Josie liked that Big Ben had no table to hide behind. When he finally sat up in the chair, Josie looked in disgust at the tears that ran down his splotchy face. His cheap suit hung off his shoulders in a wrinkled mess as he dangled his hands between his legs and scanned the room, noticing Josie for the first time. His anxiety symptoms gave way to a momentary expression of recognition that gave way to fury, before he could resume his pale-faced misery and look away. Josie smiled.
“I’ll remind you again that you have been read your Miranda rights. Do you still wish to waive your right to counsel at this time?”
Ben seemed conflicted. Common sense would indicate an attorney would be the best option, but Townie must have already convinced him that cooperating with the cops would be very advantageous to his situation.
“I don’t want an attorney. But I want the cuffs off,” Ben said. “I’m obviously not going anywhere, with a room full of police officers packed in around me like sardines.”
Townie stood to remove the handcuffs. “You were having such convulsive fits I was afraid you’d harm yourself from all that anxiety. Since you’ve calmed down, I think we’re safe to remove the cuffs. Lift ’em up here, Ben.”
Once the cuffs were removed, Townie and the other two cops who’d also been working the Maid’s Quarters investigation spent the next ninety minutes interrogating him about the operation.
Initially Ben was reluctant to offer anything, but once he gave up the first real morsel, Townie was unrelenting. Josie was impressed with the way Townie would ask the same question again and again with only subtle differences, until Ben would forget he’d denied something and offer up a new detail. Then Townie would take the new piece of information, combine it with something else, and re-form it into a new question. It was like watching a stone sculptor chip away at rock, and then backing away to see the complete picture from a distance. Townie was one of the best interrogators she had seen in action.
Josie sat patiently, listening to the exchange, knowing eventually he’d bring it around to what Ben had referred to as the “suppliers.” She’d talked extensively with Townie on the phone the night before, explaining the transport from Guatemala, Caroline Moss’s involvement, and the two drivers.
Townie finally asked, “How many suppliers do you work with?”
Ben shrugged and then said, “Four or five.”
“So you work with five suppliers?”
“Yeah.”
“What countries do they ship from?” Townie asked.
“Guatemala and Honduras. And all you have to do is get on the Internet and look at where these ladies come from. Then tell me what I give them isn’t better than what they had. Tell me I’m not providing a—”
“Spare me the goodwill lecture,” Townie said. “Ain’t gonna fly here. Start with your suppliers from Guatemala. How many?”
“Just one. The rest are Honduras.”
“What’s her name?” Townie asked.
Once again Ben didn’t seem surprised at the use of the female pronoun. “Lilith.”
Josie jotted the name down on the notepad in her lap.
“How many deliveries do you get from her each month?”
“From Lilith, maybe four or five times since last fall. She’s only been sending me girls for about a year.”
“Did she negotiate the deal for the girls you received today?”
“Yes.”
“How much did you pay her for the four girls?” Townie asked.
Ben turned in his seat and pointed at Josie. “Ask her. She took the envelope.”
Townie had opened the envelope when Josie and Dell had arrived at the police station, and they’d found four one-thousand-dollar bills.
“I’d like to hear it from you,” Townie said.
“A thousand per head.”
“How does she contact you when she has a load ready?”
“She calls me.”
Josie felt the skin prickle on her arms. She hadn’t expected a phone connection. It would be easier to trace.
“On what phone?”
Ben gave Townie a scathing look. “The phone you took from me.”
“This one?”
“That’s it.”
Townie passed it over to him. “Go ahead and pull up Lilith’s contact information. Let me see it.”
Ben scrolled through, found what he was looking for, started to hand the phone back to Townie, and stopped. “Not until I get some guarantees. How do I know you won’t take everything I’ve given you, and then you’ll arrest me anyway?”
Townie laughed and grabbed the phone from him. “Ben. You’re already under arrest. You’re going to jail, pal. We were just providing you an opportunity to come clean before we put you away.”
Ben’s face turned an angry red color. “You told me I’d help my case if I talked to you without an attorney.”
“And you did. We appreciate the information greatly. And so will the prosecutor.”
Big Ben came unhinged, yelling and swearing and demanding his attorney. Josie left the room feeling flattened. They’d finally gotten around to the information she needed and Townie had let the interrogation die out.
Josie stood in the lobby and talked to Dell on the phone while she waited to debrief with Townie. Dell was sitting in his pickup truck outside in the parking lot waiting for her to finish.
Townie finally came out of the booking area holding the phone in the air.
“I know you’re disappointed with the end of that interview, but this’ll make up for it.” Townie powered up the phone. “This is Big Ben’s. Entered as evidence. Guess whose number is in his contacts.”
“Tell me it’s Lilith,” Josie said.
He grinned and handed her the phone. Not only was the name Lilith in his contacts, but she saw that the phone number utilized the area code for Arroyo County. Josie opened her phone and took a photo of the contact information on Big Ben’s phone.
“That what you needed?” Townie asked, smiling, knowing it was.
“The trick will be tying the so-called Lilith to an actual person.” Josie handed him the phone back and shook his hand. “I appreciate you letting me sit in on the interview. It was impressive, the way you worked him over.”
“Slow and steady. Best advice I ever got as a new investigator.”
* * *
Dell drove the first four-hour stretch to Artemis while Josie spent the time making calls to every law enforcement contact she could think of who might have information that could tie a phone associated to a Lilith to a human trafficking scam associated with Caroline Moss. She realized the name was most likely a fake, but it was a connection she would pursue until it dried up.
After several futile hours Josie opened a search engine on her phone and typed in Lilith + “Caroline Moss.” Surprisingly, several links appeared, and Josie clicked on one that took her to an obituary for Lilith Ann Rockwell, who had lived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She scrolled down and read that the woman passed away ten years ago, and was survived by her daughter, Caroline Ann Moss, of Artemis, Texas.
* * *
After arriving home at three in the morning, Josie fell into a deep sleep that she’d not experienced in days. She woke at ten the next day feeling refreshed and confident. She started her day with a cup of coffee and a phone call to Otto, briefing him on the day’s events.
“So what’s her mom have to do with this?” Otto asked.
“What do you use when you need a security code, or a password, or you want to disguise some piece of information? You use your mom’s name, or your sister’s, or some relative that makes it easy to remember and, you assume, unlikely for anyone else to trace back to you.”
“You think she used her mom’s name as her contact name for when she talked to Big Ben?”
“Exactly. It was easy for her to remember and probably not many people around here know her mom’s name. She lived in Pennsylvania when she died.” Otto was quiet and she added, “How many Liliths do you know? Wha
t are the odds this could be anyone other than Caroline?”
“It’s not conclusive, but it’s a hell of a good connection.”
“We’ve got her. I can feel it.”
“What now?” he asked.
“I have a plan,” she said.
“Let’s hear it.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“Josie. You know I hate that phrase.”
“As the lead investigator on the case, I don’t think you really want to know my plan.”
“What does that mean?” His voice had turned guarded.
“It means you don’t want to know what my plan is.”
“You don’t want me to know, because I won’t agree with you. The last time you didn’t listen to me you ended up suspended. Sometimes I know what I’m talking about. Give me some credit.”
“I’ll check in later.”
Josie ended the call, feeling a twinge of guilt for leaving him hanging, but he’d been correct. Otto would no doubt disagree with her plan, but she didn’t care. She needed to take care of business.
* * *
Josie showered and dressed in khaki pants and a short-sleeved top and sandals. She’d have been more comfortable wearing her gun and badge, but the lack of a uniform wouldn’t stop her.
She drove about five miles out of town north of the Mud Flats, to a small subdivision that held four homes situated around a cul-de-sac. With no other houses around for miles, the small cluster of homes had always made Josie think of a group of elite homesteaders.
The homes were a variety of styles, from modern minimalist steel and glass, to a rustic stone and wood cabin. Her destination was a two-story that looked like it belonged in the Texas hill country, built with blocks of limestone so light in color they were almost white. Josie pulled into the paved driveway of Steve and Caroline Moss and didn’t stop to reconsider before she exited the jeep.
She followed a stone pathway to a massive wooden door fit for a castle. No doubt Caroline’s parents had paid for the lavish home. As mayor of Artemis, Moss’s salary was paltry, and his side consulting job could not support this kind of home. As far as Josie knew, Caroline had never worked for a salary outside the home, at least legally. For years, her focus had been setting up political functions for her husband in an attempt to get him into the limelight; her goal was national recognition. Josie had no idea if the Republican Party ever considered Steve Moss as a contender for anything, but she’d not seen anything to support that idea.
She rang the bell and was surprised when Caroline Moss answered. She wore dress slacks and a cream-colored blouse. Her blond shoulder-length hair hung loosely around her face and gave her a polished look, although Josie noticed fine lines around her eyes and a tired sag around her mouth. Josie wondered if her appearance at Caroline’s door had caused the weariness.
“Good morning, Josie. Are you looking for the mayor?”
Caroline typically referred to her husband as the mayor, rather than as her husband. Josie figured the term put the emphasis on Caroline’s priority.
“Actually, I’d like to have a word with you. Do you mind if I come in?”
“No, of course not. Come on in. Let’s have a glass of iced tea out back. The patio is in the shade this time of day. It’s a nice time to sit outside.”
“That would be great. Thank you.”
Caroline led Josie down a hallway past a cream-colored formal living room, then past a dining room filled with colorful artwork and a massive dining room table where Josie figured much politicking took place.
In the back, a covered patio ran the length of the house and connected to a pool and a tiered garden area. Caroline gestured to two comfy chairs situated around a coffee table, but Josie opted for the chairs arranged around a dining table. She wasn’t there for comfort.
Several minutes later Caroline carried out a tray with a pitcher and glasses and set them on the table. She poured them each a glass of iced tea and Josie suffered through small talk about the drop in temperature that morning and the enjoyable eighty-degree weather.
At the first lull in the conversation Josie said, “I suppose you’ve heard that the mayor placed me on administrative leave.”
Caroline tilted her head and gave Josie what appeared to be a sympathetic look. “I hope you aren’t here to discuss that with me. You know that I support you, but I’m afraid he’s been tight-lipped about your suspension. With everyone, including me.”
“You’re saying that you don’t know why I was suspended?”
“No. I have no idea.”
“It involves you,” Josie said.
Caroline placed a hand over her heart and looked incredulous. “What an earth would I have to do with your suspension?”
“I told the mayor I had evidence that connects you to a human trafficking organization.”
Her mouth dropped and she laughed like it was an outrageous statement. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m referring to the five women that paid you to transport them from Guatemala to the United States.” Josie paused and watched Caroline’s shocked smile turn into a frown. “More specifically, to New Mexico to work as maids.”
“I’d hardly call the humanitarian work I do human trafficking. If you’re spreading rumors like that, then it’s no wonder you were suspended.”
The French doors that led from the kitchen to the veranda opened and Mayor Moss stepped outside. His face was bright red and his eyes were bulging before he’d even seen Josie. Her jeep was likely enough to cause the reaction. It had been about ten minutes since she’d arrived at the house, and she assumed Caroline had called the mayor for help as soon as she pulled into the driveway. Josie figured the iced tea and friendly small talk had been a stalling technique until her husband could get here. Josie also assumed that Caroline knew exactly why she had been suspended.
“Not only will I have your badge and your gun, but I’ll also have your ass in a jail cell by the end of the day for harassing a public official,” he yelled. He walked directly up to her and stood beside her chair, pointing directly into her face. “Now get the hell away from my wife.”
“I went to New Mexico. I sat in on a sting operation where we delivered four undercover police officers to a man named Big Ben. He was expecting five women, but since one woman was murdered—”
“Get the hell out of my house! I won’t tell you again,” he yelled.
Josie glanced at Caroline, who was looking down, unblinking, staring at the iced tea sitting in front of her, watching the sweat drip down the glass.
Josie continued. “We delivered the four agents to a place in New Mexico called the Maid’s Quarters. It’s where young women from Guatemala pay twelve thousand dollars to endure a trip from hell to be delivered to a man who treats them like property and makes them sleep together in a room that looks like third world squalor.”
The mayor grabbed Josie’s arm. “I’m calling the sheriff to remove you.”
Josie jerked her arm out of his grasp. Her face was heated and she could feel her temper flaring. She would finish what she came for. “After Caroline collected sixty thousand dollars from the women’s families, she was also set to receive another four thousand for delivery of the girls to Albuquerque.” She paused and stared down Caroline until the woman looked up at Josie. Josie repeated her earlier statement. “It would have been five thousand, but one of the women was murdered.”
Josie heard the click of numbers being pressed on a cell phone behind her. No doubt the mayor was calling the sheriff, and she hoped he would. She’d enjoy listening to him try to explain his way out of this one.
“But here’s the killer,” she said. “When Caroline has a delivery ready, she calls Big Ben to let him know she has a load. That’s what they call the girls. A load. Caroline? She’s called the supplier.”
“Stop it,” Caroline said, but her voice was quiet, and her eyes had the unfocused look of someone whose brain was on overload, no longer able to process information.
“After Big Ben was arrested and his phone seized, he told me that his supplier for Guatemala was named Lilith.”
Mayor Moss made a noise behind her, almost a whimper, the noise he might make while having a nightmare.
Josie pressed a button on her cell phone and held it up toward Moss. He knocked her hand away but said nothing. “I’ve since learned that Caroline’s mom’s name is Lilith. I might not have made that connection, but when I looked at the phone number and recognized the West Texas area code, I found the obituary online for Caroline’s mother.”
Caroline again called out for Josie to stop. Josie turned in her chair to face the mayor. “This is over. There’s too much evidence for you to pretend this isn’t happening.”
Moss had grown quiet behind her, no longer yelling for Josie to leave. She scooted her chair back, bumping against him as she stood from the table. “I want my badge and my gun delivered to the police department by three o’clock today.”
Josie opened the French doors and walked through the house the way she had entered, leaving the Mosses to sort through the shrapnel from the bomb she had just exploded on their patio. But she damn sure knew the first step he had better make was to revoke her suspension.
* * *
Driving home with the windows down, she did not feel pleased or vindicated by the altercation at the mayor’s house. It was unsettling to think that someone in a position of power, a woman she knew well as a community leader, could turn such a blind eye to others’ suffering. Josie wondered if it had all started out as something positive but had somehow gone terribly wrong. But hard as she tried, she couldn’t escape the fact that Caroline Moss was making money off the plight of people who believed she was going to take care of them. And they had been brutalized while Caroline looked the other way.
Josie didn’t call Otto on her way home. She showered, dressed in her uniform, and drove to the police department. Lou smiled when she walked in.
“Welcome back,” Lou said.
Josie shook her head in amazement. “The news has already spread?”
Lou held up Josie’s gun in one hand and her badge in the other. “Helen brought these over about two minutes ago. She carried them in a paper bag and dropped them on the counter. She said the mayor asked her to make a delivery. That’s all she said. What did you do to piss Helen off so bad?”
Midnight Crossing: A Mystery Page 22
