3 The Chain of Lies

by Debra Burroughs

  “Emily!” Isabel called out as her friend climbed out of her car.

  Emily slung her heavy leather handbag over her shoulder as Isabel approached.

  “Do you have the gun?” Isabel kept her voice low.

  Emily nodded and patted her purse. “Right here.”

  Isabel linked her hand through Emily’s arm and walked her to the house, glancing over her shoulder, up and down the street. “Let’s get inside.” As they went in the house, Isabel turned again and looked toward the street.

  “Is Alex here?” Emily asked as they moved from the entry to the kitchen at the back of the house.

  “No, he had a basketball game at the Y with some of his lawyer buddies this morning.”

  “He’ll be back by kickoff time, won’t he?” Emily asked, setting her purse down with a thunk on the round, glass-top dinette table.

  “Of course. He wouldn’t miss Boise State’s first game. Maggie will be there, too, she told me.” Isabel opened a package of Nutter Butter cookies and laid a couple handfuls of them on a plate. “I hope she brings some photos to share.”

  “I haven’t seen her since she and Molly got back from Hawaii. I’m glad she’s coming. I know she hates football, but she does love a good party.”

  “Yes, she does.” Isabel set the plate of cookies on the table. “Will Colin be there?”

  “That’s the plan.”

  “You don’t sound so sure.” Isabel turned and went back to the kitchen.

  “Today is his first day back on the job and he’s already been handed a case.”

  “Are you talking about the body they found in the river last night?”

  Emily pulled out a chair and sank down onto it. “How did you know?”

  “Heard it on the news this morning.”

  Emily heard Isabel open a cupboard, then the clinking sound of her pulling a couple of mugs out.

  “They said she was a young Asian woman, late teens or early twenties—you want a cup of coffee, Em?”

  “That’d be great, thanks. On the news this morning, huh? That was fast. But yes, that’s the case.” Emily pulled the fabric bag out of her purse and laid it gently on the glass table, next to the plate of Nutter Butters.

  “Poor woman. I wonder what happened.”

  “I have my suspicions.” Emily picked up a cookie and took a bite.

  “You do? How are you involved in this?” Isabel carried two cups of steaming coffee to the table.

  “Colin was at my house when he got the call last night about someone finding the body. We both went to the scene.”

  Isabel took a seat at the table and poured cream into her mug. “That must have put a damper on your romantic evening.”

  “That’s for sure. So did my nosey next-door neighbor and the exploding potatoes.” Emily grimaced before sticking the rest of the cookie in her mouth.

  Isabel laughed, sending a spray of coffee across the table. Her hand flew up to her mouth. “Sorry about that,” she quickly apologized, grabbing a napkin out of the holder in the center of the table.

  “It wasn’t that funny.” Emily covered her lips with her fingers to contain a giggle. “At least at the time it wasn’t.” She tore a packet of sugar open and dumped it in her coffee.

  “You’ll have to tell me about that some time. Sounds like a scream.” Isabel grabbed a couple of cookies from the plate. “But back to the dead woman—what are your suspicions?”

  “Well…” Emily stirred her coffee, “I was planning on talking to you about this later anyway, so I guess now’s as good a time as any. Remember I asked you about the Jade Thai Spa and you were going to check to see if it was one the Feds were watching?”

  “Yeah, but I haven’t gotten a response back yet.”

  “I think the young dead woman may have something to do with that.”

  “You mean the prostitution ring?”

  “Yes.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  “Call it a gut feeling.”

  Emily didn’t have any actual evidence pointing to it, but there was something about the dead woman that made her think of the Asian girl in the hotel restroom. “I was hoping we could all put our heads together this afternoon and come up with a way to find out.”

  “Like a sting or something?”

  “Exactly,” Emily replied, wagging a Nutter Butter at Isabel. “Camille’s brother said he’d done an investigative report on human trafficking, perhaps he can give us some ideas.”

  “Maybe, but if the Feds are watching that place, they’ll want to be alerted to anything you’re planning to do so it doesn’t blow up their case.”

  “You can be our liaison, Is.” Emily dipped one end of her cookie in her coffee. “You know, a go-between.”

  “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, Em. We don’t even know if the dead girl had anything to do with the Jade Thai Spa.”

  “Not yet, but soon I hope. Then we need to jump on it quick.”

  “I couldn’t agree more.” Isabel popped another cookie in her mouth.

  “Oh, by the way,” Emily softly patted the gun through the fabric, “where should we hide this baby?”

  CHAPTER 12

  “Hey, y’all!” Maggie called out as she waltzed through the doorway of Camille’s family room, holding a couple of loaded plastic grocery bags in each hand. “Sorry I’m late. Has the game started?”

  “Maggie!” Camille squealed, running to her from the kitchen, giving her a big hug. Emily and Isabel weren’t far behind.

  “What’s in the bags?” Isabel asked.

  “I’ve got four different kinds of chips, that yummy granola from Costco, and I brought my famous chocolate pecan pie—my mama’s recipe.”

  “That’s not like you to bring so many carbs, Maggs,” Emily commented, taking a couple of bags off her hands.

  “I didn’t say I was gonna eat ’em. They’re for all y’all.”

  Peter stepped in and reached for the remaining bags. “Here, let me help you with those,” he offered, taking them from her and marching them into the kitchen.

  “Maggie, you remember my brother, Peter?”

  “Yes, from the airport.” Maggie leaned on the breakfast bar.

  “That was nice of you to think of us, Maggie,” Isabel said as she followed Peter into the open kitchen area. “I’d love to sample your mom’s chocolate pecan pie.”

  “Go right ahead,” Maggie replied to Isabel, but her eyes were on Peter. “How long are y’all in town for, Peter?”

  “Only another week or two, then I’m headed to Seattle to start a new job. I’ll be a news anchor at one of the television stations there.”

  “I adore Seattle. It’s such a great city—so clean, and all those trees.”

  “It’s all that rain, I hear. If you’re ever up that way, look me up and I’ll take you out sightseeing.”

  “Sounds nice.”

  Emily watched Maggie, obviously working to be her usual upbeat self. Not long ago, she had suffered the heartbreaking loss of a relationship with a man she loved. The trip to Hawaii was intended to lift her spirits and help her on the road to recovery. Maybe Peter wasn’t the right man for her, especially with him off to another city soon, but Emily hoped Maggie’s budding friendship with Peter could at least give her a glimpse of a happier future.

  A loud cheer roared from the family room where the men were huddled around the big-screen television watching the second quarter of the game. Emily figured BSU must have made a touchdown or some equally exciting play. Within minutes, every man was off the sofa, and like a herd, headed to the dining table which was now covered with Camille’s delectable feast.

  “What’s happening?” Maggie asked.

  “Halftime,” Colin replied.

  “We’re ahead fourteen to nothing,” Jonathan added as he picked up a plate and began loading it with a pulled pork sandwich and chips. “Hey, Red, where’s the coleslaw?”

  Jonathan was the only person Camille ever let get away with calling
her Red.

  “In the fridge,” she hollered from the kitchen. “I can’t have it sitting out getting warm.” She grabbed it from the refrigerator and plunked it down on the table next to the pulled pork. “There you go.”

  Everyone grabbed a plate and dove into the delicious spread Camille and the girls had laid out, carrying their food into the family room. Every seat on the sectional was taken, as well as the easy chairs, leaving some to take their seat on the floor or the ottoman.

  Emily glanced around the room with a satisfied feeling, watching them eating and chatting—she loved the closeness of her friends, like a big family, sharing a meal together.

  Conversation flowed easily, but eventually it came around to the dead girl found in the river the night before.

  “What can you tell us about the body that was found in the river last night, Colin?” Peter asked, sitting on the ottoman, balancing his plate on his knees.

  Colin leaned back into the sofa and swallowed his food. “There’s not much to tell yet. No more than the news has reported so far. We won’t know anything more until we get the autopsy and lab reports back.”

  “I think she may have been a prostitute at one of those Thai massage parlors,” Emily blurted out. She glanced at Colin next to her, and his frown told her he wasn’t pleased with her reckless supposition.

  “Really? What makes you say that, Emily?” Peter asked, his eyes and the tone of his voice showing his serious interest.

  “Molly and I were at the Hilton Hotel a few weeks ago and ran into a young Asian woman crying in the restroom. She wouldn’t talk to us, but she was all dolled-up like a teenager trying to pass as a grown woman—a very sexy grown woman. Then an older woman came in, scolded her in some Asian language, and pulled her out of the room. At the time, I chalked it up to a teenage girl being caught by her mom dressing up to appear older for some guy.”

  “Why would you think that?” Camille asked.

  “Because that happened to me when I was fifteen,” Emily replied.

  “But now you don’t think that’s what happened?” Peter questioned.

  “Molly and I saw the girl again not long after that, in the backseat of a car leaving a house in this neighborhood. Molly saw her more close up than me, and she said the girl had the saddest eyes she’d ever seen.”

  “She never mentioned that to me,” Camille said.

  “What else, Em?” Isabel asked.

  “I was on a case where the wife thought the husband was seeing a prostitute, because of charges showing up on their credit card bill. I followed him to the Jade Thai Spa and found out later he was getting a lot more than a massage.”

  “What does that massage parlor have to do with the teenage girl?” Jonathan asked.

  “I saw her again, not long ago, after I left here one day. She was in the backseat of the same car, with two other girls around her age. A stocky man was driving both times, and the woman from the restroom was in the front seat, the same as the first time Molly saw them. I had tried to tell Molly they were probably a family and the three girls in the backseat were sisters.”

  “Sounds like you don’t believe that anymore,” Peter said.

  “The last time I saw them, I looked into that girl’s face as they drove past me. She looked out the window, right at me, with her big brown eyes. Molly was right. They were the saddest eyes I’d ever seen. But more than sadness, I saw fear. So I decided to follow them.”

  “You never told me that,” Colin said.

  “Are you sure?” Emily asked.

  “What did y’all see?” Maggie asked.

  “They drove to the Jade Thai Spa, parked in the back, and they all got out and went inside. It was a little after four. The sign on the front door said they opened at five, so I banged on the door until someone answered.”

  “Now I know you never told me that,” Colin insisted.

  “So what happened?” Isabel asked.

  “The older woman came to the door, but she wouldn’t open it except barely enough to stick her head out. I stuck my foot in the door, hoping to keep her from closing it. I told her I wanted to buy a gift certificate for a massage, trying to get a peek past her. She said they don’t sell them and they only take cash, which I know, based on my client’s credit card bill, that wasn’t true. I saw the teenager walk past behind her, but the woman kicked my foot out of the door and slammed it.”

  “Oh, my gosh!” Maggie exclaimed.

  “I kept pounding, but she wouldn’t open the door again.”

  “Emily, you shouldn’t have gone there alone,” Colin said. “I know you’re a private eye, but have you ever heard of backup?”

  Emily stared at Colin for a second, then went on. “With regards to the dead woman from last night, what if she was one of the three girls in the back of that car?”

  “You got a look at the body last night. Was she the one from the hotel?” Alex asked.

  “No, but it could have been one of the other two. Or maybe there are more being kept at that house.”

  “Sounds like you’re watching too many movies, Em,” Camille remarked.

  “Actually, she could be onto something,” Peter said.

  “Please don’t encourage her,” Colin pleaded.

  “I know it all sounds unreal, like something out of a movie, but I know what we saw. You can ask Molly.” Emily glanced around the great room. “Camille, where’s Molly?”

  “She left a bit ago, said she was going on a bike ride in the neighborhood,” Camille replied.

  “Well, if Molly was here—”

  “Did I hear someone call my name?” Molly bounded into the room.

  “Yes,” Emily shot up from her seat on the sectional. “I was just telling them all about the three Asian girls we saw.”

  “Funny you should say that,” Molly said, planting her hands on her hips. “Just a few minutes ago, as I was riding past their house, they were backing out of their driveway. There were only two girls in the backseat this time, the one from the hotel and another one.”

  Emily’s gaze shot to Colin, who seemed to be able to read her mind. He stood and faced her.

  “Now, Emily, take a breath. Just because last time you saw three girls in the backseat and this time there were only two doesn’t mean the girl in the river was the third one. That’s a huge leap.”

  The whole room fell silent and all eyes were on the two of them.

  “Isabel, tell her,” Colin pleaded. “Peter?”

  “It’s certainly worth looking into,” Peter suggested.

  “I agree,” Isabel concurred.

  “Molly, did the driver or the older woman see you?” Emily asked.

  “Maybe, but Emily, you really think they could have killed that girl? Why?” Molly asked, a tremor of fear lining her voice.

  “Molly,” Emily put a calming hand on the girl’s shoulder. “My guess is that they are using these girls as prostitutes. Now, I could be wrong, but we need to know for sure what’s going on. We know the people in that house are connected with the Jade Thai Spa, where prostitution is going on. And if that girl—”

  “Emily, that’s enough! Molly, I think this discussion is for the adults. Why don’t you go busy yourself somewhere else and let us finish our conversation?” Camille advised.

  “Mom, I’m not a child. I’m seventeen years old and I want to stay. If those girls are in trouble, I want to help.”

  “I think your mother’s right,” Jonathan added. “Find something else to do, please.”

  Molly’s gaze moved from her dad, to her mom, then to Emily, as everyone held their tongue. Molly’s eyes narrowed and her lips thinned. She stomped out of the room and the sound of the front door slamming echoed throughout the house.

  “Sorry, Camille, Jonathan. I think I overstepped. I wasn’t seeing Molly as a child.”

  “We know she’s almost grown, but she doesn’t need to be part of this conversation, talking about murder and prostitution,” Jonathan barked.

  “I think
I’ll go clean up the kitchen,” Camille announced in a cool, even voice as she turned to leave.

  “I’ll help.” Jonathan cast Emily a disapproving look as he joined his wife.

  “Really, I am sorry,” Emily called after them.

  “Well, I’m stayin’ put,” Maggie said from her perch on the arm of the sectional. “I want to hear what’s goin’ on.”

  Emily brought her focus back to those remaining in the family room. “I was telling Isabel earlier today that we need a plan, some way to get inside that Jade Thai Spa and find out what’s really happening.” Emily gazed around the room, from face to face, to read their level of buy-in.

  “What did you have in mind?” Colin asked.

  Emily hoped that meant he was onboard to help.

  “Okay, tell me what you guys think of this. What if one of you men went into the Jade Thai Spa to ask for a massage and see if in the course of that massage they make an offer for more than that?” Emily suggested.

  “More than that? You mean sex?” Alex asked. “I’ll volunteer,” he said, raising his hand.

  “Oh, no you won’t,” Isabel reprimanded, flashing him a sarcastic grin.

  “Isabel’s right. It should be Colin or Peter,” Emily recommended. “They have more experience in working undercover.”

  “We’ll need some kind of hidden camera,” Peter said. “Emily, you’re a private eye. Do you have anything like that?”

  “No, nothing small enough to hide in this situation.”

  “Colin, can you get your hands on a tiny camera,” Peter asked, “like a button camera, or something hidden in a pair of glasses?”

  “Boy, I don’t know.” Colin shook his head. “Paradise Valley Police Department is pretty small, but maybe I can borrow something from my friends at the Boise PD.”

  “Or I may be able to get some equipment from the FBI, especially since they’re going to be very interested in this case if you turn up anything,” Isabel added.