Her Silent Spring

by Melinda Woodhall

  Veronica fell into step beside Nessa as she headed west toward the Riverwalk. The sun was directly in front of them, still high in the sky, and Nessa squinted against the glare, thinking wistfully of the sunglasses she’d left back on her desk.

  “I just got a message from Misty Bradshaw. She thinks someone’s been following her, and she’s pretty sure the guy must be one of Amber Sloan’s goons.”

  Bristling at the reporter’s accusatory tone, Nessa was tempted to shoot back a defensive reply, but when she looked over at Veronica, the strain on the young woman’s face stopped her.

  “I know you’re worried, but we’ve got Amber Sloan under surveillance, and we’re doing everything we can to make sure she won’t be able to bother Misty or anyone else.”

  The crosswalk in front of them turned red, and Veronica stopped and spun toward Nessa.

  “I’d say Amber did a lot more than just bother Misty,” Veronica said, her indignant outburst causing the pedestrians around them to look over in surprise.

  “Keep it down, Veronica,” Nessa muttered. “I shouldn’t even be talking to you about an open investigation.”

  As the crosswalk light turned green, the people beside them streamed across the street, but Veronica stood still on the sidewalk.

  “So, there is an active investigation?” she asked. “You are going to hold Amber Sloan accountable for what she’s done?”

  Dropping her eyes, Nessa realized she was no longer hungry.

  “Yes, we have opened an investigation, and we’re still looking into the claims,” Nessa said slowly, fighting back a wave of guilt. “But I can’t guarantee Amber Sloan will be charged with any crime.”

  A tense silence fell over them as they faced each other. Veronica studied Nessa with wounded eyes, as if she’d been betrayed.

  “I brought my source to you, assuring her that you were trustworthy,” she said in a raw voice. “Now she’s being followed and threatened, and you won’t tell me what’s happening? And Amber Sloan is still on the street, free to continue preying on the young women in this community?”

  Nessa lifted a hand in protest, but Veronica wasn’t finished

  “Maybe you can sleep at night knowing Amber’s out there, but I can’t.” Veronica swallowed hard. “Not when Misty Bradshaw’s out there, too, scared for her life.”

  Turning away, Veronica began to walk back the way they’d come, her head down, her stride no longer full of energetic anger. Nessa watched her go, feeling as if she’d just failed an important test.

  She’d never felt good about offering Amber Sloan immunity, but now she was starting to think they’d made a terrible mistake.

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  The cheese and pickle sandwich had been abandoned, half eaten on Nessa’s desk, when Peyton knocked on the doorframe and stuck her head into the office. Vanzinger’s red crew cut was visible in the hall behind her.

  “You wanted to see us, Chief?”

  Sliding the remains of her lunch into the trash, Nessa wiped her mouth with the last clean napkin and waved Peyton and Vanzinger toward the chairs across from her.

  “I received a complaint about Amber Sloan.”

  Peyton frowned, but she didn’t look particularly surprised.

  “Okay, what is it this time?”

  “Misty Bradshaw thinks Amber has someone following her.”

  It was Vanzinger’s turn to frown. He leaned forward, propping his elbows on the desk.

  “Has Misty been threatened? Did the guy do anything to imply Amber was the one who’d sent him?”

  “I’m not sure,” Nessa admitted, “which is why I need you two to go talk to Misty and Amber. Find out what’s going on.”

  Opening a file on her desk, Nessa scanned the agreement Amber had signed, hoping to find a loophole, or a way out. But the immunity deal was fairly straight forward. Unless they proved Amber wasn’t fulfilling her part of the bargain, she would remain a free woman.

  “Has Amber been able to provide us with any useful information about her supposed contact?” Nessa asked. “Anything actionable?”

  “She’s given us some details about a user on the darknet message board that Diablo used to set up some of his shipments,” Vanzinger said. “She doesn’t know it, but the task force has infiltrated the board and has been monitoring the activity. So far, her information has been corroborated by what we’ve found.”

  Nessa raised her eyebrows.

  “So, you think she really can deliver one of the key players in the trafficking network?”

  The detectives in front of her looked at each other, then nodded.

  “She said this guy goes by the username Mack, and that he’s from Kentucky,” Vanzinger said. “The cybercrime guys have verified there is in fact a user on the message board who goes by the username Mack, and they’ve been able to trace him back to an ISP in Kentucky.”

  Surprised that Amber’s intel seemed to be legitimate, Nessa felt her interest rising.

  “And Amber’s setting up a meeting with this guy?”

  Peyton nodded.

  “Amber claims she’s going to schedule a pick-up that will allow the task force to catch this guy Mack in the act.”

  “But why does Amber need to be involved?”

  Distrust surged through Nessa at the thought of her team’s safety resting in Amber Sloan’s hands.

  “Why can’t we just use the ISP to track down the guy?

  Vanzinger shrugged his thick shoulders.’

  “Riley doubts we’ll get a judge to force the ISP in Kentucky to provide details,” he explained, looking as unhappy as Nessa was feeling. “Not on the word of one informant and not without direct evidence of a specific crime.”

  Something in his words triggered her memory. Charlie said she was going to a little town in Kentucky.

  “You said the ISP was in Kentucky. Did they say which town?”

  “Yep, they said the guy was probably connecting from some little town in the middle of nowhere,” Peyton said, checking her notes. “I’d never heard of it.”

  Cocking her head, Nessa tried to recall Charlie’s words.

  “This little town, is it called Sky Lake?”

  Chapter Sixteen

  The chief spoke just as Peyton found the name of the town listed in her folder. One of the ISPs that the task force was tracking was located in Sky Lake, Kentucky. She looked up at Nessa, her amber eyes wide, then looked back at the folder.

  “Yes, that’s it. How did you know?”

  “Operation Stolen Angels isn’t the only federal task force investigating the town,” Nessa said, shaking her head. “Special Agent Charlie Day is heading there now as part of the Donovan Locke investigation.”

  Unfamiliar with the specifics of the Locke investigation, Peyton stared at Nessa, trying to imagine the possible connections.

  “Did Agent Day say what she was looking for?” Vanzinger asked, his face revealing his surprise. “Did she say how the town is connected to Locke?”

  “No, but I was able to see in the files that it’s Donovan Locke’s hometown. He grew up there, so maybe it’s just a routine trip.”

  The police chief’s tone suggested she doubted that was the case.

  “But, I’m thinking you’d better update Agent Marlowe and the rest of the task force. We don’t want the two investigations to be stepping on each other’s toes.”

  As Peyton and Vanzinger stood to leave, Nessa raised a hand to stop them.

  “Make sure you talk to Misty and Amber today. That’s a priority.”

  “You got it, Chief,” Peyton agreed. “We’ll take care of it.”

  But as she followed Vanzinger’s broad back down the hall toward the briefing room, Peyton continued to stew on the connection between the serial killer Donovan Locke and the man Amber Sloan knew only as Mack.

  If they were from the same town, and they were involved in the same dirty business, they might be cut from the same cloth.

  This guy Mack may be more dangerous than Amb
er’s led us to believe.

  Marlowe was sitting with one of his agents going through a pile of paperwork when they entered the briefing room. He didn’t look up until Vanzinger pulled out a chair and lowered his big frame right next to him.

  “Yes, Detective Vanzinger? Do you have something for me?”

  “Not sure if you’re aware, but it seems that the special response team investigating Donovan Locke’s ranch in Montana has taken a sudden interest in his hometown.”

  Vanzinger paused to let his words sink in.

  “We just found out that the agent in charge, Special Agent Charlie Day, is heading to Sky Lake, Kentucky as we speak. What we don’t know yet, is why.”

  The detective had Marlowe’s full attention. He pushed back his chair and faced Vanzinger, a frown creasing his stony brow.

  “I suspected the investigations would overlap,” Marlowe said slowly, “after all, Locke had been dealing with the Diablo Syndicate. But I didn’t realize Agent Day had been assigned to the case.”

  He turned to Peyton, his eyes suddenly keen and bright with interest. She had the fleeting thought that it was the first time the senior FBI agent had reacted to the case with any visible emotion, other than impatience.

  “I think it’s time I talked to Agent Day. If she’s tracked Locke’s connections back to Sky Lake, we may be on to the same perp.”

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  Peyton and Vanzinger left Marlowe to follow up with Charlie Day as they drove out to Amber Sloan’s apartment. Their Dodge Charger had just turned into Fox Hollow Apartments when they saw a teenage girl jump out of a sleek SUV and scurry across the lot.

  “She’s not going where I think she’s going, is she?” Peyton asked Vanzinger as they watched the SUV pull away, its driver hidden behind the darkly tinted windows.

  But the girl headed straight for Apartment 124. By the time she knocked on Amber’s door, Peyton and Vanzinger had gotten out of their car and were charging up behind her.

  Amber opened the door, her face filling first with shock, and then with anger, as she saw the detectives standing behind her guest.

  “Are you guys checking up on me?” she hissed, ignoring the panicked girl in front of her. “Are you spying on me?”

  “Just what is going on here?” Peyton demanded.

  She recognized the girl. It was one of the girls she’d seen at the park with Amber. The one who still had braces.

  “Who was in that SUV?” Peyton demanded.

  Recoiling at the question, the girl hesitated, then darted past her, running along the edge of the building before slipping around the corner.

  “Nice job,” Amber muttered. “You always this good with kids?”

  “You’ve been warned about dealing drugs or recruiting girls to work for you.” Peyton said, incensed by the woman’s flippant response. “If you violate those terms, the immunity deal will automatically be canceled, and you’ll be prosecuted.”

  Amber pushed her frizzy bangs off her forehead and rolled her eyes, as if Peyton was being overly dramatic.

  “The poor girl lives in the neighborhood. She was just trying to sell some girl scout cookies.”

  “You think it’s funny?” Vanzinger asked, his hands balling into big fists at his side. “Does it amuse you to screw up some kid’s life?”

  Crossing skinny arms over her chest, Amber sighed.

  “You both need to take a chill pill. I’m doing nothing wrong.”

  “That’s not what I’ve heard,” Peyton said, then stopped herself from saying anything more.

  But Amber’s bored expression had turned into a suspicious frown.

  “What have you heard?” she asked, her eyes narrowing with anger. “Who’s been talking about me? I have a right to know.”

  A chill settled over Peyton at the thought of Amber finding out that Misty had been the one who had turned her in, and who had even filed a written report.

  “It doesn’t matter,” Vanzinger said before Peyton could reply. “All you need to remember is to stay away from any minors, any drugs, and anyone associated with your past lifestyle.”

  “If I see young girls hanging around here again, I’ll tear up that agreement myself,” Peyton added. “You’ve been warned.”

  Walking back to the Charger, Peyton looked around to see if the girl with braces was anywhere in sight, but she was gone.

  They pulled back into traffic and headed for Hope House, determined to see Misty, and to make sure she was okay. If their visit to Amber had proven anything, it was that Misty’s fears were justified, and that she needed to stay well away from Amber Sloan.

  But when Peyton asked for Misty at Hope House, the receptionist told her the girl was no longer a resident.

  “She left a few days ago,” the receptionist said. “I believe our staff was able to find her a place nearby.”

  “Can you give us her new address?” Peyton asked, her concern growing. “We really need to talk to her.”

  The receptionist shook her head.

  “Sorry, I don’t have that information.”

  Turning toward Vanzinger in dismay, Peyton felt a surge of panic, but her partner wasn’t ready to give up. He leaned forward and flashed a wide smile at the woman behind the counter.

  “I bet a pretty lady like you could find that address if you wanted to.” He used a deep, smooth voice that earned a cringe from Peyton. “You’d be doing us a really big favor.”

  To Peyton’s surprise, the woman returned Vanzinger’s smile, then lowered her voice.

  “I really don’t know her address,” the woman said. “But Misty’s scheduled to attend an NA meeting here tomorrow morning. If you want to see her, you could try back then.”

  Deciding that was their best and only option, Peyton followed Vanzinger outside, suddenly tired and discouraged.

  She checked her messages, and felt her spirits lift when she saw Frankie’s missed call. But listening to his voicemail, a growing sense of unease took over.

  “Hey, Peyton, call me when you get a chance. I’m headed back to Kentucky tomorrow, and it’d be nice to see you before I go.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Barker hesitated by the door, then turned back to Frankie. His anxious expression revealed his misgivings about the plan they’d agreed to with Hunter and Veronica. Frankie would travel back with them to Sky Lake when Skylar went to meet her grandfather, then stay on for a few days to investigate . Barker would stay in town to continue working on the case for Willow Bay General Hospital.

  It had all been settled, but Barker’s big, puppy dog eyes still seemed unsure as he paused, one hand on the doorknob.

  “Stop stressing about it, man. I’ll be on my best behavior,” Frankie groaned, drawing an imaginary X over his thin chest. “Cross my heart and hope to die, stick a-”

  “Okay, I get the idea, I’m going,” Barker said, shaking his head. “There’s just something about that town I don’t like.”

  Frankie wasn’t sure if he should be insulted or touched that Barker was always worrying about him.

  “Go on, get out of here.” Frankie kicked his feet up onto his desk. “Reggie’s going to be pissed if you’re late again.”

  Relieved to see the door finally close behind his partner, Frankie pulled out his phone, determined to try Peyton’s number one more time. Although Frankie didn’t share Barker’s dislike for Sky Lake, he didn’t want to go back to the little town without seeing Peyton first.

  The door swung open again before he could tap on Peyton’s number. Thinking Barker had returned, Frankie screwed his face into a scowl, ready to give the older man a piece of his mind.

  I’m not sone dumb amateur, I’m the senior partner in this firm, and…

  The angry words died on his lips as he saw Peyton’s dark cap of hair and big amber eyes appear in the doorway.

  “Good, you’re still here,” she said, stepping into the room. “I was worried you’d leave town again before I had a chance to see you.”

  Drop
ping his phone on the desk, Frankie swung his feet to the ground and stood, trying to play it cool. But he couldn’t keep a goofy grin from spreading over his face.

  “I was just going to call you. Thought we could grab some dinner.”

  “Sounds good,” Peyton agreed, circling the desk to stand beside him. “I haven’t eaten all day, I’m starving.”

  But the happy gleam in her eyes dimmed when she saw the print-out on Frankie’s desk. Following her gaze, he scooped up the travel itinerary, folded it, and stuck it into his back pocket.

  “Sky Lake Regional?” Peyton asked, biting her lip. “What’s taking you up there again?”

  “Just a missing person’s case,” Frankie murmured, hating that he had to keep secrets from her. It felt almost like lying.

  But he and Barker had agreed not to tell anyone about Skylar, or her connection to Veronica Lee and Donovan Locke. Of course, Peyton wasn’t just anyone. She had helped save Veronica’s life and had been part of the team that had rescued Ling Lee.

  Veronica won’t mind if I tell Peyton that she has a half-sister, will she?

  Deciding it was best to keep his mouth closed, at least for the time being, Frankie found himself asking the question that had been bugging him for days.

  “By the way, what’s up with Amber Sloan? Why were you questioning her the other day?”

  Peyton blinked in surprise.

  “We were checking into a complaint, but she’s been released already,” she replied. “Why? How do you know her?”

  “Amber’s been involved in the drug scene for years.”

  At Peyton’s raised eyebrows, Frankie clarified.

  “I mean, I don’t know her personally, but I have friends who say she’s bad news. From what I hear that chick is into some seriously messed up stuff.”

  Before he could elaborate, Peyton’s phone buzzed in her pocket. Her face fell as she saw the incoming number.

  “Sorry, I’ve got to take this.”

  Sinking back into his chair, Frankie tried to look busy on his computer while Peyton answered the call.

  “Mrs. Epstein, is everything okay? Is the fever back?”