“We’ve confirmed that the man we arrested, Dan Silva, is working for the Black Knights. He finally talked when we cut him a deal. I do have something you can’t print yet. I will share with you only because I don’t want you to start asking around about the Black Knights and get yourself into a dangerous situation.” He pointed a stern finger at me. “I mean it, Maggie. No article until I give you the nod, and no asking your source on the street anything. You would only put your source in danger too. Are we clear?”
“Crystal,” I said, salivating to hear the rest. I wouldn’t betray Ted’s confidence.
He rested back in his chair. “We now know Miguel Rivera is the pimp of all pimps and that he’s the leader of the Black Knights. He finds runaway girls, homeless girls, and girls prostituting themselves, and cleans them up, takes care of them, promises them a life of riches, and then sells them to the highest bidder. I’ve got men out now looking for Miguel as we speak.”
“Can you tie him to Nadine’s murder?”
“Not yet. But that brings up another problem. She was found a mile from the shelter, which means you and her were followed last night, which is another reason I’m sharing some of the facts with you. I want you to stay at my house.”
He wasn’t ordering me, and even if he were, I could take care of myself. “Thanks, but I’ll watch my back. I’m at the paper most of the time anyway, and I’m helping Dillon follow up on a hot lead about his sister. The one you gave me on Skins and Needles panned out. The girl you saw that day was Grace Hart.”
He popped forward. “No shit?”
“We don’t know much yet except she was at that tattoo shop six months ago. She might hang out at some bar called the Crow.”
“It’s closed for renovations right now,” Ted said. “They had a small fire a few weeks back.”
Dillon wasn’t going to be happy about that.
Nevertheless, I sifted through my brain for other questions he might be able to answer or information he could give me for my story. “What did you find in the house?” I remembered the urgency of his team wanting him to see something in the house.
He averted his gaze to the envelope on his desk. “A dead girl.”
My blood became ice. I wanted revenge not only on Cory but on all those jerks like Cory.
Ted picked up the envelope. “We’ve contacted Nadine’s family, but we haven’t told them about her being the victim of a gang that is involved in sex trafficking yet. We will when we have all the facts. So you’re clear to use her name in print, but nothing about the gangs.”
So all I had for a story was her name, which wasn’t much.
“And the other girl?”
“We haven’t been able to contact her next of kin.”
“She didn’t resemble Grace Hart, by chance? Brown hair, tattoo on her neck of a hummingbird?”Please say no.
He pinched his chin. “Blond girl and no tats.”
I release a quiet sigh. “I would like to talk to Nadine’s family. I won’t say anything about the gang or her pimp. I just want to learn more about her.” A good story involved getting at the hearts of people.
“I’ll send you their info. I want to talk to you about something else.”
I eyed the envelope that he was guarding heavily. “Please don’t start with Dillon. I’m not dating him. We’re friends, nothing more.”
Relief washed over his face. “Speaking of Dillon, he lied too. He was protecting you, wasn’t he?”
I shrugged. “Please don’t give him a hard time. I told him not to tell you. It was my job to do that.”
I couldn’t tell if admiration passed over him or something else. But Dillon became a memory when he lifted his chin. “I know you’re adamant about not knowing who your parents are, but I’ve found your mother.”
My head jerked back then bounced forward. I could’ve sworn someone had slapped me across the face. I could almost feel the sting.
He held up the envelope. “If you want to know, her address is in here.”
I stood up and shook off the coldness running through my veins. “I don’t.”
He pushed to his feet and skirted his desk. “What are you afraid of?” His breath smelled like an ashtray.
Everything.“That I’ll punch her and end up in jail.” I swished the saliva around in my mouth. “She dumped me at a fire station when I was a baby.”
