by Jonas Saul
A number echoed through Sarah’s head. She jerked forward, grabbed a pen off Madam’s desk, and jotted the number down.
“What’s that?” Amber asked.
“A phone number. The one I have to call.”
“You just remembered it?”
“No.” She set the pen down and turned to Amber. “It was just told to me.”
Amber frowned. “Told to you? How’s that?”
“My sister. She talks to me. From the Other Side.”
“Really?”
Sarah nodded.
“Creepy.”
“Not really.” Sarah pulled up a chair. “Here’s the short version.” Sarah told Amber about Vivian and why she was here. What had happened in Toronto and why she was after James Wong. “Dekker sent me to that warehouse to be killed. At least that’s what I think. The guy that I chased outside the warehouse is Casper. I think he was supposed to be there to stop them if things went bad, but he didn’t show up in time. If it wasn’t for you, I’d probably be dead right now.”
“Wow, that’s some story. But I can’t take the credit.”
“Why not?”
“If Vivian is so powerful, she would’ve either not allowed you to enter that warehouse or would’ve saved your life once inside.”
“She did. She knew you were coming. She always has an out that I’m not aware of.”
They sat in silence for a moment, the tea gone cold. Amber reached for another cookie.
“I better make this call,” Sarah said.
“Yeah.” Amber got off the couch. “I’ll block the number.” At the desk, Amber held the phone and stared at Sarah. “I was wondering how you were a runner. It didn’t add up.” She tapped the desk twice with her open palm. “I’m so happy I emptied his gun before we entered that warehouse. I forgot the bullet in the chamber, but once he used it, we were both safe.”
“Crazy close call. But we made it and we’re going to make it through this as well.”
“Who are you calling?” Amber asked.
“Still don’t know. Just got the number. Supposed to call it. So I do what I’m told. It always works out.”
“I gotta see this.”
Amber dialed the call block number and handed the phone to Sarah who then dialed the rest of the numbers into the phone. She moved around to sit at the desk and waited while the phone rang. Amber sat on the corner of the desk beside her.
A man answered the phone.
“Hello?” Sarah whispered tentatively.
“Who is this?” a gruff voice asked.
“I think I’ve called a Billy Goat,” Sarah said to Amber.
“Sarah Roberts?” the voice on the other end of the line asked, obviously surprised.
“The one and only, live tonight, never before seen in such a theater as the grand stage in Amsterdam …” Sarah stopped. This wasn’t a joke, but she had no idea who the man on the other end of the line was and why they were on the phone.
“Where are you?” the man asked. His voice had grown stern, deeper.
The tone was familiar. That stern voice resonated in her head for a moment until she got it.
Inspector Lars Dekker.
Why call him, Vivian?
Vivian explained in seconds why Sarah had Dekker on the phone.
“Dekker?” Sarah said.
“What?”
“You know those cranes that drag the bottom of the canal for bikes?”
“Yeah? So?”
“Move them two blocks north of the Wine Cat Brothel, by the corner of the bridge there.”
“Why?”
“One sec.” Sarah didn’t know why yet. She waited.
“Tell me why, Sarah,” Dekker prodded.
“You’re trying to trace this call, aren’t you?”
Amber didn’t look concerned. She mouthed the words, it’s okay.
“You’re wanted for murder,” Dekker almost shouted. “And you call me to drag the canal. I want to know why.”
“Because you need to trust me.” Sarah said it as Vivian instructed. Then more came. “Because I’m going to call you back later today with more instructions. This is first base. Later we’ll make it to second base. It you’re a good boy, we’ll continue to third base. But I must warn you, when the bases are loaded, don’t strike out.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
Sarah jolted as more information permeated her consciousness.
“James Wong. He has taken out the garbage.”
“You’re not making sense,” Dekker shouted.
“Two blocks north of the Wine Cat Brothel. Drag it.”
“Why should I waste my time?”
“Because your life depends on it.”
He was silent for a heartbeat. “Are you threatening me?”
Sarah jolted again as Vivian offered more. She felt the color leave her face. Amber leaned forward and touched her shoulder. Then the floodgates opened and tears streamed down Sarah’s face.
“Oh no, oh no …”
“What is it?” Dekker shouted. “Why are you crying?”
“Because—” Sarah tried to say. She grabbed a Kleenex, wiped her eyes, sniffled and steeled herself for what she had to repeat. “Drag the canal. You will find five girls that Wong has disposed off. One as young as fifteen. He killed these women before breakfast and wrapped their bodies in chicken wire.”
“I don’t believe you. How would you know something like that if you’re not in league with him?”
“I have an alibi. But that’s not important right now. You know about me. Whether you want to believe it or not, Vivian speaks through me and she’s telling me to tell you to drag the canal.”
“Why chicken wire?” Dekker asked.
“The tight wire cuts the skin of the bodies as they begin to bloat with gases. That releases the accumulating gas. The bodies won’t float if they’re wrapped in chicken wire.” Sarah sniffled at the image in her mind. Five prostitutes, five women, five girls who have moms and dads and brothers and sisters, dead because Wong was done with them. Wong was tired of them. Dumped from a garbage truck at five in the morning off the edge of the bridge. Wong couldn’t be allowed to live after this, black book or no black book. When she killed Wong, she would find chicken wire, wrap him up and toss him into the sea for fish food. James Wong had gone too far.
“Drag the canal, Dekker,” Sarah whispered. “This is my first call today. Be ready for my second call.”
She hung up as Dekker protested further.
Then she lay on the couch with a box of Kleenex and cried for the abandoned girls, the lost ones. She grieved their loss, but now knew they would receive a proper burial.
At one point, Amber left the room quietly to leave Sarah alone with her remorse.
Chapter 31
Lunch was delivered when the mid-afternoon calm came to the brothel. By two in the afternoon, only one customer was in the back being serviced by Porsche. Sarah had seen massage parlors in Toronto and Kelowna and completely understood what was going on in Madam’s brothel. How aloof she had become didn’t surprise her. The thought of random men entering the premises and ordering sexual favors like one would order a meal at a restaurant bothered her, but there was no stopping this industry. As far as she could tell, these particular girls weren’t being forced to work here and Madam ran a clean and well-organized place. Amber had told her that Porsche and Gabi both had kids at home waiting for them. They chose to work dayshift so they could be home when school let out. Gabi was married, but brought home triple what her factory-worker husband earned. This made him happy, as long as she didn’t come home with a disease. They were as close to a regular working couple as one could get.
Lunch consisted of two pizzas, one margarita and one Italian sausage. The women split them evenly and ate quietly around the lunch table in the back room, all lost in their own thoughts. Sarah understood that everyone was probably on pins and needles waiting for a cop to enter the premises. Melissa assured them that on
e of her two regulars would come later in the afternoon. They had decided to try again tomorrow if neither one came.
After lunch, Porsche and Gabi cleaned up and then headed to the front windows to gyrate for potential customers. Amber and Sarah moved to Madam’s office while Madam was out. She was taking a stroll along the canal to where Sarah told Dekker he’d find five bodies. Within the hour she would return with an update as to whether Dekker showed or not and if he did, what they were up to.
“Something’s really bothering me,” Sarah said as she plopped down on the couch.
“What’s that?” Amber asked. She stood by the window watching the street through a crack in the curtains.
“Vivian told me to get a message out to Aaron. I did, but I can’t tell if he got the message. Then Casper mentions Mexico and how Aaron would need me. Dekker talked about Wong’s money laundering operation for the Mexicans and now Parkman said Aaron’s missing. A neighbor saw him leave with men who appeared to be Mexican. I know that sounds confusing, but that’s it in a nutshell.”
“That is a lot. I don’t think it’s all coincidences.”
“Exactly. I’m worried that Aaron needs me and I’ve abandoned him to go after Wong.”
Amber turned from the window and walked over to sit on the edge of Madam’s desk. “Call Parkman. It ought to be about nine in the morning in Toronto. See if he has any updates.”
Sarah got off the couch. “You’re right. I will.”
Amber got to the phone first, dialed in the block feature and handed the phone to Sarah.
After the seventh ring, it went to voicemail. He would always answer. Even if he was sleeping.
“That’s odd. Parkman is glued to his phone. When he sees Private Caller, like yesterday, he would assume it was me.”
She tried again and got voicemail.
“Shit.” She looked at Amber, her eyes watering. “I hope nothing happened to Parkman. I need him.”
“I’m sure he’s all right. Everything will work out. Stay focused. Let’s do this cop thing right. You can be on a flight to Toronto by tomorrow.”
“Yeah, if everything works out.”
She held the phone in one hand, the corner of the desk in the other. Immobile, with nothing to do until a cop showed up at the brothel. She hated being this idle, but she couldn’t leave the building. She wouldn’t make it ten minutes outside unless she was in disguise.
The word, parents flitted through her mind in Vivian’s voice.
“Do that line block thing for me,” Sarah snapped.
Amber typed in the numbers and nodded at Sarah to go ahead. She dialed her parents’ number in Santa Rosa. It had to be around six in the morning over there, but she was sure her father would be awake.
On the third ring, he answered. “Bit early, isn’t it?”
“Dad!”
“Sarah?”
“Who did you think it was?” she asked.
“Telemarketer. Didn’t recognize the number. How are you? Where are you?”
“In the Netherlands working on something.”
“Baby girl, are you staying safe?”
It was so good to hear his voice and the cheerfulness of his laugh. He hadn’t called her baby girl in years. It was a term she never tired of. He was the only man on earth that had this effect on her. She never realized how much she missed her parents until she called them.
“I’m led around by my sister, Dad. I’m safe. She doesn’t let anything happen to me.”
“Yeah, well, that stuff in Toronto hit our newspapers, too. It worried your mother. You know how she can get.”
“Sorry about that. But I’m fine. Listen, have you heard from Parkman?”
“Yesterday, I think. He wanted to know if we’d heard from Aaron.”
“Had you?”
“Nope. Nothing. Is everything okay?”
Sarah glanced at Amber across the room. She was lying on the couch engrossed in a magazine.
“It should be. Look, if you hear from Parkman, can you let him know I called—”
“Hold on. There’s someone at the door.”
“Dad,” Sarah yelled. “Wait!” But she was too late. The clunk of the phone being set down was followed by his short footsteps to the door. He must’ve grabbed the phone in the main foyer when she called.
She heard the lock click and the door open in Santa Rosa.
“Mr. Roberts?” a deep male voice asked.
“What’s this all about?” her father asked.
“Is Mrs. Roberts here as well?”
Sarah heard her mother’s voice from a distance.
“What’s all this noise at just after six in the morning?” Amelia asked. Then her tone changed to one of surprise. “Who are you guys?”
“Ma’am, you and your husband are going to have to come with us.”
“Nooo!” Sarah shouted into the phone. Amber started on the couch and glared at Sarah. “Who’s at the door, Dad?”
“I’m going to have to see some ID,” Caleb said.
Silence accompanied the line that spanned thousands of miles. Sarah panted but kept her mouth away from the receiver so it didn’t interfere with listening in.
“The CIA?” Caleb asked. “What’s this all about?”
“We’ll inform you once we’re on our way. But we have to leave now, sir.”
“What’s the rush?” Amelia said. “We haven’t even had coffee yet.”
“Please, ma’am. We’ve got coffee at the base. I’m afraid I’m going to have to insist. We can’t waste any more time.”
“Dad!” Sarah yelled into the phone.
Amber had set the magazine down and was standing by the desk now.
“Let me say goodbye to my daughter,” Caleb said. “I was on the phone when you knocked.”
The phone clunked as it was picked up.
“I’m afraid I can’t let you do that, sir.”
Sounds of a struggle ensued.
“Dad! Mom!”
Grunts, groans. A loud metallic sound, like the phone dropped.
“Sarah, we’re being taken by—”
Then the line was cut off.
“Nooo,” Sarah muttered.
She tried the line again. It rang and rang. Frantically, she hung up and dialed again. Nothing. Then again. Nothing.
Amber touched her shoulder, but Sarah brushed it off.
“I have to get through to them.” She began dialing, punching the buttons hard enough to vibrate the phone’s base on the desk.
“Sarah. Set the phone down and explain what happened.”
The phone rang on the other end of the line. Sarah waited. The machine picked up. She slammed the phone down.
“Sarah!” Amber shouted. “Stop.”
The office door burst open as Sarah clenched her jaw and tightened her fists. Madam walked in and came up to the desk.
“What’s going on?” Madam asked.
“Something happened to Sarah’s parents while Sarah was on the phone with her father.”
Madam turned to address Amber. “I have questions for you.”
“Okay,” Amber said, then glanced at Sarah as if she was unsure where this was going.
“When did you first meet Sarah?” Madam asked.
“At the warehouse. We’ve been over this.”
“Have you two been separated at all, even for a few minutes since the warehouse?”
Sarah focused on Madam. “What’s going on?” she asked.
“Amber.” Madam’s eyes didn’t leave Amber’s face. “Answer me.”
“No, not a single second. Sarah came to the apartment. We found Nikki dead and left. We stopped at Café Americain and came here.”
Madam turned her steely gaze upon Sarah. “So it’s true.”
“What?” Sarah nearly shouted, her patience slipping away.
“The police found five bodies in the canal about twenty minutes ago. I saw Dekker there. He was supervising the extraction. They had the entire area roped off.”
> “So what’s true?” Amber asked.