Dulce

She sounds alert now, and I can tell she’s attempting to follow my train of thought, even though I’m not sure myself where it’s going.

“Too much of something raises suspicions and has the potential to attract outside agencies but—”

“A handful of suicides, a dozen or so runaways, and the others not appearing to have attended school here at all don’t show any clear signs of something sinister going on,” she finishes.

“Exactly.”

“You think the suicides were staged to draw attention away from the trafficking?”

Something Hunter said to me has the hair on my arms standing on end.

“No, I think there were no suicides to begin with. Fuck. How long would it take you to get a few graves exhumed for me?”

“Legally, a million years. But if you don’t need it to be admissible in court, then I can get them done in the next day or two.”

“Do it. I’ll text you the details. And find out if contact was made with the girls who returned home. I want visual proof, current visual proof, like with today’s date or witnessed by one of you.”

“Dulce, you’re implying that parents and local authorities are involved in this?”

“Sounds crazy, I know, and right now, it’s more of a gut feeling than anything else. I want to be wrong more than anything else in the world.”

“But you don’t think you are, do you?”

“No, Reese, I don’t.”

“Fuck. I’ll call the others and see who is around to help. Don’t worry, I’ve got you. Anything else?”

“Yeah, run the name Luka Garin. We ran Luke Gavin, and he came back clean, but I have reason to believe they are one and the same. Dig deep. Get our best hackers on it. I want to know what his mother’s favorite color is and how long his dad’s dick is. I want everything on him.”

“Think he’s our man?”

“Yeah, I just don’t know if he’s the only one. So, as much as I’d like to remove his head from his shoulders, I can’t. Not without seeing if I can get him to talk first.”

I don’t mention Dmitri’s possible involvement. I refuse to believe he’s involved in this without actual proof.

“Well, this I am set up for. Call it my graduation present from me to you.”

I laugh. “I already graduated, remember?”

“Yeah, but I didn’t know you then, so take the gift it’s intended to be, you ungrateful witch.”

I roll my eyes, still grinning.

“Okay. Tell me, oh awesome one, what’s my gift?”

“Texting you the coordinates now. Take your boy there. It’s off the grid, so nobody will be able to find you there.” My phone dings with the incoming text.

“Color me intrigued. Okay, I’ve gotta go. I’ll call you after I’m done, but it will be a while. Something tells me Luke won’t be as easy to break as I’m hoping.”

“Call me if you need me.”

“I will, and thanks, Reese. God, I miss you.”

“Back at ya, little Miss Sunshine.”

She hangs up before I can say anything else. I blow out a breath and consider my next move.

Ironically, I think the easiest route is to follow Luke’s game plan, at least for now. After all, why go out and bait a trap when I already have one set up?

Rummaging in Cassandra’s closet, I select a pair of black yoga pants and a plain black zip-up hooded jacket.

Unfortunately, there isn’t a wig in sight, but I do find a black knitted skull cap in a box on the floor with a handful of scarves and a few belts.

I slide the black pants on under my skirt and slip the jacket over my T-shirt before zipping it up to my neck. The skull cap goes on next. I tuck my hair inside it and look at myself in the mirror.

I look utterly ridiculous with my skirt still on, but at least my skin is completely covered, and I don’t want to leave anything behind.

With that done, I fire off a text to Scott, telling him I’d gotten lucky and left for the night. If I told him I was sick, he might come check on me, and that’s the last thing I need right now.

I look at my watch and purse my lips. I’ll probably have quite a wait. But I’m still uncomfortable leaving, in case this all plays out before I can get back. I’m going to need more than borrowed clothes to pull this off. Like a borrowed car and some muscle.

Am I really going to do this?

Fuck.

I pull out my cell phone and dial before second-guessing myself. I place it against my ear, and when the call is picked up, I speak without offering a greeting, getting straight to the point.

“I need help.”