took Jilly’s
hand. They climbed down from the cab. She still didn’t know what to make of
Rex.
“I’ll do that,”
Riley said. “But Jilly said some guy told her to come here. He said that you’d
be looking for a ‘good time.’”
Rex shrugged. “Sure,
I like a little whorin’ around as much of the next man. But only with grown
women, for Chrissake, not with little girls. You get this runaway out of here.”
Riley led Jilly
toward her car, feeling more puzzled than ever. Rex seemed like a good-hearted
guy. Still, he liked his “whorin’ around.” Didn’t he understand that every
working girl around here had once been a little girl just like Jilly? The whole
thing didn’t make sense to her.
Riley got Jilly into
her car, then sat down in the driver’s seat and called the local police. She
gave them the license number she’d written down and described the truck.
“I’m at Hank’s Derby
truck stop,” she said. “The driver’s got a teenage girl. She goes by the name
of Trinda. Get here fast before he can take her anywhere. And bust him but good
for child trafficking. Throw the goddamn book at him.”
When the policewoman
on the phone agreed to send someone out, Riley said, “There’s something else I
need to know. I’ve got a juvenile with me, a fourteen-year-old who says she can’t
go home. I need the address for Child Protective Services. Or someone who will
be open right now.”
The policewoman gave
Riley the address of an emergency shelter in downtown Phoenix. “I’ll call and
tell them you’re coming,” she said.
Riley turned to
Jilly, who was looking up at her with a worried expression.
“Fasten your seat
belt,” Riley said. “I’m going to take you to someone who can help you out.”
Jilly fumbled with
the seat belt with hands that were still trembling, and Riley had to help her
latch it. Then she started to drive.
“Where are we
going?” Jilly asked, in a little more than a whisper.
“There are people
who can give you a place to stay. They can even find you a new home if you need
one,” Riley said.
Jilly seemed to be
thinking that over. “I can’t go home anymore,” she finally commented.
Riley asked, “You
said your dad would beat you. What about your mom?”
“She’s not there,”
Jilly said. “She went away years ago. My older brother left, too.”
“So it was just you
and your dad?”
“Yeah,” Jilly
replied. “And he drinks a lot now.”
Riley concentrated
on driving the car, following the automated instructions to the shelter. Beside
her, Jilly sank down on the seat and seemed to be asleep. Riley wondered what
was going to happen to this child now. Would she just run away again? Would she
wind up like Justine someday? Or would she even live that long?
She had to ring the
bell at the emergency shelter doorway, but after a few minutes a voice on the
speaker asked what she wanted. Riley identified herself, and a tired but
sympathetic-looking woman came to the door and let them in.
Jilly was still
holding onto Riley’s hand, so she followed them down a hallway to an office.
She thought the place looked clean enough, and the woman seemed genuinely
interested in the child. Jilly let go of Riley’s hand and sat down in the chair
by the desk. Riley gave the woman her card, and said she’d check in tomorrow.
When she left, Jilly was cooperatively answering questions while the woman typed
on her computer.
When Riley got back
into her car, she realized that she hadn’t found out anything about Nancy
Holbrook’s death. She might have to go back to Hank’s Derby to further
investigate. It all depended on how Bill had fared with his suspect, Calvin
Rabbe. She’d check in with him as soon as she got a chance.
Meanwhile, nausea
over all she’d seen threatened to overwhelm her.
I hope Bill’s got
something, she
thought. I want this case to be over with.
Chapter Fourteen
Bill felt a rush of
anticipation as he neared the gated entrance of Calvin
hand. They climbed down from the cab. She still didn’t know what to make of
Rex.
“I’ll do that,”
Riley said. “But Jilly said some guy told her to come here. He said that you’d
be looking for a ‘good time.’”
Rex shrugged. “Sure,
I like a little whorin’ around as much of the next man. But only with grown
women, for Chrissake, not with little girls. You get this runaway out of here.”
Riley led Jilly
toward her car, feeling more puzzled than ever. Rex seemed like a good-hearted
guy. Still, he liked his “whorin’ around.” Didn’t he understand that every
working girl around here had once been a little girl just like Jilly? The whole
thing didn’t make sense to her.
Riley got Jilly into
her car, then sat down in the driver’s seat and called the local police. She
gave them the license number she’d written down and described the truck.
“I’m at Hank’s Derby
truck stop,” she said. “The driver’s got a teenage girl. She goes by the name
of Trinda. Get here fast before he can take her anywhere. And bust him but good
for child trafficking. Throw the goddamn book at him.”
When the policewoman
on the phone agreed to send someone out, Riley said, “There’s something else I
need to know. I’ve got a juvenile with me, a fourteen-year-old who says she can’t
go home. I need the address for Child Protective Services. Or someone who will
be open right now.”
The policewoman gave
Riley the address of an emergency shelter in downtown Phoenix. “I’ll call and
tell them you’re coming,” she said.
Riley turned to
Jilly, who was looking up at her with a worried expression.
“Fasten your seat
belt,” Riley said. “I’m going to take you to someone who can help you out.”
Jilly fumbled with
the seat belt with hands that were still trembling, and Riley had to help her
latch it. Then she started to drive.
“Where are we
going?” Jilly asked, in a little more than a whisper.
“There are people
who can give you a place to stay. They can even find you a new home if you need
one,” Riley said.
Jilly seemed to be
thinking that over. “I can’t go home anymore,” she finally commented.
Riley asked, “You
said your dad would beat you. What about your mom?”
“She’s not there,”
Jilly said. “She went away years ago. My older brother left, too.”
“So it was just you
and your dad?”
“Yeah,” Jilly
replied. “And he drinks a lot now.”
Riley concentrated
on driving the car, following the automated instructions to the shelter. Beside
her, Jilly sank down on the seat and seemed to be asleep. Riley wondered what
was going to happen to this child now. Would she just run away again? Would she
wind up like Justine someday? Or would she even live that long?
She had to ring the
bell at the emergency shelter doorway, but after a few minutes a voice on the
speaker asked what she wanted. Riley identified herself, and a tired but
sympathetic-looking woman came to the door and let them in.
Jilly was still
holding onto Riley’s hand, so she followed them down a hallway to an office.
She thought the place looked clean enough, and the woman seemed genuinely
interested in the child. Jilly let go of Riley’s hand and sat down in the chair
by the desk. Riley gave the woman her card, and said she’d check in tomorrow.
When she left, Jilly was cooperatively answering questions while the woman typed
on her computer.
When Riley got back
into her car, she realized that she hadn’t found out anything about Nancy
Holbrook’s death. She might have to go back to Hank’s Derby to further
investigate. It all depended on how Bill had fared with his suspect, Calvin
Rabbe. She’d check in with him as soon as she got a chance.
Meanwhile, nausea
over all she’d seen threatened to overwhelm her.
I hope Bill’s got
something, she
thought. I want this case to be over with.
Chapter Fourteen
Bill felt a rush of
anticipation as he neared the gated entrance of Calvin
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