their wheels. Then things started to escalate after 1997. The feds started to believe that they were into all kinds of shit—drugs, prostitution, slavery. And they’re vicious—they make the Italians look like a bunch of Campfire Girls. They don’t have a code.… Women and children are fair game. They don’t have “families” and “bosses” like the Cosa Nostra. So they’ve been harder to pin down. I am guessing that now the feds have something on Sasa and they don’t want it fucked up, even at the expense of a little girl’s life.”
Jeffrey knew better than anyone that the FBI could be like a dog with a bone—it was part of the reason he’d left the Bureau. When it came to an end result, they worried more about media scandal than they did about human casualties, more about making the collar at any cost.
“I’m sure we can expect a visit sometime soon,” said Jeffrey.
“I’ll bet you’re right. And I have a few questions for them, too,” Lydia responded. She paused a second and then leaned toward Detective Ignacio. “If we’re going to help you find Tatiana, Detective, you’re going to have to be honest with us from this point forward. No more surprises.”
Jeffrey didn’t say anything, but his cool expression and folded hands said he wasn’t happy about anything that was going on.
“You have my word,” the detective said, raising his hands and giving a little laugh. Jeffrey thought he looked too relieved, as if he’d gotten away with something.
“What’s he into, Manny?” said Jeffrey.
“Who? Sasa?” he asked.
Jeffrey just looked at him.
“I don’t know for sure,” he said. “A prostitution thing, you know, pimping, I’d imagine.”
Lydia noticed the blush creeping back up from his collar. Jeffrey shook his head. “No, that’s not big enough for all of this intrigue,” he said.
“Listen, I really don’t know for sure,” he said earnestly. He paused a second, as if trying to figure out how to say it. “But I heard that it involves films.” He sounded as if the words tasted bitter on his tongue. “Bad stuff. You know, bondage porn that ends with murder.”
“You’re talking about snuff films?” asked Lydia, incredulous.
The detective nodded. His answer hung in the air between them, the implications expanding in each of their minds. Lydia’s mind went back to the letter she’d received: “And you must help Tatiana Quinn and all the other girls who are in need of rescue. There are too many who are already past helping.”
“And even with this knowledge, you were able to convince yourself that there was no connection between Sasa Fitore and the fact that a young girl is missing?” asked Lydia, trying and failing to keep the judgment out of her voice.
His face darkened a bit. “Like I said, I’ve been warned to step off. I have to follow the rules here or I’ll lose my career. I’m not a free agent like the two of you. I lose my job and my kid doesn’t go to college, my wife doesn’t get medication for her diabetes. Do you understand that?”
She did understand. She understood that this was the reason he’d been so happy to have their help, because they were going to be able to follow leads that he couldn’t, take the kind of risks that he wasn’t willing or able to take for Tatiana.
“Do you think that whoever killed Valentina did it because she knew something and someone didn’t want her to talk? Or could it have been a message to Sasa?”
“I don’t know,” said the detective. “I just don’t know.”
“It’s a pretty big coincidence that Valentina got hit just a couple of hours after we took that tape and note to Jenna Quinn,” observed Jeffrey.
Lydia nodded, taking the information in and wondering if they had gotten Valentina killed. And if so, what did that tell them about Jenna Quinn?
“What about the bartender?” asked Lydia, remembering the errand Manny and Jeff had been on when Valentina was killed.
“When we walked in
Jeffrey knew better than anyone that the FBI could be like a dog with a bone—it was part of the reason he’d left the Bureau. When it came to an end result, they worried more about media scandal than they did about human casualties, more about making the collar at any cost.
“I’m sure we can expect a visit sometime soon,” said Jeffrey.
“I’ll bet you’re right. And I have a few questions for them, too,” Lydia responded. She paused a second and then leaned toward Detective Ignacio. “If we’re going to help you find Tatiana, Detective, you’re going to have to be honest with us from this point forward. No more surprises.”
Jeffrey didn’t say anything, but his cool expression and folded hands said he wasn’t happy about anything that was going on.
“You have my word,” the detective said, raising his hands and giving a little laugh. Jeffrey thought he looked too relieved, as if he’d gotten away with something.
“What’s he into, Manny?” said Jeffrey.
“Who? Sasa?” he asked.
Jeffrey just looked at him.
“I don’t know for sure,” he said. “A prostitution thing, you know, pimping, I’d imagine.”
Lydia noticed the blush creeping back up from his collar. Jeffrey shook his head. “No, that’s not big enough for all of this intrigue,” he said.
“Listen, I really don’t know for sure,” he said earnestly. He paused a second, as if trying to figure out how to say it. “But I heard that it involves films.” He sounded as if the words tasted bitter on his tongue. “Bad stuff. You know, bondage porn that ends with murder.”
“You’re talking about snuff films?” asked Lydia, incredulous.
The detective nodded. His answer hung in the air between them, the implications expanding in each of their minds. Lydia’s mind went back to the letter she’d received: “And you must help Tatiana Quinn and all the other girls who are in need of rescue. There are too many who are already past helping.”
“And even with this knowledge, you were able to convince yourself that there was no connection between Sasa Fitore and the fact that a young girl is missing?” asked Lydia, trying and failing to keep the judgment out of her voice.
His face darkened a bit. “Like I said, I’ve been warned to step off. I have to follow the rules here or I’ll lose my career. I’m not a free agent like the two of you. I lose my job and my kid doesn’t go to college, my wife doesn’t get medication for her diabetes. Do you understand that?”
She did understand. She understood that this was the reason he’d been so happy to have their help, because they were going to be able to follow leads that he couldn’t, take the kind of risks that he wasn’t willing or able to take for Tatiana.
“Do you think that whoever killed Valentina did it because she knew something and someone didn’t want her to talk? Or could it have been a message to Sasa?”
“I don’t know,” said the detective. “I just don’t know.”
“It’s a pretty big coincidence that Valentina got hit just a couple of hours after we took that tape and note to Jenna Quinn,” observed Jeffrey.
Lydia nodded, taking the information in and wondering if they had gotten Valentina killed. And if so, what did that tell them about Jenna Quinn?
“What about the bartender?” asked Lydia, remembering the errand Manny and Jeff had been on when Valentina was killed.
“When we walked in
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