she managed to escape, I’d be long gone by then.” He sighed. “You couldn’t let it rest, could you?”
“Did you kill Reecie Holloway?”
At first, Lucy thought he hadn’t heard her, but after a few seconds of silence he said, “I’m not overly fond of killing, but it was necessary because I lik
e the thought of prison even less. Reecie thought she could blackmail me.” Mike frowned. “She shouldn’t have messed with me either.”
“Messed with what? I don’t get it.” She thought she’d known him, but looking at how crazy he seemed with his eyes shimmering with excitement, she realized her knowledge had been shallow at best.
“Of course not.” His quiet chuckle sent chills down her spine. “Normal people wouldn’t think something so unfathomable possible, like priests molesting young boys. But that was the beauty of my little business venture and something I capitalized on.”
What was he talking about? “What business venture?”
“A stable of virgins who give great head.”
Trying to make sense of things, her gaze traveled the floor until it hit upon Manny Graves. Suddenly the pictures in his computer made sense as Mike said, almost gloating, “And the beauty of that is these girls are too fucking stupid to realize exactly what they’ve become. They think giving head is cool. And making money for it makes it cooler. Hell, they’ve been doing it forever and a day, I just showed them how to capitalize on it, anonymously of course. I have a stable of real pros.”
She tried to move her head, but gave up when, after exerting all her strength, it barely moved.
He smiled at her, his eyes flashing satisfaction. “Don’t bother fighting it.”
“Stable? I don’t understand. What’ve you got to lose by telling me?” she prodded, hoping to keep him talking for as long as possible. Lucy closed her eyes and prayed he’d continue. Somehow she had to figure out a way to save not only herself, but three others as well.
“It’s all in the marketing. An innovative way of making money for all involved. For the girls who think it’s okay and for the sick guys who’ll pay hundreds to have someone so innocent touch them. Having virgins suck them off enhanced their experience and these girls are experts at sucking.” Mike stopped talking until Lucy opened her eyes to see him watching her closely. “Have I surprised you yet? Bet you’d never guess I could be so devious.”
Killer Romances Page 90