by Matt Lincoln
“Do you know where the house is?” I asked.
“Not exactly,” she mumbled, her voice cracking as her eyes filled with tears again. “I could recognize it, but I’m not really sure about how to get there. They make us wear blindfolds while we’re in the car. We can’t take them off until we’re on the boat.”
“A boat?” Crowley suddenly chimed in. Jenny jumped a little at the deep timbre of his voice. Honestly, even I was a bit surprised to hear him speak for the first time during the conversation. “There aren’t any ferries from Cockburn to the Western Island.”
“It must be a privately owned vessel, then,” I concluded before turning to look at Holm. “We should look into boat owners here on the Island.”
“That’s going to be a long list,” Crowley remarked before turning to address Jenny. “Do you know exactly what kind of boat it is?”
“N-no,” she stuttered. “I’m sorry. It’s usually dark when we get on it. Um… it’s pretty big? And white? I’m sorry, I’m not being helpful.”
“It’s okay, Jenny,” Olivia assured her as she began to cry again. She rubbed a soothing hand along the girl’s back and waited until she’d calmed down before speaking again. “You’re doing amazing. This is plenty for us to go off of. You’ve already given us a ton of useful information.”
“Really?” she muttered through tears. “Okay… I’m fine. I can keep going.”
“Thank you, Jenny.” I smiled at her. “We’ve heard that the name of the leader of the group who was holding you is named Samuel. Do you know anything about that?”
“I’ve heard that name.” She nodded slowly. “I’ve never met him before. I don’t think so, anyway, but I’ve heard the men talking about him.”
“I see,” I replied, a little disappointed that she didn’t know more. I couldn’t show that, though. The poor girl kept breaking into tears every time she thought she did something wrong, so I definitely couldn’t look like I was displeased by her answer.
“I know you said you’re not sure where the main house is,” I continued. “But do you know the addresses of the other locations? You mentioned that there were several bars and hotels that you’ve been sent to, right?”
“Yes, I do,” she replied. “I know one for sure because it’s the only bar in the whole town.”
“Where is it?” I asked eagerly.
“We’re in Grace Bay right now, right?” she asked as she looked around the room, as though she’d be able to recognize the town just from the inside of the police station.
“Yes, we are,” I replied, my brows furrowed in confusion. “Why?”
“It’s right here,” she replied.
23
Ethan
As soon as Jenny revealed that one of the bars where the women were being forced to work was here in Grace Bay, all the weariness I’d felt before evaporated. I’d been ready to head back to the hotel and call it a night after finishing our interview with Jenny, but there was no way I’d be able to sleep now, knowing how close we were.
After wrapping up the interview, Holm, Crowley, and I headed over to Morris’s office to relay everything we had learned. Olivia had stayed behind to make sure that Jenny wouldn’t feel scared being alone in the police station by herself. Morris had been aghast to discover that one of the prostitution hot spots was right here in his own town.
“This is unbelievable,” Captain Morris growled as he paced back and forth in front of his desk. “It must be the Oasis Lounge. That’s the biggest bar in all of Grace Bay. Right on the beach and a magnet for tourists.”
“She did say that it was the biggest bar in town,” I replied from where I was leaning against the wall beside the door.
“There aren’t very many bars here as it is,” Crowley added. “I think three in total. The Oasis definitely gets the most foot traffic.”
“Which means it would be the most ideal for moving around undetected,” I concluded. “When it comes to human trafficking, it’s easier to hide in plain sight.”
“So, do we do now?” Olivia asked before turning to look at Holm and me. “Will you go in undercover again? Pose as prospective clients?”
“I don’t know if that will work again,” Holm argued. “We just caused a pretty big stir back at the bar in Kew Town, didn’t we? You don’t think they’ll have their guard up now?”
Holm did have a point. It had been a few hours since the shootout in the bar already, and there was a good chance that word about what had happened in Kew had already made its way over to Grace Bay. If that were the case, then the traffickers would be on the lookout for us anyway, so there was no point in trying to be sneaky.
“He’s right,” Morris replied as he came to an abrupt stop from his pacing. His face was scrunched into a scowl, and his fists were clenched. “It’s possible they’re already aware that you’re investigating. I think it would be best if we approached this more officially.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“I mean, we should forego the idea of being covert,” he grumbled, “and simply strike directly. Last time, Officer Crowley waited outside to not tip them off. I think this time, you should all go in and make it clear that they’re being investigated. I will not stand to have this going on right beneath my nose.”
It was clear that he was taking this very personally. I supposed it was one thing to have a crime going on in the next town over, but another to have it be happening right down the street. Still, I couldn’t help but worry that he was being a little too rash right now.
“Officer Crowley will go in and request to speak with the owner,” Morris declared. “If he refuses to cooperate, arrest him under suspicion of prostitution.”
“Okay,” I replied. “Let’s go and let Olivia know about our plan.”
After finishing our meeting in Morris’s office, Holm, Crowley, and I went back down to the break room where the two women were waiting.
“I can’t say I’m thrilled by the idea of you just barging in headfirst,” she muttered after we’d explained the plan to her. She and I had stepped away from the rest of the group to talk. Jenny had immediately curled in on herself when Olivia had left her side, and she kept glancing anxiously toward where we were standing. “But I didn’t like the idea of you sneaking around pretending to be a John, either, so I guess it’s as good a plan as any.”
“That’s kind of what I was thinking, too,” I replied. “What about you? Will you stay here with Jenny?”
“Yeah, I think I will.” She nodded. “She’s still pretty shaken up. I’ve spoken with my director and arranged for a hotel room for her, so I’ll help her settle in and make sure there’s a patrol nearby to make sure nothing happens. Kenneth Johnson mentioned that one of the men shot at Allison while she was trying to escape. I wouldn’t put it past them to try to kill Jenny to keep her silent about everything.”
“That’s a good call,” I replied as I looked over to where Jenny was sitting on the couch just a few feet away, out of earshot of our conversation. She didn’t look nearly as terrified as before, though her posture was still stiff and hunched, and I could tell she was tense.
“I’ll see you when you get back, then.” Olivia offered me a small smile as she reached up to stroke my arm. Her touch lingered for just a moment too long to be considered strictly friendly, and my arm felt oddly cold and bereft the moment she pulled her hand away.
“Yeah, you will.” I smiled back at her.
Her face turned a shade redder. I wanted to tease her, but she turned and walked back to Jenny’s side before I could say anything. It was obvious how much she cared about making her feel safe. I thought it was admirable how devoted she was to her job of helping special victims.
“You know,” Holm hummed once Olivia had stepped away to go speak to Jenny, “Some people might call it unprofessional to fraternize with every woman you meet while on the job.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I replied dismissively.
“Wait, w
hat?” Crowley blinked at me in apparent confusion. “She’s not your girlfriend? This whole time, that’s the impression I’ve had.”
“Ha!” Holm laughed. “Even people we’ve just met can tell! You’re a lot of things, Marston, but subtle is not one of them.”
“Sounds like someone’s just jealous because he doesn’t have any game,” I retorted playfully.
“That’s a low blow,” Holm replied as he crossed his arms across his chest. “And I’ll have you know that I have plenty of game. I’m just not a walking cliche like you are. Honestly, the two of you looked like something out of a movie just then, staring into each other’s eyes like that.”
“Like I said,” I teased smugly. “Jealous.”
We spent a bit longer trading barbs back and forth while Olivia got Jenny ready to go. Five minutes later, all of us were standing in the parking lot. Olivia was about to head off to the hotel with Jenny and another officer, who would be keeping watch for the time being, and Holm, Crowley, and I were about to head to the Oasis Lounge. We would be taking separate cars this time since Morris wanted to make it clear that this was a police investigation.
The bar was close enough to have walked, but since we might make arrests or need to make a speedy exit, we opted to drive instead. After only about five minutes, I knew we’d made it to the correct spot before Crowley had even pulled in.
A single building stood out among the rest, easily twice as big and lit up like a firework. Even from the outside, I could see colorful lights streaming through the windows, and the closer we got, the more I could hear the music emanating from inside.
“No wonder Jenny said she was sure which one it was,” I remarked as we pulled into the parking lot. “I couldn’t miss this place if I tried.”
I parked the car next to Crowley’s cruiser before getting out. He was already waiting for us, his lips set into a thin, angry line. It seemed he was just as upset about what was going on as Morris was.
“Let’s go,” he said before taking off at a steady pace toward the massive bar.
Holm and I followed closely behind him, the music getting increasingly louder the closer we got to the front doors. As we stepped inside, I realized just how many people there were in here. The parking lot hadn’t had that many cars in it, so I was surprised to find that the place was absolutely packed. Grace Bay wasn’t very large, though, so it was reasonable to assume all of these people had just walked here from their homes and hotels.
The place was surprisingly big, to the point that it seemed a little out of place in the otherwise scenic and peaceful town. It looked more like a club than a typical bar, with a large dance floor in the center surrounded by several sitting areas.
Women in tight, short dresses moved languidly around the floor, trays of expensive drinks in their hands. My eyes were drawn to them first, but it didn’t seem like they were in distress. Unlike Jenny, who had stood stock still and kept her gaze fixed unwaveringly on the ground, these women were wearing forced, plastic smiles as they flirted with the patrons around the bar, coaxing them into spending more money. It didn’t look sincere, but it didn’t look like they were in danger, either.
Crowley strode confidently through the bar and toward the first bartender he spotted. I still felt displeased about this plan. It would completely kill any element of surprise we had, and nothing was stopping the traffickers from fleeing the moment they realized we were in here poking around. I didn’t want to go against Morris’s wishes, though. He’d been extremely helpful to us so far, and clashing with local law enforcement was never a good idea in any case if we could help it.
“Hello,” Crowley greeted the man behind the bar.
“Good evening,” the man replied warily. His eyes immediately flitted down to Crowley’s police uniform, and I could tell that his guard was up. “How can I help you gentlemen?”
“We need to speak to the owner of this establishment,” Crowley declared.
“I’m sorry,” the bartender replied slowly, “he’s not here tonight.”
“Well, call him,” Crowley retorted angrily. “We need to speak with him right now.”
“I’m afraid that’s not going to be possible,” the man replied.
I was about to chime in when I noticed something out of the corner of my eye. A woman was standing on the other side of the bar, but she was staring directly at us. She was standing just behind a circle of couches where several other women were sitting. The first thing that jumped out to me about them was how similar they all seemed to Jenny. All of them were done up with makeup and were wearing short, revealing dresses, but unlike the servers, they were all sitting unnaturally still, their eyes downcast.
I turned to look at the standing woman, and the moment our eyes met, something akin to fear flashed across her face. I watched as she leaned down to whisper something to one of the women sitting in front of her. The woman snapped her head around to look at me, her eyes wide with shock. She turned back around just as quickly.
“Hey.” I nudged Holm in the side with my elbow. “Something’s weird over there.”
I gestured in their direction with a short nod. The first woman I’d noticed kept tossing surreptitious glances in our direction while the rest of the girls slowly started to get up from the couches.
I turned back to Crowley. He and the bartender were still arguing, and both seemed entirely focused on their own conversation.
“Come on,” I hissed at Holm before quickly taking off toward where the girls were now standing. Something was definitely up, and this might be a good chance to get some info while Crowley inadvertently distracted the bartender.
Holm and I set off quickly toward the group of women.
The woman standing above the group flinched as she caught our rapid approach, and I watched as she leaned forward to say something to the girls. We were far enough away that I couldn’t catch what she said over the noise of the crowd. Whatever she said lit a fire beneath them because all of a sudden, they were all scrambling away from the sitting area.
One of them, in her haste, accidentally moved directly into our path before realizing her error. She looked up at me with large, terrified eyes before suddenly spinning on her heel and attempting to walk in the other direction.
“Wait,” I called as I walked briskly forward and took hold of her arm.
“Don’t touch her,” the first woman snapped at me as she shoved my arm away from the girl.
“We don’t mean any harm,” Holm tried to reassure her.
“Linda, go,” the woman said to the younger girl curtly.
The girl nodded and scampered off, and the woman turned back to me.
“You should leave,” she sneered. Now that I was standing closer to her, I was able to get a better look at her features. She looked like she was in her early to mid-forties. She had deeply tanned skin, and her dark hair was flecked with streaks of gray. Her hazel eyes were fixed into a steely, unyielding glare.
“We only want to help,” I replied. “We know about what’s going on here.”
“Get out, now,” she growled at me through gritted teeth. “Or I’ll start screaming. I can have ten armed men on you in an instant.”
“Please don’t do that,” Holm replied as he looked around, ready to react the moment the threat materialized.
“Then get out of here,” she countered before looking past us. “And take that cop friend of yours with you. Before he does something that gets us all in trouble.”
I could hear Crowley’s raised voice from here, and I knew that he must be causing a scene.
“Please, just listen,” I pleaded as the woman began to walk away. “We’re federal agents. We’re here to investigate the death of Allison Newark—I mean, Cat. You probably knew her as Cat.”
She immediately froze at the name and turned around slowly to look at us, her eyebrows furrowed in suspicion.
“What did you say?” she rasped.
“We spoke with Jenny,” I explained. “We have her. S
he’s safe right now with another agent. She’s the one who gave us that name.”
She blinked several times as she processed the information I’d just given her. Then she suddenly looked around quickly before beckoning us to come toward her with a flick of her hand.
“This way,” she whispered before turning and walking off.
Holm and I both did as we were asked. She led us into a small sitting area separated from the rest of the bar by a large, thick curtain. It looked like some kind of VIP section. The moment we were out of sight from the rest of the people in the bar, she spun around to look at us.
“You said that Jenny was with you. Is that true?” she demanded to know.
“Yes,” I replied. “She’s at the police station now.”
“Police?” the woman exclaimed. “Why? She’s been arrested?”
“No,” Holm interjected. “She got caught up in a scuffle we had with one of the men at a bar in Kew Town. We brought her with us for her own safety.”
“I see,” the woman replied, the earlier tension easing out of her shoulders. “I’m glad to hear that.”
She laced her fingers together and bit her lip nervously. I could tell she was thinking deeply about something, though I couldn’t be sure what.
“You reacted pretty strongly when I mentioned we were investigating Cat’s death,” I muttered. “Why is that?”
A look of pain flashed across her face for just a moment. It was gone soon after, her face smoothed into a look of restrained calm, but it was there for long enough for me to take notice. This woman was obviously used to controlling her emotions.
“So she is dead,” she sighed, her eyes downcast. “I had hoped…”
She trailed off, the careful mask slipping once more as she frowned.
“Are you Danny?” I asked on a hunch as I recalled what Jenny and Eddy had told us.
“You can call me Daniela.” She frowned at me. “But yes, that’s generally what the girls call me.”
