by Stacy Green
“Thank you.” I buttoned my wool coat, shooting a still embarrassed Jake one final smile. My mind was already moving on. Time for the big show.
6
Dressing for success was key to being taken seriously. That was one of the few useful things I learned from my mother.
Sarah was bound to confront me over the missing phone, and nothing intimidated an insecure woman like a confident, attractive rival. My auburn hair fell in loose waves around my shoulders, and the dark green, figure-hugging dress made my eyes pop. Topped off with a little mascara and no glasses, I knew I’d have the eye of everyone in the spa as soon as I walked in the door.
I blew into the spa with the blast of frigid air. Making sure to keep my back to the front desk, I smoothed my hair and slipped off my wool coat. Tension–or perhaps it was finely honed instinct–crawled up the back of my neck with legs as thick as a hairy tarantula’s. Instead of the usual morning bustle–idle chitchat, stations being cleaned, coffee being made–the spa was quiet. Whispers crawled past me, as if my coworkers were collectively waiting to witness the impending storm.
The anticipation of Sarah’s confrontation came as a blitz attack making my scalp tingle and my fingers twitch. Is this what drug addicts felt when they needed a fix? A dazzling, hot fire that spread throughout every inch of their bodies until they wanted to scream or pass out?
“Lucy.” Sarah’s voice was colder than the Arctic weather.
Center stage now, the spotlight blinding and intoxicating. Slowly, I turned and approached the front desk where Sarah leaned against the counter. Satisfaction forced the corners of my mouth up. Her hair looked less smooth this morning and her makeup not quite pristine. Fine wrinkles around her eyes, and bags beneath those. Her gaze flashed over me, taking in my drastically different appearance, and like a rippling stream, her stance subtly changed. She swallowed and then shifted in her heels. Squaring her shoulders, she jutted her chin, smoothed her hair and then her silk blouse. She picked at one of her manicured nails.
One lioness formerly challenging another, in the subtle way that only human females can accomplish.
“Good morning, Sarah. How are you today?” Chris would have laughed at the singsong tone of my voice. I supposed my love of confronting people like Sarah meant a far deeper neurosis, but I’d think about that another day.
“Not very well.” Her sharp voice reminded me of my ninth-grade English teacher. My friend Kenny used to say the woman desperately needed to get laid or none of us would pass.
I feigned concern. “What’s wrong?”
“Why don’t we speak in my office?”
Interesting move. I hadn’t been entirely sure she would know I was the one who took the phone, but since she’d been in the office with the door shut just before the last client arrived, it was a good bet she’d used it. Logic pointed to me being the logical suspect, but how exactly was she going to accuse me of stealing a hidden cellphone without calling herself out? She’d have to rely on my not challenging her, and that was a gamble she’d lose. Pulling me into her office was a way to regain power, bring me to her territory.
I trailed my hand through my hair, pretending to watch the red strands glowing in the soft light. Sarah huffed. “I don’t really feel comfortable being in your office right now. You’re very angry. Why don’t you just tell me what’s going on?”
Her left eye twitched. My lips begged to lift into a smirk, but I held back. Out of my peripheral vision, I saw the other women crowded around the beverage station. The weaker lionesses waiting to see who would be their new queen.
“Something is missing from my office,” Sarah finally said. Her eyes searched mine, the unspoken words sizzling between us. She realized I had to know something to search for that phone. But how much? And was I a cop? The questions plaguing her were embedded into the lines across her forehead and the deep creases between her eyes. “It was there when I took the last client last night, and then it disappeared. You were the only one here.”
Every jittery movement telegraphed her fear, bolstering my ego. I put my hands on my hips. “I’m sorry? What are you talking about?”
Sarah glanced from me to her employees. Her narrowed eyes, coupled with the soft yellow light, made her look reptilian. She snapped her gaze back to me, shoving her chin high. “If you needed money, Lucy, you should have asked. Stealing my purse and cellphone was foolish.”
So that’s how she’d decided to play it. Throwing her purse into the mix. I made my eyes go wide. “Excuse me?”
“They’re missing. You were the only one here.”
“Then you must have misplaced them.”
Sarah shook her head. “Give them back, and I won’t call the police.” She smiled a fake smile that reminded me of Senator Coleman’s oily politician grin.
“I don’t think so,” I said. “Did you look at the security footage? I’m sure your cameras will catch whoever snuck into your office and stole that phone.” I emphasized the last word and leaned against the counter.
She stood straight as a twig. Her forehead glimmered with a light sheen of sweat. “I don’t have security cameras.”
I made an obnoxious sound between a snort and a laugh, honestly surprised. “You’re running a high-end business, and you don’t have security cameras?” I looked around the plush lobby. All the other employees watched now, not even pretending to be doing something else. I pointed to one of the massage therapists. “Does that sound right to you? What company in this day and age doesn’t have security cameras?”
“I don’t believe in them.” Sarah’s voice warbled. “Until now, I haven’t had to worry about this sort of thing.”
“That makes no sense to me.” I crossed my arms over my chest, still directing my words to the others. “As an employee, don’t you feel unprotected? She can accuse anyone of anything, and so could a customer.”
Sheri, one of the manicurists, shrugged. “Sarah treats us well. We’ve never questioned it.”
Sarah’s head bobbed up and down. “Lucy, I’m a nice person. And I don’t want to get anyone in trouble. There’s no reason to get the police involved. Just give my things back.” So she’d decided I wasn’t an undercover cop. Not a hard conclusion to make. But it fascinated me how this woman thought she had the upper hand. Only someone with knowledge about what she was hiding would know to look for that phone. She wasn’t ignorant. But then again, she was used to control and privilege and didn’t mind farming out children. I suppose some redhead off the street didn’t faze her.
“Lucy?” Sarah’s voice bore the faintest hint of nerves.
I pushed myself off the counter to stand straight. My pulse battered against my chest, I felt light and airy and in complete control. Almost manic. “How do you know the police don’t already have that phone? By the way, L is a total coward.”
The flush that had reached her forehead evaporated as though I’d thrown white paint at her. Even her lips looked like chalk. The stronger, more cunning lioness taking her rightful place, I stepped forward until I was in her personal space and out of earshot of the shocked employees. I’d love to be a fly on her pretty walls and hear what story she gave them after I left.
“Yes, I hacked into it.” I pitched my voice into a whisper. “If I can find L, I can find another man. And what if I get him to talk?”
“We should speak in my office.” Smelling of breath mints and fruity perfume, her voice was as pitiful as a newborn kitten’s.
“If that helps.” Letting her have this small victory would give her a false sense of security. Easier for me to manipulate her. And I didn’t need to worry about the peanut gallery butting their noses into my plan.
I followed her into the office, which looked as boring as it had yesterday, save for the mess on her desk. She’d torn it apart searching for the phone. Shutting the door, I faced her hard gaze.
“I’m not quite sure what you’re accusing me of–”
“Spare me,” I cut her off. “Last month, I saw you
take two teenagers–a boy and a girl–from here to a seedy motel in North Philly. After you made a pit stop here and got them cleaned up, that is. You left them there with a black male who arrived on foot. How much did that transaction earn you?”
She stared.
My entire body felt light, as if I’d just downed a shot of whiskey. I loved seeing her squirm.
“You’re the middle man,” I continued. “That much is obvious. And your boss is pissed off because I’ve got information on his clients–or he will be when you tell him. Here’s the thing. I don’t care what sort of side business you guys have going.” I lifted my shoulders and then let them fall. “I just like a certain lifestyle, and since my man left, I don’t have it. You understand where I’m going with this?”
Sarah’s nose curled. As if she were any better than the blackmailer she believed me to be. As if she weren’t a trussed up, female pimp. “You want money.”
“Oh no, not from you. I’m not interested in dealing with the help.” I dropped the word like lead, enjoying the flicker of anger on her face. “I want to speak to the boss. Is he the person you left those kids with?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Sarah.” The name rolled off my tongue in the most condescending tone I could muster. Mentioning what Riley had told me was out of the question, but I didn’t need to. Sarah’s weakness shined as bright as a red light district at midnight. “You run a profitable business that’s rocketed to success in the past year in a high-end part of the city. You’re a high class lady with a reputation to uphold. What do you think would happen if word of your side jobs got out? I may not have enough to hold up in court, but I could tell some pretty damned good stories, and I’d have your phone to back me up. Something like that would cost you clients.”
The cords in her neck stretched tight. “He won’t see you.”
Easily as that, my suspicions confirmed–someone else ran this show. But how many more people like Sarah were out there? “And you’re afraid he’ll cut you loose. Pretend like you never existed.”
She flinched, giving me the answer I needed. “So either you accept the position you’re in right this minute and do what’s best for you–what it takes to keep your business running–or you allow yourself to be squashed.”
Sarah crossed her arms, but her shoulders sagged. Grey pallor still colored her skin. “What are you saying?”
I was taking a big risk, but at worst I’d end up right back where I started. “Tell me everything you know about him. Who his other associates are, what other businesses front his operation.”
She barked a laugh. “Why would I do that?”
“Because you have two choices: tell him you lost the phone to some redheaded broad who gave you a false identity, which means he cuts you loose and I get no money and then I go to the press, or work with me to gather as much dirt as we can and split the profits.”
“You gave me a false identity? How? I put you through a background check.”
I almost laughed at the surprise on her face. “Honey, I’m a con artist. I know how to protect myself. So, what do you say? Are you going to help yourself or lose everything you’ve worked for?”
“What if I call your bluff and say your assumed information won’t affect me in the least?”
“You could do that.” I ran my fingers across the framed picture of Sarah at her ribbon cutting two years ago. “But is it worth the risk?”
Sarah considered this. I waited, letting her finish the picture I’d started. Her imagination would do much better work than any story I spun. “You’ll need to come back tonight. I can’t do this here.”
“And I’m not dumb enough to meet you by myself in your building. Let’s pick a quiet, neutral location. I’ll even let you choose.”
Sarah rocked on the balls of her feet, her jaw muscles clenching. “Maisy’s on Twenty-Second. It’s a busy place but we can get a private table.”
I wanted to dance. Or better yet, call Chris and tell him I knew exactly what I was doing and maybe he should have a little more faith in me. Instead, I extended my hand. “I’ll be there at seven.”
She closed her eyes and nodded, the defeat on her face almost making me feel sorry for her.
I opened her office door. Her employees were all steadily working, but their straight backs and jerky movements made it clear they were on edge and waiting to pounce. “Thanks so much for the day off, Sarah. I’m glad we got this misunderstanding worked out.” I sauntered to the coat rack and pulled on my heavy winter garments.
The only downside in my plan was that I’d have to leave Sarah unharmed, but she was a valuable pawn in a much bigger game.
As long as she didn’t stand me up.
7
My head buzzed with the high of confronting Sarah and bending her to my will. A part of me didn’t like what that meant–it made me too much like my mother, too cold and manipulating, feeding off the miserable energy of others. But seeing the fear I’d elicited in Sarah had my blood pumping so hard my head throbbed. It was a dangerous rush that could get me into serious trouble if I wasn’t careful.
I needed to eat. Located in a popular business district, Morning Glory’s Café was consistently busy. I squeezed into the doorway, my stomach growling at the smells of frying bacon and hot coffee, and craned my neck to see if Kenny had already secured us a booth.
He waved to me from the back corner. Just the sight of him cooled my simmering nerves. We’d been friends since high school. Two damaged people finding each other–he with the abusive drunk of a dad and me with the sexually abused, dead sister–and he was the brightest part of my life. He was a pot dealing mechanic who helped homeless kids and was always upbeat and smiling. He didn’t know my dark secret, but Kenny was well aware of my twisted personality and never judged. He was just Kenny with a smile, and most days there’s nothing better than that.
“Goose.” He grinned as I slid into the booth and rolled my eyes at the nickname. A cup of steaming black coffee waited for me.
I took a careful sip. “You know me so well.”
“Of course I do. Ordered you a breakfast sampler, too. Should be here soon.”
I could have kissed him. Funny that was something we’d never done. My feelings for Kenny were deep but uncomplicated, a blessing in my life.
“So what’s the emergency favor?” Kenny wasn’t one to mess around. Another quality I loved.
“I need you to track down a kid for me. Actually, she’s a teenager and a resourceful one.” Kenny knew I was trying to infiltrate the trafficking ring, although he assumed that as a P.I., I’d turn my information into the police. I told him about the confrontation with Riley last night, omitting the danger and Chris’s semi-rescue. “Do you think you can find her?”
Kenny rubbed his round cheeks. His two-day-old scruff did little to make him look any older. “Well, if she was at the Rattner in North Philly, there’s a decent chance she lives somewhere nearby. Unless she’s got higher-end clientele, too, and takes city transit.” He stared into his coffee, thick eyebrows knitted together. “How do these kids become so complicit to the point of thinking it’s their choice?”
The sadness in Kenny’s voice made the reality of these kids’ lives all the more real. I searched for the right answer even though I knew there wasn’t one.
“I mean,” Kenny continued, “my dad whipped the shit out of me, told me I wasn’t worth the dirt on his shoes. And I believed him for a long time. But to make the choice this Riley has–”
“Sexual abuse is a different kind of beast,” I said. “I think it affects the soul, you know? Especially when it starts really young. These kids don’t know anything else, so earning money off the abuse can seem like a positive thing. And probably makes them feel like they have an element of control, even if it’s all false. The pimps who live off girls like her know how to use her pain to their biggest advantage. They can spot these girls a mile away–it’s a nasty talent.”
The server appeared with our food, and Kenny waited until she was gone. “I just can’t get my mind around it.”
“Because you’re not in their shoes.” I picked at my eggs. “All we can do is try to help.”
“What if they don’t want it?”
Riley certainly didn’t seem to want my help. And maybe she was beyond it at her age, already too hardened. But I had to try, and if I was lucky, I might be able to save some younger kids too. “All we can do is try and see what happens.”
“You’re right.” Kenny popped a sausage link into his mouth. “I won’t be able to sleep unless I try to help find this kid. Don’t suppose she is in the system?”
“I checked into every database I could.” Meaning every one Kelly could hack into, but Kenny didn’t need to know that. “No one matching her first name and description are listed as missing children, and she’s not been arrested. Which means she’s either very good at staying under the radar or really lucky.”
“Or the dude running this operation knows how to keep things on the down low.”
“That definitely crossed my mind.” I couldn’t explain it, but everything in my gut insisted that no matter how many blocks were holding up his filthy pyramid, the man at the top was powerful. Somehow, he moved like a shadow between his various storefronts. How did he pull people like Sarah in? Blackmail? Was she in serious debt? I didn’t think her business was doing badly, but that didn’t mean she spent her money wisely. Or was she just greedy with no moral center? Her big boss might just be the kind of perceptive person who can practically sniff out those willing to close their eyes for an extra buck. Some people’s biggest skill was their ability to read others.
Hopefully she’d tell me more tonight, if she actually showed up.
“So I guess the best thing to do is to hit the streets, talk to my kids,” Kenny said. “I’ve got some contacts at a couple of shelters in North Philly.”
