Also by Mike Papantonio
Law and Disorder
Law and Vengeance
Law and Addiction
Also by Alan Russell
No Sign of Murder
The Forest Prime Evil
The Hotel Detective
The Fat Innkeeper
Multiple Wounds
Shame
Exposure
Political Suicide
St. Nick
A Cold War
The Homecoming
Burning Man
Guardians of the Night
Lost Dog
Gideon’s Rescue
L.A. Woman
The Last Good Dog
Copyright © 2021 by Mike Papantonio and Alan Russell
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of the publisher, except in the case of brief excerpts in critical reviews or articles. All inquiries should be addressed to Skyhorse Publishing, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018.
First Edition
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
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10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.
Library of Congress Control Number: 2021939202
Cover design by Erin Seaward-Hiatt
Cover photography: © Brian Caissie/Getty Images (boat); © Aaron Foster/Getty Images (sky); © Mrs/Getty Images (hand); © Nico Blue/Getty Images (spatters)
Print ISBN: 978-1-5107-6887-1
Ebook ISBN: 978-1-5107-6892-5
Printed in the United States of America
Contents
Chapter I
Chapter II
Chapter III
Chapter IV
Chapter V
Chapter VI
Chapter VII
Chapter VIII
Chapter IX
Chapter X
Chapter XI
Chapter XII
Chapter XIII
Chapter XIV
Chapter XV
Chapter XVI
Chapter XVII
Chapter XVIII
Chapter XIX
Chapter XX
Chapter XXI
Chapter XXII
Chapter XXIII
Chapter XXIV
Chapter XXV
Chapter XXVI
Chapter XXVII
Chapter XXVIII
Chapter XXIX
Chapter XXX
Chapter XXXI
Chapter XXXII
Chapter XXXIII
Chapter XXXIV
Chapter XXXV
Chapter XXXVI
Chapter XXXVII
Chapter XXXVIII
Chapter XXXIX
Chapter XL
Chapter XLI
Chapter XLII
Chapter XLIII
Chapter XLIV
Chapter XLV
Chapter XLVI
Chapter XLVII
Chapter XLVIII
Chapter XLIX
Chapter L
Chapter LI
Chapter LII
Chapter LIII
Chapter LIV
Chapter LV
Chapter LVI
Chapter LVII
Chapter LVIII
Chapter LIX
Epilogue
I
The unfamiliar red Mustang pulled up alongside Lily Reyes, matching her pace as she walked on the sidewalk. Lily didn’t like the feeling of being stalked. She began walking faster, and looked around to see if anyone was outside. The Tallahassee heat and humidity had the neighborhood looking like a ghost town; everyone was at work or had retreated inside their air-conditioned homes. The Mustang continued to creep along and pace her. Its windows were tinted, only offering her a general outline of the male driver wearing a baseball cap.
Maybe I should run up to a house and ring the doorbell, Lily thought. But what if no one was home, and her stalker took that opportunity to come after her?
The car came to a hard stop right next to her. As the passenger window inched downward, Lily took a breath to scream.
“You getting in?”
“Oh, god,” she said, blowing out pent-up air. “I thought you were like some disgusting creep. Where’d you get the car?”
“Borrowed it from a friend.”
Lily opened the passenger door, tossed her backpack inside, and got comfortable in her seat. The cooling AC blew over her. “Nice ride. Must be a good friend to let you borrow it.”
“It’s a business thing.”
Lily decided not to press him for answers. Carlos never liked it when she asked too many questions, and she didn’t want him getting uptight. He seemed distracted about something. Why, he’d barely looked at her. Lily was kind of hoping he would have noticed how she’d dressed up for him.
“I thought you were going to pick me up at Subway,” Lily said.
“Decided to spare you the walk.”
Lily’s mom, Sylvia, didn’t know about Carlos. No one knew about him, except for Lily’s best friend, Madison, and even she wasn’t supposed to know anything. Carlos was paranoid about being busted. When Lily had first started dating him, she’d lied about her age, telling him she was eighteen. It was only after they’d been going together for a month that Lily admitted she was only fifteen. Of course, she hadn’t been the only one stretching the truth. When they’d first hooked up, Carlos had said he was nineteen, not the twenty-one he really was.
“Did you bring some change of clothes?” Carlos asked.
“In the backpack, even though you never explained why I needed them.”
“Always nice to have options.”
“Where we going?”
“It’s a surprise.”
Lily tried to play it cool and hid her smile. Madison seemed to think that Carlos was just using her, but she didn’t know him like Lily did.
“Stopped and got you a wild cherry Slurpee,” he said. “Better drink it before it melts.”
He had remembered her favorite drink. She would certainly mention that to Madison. Lily reached for the Slurpee and took a long sip.
“Want some?” she asked.
“Not without adding some rum.”
“I’m okay with that.”
“Maybe later.”
Carlos liked to party, and liked it even more when Lily joined in with him. She had to be careful, though. Her mom was always in her business.
As if reading her mind, Carlos said, “How long did your mom let you off the leash?”
“I told her I’d probably be eating dinner at Madison’s.”
“That gives us a little time.”
“Sure does,” she said.
Lily reached out her hand and ran it along his leg. Carlos needed to see she was grown-up and not some kid, but instead of positioning her hand on him like he usually did, Carlos acted preoccupied. Maybe he was just in one of his moods.
She withdrew her hand and began drinking her Slurpee. “Sure you don’t want some?”
He shook his head, and she continued to sip. Halfway through the cu
p, Lily’s skin began tingling.
“I feel weird,” she said.
“We can get some fresh air at Cascades Park.”
“Is that where we’re going?”
Carlos nodded. He still wasn’t looking at her, and seemed unusually attentive to his driving, continually checking the rearview and side mirrors.
“It feels like we’re floating,” she said.
Lily flapped the hand not holding her drink. “I’m flying. Whoa.”
Something wasn’t right. Why was she feeling out of it? Her gaze fell to the Slurpee. One look, and the pieces came together. Lily’s accusation was shrill: “You put something in my drink!”
“Relax. I just made you a Molly and benzo cocktail to help loosen you up.”
Lily tried to process her panic, along with Carlos’s explanation. She wanted to feel reassured, but didn’t. One by one, words emerged from her mouth. Each syllable felt as if it were weighted down on her tongue. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I wanted you to be calm while I explained a few things.”
“Oh, shit.” This was bad. “You’re breaking up with me.”
“No, baby, never.”
Lily struggled to find the words, and speak them. “We’re. Still. Together?”
“Forever, baby. It’s just that things didn’t work out with my big plan. Remember we talked about that?”
“Big score.”
“That’s right. And it would have been, but my luck went bad, really bad.”
Lily managed to say, “That’s okay.”
“No, it’s not okay. Everything went to shit. It put me in the hole for almost five thousand bucks.”
“I can help you . . .”
Lily had earned almost two hundred dollars babysitting. She’d give it to him. But Carlos interrupted before she could finish.
“Thank you, baby. I knew I could count on you. They were going to mess me up bad, maybe even kill me. You were my only hope.”
Lily tried to follow what he was saying, but her brain couldn’t find its balance. Everything was hazy.
“After you work off my marker, baby, we’ll get back together. I promise.”
“Don’t understand.”
“A guy I know fronted the money I owed, but he needed collateral.”
“What?”
“I had to put up something of value. And nothing’s more valuable to me than you. I love you.”
Lily had been waiting for a long time to hear those words. But now they sounded wrong. Felt wrong. Love?
Carlos said, “You’re a lifesaver. It will just be for a few months. And when you come back to me, things will be better than ever between us.”
Too dizzy to support her chin, Lily’s face dropped down to her chest. Talking was beyond her. She didn’t know how long they drove, and was barely aware when they came to a stop. She heard two men talking, but it was like listening in to a dream.
“Is she good to go?”
Lily had never heard that voice before. She would have remembered it if she had. There was something scary about it, a rasp with a serrated edge.
“She agreed to work off what I owe.”
“You explain what would happen to you if she didn’t?”
“I told her.”
“Okay, then. I’ll find you if there’s a problem. Count on it. Give me the keys.”
Lily heard retreating footsteps. Carlos didn’t say goodbye. There was a part of her that was still listening for his voice, that wanted him to declare his love for her once more.
She couldn’t lift her head to acknowledge the new occupant of the driver’s seat but heard the ugly voice.
“Hey, pretty lady,” he said. “I’m your Tío Leo.”
II
Seven days after Lily Reyes’s disappearance
Though Sylvia Reyes tried to keep her emotions in check, Nick “Deke” Deketomis could feel the sobs racking her body as the two of them embraced. Deke was glad Sylvia couldn’t see the guilt that he was sure was written all over his face. He’d been dreading this encounter since hearing the news, his years of having been negligent weighing on him.
“It’s going to be all right,” he said, knowing what he was saying was inadequate, but helpless to come up with anything better.
Sylvia nodded and disengaged from their hug. She ran a hand down her face, wiped away her tears, and gathered herself with a deep breath. Her dark circles and gaunt face spoke of her tiredness.
“I’m afraid I haven’t slept in days,” she said, but then tried to smile for him. “Please come inside. Can I get you something to drink?”
“I’m fine, thanks.”
It had been fifteen years since Deke had last seen Sylvia. He was reminded of that as they entered her small house. Photos lined the hallway wall, and Deke spotted a picture of him holding a baby in a white baptismal gown.
His goddaughter, Lily. Deke hadn’t seen her in all the years since.
They each took a chair and sat down in a tiny living room. Sylvia said, “I wouldn’t have bothered you, Deke, but Bill Fuller suggested you might be able to help.”
Bill was also in some of the pictures in the hallway. He had been the best man at the wedding of Sylvia and Art Reyes, and Deke had been a groomsman. Deke and Bill had both been prosecutors in the Broward County State Attorney’s Office, and Art had been chief investigator there. The three men became close friends, their coworkers referring to them as the “three amigos.” Bill was now the state attorney for Leon County.
“Bill and his office have been working with the police,” Sylvia said. “What they’ve uncovered has left me feeling like a failed parent. I had no idea what was going on in Lily’s life.”
“Every parent of every teenager has said the same thing.”
“That’s what I want to believe, but it still doesn’t excuse my not knowing that Lily has been seeing a twenty-one-year-old man for the last five months.”
“I’m sure Lily did everything she could to keep you from finding out about him.”
“She did, but I’m the parent, and should have been protecting her from a drug-dealing predator like Carlos Navarro.”
“Has he been arrested?”
“Not yet. The police are still trying to make a case against him, but he’s been questioned multiple times. His story keeps changing, or at least it did before he lawyered up. At first, he tried to claim that he and Lily were just casual friends, and that he wasn’t with her on the night she went missing. After being confronted with evidence showing that was a lie, Navarro claimed it was his pride that made him say what he did, because he didn’t want to admit that Lily had dumped him for another guy with money. He said he didn’t even know the name of this other guy Lily drove off with.”
Sylvia’s lower lip began trembling, and she bit down on it in an effort to try and regain control. Deke could see how she was barely holding on.
“How about I get you a glass of water?”
Sylvia shook her head. “His lies make me want to scream. A confidential informant told the police that Navarro got burned on some drug deal, and was desperate to pay off his debt. According to this informant, Navarro made an arrangement with Leonel Rodríguez, who goes by the name of Tío Leo.”
“Arrangement?”
Fighting back her emotions, Sylvia found the strength to finish her story. “Rodríguez is a sex trafficker.”
The tears, held back with such effort, began pouring down Sylvia’s face. Being witness to her raw pain was torture for Deke. Inaction wasn’t his way. He much preferred confronting problems head-on. That’s why he’d become a lawyer in the first place. It had given him a platform for taking on cases he believed were important. Needing to do something, Deke went to the kitchen and returned with a glass of water. Sylvia took a gulp and steadied herself with a few deep breaths.
“What can I do to help?” Deke asked.
“Bill Fuller said you and your firm were heading up a case going after human traffickers.”
D
eke met her desperate red-rimmed eyes and nodded. “We’re bringing a case against Welcome Mat Hospitality, alleging that they’ve knowingly allowed their truck stops and motels to be used for the purpose of human trafficking.”
“Welcome Mat’s a big company, right?”
“More than five hundred truck stops, and three hundred motels with over twenty thousand rooms.”
“Bill said the more eyes and resources we can put on Lily’s situation, the better it would be, and he was pretty sure you’d be using investigators in your lawsuit.”
“It’s true we’re looking into Welcome Mat’s operations and putting eyes on select truck stops and motels, but we don’t have the personnel or resources for extensive monitoring.”
“But you could tell your people to watch for Lily, right? And Rodríguez? They might end up in one of those properties.”
“We can do that and a lot more,” Deke promised. He didn’t want to raise her hopes, but he needed Sylvia to know he’d do everything in his power to help.
“I would be grateful.” The relief could be heard in her voice and seen in her face. Even Sylvia’s breathing looked less labored, as if a weight had been lifted from her chest.
Or maybe that weight had just been transferred over to Deke. He felt the need to make his own confession. “I need to say something before we continue. I want to apologize and say that I’m sorry.”
“Sorry for what?”
She really didn’t seem to know, Deke thought.
“For failing in my responsibilities as a godfather. And failing to do right by Art.”
Sylvia began shaking her head, but Deke couldn’t let her forgive him that easily. She opened her mouth to speak, but Deke got the words out first.
“I should have made it to Art’s funeral. It was unforgivable of me to not attend. At the time I was in the middle of a huge trial, but that’s no excuse.”
“You explained that in your beautiful card,” she said. “And I heard you made a generous contribution to the National Pancreatic Cancer Foundation in Art’s name.”
“I didn’t honor the dead, and I failed the living by not being there for Lily.”
“That’s not how I remember it,” Sylvia said. “After Art died, and we continued living in Fort Lauderdale, you never forgot Lily’s birthday. Because of you, she learned about Benjamin Franklin.”
Deke almost smiled. Despite the pain she was in, Sylvia was trying to do the comforting. “Four or five years ago, Lily’s birthday card was returned to me. According to what the post office stamped on it, there was no forwarding address. I should have followed up. I meant to find out where the two of you were living. But good intentions aren’t enough. I know that.”
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