Heated (Most Wanted 2)

I saw some of those girls when he pulled into the driveway of a gorgeous mansion, house, manor. I wasn't sure what to call it. I did, however, remember what year it had been built. "Eighteen fifty-six, right? And this is Old Irving Park?"

He glanced sideways at me before he killed the engine. "You did your homework on me."

"I did. But I never imagined this." The place was stunning. Huge and grand, yet somehow still comfortable, it sat on a lot that had to cover at least three acres, maybe more. It was painted an inviting yellow and had a wraparound porch and a lovely portico.

I also hadn't imagined the girls. "Who are they?" I asked of the women who were lying out on the lawn sunbathing, sitting on the porch reading, and even working on a car that was on blocks near the back of the house.

"The residents," he said.

"Come again?"

"Why don't you come inside and I'll explain it to you."

I followed him into the stately place that managed to combine a modern flair while still keeping the feel of centuries past.

"Tyler!" A woman in a bathrobe stood on the massive staircase, her grin wide. She had a trim figure and hair that fell in ringlets. She wore no makeup, and looked one hell of a lot better than I did.

I considered hating her on sight, but decided to withhold judgment.

"Maisie, this is Sloane. She's a new dancer at Destiny."

Maisie's brow furrowed and she looked sharply at Tyler. "I thought you said it was over." Fear filled her voice.

"It is. It's done. It's over. And they aren't going to hurt any of you again. Sloane came to Destiny through the traditional application process. And she's not moving in here."

"Oh." Her tentative smile widened. "Oh, well, that's great. You're going to love it there, really." She glanced back at Tyler. "I didn't say anything wrong, did I?"

"No. Sloane knows everything," he said, looking hard at me.

"Everything," I agreed, wondering what the hell "everything" was.

"Maisie's living here while she attends community college," Tyler explained. "She's hoping to apply for a four year program next year."

"The Tyler Sharp scholarship program," Maisie said with a grin. "Listen, I'm starved. I was just heading toward the kitchen."

"Take these," Tyler said, passing her the donut boxes. But before she went, he asked if she recalled Amy. She did, but didn't know where she'd landed in Vegas. For that matter, none of the girls in the house--eighteen of them--had a clue.

"It was a long shot," Tyler said. "The girls who live in the house are pretty tight. From what I've seen they don't hang out as much with the other girls--like you and Amy--who come in through the front door."

"Is that what I did?" I said wryly.

"Compared to them, yes. But I thought they might have heard something in passing."

"So what am I missing?" I asked. "How did these girls end up at Destiny? What was Maisie afraid of?"

"I'm surprised, Detective. I thought you would have figured it out."

"The trafficking?"

"Got it in one."

I shook my head. "Actually I didn't," I said. "Explain."

"How much do you know about our immunity deal?"

"Very little," I admitted. "Just that it exists."

He nodded. "The situation's complex--lots of years, lots of people. But what it boiled down to was that Evan and Cole and I stumbled onto a white slavery ring. It was big. It was pervasive. And it was very, very dangerous."

I nodded. I hadn't dealt with any interstate prostitution rings, but I knew enough to understand the breadth--and danger--of what he was talking about.

"What did you do?"

"We wanted to shut it down, but that's easier said than done. We started gathering evidence and got it to the Feds--we did it anonymously."

"Why anonymously?" I asked, though I had a feeling I already knew the answer.

"We're private men, with sensitive business operations. We all wanted it stopped, but we didn't see the necessity of putting ourselves under the microscope."

Which, I assumed, meant that they were protecting their own illegitimate enterprises.

"Those tips resulted in the creation of a federal task force."

"The one Angelina's father oversaw."

"Right. And while the task force started working to eliminate the heart of the beast, we did the only two things we could--we continued to gather intel, and we pulled out as many girls as we could."

"Pulled out?"

He nodded. "Their network worked a bit like the Underground Railroad, only taking the girls to slavery rather than out of it. They would move them from location to location, sometimes under false pretenses--telling them they were going to be an actress, a model, something. When we got intel on a girl or group of girls, we slid in. The three of us, some of our security staff, it depended on the situation."

"But didn't that blow the whole operation? They'd know they were made before there was sufficient evidence to convict."

"That's why we couldn't get out all the girls. We had to play it safe. Go in as if we were clients. Or representing some foreign royal who was looking for a mistress. Sometimes we just initiated a car wreck and otherwise made it look like the girls simply escaped. Point is, we were creative."

"And you got the girls. That's wonderful," I said, meaning it.

"Not all of them," he said, his voice heavy.

"You made a difference," I countered, reaching out to brush my hand over his. "And you brought them here?"

"Most. Some had homes, but most were lost already. Runaways, homeless. Wannabe actresses who got sucked into the seamy side of the dream. If they didn't have a place to go home to, we gave them one, and we gave them a job. Dancing if they were able. Waiting tables if they weren't."

"And more," I said. "Maisie said something about a scholarship?"

"She's exaggerating, but yes. If they stay clean and keep their grades up, we help them get an education. And if they need help finding a job, we help them with that, too."

"You three are amazing," I couldn't keep the emotion out of my voice. It felt a little like pride, and a whole lot more like respect. "Thank you for telling me. For bringing me here."

We were standing on the front porch, looking out at the beautiful lawn and the graceful old trees and the women who were making a better life there.

He hesitated before speaking. "It was important to me that you see it."

"Why?" My word was so soft, I feared he couldn't hear it. And I held my breath, waiting for his reply.

"Because I'm proud of it. And because I wanted to share it with you."

He reached for my hand, then twined his fingers in mine.

"Thank you," I said softly, and squeezed.

Behind us, the door banged open. "Tyler! Hey!"

I turned to find a twenty-something girl with a pixie haircut and dancing green eyes.

"Caroline, what are you doing here? I thought you were living on campus these days."

"Yup," she said. "Loving it. But Sunday, right? Maisie and I are gonna take in a movie." She blew a pink bubble and popped it.

He nodded, then turned to me. "Caroline used to live here."

"Loved it, too," Caroline said. "But the dorm is super convenient. So you're looking for Amy?"

She said all of that without taking a breath as far as I could tell. "I am," I said. "Do you know her?"

"Not well, but I'm friends with Darcy, and she and Amy hung."

My stomach twisted with disappointment. "Tyler already talked to Darcy. Amy sent her a postcard from Vegas. I'm trying to figure where in Vegas she landed. A friend's having a baby. I want to make sure she comes back in time."

Caroline shook her head. "Don't know. But the guy with the other job might know."

I met Tyler's eyes. "What other job?" he asked.

"A customer. One of the guys who gets a lap dance every once in a while. Big guy. Handsome, but gray at the temples. He does all the Cokes and stuff."

"Big Charley," Tyler said, then glanced at me. "Vending machine sales, rental, and maintenance. Cole and I contract with him for some of our properties, actually."

"Yeah." Caroline smiled. "That's him. She told me he'd offered her a job. Guess she ended up going with another offer--I figure there was a guy--but maybe she told Big Charley where she was going instead."

"Thanks," I said. "That's really helpful."

She nodded, then glanced at Tyler, her expression turning sad. "Emily and Amy were pretty tight," she said. "They only overlapped for a few weeks, but they totally hit it off."

"I remember," he said.

"Any news?" she asked, before I had a chance to ask where I could find Emily.

"None," Tyler said. He turned to me, his face grave. "Emily's one of ours. She quit a couple of months ago, and then was found dead not long after."

"I'm so sorry."

"What they're saying is bullshit," Caroline said. "Emily wouldn't turn tricks." She turned to me. "The cops said that a john messed her up. Left her for dead."

"You don't believe it?"

"No way."