Truth or Lies?

by A. Gomez

  “Crap! He was madder than an old wet hen! I sure hope I didn’t make a big mistake here.” I propped my elbow on the arm of my chair and laid my head in my hand. “Ben, I hope I haven’t made a mess of things.” I sat up to look at him. “I think I just threatened your boss. I just hope I haven’t put anyone at risk because of my stubbornness.”

  He was pinching the bridge of his nose, quietly chuckling, “Josh did say you were a wily one.” He placed his elbow on the arm of the chair and rested his chin on his thumb and index finger. I hadn’t noticed that Ben needed a shave. Had I been so consumed in my own world that I hadn’t noticed anyone else? “I was getting nervous for a minute there, you might give me away,” he said, sheepishly.

  “I would never do that to you or Belín, Ben. I really didn’t want to say what I said to Conny either but there’s no way I’m missing this therapy tonight,” I sighed.

  Patti,our newest therapist, walked in, looking dressed to kill. She was an attractive blonde, a platinum blonde with light grey eyes. She was just a little older than me but looked the same age. She was dressed for court but her dressed for court was more of a dinner party look than a business look. She always said this way she was guaranteed to get a date with yet another lawyer, investigator, judge, or what have you. I admired how uninhibited she was and she was never afraid of risk. However, that had gotten her into some messy situations with a few beaus. Ben politely stood up as soon as she walked in.

  She gazed at him with a coquettish smile flirting on her face. “Hello there,” she said, her voice a pitch lower. “Are you one of the agents that has to watch Isabel?”

  “Yes, ma’am, I am. Special Agent Davis—it’s a pleasure to meet you.” He offered his hand so she could shake it. Ben was always the consummate gentleman.

  Patti didn’t take her eyes off of him as she took his hand. “Doctor Patricia Peaches, the pleasure is all mine,” she replied, her body language screaming take me, I’m yours. “Isabel.” She reluctantly took her eyes off of him so she could turn and talk to me, but holding his hand. “Apparently, I’m doing group therapy this week and I’d like to know if you have any information on some of these kids you’d like to share with me?”

  “Don’t worry, I’ll be there with you. You were just misinformed,” I told her.

  “Oh, thank goodness!” She let her head hang, exhaling in relief, “I’ve been subpoenaed and I may have to be in court all day. Which means I won’t have time to prepare for tonight.” She turned her attention back to Ben. She was still holding his hand as she asked, “Will you be with us this evening? I feel safer with you here already.”

  Ben smiled politely, looking at his shoes.

  “I really admire how you put your own safety and life on the line for someone you barely know. It takes a lot of courage and bravery to do that, not to mention a big heart.” Patti was flirting, finally releasing his hand.

  “If you’re quite finished gushing, Patti, Davis and I have some work to do,” I interjected.

  “Work, huh?” she snorted, sounding annoyed. “Or maybe you just want him all to yourself.”

  “Maybe,” I answered, raising my eyebrows at her, smirking. She spun on her heels and walked out, not bothering to say good-bye.

  “I’m sorry, Ben,” I said, regretting my curtness with Patti. “I should’ve let you handle that. I didn’t mean to interfere. I’m getting brilliant at jumping the gun lately.”

  Ben just smiled patiently at me. “Did she say her name was Patricia Peaches?”

  “Yes, Patti Peaches for short,” I said, the sound of her name making me giggle. “I’ve always told her she has the perfect porn star name.”

  Ben started guffawing uncontrollably. His laughter was so loud the receptionist looked up from her desk at us, puzzled. His laugh was tickling me so much I began to laugh with him. Still laughing, Ben walked to the windows that faced the Chicago skyline and opened one set of blinds just enough. He gradually stopped laughing and stood there looking out the windows, probably admiring the view. The sun was starting to peek around some of the buildings and shine into my office. I powered up my computer so I could get my day started. Today would be a lot of paperwork and getting ready for tonight’s therapy. I hadn’t checked emails all weekend so I decided to begin with clearing those out first.

  I glanced at Ben who was still gazing out the window. He didn’t seem to be searching for anything. He looked pensive, staring at the other buildings unseeingly. I hoped I hadn’t offended him with my behavior earlier.

  I leaned back in my chair, looking at his back. “Ben.” My voice was low. “Is everything all right?”

  He didn’t answer right away. “Isabel, I know you and your cousin are very close so I need you to know I would never betray her trust.” His voice seemed tense. “I would never do anything to hurt her.”

  “That has never crossed my mind, Ben,” I answered, feeling a little stunned at his admission. “I’ve always considered you a perfect gentleman and one of the most honest men I know, besides my father.”

  He slightly turned his head. “Thank you, Isabel,” he continued. “It was important for me that you know,” he continued, gazing out the window.

  The Patti situation must have brought this declaration of his to the forefront. “Besides,” I began, “If anyone is going to have a hard time with y’all’s relationship it’s probably going to be you. Good luck with trying to make her stay put in one place, she’s always chasing a story.” I peeked up at him through my eyelashes, waiting for a reaction. “And who knows what kind of trouble she gets herself into wherever she’s at,” I continued, “and then there’s the question, is she getting herself into trouble with someone else? She works with a lot of men who are always propositioning her.”

  He whirled, a look of panic on his face. I winked at him grinning.

  “I knew that would get you,” I said teasingly. “You’re already a very serious and professional person, Ben, but this was a little too serious even for you,” I said. “You have nothing to worry about… Belín is no Patti Peaches,” I added.

  He chuckled lightly, “God bless the man that gets you, Isabel Grace. You absolutely keep people on their toes.”

  I smiled inwardly, remembering my uncle’s words, “the man that loves Isabel Grace will need divine patience.” “Yes, I have heard that before,” I told him.

  Ben moved toward my desk and stood there in silence. We looked at each other, smiling, both nodding our heads. It felt weird. I needed to say something.

  “Yeah…so…I kind of need to get to work here, so…”

  “Sure, sure, I’ll just make a quick run of the floor, make sure everything’s secure. You know, all that good stuff,” he said.

  I nodded, already looking at my emails as Ben left my office. Surprisingly, I didn’t have that many that were related to my cases. Most of them were regarding meetings and minutes on those meetings. I opened the first set of minutes to skim through it and refresh my memory before I filed it. I opened the next set of minutes and skimmed through those, not remembering ever being at that meeting. Was I zoned out at that one? I just couldn’t recall having attended that particular meeting. I looked at who the sender was and it was from someone named Chex at the DA’s office. I began to read it more carefully; maybe it would jog my memory. Nothing in those minutes sounded familiar. I was about to call Pam to let her know I was forwarding the minutes to her, thinking she could’ve been the one at the meeting, when I read the words, “…escaped from a possible sex trafficking operation.” I placed the phone back on its receiver and continued to read:

  “…the girl is sixteen years of age; her name is Alexandra (Alex)…

  Alex was reunited with her parents and sibling…

  Has claimed someone (a man) helped her escape…

  Escaped with another girl by the name of Tori…

  Girls heard of safe haven/group therapy where help may be available to them...”

  I was floored, frozen in my chair readin
g. Who sent this to me? Who was Chex with the DA’s office? Was it a nickname for a new ADA? I checked the date and time it was sent: Monday, today, at five in the morning. That was extremely early for anyone to be at the DA’s office, but very probable.

  I quickly called our receptionist. “Vanessa, please bring me your most updated roster of assistant district attorneys with the DA’s office.” I printed the minutes and email and stapled everything together. Vanessa walked in with a copy of the roster. I frantically started going through three pages worth of names. Nothing. I went through the roster again, slower this time. Still nothing. I decided to call the main number to the DA’s office and see if they knew the answer.

  Virginia, the assistant to the District Attorney, answered the phone. Sounding surprised at my question yet finding it amusing, she laughed but quickly realized I was serious so she transferred me to the child abuse division. I went through the same scenario with that receptionist but only this time she told me two people were there earlier than everyone else today but neither of them were named Chex or had a nickname close to that. She told me she could transfer me to another division.

  I was transferred at least half a dozen times and every time they sounded surprised and laughed but had no information on who Chex may be. Clearly someone out there knew who I was and may be trying to help me and these girls. I was rocking back and forth in my chair re-reading the printed copy while chanting “Chex, Chex, Chex, Chex,” thinking somehow this would help me decipher the clue. Ben walked in and found me talking to myself, chuckling at my quirkiness.

  “Ben,” I handed him the papers I had printed. “Read this. I think this girl may show up tonight.” My phone rang and it was Vanessa calling me about a consult that was needed in the ER. I asked her to transfer it to Patti but she had already left for court. I asked her to send the call to any of the other two doctors and she said I was the only one in the office besides Pam. I pursed my lips and told her to let them know I would be right there.

  I hung up the phone in a huff. “I have to get to ER for a consult,” I said, irritated. “Can you walk and read, Ben, or will you let me go on my own?”

  Ben didn’t answer and just stood up, motioning for me to go out the door first.

  “That’s what I thought,” I stated, half smiling. “By the way, are my mother and Belín still eating? Are they coming up here at all?”

  “I just spoke with Belín and it seems as though your mother has run into an old friend. A Doctor Fitzsimmons?” he said, somewhat asking. “Isn’t he the new hospital president?”

  “Uncle Fitz?” I exclaimed excitedly. “He’s the new president? This is news to me!”

  “Uncle?” Ben eyed me confused.

  I laughed, “Yeah, we call him Uncle Fitz. His name is Patrick Fitzsimmons. My mother and he dated in college and just ended up going their separate ways once he got into medical school and she went off to graduate school. Of course, they’re both married to other people now but have always remained good friends,” I mused. “When my brothers and I were younger we vacationed with them a few times.” I paused, “You think I’m a wily one… whoa! Their oldest daughter was a challenge, to put it mildly.” I shook my head.

  We made it down to the ER, which was surprisingly calm for a Friday, and headed to the nurse’s station to ask who called me down. The nurse handed me a patient’s chart and asked me to give the doctor just a few minutes. I nodded my head and began to read the chart. I noticed Ben scanning the floor like the good FBI agent he was—being very inconspicuous about it, too. I turned to lay the patient’s chart on the counter so I could flip through the pages and noticed David treating two girls that looked a lot like the two girls from Belín’s laptop, Elsa and Inara, the two girls from Kosovo. He noticed me staring in his direction and held up one finger indicating to give him a minute. I nodded and decided to get a closer look.

  “Hey, where are you going?” Ben asked.

  “Ben, is it possible for you to get Belín to come here? If David is treating who I think he’s treating then Belín doesn’t need to go to Dallas.”

  Ben looked puzzled but he did as I asked. “Stay where I can see you, please. If you can see me then most likely I can see you. Got it?”

  “Got it.”

  I walked toward David. He saw me coming and shot me a panicked look. He mouthed the name Ginger and I froze, nodding my head. I headed for the patient charts on the counter by where he was treating the two girls. I looked in Ben’s direction to make sure he could still see me—Belín at his side. I motioned for her to come join me; she might be able to get close enough to see.

  “Belín… Inara and Elsa, I think they’re here and I think David is treating them as we speak.”

  Her expression fluttered. “Are you sure?”

  “No, I’m not, but you can make sure for both of us.” I inclined my head in David’s direction. “They’re behind that curtain with David. I can’t go but you can. Just casually walk by… you’ll be able to see something.”

  I watched her as she walked away in David’s direction, feeling butterflies in my stomach. I looked back to Ben to make sure he was still in view and saw he had the phone to his ear.

  “Isabel, Isabel.” Dr. Rick Somer was calling my name, jolting me back to the present. “Thank you for waiting for me. Did the nurse give you the girl’s chart?”

  I glanced down at the counter to make sure I still had the chart. “Yes, I have it right here,” and then I saw it. In the stack of patient charts there was one with the name Elsa on it. I gulped. Could it be the same Elsa that’s being seen right now? Feeling so distracted I was only able to catch half of what Dr. Somer just told me. I nodded politely, wanting him to hurry and leave so I could take the chart.

  “Maybe you can get her to go to your group therapy sessions,” he said. “She’s with the police right now shaking uncontrollably. I’m going back there to give her something to calm her down. If it really is a sex ring operation then she’s going to need a lot of help, and not just from the authorities. Especially if what she’s saying is true.”

  I looked up with a jerk. “What is she saying?”

  “Something about the boy she thought was her boyfriend forced her into this. It all sounds very fantastic.” He continued, “I did a rape kit on her and ordered some blood work. I should have those results by the end of today. If I get more information I’ll let you know.”

  “Thank you,” I replied. “Rick, by any chance do you happen to know who those two girls are that David is seeing right now?”

  He peeked around the curtain to see who I was asking about. “Yeah, they come here quite often. Well, not the two girls but the woman they’re with brings different girls in here a lot. She says she runs a non-profit that helps girls get the medical attention they need.”

  “And the girls?” I asked. “Have they been here with that woman before?”

  “I think they were here last week. This may be a follow up to that. Is there a reason why you’re asking?”

  “I’ve just been getting called for so many consults lately I’m having a hard time keeping track, especially since they all happen to be girls around the same age,” I lied.

  Dr. Somer seemed to be satisfied with my response and just nodded. He thanked me again and I told him I’d be in touch if I had any questions for him. Belín came back looking wild-eyed. Her expression spoke volumes. I didn’t have to ask to know what she was about to tell me.

  “Isa, it’s Elsa and Inara for sure. They’re with an older Caucasian woman and a very large Asian man. I got the impression that the nurse with David knows the woman.” She frowned. “They were hugging and talking about getting together this week, but something seemed very off about their exchange.”

  “Did anyone notice you?”

  “No, no one. I made sure of it,” she promised. “I also pretended to take a selfie so I could get a picture of the man and the woman.”

  “What a great idea! Good thinking.” I gave her a fist bump
. The nurse was gone from where I was standing so I looked around and laid the chart I had gotten from Doctor Somer on the counter. Very discretely, I slid Elsa’s chart on top of it and took them both.

  20

  I was looking at Ben as we were walking back and something caught my eye. It was a tall Asian man with a ballcap walking toward the ER. He was right behind Ben. My eyes were wide with concern, scanning the man’s arms and any other exposed body part for any signs of a tattoo.

  The man and I locked eyes for a split second but he didn’t seem to know who I was. He passed us, stopping at the nurse’s station, asking several questions. She directed him toward the curtain where David was treating Elsa and Inara. My heart skipped a beat. Please don’t go in there, please don’t go in there, I started chanting to myself. I exhaled, relieved to see the man found his wife and son, kissing both of them.

  “You two look super tense,” observed Ben. “I gather you have some important information to share with me?”

  “We’ll fill you in on everything as soon as I’m finished with this consult,” I answered, my voice low. “Ben, I think it would be a good idea if you came with me on this one. I think this will be more of an interview rather than a consult.”

  Ben looked at me surprised, saying, “Sure, lead the way.” He turned to Belín, asking her to meet us in my office with my mother. He was in the middle of his sentence when he began to trail off, staring at a man that just walked past us toward David and Ginger. I looked in the direction of his gaze and my heart started racing. It was one of the Asian men that was at the courthouse with the defendant.

  I looked down and turned my back to him, hoping he didn’t see either Belín or me.

  “Isabel, I just saw a Triad tattoo on that man. Can you please tell me if you recognize him?”

  “Yes, sir. That guy was with the defendant at the courthouse,” I answered, grabbing Belín’s arm, turning her away from the man.

  “It’s too late for that, Isabel.” Ben’s eyes blaze with anger. “His eyes flashed to your cousin as soon as I saw him. He thinks she’s you.”