Butterball was not a good patient. The nurses’s disgust at his shenanigans was obvious. As Nik and Maya entered the room and they were leaving, the smaller girl muttered, “Stay back. The brute has the brains of a flea and the manners of a horny dog. They should put handcuffs on both of his arms.”
Maya approached him first and saw what they meant when his hard fingers encircled her wrist to pull her down. Wrenching away, she did a reverse move on him and in seconds had his arm twisted backwards in a painful hold.
“You want to play, asshole? Keep it up and I’ll let Agent Foster at you again. I see the bruises haven’t healed from your last dance with him.”
“What the fuck do you two want here? I have nothing to say to either of you schmucks.”
Sensing his withdrawal, Maya dropped his arm and wiped her hands on her pant legs. “You might change your mind once I tell you that Officer Fred Stoles died from a bullet shot from your gun. That means murder one, Bubba. And Louisiana still believes in capital punishment. You know, the death penalty: uncomfortable chair with leather straps, lethal injections – the whole package. And you a cop killer.” Maya grinned at Nik without a hint of real amusement. “What do you think, Agent Foster? How much mercy you figure the judge and jury are going to show Bubba here?”
“I heard Officer Stoles had two small children, and his wife is pregnant with the third. That little woman’s going to get a whole lot of sympathy. Personally, I figure Bubba here is cooked meat.”
“My take, also. You’re going to need a miracle, Mr. Jones, and that’s what I’ve come to offer. A miracle. You interested?”
“Hell yeah! Are you talking a reduced sentence?”
“Life, yes. But not death.”
“What do you want to know?”
Realizing the weasel had no allegiance to his boss or the boys in his gang, Maya’s glee fought a battle with disgust. Hadn’t the man ever heard of honor amongst thieves? Before he could change his mind and lawyer up, she went straight to the point. “We need to find out which container Bard was going to pick up last night. The terminal and, if possible, the number on the box.”
Bubba’s expression became belligerent. “How the fuck would I know that?”
“You were there.”
“Because Birdy called us and said he was being followed. The boss warned us he needed that Oriental squeeze for some customers he’d lined up. And that other dude, trying to save his girlfriend, had a date with the swamp. As far as any containers, I got nothing.”
Misery blanketing his face gave the whole story; Maya instinctively knew that he was telling the truth. If the asshole had something,
anything
, he’d spill his guts to save his hide.
“Do you happen to know if Smith ever has pick-ups at any other terminals? Like the Port of South Louisiana?”
“Sure. We get cargo from everywhere. Some comes by rail, but most of it by ship. He sends the trucks every few days to get the pick-ups.”
“They must have some of the employees at the terminal on their payroll.”
Bubba looked at her like she was daft. “Well, of course.”
“So they make pick-ups at night?”
“Sometimes. But only for the special freight.”
“By special freight, you mean the girls.”
“Yeah. Except that I heard the boss on the phone with his brother. They were arguing. Moe wanted the deliveries to continue, but Lee said they weren’t sending more girls until things calmed down. The boss is pissed with the amount of interference there’s been lately.”
“So the container coming in now was to be the last for a while?”
“I guess. But I don’t know nothing about its arrival time or where it’ll land.”
“Then you’re no help to us.” Maya straightened from where she’d been leaning against the bed’s railing and turned to leave.
“But I’ll still get my deal, right? I’ve got a lot of shit to share about the Mosleys. You’ll want to hear it all.”
“When the time comes, let’s hope it leads to a conviction. Who knows, the District Attorney may be in a good mood.”
“Mai? It is you, I wasn’t sure. You look different with your hair pinned up.” Maya, rushing from the elevator, caught up with the pretty Oriental girl who lingered by the hospital’s front door.
“Hello, Agent Barnes, Agent Foster. How are you today?”
“Just peachy. And please call us by our first names. I’m Maya, and this is my partner, Max. More important, how are you?”
“Thank you, Maya. I’d be delighted. And I am better.”
“Did the doctors discharge you already?”
“Yes. They have nothing to keep me here for. I just hesitate to step outside in case those creeps are watching the building. It hasn’t been safe on the streets of New Orleans for me.”
Nik spoke up. “I know, Julian told me about them picking you up last night. That must have been terrifying.”
Mai looked at Nik, confusion covering her pretty face. “Julian? I’m afraid I don’t understand. I don’t know anyone called Julian.”
Nik’s antennae bristled and he talked slower. “Julian Freed, the blond man who was with you in the truck.”
“Oh, you mean Justin. Yes, he’s been wonderful. I’m going to meet him now.”
Maya’s intuition kicked in. She understood that Nik was onto something and wanted to help. “Sweetie, let us drive you to where you need to go. That way we’ll all be happy. Nik and I will know you’re safe, and you can relax and tell us all about where you’re from.”
“I’d be happy to accept a ride with you. Thank you.” Mai’s face brightened and her nervousness faded.
Maya stepped in front of the girl as a precaution before exiting the building. She’d caught Nik’s beam of approval and sensed he would have spoken if she hadn’t. It was nice to be so in tune with her bogus partner.
Soon, with Nik at the wheel and Maya sitting in the back with Mai, they were driving along according to her instructions. “I’m sorry I don’t know the house number, just the street.”
“That’s fine, sweetie. We’ll get you close and you can point out the house. Now tell us what happened last night.”
“I was going to meet with Justin. I’d just found out from a friend in my village that another girl had been taken. Solada’s very young, only thirteen. She’s delicate also. I’m very worried about her. I know how difficult the journey in the container from Singapore was—the girls fighting, the lack of food and water, it was dreadful—a nightmare.”
“I’m sorry you had to go through something so horrible, Mai. Since you’re rather petite, I’m sure you were one of the girls who suffered more.”
“No, I was lucky to have a guardian angel who protected me.”
Thinking she meant the words figuratively, Maya patted her hand. “I’m glad.” She smiled at the girl and saw her fingering a locket. A hunch made her hesitate. She caught Nik’s glance in the mirror and knew he’d picked up on it too. “Who was your defender, Mai?”
“Her name was Tina, actually Christine. She was my savior. Never once did she let the others steal from me or hurt me. And there were many terrible battles; fear drove the others crazy. But Tina kept me safe with her and we shared our portions with each other. I loved her. When the men came to take us away, she managed to run and hide from them. She promised to get help for us. I’m so sorry she had to die the way she did.” Tears filled Mai’s eyes and she quickly swiped at them with her fist.
Maya spoke softly. “She was very brave and she left us a message about you. We’ve been searching for you because of what she wrote.”
Eyes glowing, Mai nodded. “Justin told me.”
“He told you she was locked inside one of the containers?”
“Yes. I wish she would have stayed with us. She’d be free now. Turn here, Nik. The house is just before next corner.”
Maya glanced around her and a niggling feeling grabbed hold. The houses looked familiar and she knew the next street very well.
Nik pulled over to the curb and got out of the car. He opened the back door and helped first Maya and then Mai out before looking around. His head swiveled to Maya and his eyes questioned.
Mai noticed the tension. “Is there something wrong?”
Maya answered. “Max’s mother lives near here.”
What the…?
When Mai led them up the familiar stairs of Nellie’s house, a swarm of questions rattled Nik’s brain. How could his mother be involved with the kidnapped teens? He glanced along the street at the neighboring double-gallery homes, modest constructions built in the 1850s, the intricate balconies filled with greenery, vines and blooms. His mother’s house had struck a chord deep within and he’d researched its history.
Mai rang the doorbell again and they waited.
Finally, Nellie appeared, smiles lighting her face until she saw Mai. Then a wary expression settled. “Nik… son, I must give you a key so you don’t have to ring the doorbell. Please, come in.”
Nellie’s arms were open and, without knowing how it happened, he walked into them to get his hug.
Son!
Somehow that small word started a glow inside that he wanted to hide and cherish, even from Maya.
Christ,
y
ou’re a needy bastard
.
Once the greetings with Maya and Nik were finished, Nellie turned to Mai. “Hello child. I’m sorry I couldn’t pick you up from the hospital. We have a crisis today and I couldn’t leave the phones.”
“Nellie, I think—”
Nellie rounded on him and slapped his arm lightly. “You will call me Mom, Maman, Mother, or—heaven forbid—even Ma, but you will not call me Nellie. Understood?”
Feeling sheepish, Nik found himself grinning like an idiot. “Okay, Mommy dearest, are you up to answering all the questions that Maya is dying to ask?”
Laughing, Nellie said. “Not until I get the coffee organized. “Justin, you might as well come out now. I believe the gig is up.” Nellie turned to Nik and Maya. “You know him as Juli or Julian.”
Julian! Justin? What the…?
Nik couldn’t seem to bring himself to even think cuss words when he was near to his mother. Somehow, it seemed wrong but he sure as f*** wanted answers.
As they followed Nellie to the cooler dining room, Maya gave Nik a secretive wink and slid her hand into his for a few seconds. She sensed his anxiety and he loved her for her perception. They took their seats around a large oval table that resembled one most often seen in a boardroom. In fact, the whole set-up seemed strangely like one might find in an elite office building.
The door to the right opened and Julian appeared, looking like a refreshed replica of the man Nik had seen that morning. This dude didn’t sway his hips or wave his hands; rather he looked ordinary, wearing clothes even Nik would choose. He took a seat across from Nik and leaned back in his chair, totally relaxed. “Mina’s bringing the coffee.”
Nellie noticed the questioning looks and added. “Mina’s my housekeeper. I’ve had her since my sister, Vi, passed on. She gives me the time and freedom to do my real work as CEO of Harkins Security.”
Maya recognized the name from having lived in New Orleans for so many years, but Nik was lost. “You run a company? Your own company? Max never said anything.”
The smell of hot coffee and biscuits permeated the air seconds before big, beautiful, black Mina arrived with the tray. Both Nik and Justin jumped up to help and ended up with a tug of war that Nik won. Justin backed off with a chuckle. “All yours, sugar.”
Nik faked a growl, placed the tray in front of his mom and resumed his seat. “About this company that
even
my brother doesn’t seem to be aware of…?”
Nellie assumed a sly look and had trouble meeting his gaze. “Max never really understood how involved I had become over the last few years. Don’t get that look, Nik. He was busy building his own career with the FBI. And…he had enough sense to know I didn’t need to be babysat like some old bat with no brains. He respected my independence.” Nellie slid the tray to Mai. “Could you pass the coffee around, Mai honey? Thanks.”
“So noted.” Nik smiled gently. “Sorry. Continue.”
“When my brother-in-law, Ed, died, he’d left a real mess. The lazy ass didn’t like working though his father had left him a well-run organization. His managers were robbing him blind and Vi couldn’t have cared less. All she wanted was to lie around, watch her soap operas and eat bonbons.” Nellie spat out the last words, disgust ringing clearly in the dry tone she used. “Someone had to step in. One of the younger men in the company, a smart, honest, hard-worker who knew what was going on—”
“Don’t forget good-looking.” Justin bowed.
“Ugly as sin smart-ass came to me and showed me proof of what was happening to the business. So I made a deal with my sister.”
“Blackmailed her, you mean.” Justin laughed. “Thank goodness.”
Nik looked from one to the other and sensed a camaraderie he’d had with some of his own men. His respect and liking for the blond stalker grew.
Sheepishly, Nellie agreed. “She got to keep her lifestyle and I got the company. She signed it over to me lock, stock, and barrel. Her only dictate was that I had to stay home and look after her. Which, as you know, I did. Turned out she did me a great favor. Once I’d learned how to use the computers—had a private tutor for months—I set up an office here in Ed’s old bedroom and ran the company with Justin’s help. But it’s grown so large now, I’m getting lost.”
Did her voice weaken on purpose? Nik could have sworn a pathetic tone became noticeable. He glanced at Justin and saw him lower his head to hide a grin. “I need someone who I respect, a strong
man
to take over. With Max out of the picture…”
Now Nik’s antennae really picked up signals. Did she know about Max? It didn’t seem so important now to keep Max’s secret, but Nik respected that it wasn’t his to share. He kept his mouth shut.
Maya had sat quietly throughout the tale, but she now leaned forward in her chair and spoke to Nellie. “You’re the person who’s been helping the freed girls?”
“Yes. We’ve arranged passage for them, getting them back to their people.”
“Juli… Justin was working for you. How did he know about the Pink Pussycat?”
“Sometimes Max and I would talk about his cases.”
More ‘n likely, Nellie would probe and Max would share.
Nik knew it. He glanced at Justin and saw that he’d picked up on Nik’s comprehension. The miniscule nod was enough for Nik to know he’d hit on something.
“Max had mentioned that he thought there was a link to Smith & Sons because their employees often hung out at the joint. Justin followed up that information by appearing there, dancing and talking to their girls. It paid off.”
“But how did you know that Smith & Sons were the culprits?”
“Because Max’s snitch worked for us. He did pass out the night he saw Max get beaten up. But not because he’d taken bad drugs like he told the cops. The bastards clobbered him after he tried to stop them beating up Max. Stupid idiots hadn’t searched him so the files he’d had to pass on were still intact.”
“
You
were passing on information to help in our case?”
“Yes. We were running a parallel investigation, hoping to stop those shipments. We had a client whose niece had been one of the girls taken hostage: Christine Ramos, the girl who died. They were willing to pay us to continue searching, which we would have done anyway. The thought of what they planned for those poor babies sickens me. I was prepared to do anything to stop it from happening.”
Maya assumed a thoughtful expression that Nik noticed immediately.
“A while back, there was a club full of young, foreign prostitutes that had recently been raided, the girls were released and then disappeared…”
“The ones you believed had been taken by a rival gang?”
“Those’re the ones.”
“Yes, they’ve all been returned to their families.”
“And you didn’t see the need to go through legal channels like the FBI?”
“And suffer all that red tape you guys are so fond of?”
Obviously not willing to push buttons that couldn’t be undone, Maya switched to another topic. “Do you know where Max is?”
Nellie’s face underwent a complete transformation. “No. That’s the one piece in the puzzle that has eluded me so far. With all of my resources, I haven’t been able to find my own son.”
Seeing his mother’s pain, Nik knew she wasn’t aware that Max was alive and well. She believed him missing and most likely dead.
His conscience tugged away, almost forcing him to breach Max’s confidence. But at the last minute, he hung back. He’d have to get his brother’s permission first.
Max had known that Nellie would be frightened and saddened, and yet he hadn’t bothered to let her know he’d survived. Why that was, Nik didn’t know. Could be that at the beginning, he’d been in such poor shape; he had no awareness of anything. Once so much time had passed, he might have wanted to protect Linda and thought the fewer people who knew he was alive, the less it was likely that any of Smith’s people would find out.
It made a crazy kind of sense, but he’d still have a long talk with his twin next time he saw him.