by Rhea Wilde
She didn’t say anything. She just stared at me. I buried the only lead she had, so it would be understandable if she were upset.
“Go ahead,” I continued. “Look up the address on your computer and see for yourself.”
“No…” she sighed. “I believe you.”
She stayed leaning back in her chair. She seemed more relaxed than before but that didn’t mean she trusted me completely. I maintained my discipline in the hopes that I would get through to her.
“All right,” she said. “I have no leads. You saved me from a man trying to kidnap me. You’re a Green Beret here in New Gardens with some classified information. And you’re here because you want to put an end to these abductions. Do I have everything right so far?”
“That’s right.”
“So, were you sent here by somebody? Are you here in some official capacity?”
“This is a personal mission.”
“Personal? Can you at least explain that?”
“I’ll explain everything. But everything I tell you stays between you and me. Is that understood?”
She finished the rest of her beer and tilted her head back to burp toward the ceiling.
“I understand, Mr. Green Beret. Lay it on me.”
“The man responsible for the abductions is a man named Wallace Owens.”
“Never heard of him.”
“I don’t know how you would. Owens isn’t from New Gardens.”
“Who is he?”
“He’s a former military intelligence officer gone rogue.”
“Is this the same man who sent someone to abduct me?”
“The same.”
“And that’s how you know who he is. Because of your classified information?”
“That’s right. Owens came to New Gardens to set up his base of operations.”
“Base of operations for what?”
“There’s a drug trade in New Gardens but it’s not as rampant as other cities. Most of the product is imported. It comes in from the docks. Others drive it in. Transport trucks leave as soon as they arrive. Owens is looking to establish a manufacturer right here in this city. The closer the product is to the city…”
“…The easier it will be to distribute.”
She stared at me like the gears were turning in her head. Up to this point, she had to consider everything I said. I didn’t know much about New Gardens but I knew it had a drug problem. The police were a step behind. There were notorious drug lords lurking in the shadows but it wasn’t exactly a secret.
“Okay,” she said. “Let’s say I believe you. What does this have to do with the abductions?”
“Owens needs workers. The facility isn’t going to run itself. He has enough manpower to oversee the operation but he needs people to handle the drugs. The people he’s targeting are his best option.”
“Homeless. No relatives who are alive.”
“People who won’t be noticed if they go missing. Only recently did they start getting sloppy and it started getting reported. But the news is missing out on a lot more names. It’s only a matter of time before they discover just how many people have been taken.”
“How many exactly?”
“More than ten. At least.”
She kept leaning back in her chair.
“I thought this would be a simple task,” she sighed. “I’ve solved a lot of cases but this… This isn’t like anything I’ve ever had to deal with.”
I remained calm. I couldn’t force her to make a decision, considering the seriousness of the case.
“That’s what you’re here for,” she said. “You’re here to stop Owens?”
“That’s right.”
“And did Lee hire you?”
“Who?”
“Lee… Lee Taurus.”
“Who is Lee Taurus?” I asked.
“Lee Taurus,” she said as she leaned forward across the desk. “The guy who owns the biggest building in the city. The one that says Taurus across the top of it in big, capital letters. Everybody in this city knows who he is.”
“I’m not from here.”
She stared at me before snickering softly to herself. Seeing her smile was a bit of a relief. It was cute in a way. I had to stay calm and let her figure this out for herself.
“You want to solve this case but you’re not in it for the bounty?”
“The bounty? What bounty?”
“The bounty Lee Taurus put—”
“I don’t know who that is.”
“I know. I just…”
She put her hands up. I remained staring at her, watching the confusion and disbelief contort her face.
“You’re not in it for the bounty,” she said. “You’re not here in an official capacity. But you still want to solve this case. Why? Can you tell me that?”
“One of the people reported abducted was a young boy named Brandon. He’s seven years old. He’s my primary concern.”
“Why him?”
“Because he’s my son.”
She blinked her eyes as soon as I said it.
“You said he’s your son?” she said.
“Yes.”
“But you’re still alive. The only people being abducted have no families.”
“I said they’re getting sloppy. I imagine I was an exception they didn’t realize.”
“What about his mother? Is she still around?”
“Brandon’s mother lives across the country. She’s married and has a family. She would never notice if Brandon were missing. Not until it was too late.”
“Why would they abduct a seven-year-old?”
“There’s no age minimum to work in one of their facilities. Brandon would be treated the same as someone ten times his age.”
“Yeah,” she sighed. “I guess that makes sense.”
She looked down at the desk and tapped her fingers on it. She took another beer and opened it.
“You know, it’s the middle of the day,” I said. “You shouldn’t drink so much.”
“Are you my father now?”
She raised an eyebrow at me. I chuckled softly and put my hands in the air, conceding to her.
She took a sip of beer before she started to speak.
“It sounds like you’ve got this all figured out,” she said. “It’s a shame Taurus didn’t hire you. I think you’d be the favorite to get the money.”
I sighed a deep breath. I’d gotten this far but it wouldn’t matter if I couldn’t convince her to help me.
“I don’t have it completely figured out,” I said. “That’s why I need you.”
“Me?” she said, raising an eyebrow. “What do you need me for?”
“I’m not familiar with this city. This is the first time I’ve ever been here. I could use someone like you. Seeing as how you’re a private investigator, you’d know the ins and outs of this city more than the average resident.”
“I guess you could say that.”
“Then you’ll help me find my son?”
“How do I know that this isn’t some trick? How do I know that you won’t stab me in the back as soon as this is over? Maybe you’re just pretending not to know who Lee Taurus is and you’re using me to get closer to the money.”
“I’m not.”
“That’s not good enough.”
“I suppose it’s not but it’ll have to be.”
“Oh, blow me…”
She let out a frustrated sigh then downed the rest of her beer. I knew everything I said up to this point made sense. Now it was up to her to decide whether or not it was true.
She ran a hand through her blond hair and combed it back over her head. Then she massaged her forehead with her fingertips.
“Listen,” I said. “I’ll make you a deal. We find my son and stop what Owens is doing. You keep all of the money, whatever this bounty is. I don’t care about the money. All I care about is Brandon. Does that seem fair to you?”
“It does. But—”
“You don’t have much of a choice.
I’m the one with the lead. All you have is a manila folder with useless info.”
She glanced down at the files on her desk. I couldn’t help but smile in knowing that she couldn’t refuse.
“Do we have a deal?” I said.
I held my hand out to her. She stared at it for a moment before finally reaching out to shake it. Her grip was firm despite how soft her hand was.
“What am I doing?” she sighed.
“You’re doing what’s best for you,” I said. “You’re doing what’s best for me. You’re doing what’s best for the city.”
“The city can burn for all I care. With the weather the way it is, it’s already halfway there. I need another drink.”
She reached for another bottle of beer but I put my palm on the top of her hand.
“You really don’t want to drink too much today,” I said. “You’re gonna need to save yourself.”
“Save me?”
“Do you want the rest of the information I’ve gathered?”
“Sure, partner. Lay it on me.”
I cleared my throat as I explained the intel I’d already gathered.
“Owens spends a lot of his time at a nightclub called Sinful,” I started. “Have you heard of it?”
“I’ve heard of it. I’ve never been there but I know it’s an upscale nightclub. The kind of club rich socialites and wanna-bes go to get their picture taken in hopes of it appearing in the paper. Is that his base of operations?”
“No. It’s just a place he spends his leisure time.”
“And what do you plan on doing? Are you gonna go there and put your hands around his throat to get some answers?”
“If it comes to that. More likely, there may be some clues to where he’s hiding all of the people he’s abducted. Owens spends his time there. There has to be a trail.”
“All right. We’ll go to Sinful. When are we going?”
“Not until tonight. We have to go when there are more people. Otherwise, we’ll draw too much attention to ourselves.”
“Sounds like a plan. But there is one thing…”
“What’s that?”
“Your outfit,” she said. “You look like you just got back from killing grizzly bears.”
“My outfit?”
I looked down that I didn’t exactly look like someone out on the town. My jeans were old and my t-shirt was sweaty from being out in the New Gardens sun for so long.
“I see your point,” I said. “I should get something new.”
“No, you don’t have to do that. I have some stuff. A guy I hooked up with. Some crap he left.”
“Thank you, Eva. I appreciate that.”
“Don’t thank me. I’m trying to get rid of it.”
“Well, speaking of outfits…”
I eyeballed her and did what she did to me just a few moments ago. She looked down and shrugged her shoulders
“What?” she said.
I didn’t say anything. I just widened my eyes skeptically. She knew what I was getting at.
“Fine,” she sighed. “I’ll change. We still have the rest of the day to get ready. Speaking of which, I think I’m gonna take a nap. There’s just one more thing.”
“What’s that?”
“Owens sent someone after me. Is he gonna send someone here?”
“It’s possible but not likely. The man who attacked you at the records office doesn’t know who you are. He was only following the office and anybody who walked in.”
“And how do you know this?”
“Because I was following him.”
“Right,” she said with a nod. “Green Beret. I suppose that’s expected of you. Now, if you’ll excuse me…”
She got up from her desk and slowly made her way into the next room.
“Make yourself at home,” she said. “You can use the couch if you want. Don’t touch anything.”
“Eva.”
She turned around as I spoke to her.
“Thank you.”
I looked into her green eyes as I said it. I wanted her to know I was sincere.
She didn’t say anything. She just gave me a nod and excused herself into the next room.
I didn’t know if Eva completely believed me. I could only hope she would learn the whole truth eventually.
Chapter 5
EVA
I sat inside of the cab and watched the city pass me by. The moonlight shining down almost made a pretty scene. If it weren’t for all of the construction, abandoned buildings and late-night wanderers scattered on the streets, you would have thought New Gardens was a pleasant place to live in.
While I watched the city start to come alive in the only way it could, the sound of the man shifting in his seat next to me distracted me. I turned and watched as John tugged at his sleeves. I couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight of him. His arms bulged so much I thought the fabric was going to tear. His poked-out chest wasn’t helping the integrity of his dress shirt.
“I’m sorry,” I said.
“What are you sorry for?”
“It was a long time ago. I forgot how thin he was.”
I also didn’t realize how significantly more muscular John was compared to the average man. It was hard not to admit it.
His skin was tan with some slight freckles on his high cheekbones as if he’d spent some time in the sun. His forehead continued to glisten with sweat and he wiped it away with the back of his hand. His eyes were brown and his blond hair cropped close to his head.
He was a lot more handsome than the men in this city.
He would have been an ideal date if it weren’t for how poorly his clothes fit on his muscled physique. I guess there was a downside to being in Green Beret shape.
“Some ill-fitting clothes aren’t going to deter me. I can adjust to it.”
He finally stopped fidgeting then turned to me. He looked at me with a polite smile on his face, his teeth not showing. I started to laugh even harder.
“Okay, if we’re gonna make it through tonight, you’re gonna have to help me out,” I said.
“What do you mean?”
“I know that you’re, you know…”
I didn’t want to mention he was a Green Beret with the cab driver possibly eavesdropping.
“…You know… The whole military thing… You gotta relax. Sinful is a fun place. People drink. People dance. People are having a good time.”
“Are you telling me that I’m not capable of having a good time?”
“I’m not saying that. But you need to at least look the part.”
“They’re your clothes.”
“I’m not talking about the clothes. I’m saying you need to loosen up. Look like you’re there to drink and take selfies and network and all of the other crap these socialites do.”
“I get the picture.”
He sank back into his seat. The rigid posture I usually saw was gone. It was strange to see him so relaxed that I blinked a few times to make sure that I saw it right.
“I’m sure you’ll blend right in,” I said.
“I will. I can’t say much about you.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I’m sorry,” he said as he laughed softly to himself. “I just meant that you’re…”
“I’m what?” I said, the smile from laughing no longer on my face.
“Well, you’re a young, blond woman with green eyes. You have your hair done-up. Your skirt is a little high for my taste. And your top…”
“W-what’s wrong with my outfit?” I sputtered.
“It’s somewhat… revealing. I think you’re gonna draw a lot of attention, an attractive woman like you.”
Embarrassment warmed my cheeks. But it was only for a moment. I clenched my jaw and shook my head at him, turning my attention back to the window.
“Trust me,” I said. “Nobody will be looking in my direction. Not with the crowd Sinful has.”
“Hopefully you’re right. The sooner we can get this acc
omplished, the better.”
“What if something happens? What if we have to leave quickly? I told you we should have just taken my car…”
“Your car is a liability. We need to be able to flee as soon as possible.”
“Listen, I don’t have the same military training that you do. I’m sure you know how to climb walls and swing through the sky like Spider-Man. Not me. If something happens—”
“If something happens, you’ll have bigger problems than trying to find a ride.”
He reached forward and put his palm on top of my hand, which was resting on my lap. I looked down in confusion, paralyzed.
“What the hell are you doing?” I said.
“You’re nervous. I can tell.”
“I’m not nervous.”
“Yes, you are. It’s part of my military training. Just relax. I’ll do most of the work. I only need you there in case…”
“In case what?”
“You’re a private investigator. I might need your expertise in locating people of interest in the club.”
“Oh. Good.”
“I also find a woman’s touch is an advantage when dealing with certain types.”
“Are you kidding? I’m a private investigator, not some seductive assassin with poison lipstick.”
“It could be useful if you play a role.”
I smiled sarcastically at him then pulled my hand away from his, turning my attention back to the window.
“I’m a PI,” I sighed to myself. “Not some foreign spy…”
What have I gotten myself into?
It was late in the evening by the time we got close to Sinful.
“Stop right here.”
We were a few blocks away from the club, but I could already tell we were close. There were lines of people beginning to stream for all of the clubs in the area. Giant neon signs lit-up the night sky and cast a shadow over the rest of the city. When I stepped outside of the cab, the loud sound of music thumping through the walls of every club started to annoy me.
John and I walked down the street, doing our best to look like an ordinary pair of people out for a night on the town. I glanced at John and noticed he was noticeably less stiff. He was still drawing attention though. His muscles bulged in his shirt so much the buttons looked like they were going to pop off. From the corner of my eye, I saw some women staring at him. It didn’t help I was about a foot shorter than him, so he looked even taller than he already was.
