The Shark (The Forgotten Files 1)

A muscle ticked in Bowman’s jaw. He moved to the motor home and banged on the door with his fist. Both stood in silence, waiting. He reached for the door handle.

“Last I checked, you’re a civilian now,” she said.

The edge of his mouth ticked up. “That’s amusing.”

“I’m police. You’re not. You get shot and it’s my ass.”

“I’m not going to get shot.”

“If you do find anything, it won’t be admissible in court.”

A curtain in the trailer fluttered, and his gaze caught it at the exact moment Riley did. He motioned for her to stand to his left, away from the front door. He banged on the door again with his fist.

She shouted, “Police. Trooper Tatum. I’m here for Darla.”

Silence. Then steady, controlled footsteps. No rush. No worry. She guessed Darla had encountered police enough to see them as an annoyance rather than a real threat.

The doorknob rattled, turned, and the door opened—to Jax. Bowman raised his gun, and Riley held her ground with Cooper alert at her side.

She was struck by Carter’s muscled build. In the woods, he’d been sitting against the tree, but now he loomed tall. A gold-capped incisor matched a thick necklace hanging around his neck. Dark running suit, metallic T-shirt, and expensive athletic shoes—he’d mastered the style of the pimp as if he’d been born to the job. A cigarette dangled from his fingers.

“Jax Carter,” she said. “So you did make bail early.”

“Trooper Tatum.” His grin widened until it swept right and landed on Bowman. Straightening, he sniffed. “Nice of you to pay me a visit.” He lifted up the hem of his pant leg to reveal an ankle bracelet. “As you can see, I’m not going anywhere. Playing by the rules like a good boy.”

“We’re looking for Cassie,” Riley said.

Carter leaned his forearm on the doorframe. The thick scent of body odor mingled with cheap aftershave. “Do I look like a halfway house?”

Bowman didn’t speak, but a controlled ferocity radiated from him, much as it would from a guard dog.

“Is the girl with you?” she asked.

He couldn’t suppress a smile. “I don’t know a Cassie.”

“Darla does.”

Carter held his hands chest level and stepped out of the motor home. “You’d have to ask Darla. I was in lockup until late Friday.”

Bowman shifted. “Where’s Darla?”

Carter sighed, and turning his head slightly, shouted, “Darla, get your ass out here. Police want to have a word.”

Footsteps slightly rocked the motor home before she appeared in the doorway. Greasy dark hair hung around her round face. Thick eye shadow accentuated her wide-set eyes, and smudged lipstick drew attention to full lips. She wore a tank top and faded jeans that hugged full hips.

“Jax, who’s this?”

“This is Trooper Tatum,” Carter said. “She’s looking for you.”

Darla folded her arms. “What do you want, Trooper Tatum?”

“Where’s Cassie?” Riley asked.

“I don’t know a Cassie,” Darla said.

“That’s not what I heard. I know Tony is hunting you,” she said. “He wants his girl back.”

Darla’s muscles tightened, drawing attention to a rose tattoo on her arm. “I don’t know a Cassie.”

“Where’ve you been the last couple of days?” Riley asked.

“Here at the trailer, waiting for my baby,” Darla said.

“You have ID?” Riley asked.

“Yeah, somewhere.” She patted her pockets but only found a half stick of gum. “I don’t know where it is. And I don’t have to give it to you. I know the law.”

Always testing. Riley reached for her phone. “I bet Jax has something in that trailer that’s violating the terms of his bail.”

“I have your ID, baby,” Carter said.

Darla smoothed long fingers over a bruise on her forearm. “You don’t have to show her.”

His grin widened. “We don’t want trouble.”

Cooper was silently watching, but his tension radiated up his tracking line into her arm. Carter handed her the ID, and she studied it. Darla was twenty-three.

Riley held on to the license as she spoke. “I know Kevin Lewis bought Vicky. Who bought Cassie?”

Darla rubbed the underside of her nose with her index finger. “I don’t know Cassie. And girls like her take off all the time.”

“She didn’t take off. You sold her,” Riley said.

Darla’s bloodshot eyes sharpened. “I don’t know anything about that.”

“What did you do with the money the john paid for Cassie? Did you tell Jax about it?”

“Of course I told Jax,” Darla said.

Carter glared at his girlfriend. “Shut your mouth. They’re fishing. They ain’t got nothing on us.”

Darla fingered a gold hoop earring. “This is harassment.”

Bowman was silent, but he didn’t miss a detail. His hand wasn’t on his weapon, but it was close. At Quantico, his draw was one of the fastest.

“Are you gonna arrest us or not?” Carter asked.

“Not,” Riley said as she handed the ID to Darla.

“But we’ll let Tony know that Darla is with you,” Bowman said.

Carter shook his head. “What the hell? Don’t go spreading lies to Tony.”

“The real sharks are swimming on the outside of the tank, aren’t they, Jax? But you already know that,” Bowman said.

“Little fish like you don’t have a chance against the sharks,” Riley said.

“Fuck you,” Carter responded.

Deflecting the comment, Bowman said, “If I were you

, I’d get in that trailer and start driving. In about thirty minutes, this won’t be a safe place for you anymore.”

Darla chewed her bottom lip. “I do know a girl named Cassie, but I didn’t sell her to nobody. She drove off with a guy named Lenny. Tony was cool with it.”

“Tony’s not going to be cool when she doesn’t come back.”

“I don’t know anything about when she’s getting back.”

“What’s his last name?” Riley asked.

“I don’t ask for last names,” Darla said.

“Shut up,” Carter said.

“Why did he want her?” Riley asked.

“The usual, I guess.” Darla shook her head. “Tell Tony he needs to find Lenny.”

“I’ll bet it’s easier for Tony to find you,” Riley said.

Carter cursed, flicking his cigarette to the dirt and crushing it with his boot.

“Did you dye her hair?” Riley asked.

“Yeah. Lenny said he liked dark hair.”

“It ain’t Darla’s fault you got a missing hooker,” Carter said. “And for all you know, she’ll stumble back into town any minute with cash in her pocket.”

Riley reached for her phone and took a picture of the two. “Texting Tony your location now. Nice picture, by the way.”

Carter cursed as he pushed Darla inside and slammed the door. Seconds later the engine roared to life and rumbled from the tired lot.

After they drove off, Riley opened the back door of her SUV and watched as Cooper jumped inside. “Thanks. I wish the trip had been more productive.”

Bowman grimaced. “This case has been full of blind alleys.”

She shook her head. “You sound old when you say it that way.”

“I do feel old right now.”

“How old are you?”

“Thirty-nine.”

“When I get to be your age, I hope I’m more optimistic.”

Her wisecrack coaxed a grin as he slowly shook his head. “Right.”

She shifted to an uncomfortable subject. “When will your people know anything about the video?”

“In a day or two.”

The idea of a whole bunch of strangers watching her like that stoked her shame.

As if reading her thoughts he said, “Remember, we’re private security. We don’t share information.”