dedicated her life and career to rescuing.
Brinna felt a strong bond, a connection to the pale, battered foreigner. Whether or not the girl would ever feel the connection Brinna now felt didn’t matter. Brinna knew she was bound to do whatever she could to help her and bring the creep who did this to justice.
Finally, still looking down at her hands, the girl spoke in heavily accented English. “Ivana . . . my name is Ivana. Please, where is my sister, Villie?”
21
“Y OU MUST GO to the hospital and find out about her.” Simon paced the warehouse. Magda had convinced him that any conversation about the girl was better held in a private place. In part that was true, but it was also a stall. She’d needed time to think about the situation before making any comment on what she would or wouldn’t do.
He’d waited here at Demitri’s warehouse on the water until she could get away for a late lunch, and from the looks and smell of the place, he’d smoked a case of cigarettes. She had used the intervening hours to think and to make a phone call. Her mind swirled with schemes —how to in some way use this situation to her advantage.
“I will not. I’m sure there are police everywhere. Your mistake must not jeopardize my business or my life.” Hands behind her back, fists clenched, Magda forced herself to stay ramrod stiff. She’d never dare talk to Demitri this way. But Simon must know that he did not have the same power, the same measure of control.
“Magda, Magda, I don’t have to tell you what Demitri is capable of.” He grabbed her shoulders, eyes desperate and pleading. But absent were threats or bullying. Simon seemed to accept that he was here at Magda’s mercy, not the other way around. “Please, it was an accident. I don’t want to die for an accident.”
She held his bloodshot gaze, both pleased and relieved to see that she did have some power here. Part of her did feel for Simon. She knew all too well how Demitri expressed displeasure. Vivid reminders were ugly purple scars that remained on her husband’s back from Demitri’s ordered beating. But another part of her lusted for revenge. This current situation was a chink in Demitri’s armor, a soft spot vulnerable to attack. And Magda would exploit it for all it was worth.
“Calm down. You can’t think straight when your head is swimming with fear.” Magda pushed his hands away. “We need to wait. To determine what the girl says to the authorities and how the authorities react.”
“But we have only six days!” He pounded his fists into his thighs.
“Think, or you will waste all your time groveling in fear.”
Simon sighed and threw his hands up in resignation. “What would you have me think about? My life is over if Demitri finds out about the girl.”
Magda let herself relax. She had the reins now. It was simply a matter of directing Simon where she wanted him to go. “Maybe it is not as bad as you think. First, what exactly can the girl tell the authorities when they ask about where shecame from? Will she be able to lead them back to the house? Does she know your name?”
“I’m not sure.” He rubbed his forehead. “I guess she doesn’t know much.” His eyes brightened ever so slightly. “She was brought to the house in a panel van, kept in the back room. I don’t believe she could tell them how to find it. When she ran, it was raining.”
“Where is this house, this place where you keep the girls?”
“In Hawaiian Gardens. It’s on a dead end, near the river.” He shook his head. “It would have been better for me if that stupid girl had drowned in that water.”
“Look.” This time Magda grabbed Simon’s shoulders. “This is what we will do. You will go back to the house and wait for me to call. I will look into American law. I don’t think this girl can tell the police much. She will simply be a mystery to them. I don’t think they will put her in jail. Maybe in a couple of days it will be
Brinna felt a strong bond, a connection to the pale, battered foreigner. Whether or not the girl would ever feel the connection Brinna now felt didn’t matter. Brinna knew she was bound to do whatever she could to help her and bring the creep who did this to justice.
Finally, still looking down at her hands, the girl spoke in heavily accented English. “Ivana . . . my name is Ivana. Please, where is my sister, Villie?”
21
“Y OU MUST GO to the hospital and find out about her.” Simon paced the warehouse. Magda had convinced him that any conversation about the girl was better held in a private place. In part that was true, but it was also a stall. She’d needed time to think about the situation before making any comment on what she would or wouldn’t do.
He’d waited here at Demitri’s warehouse on the water until she could get away for a late lunch, and from the looks and smell of the place, he’d smoked a case of cigarettes. She had used the intervening hours to think and to make a phone call. Her mind swirled with schemes —how to in some way use this situation to her advantage.
“I will not. I’m sure there are police everywhere. Your mistake must not jeopardize my business or my life.” Hands behind her back, fists clenched, Magda forced herself to stay ramrod stiff. She’d never dare talk to Demitri this way. But Simon must know that he did not have the same power, the same measure of control.
“Magda, Magda, I don’t have to tell you what Demitri is capable of.” He grabbed her shoulders, eyes desperate and pleading. But absent were threats or bullying. Simon seemed to accept that he was here at Magda’s mercy, not the other way around. “Please, it was an accident. I don’t want to die for an accident.”
She held his bloodshot gaze, both pleased and relieved to see that she did have some power here. Part of her did feel for Simon. She knew all too well how Demitri expressed displeasure. Vivid reminders were ugly purple scars that remained on her husband’s back from Demitri’s ordered beating. But another part of her lusted for revenge. This current situation was a chink in Demitri’s armor, a soft spot vulnerable to attack. And Magda would exploit it for all it was worth.
“Calm down. You can’t think straight when your head is swimming with fear.” Magda pushed his hands away. “We need to wait. To determine what the girl says to the authorities and how the authorities react.”
“But we have only six days!” He pounded his fists into his thighs.
“Think, or you will waste all your time groveling in fear.”
Simon sighed and threw his hands up in resignation. “What would you have me think about? My life is over if Demitri finds out about the girl.”
Magda let herself relax. She had the reins now. It was simply a matter of directing Simon where she wanted him to go. “Maybe it is not as bad as you think. First, what exactly can the girl tell the authorities when they ask about where shecame from? Will she be able to lead them back to the house? Does she know your name?”
“I’m not sure.” He rubbed his forehead. “I guess she doesn’t know much.” His eyes brightened ever so slightly. “She was brought to the house in a panel van, kept in the back room. I don’t believe she could tell them how to find it. When she ran, it was raining.”
“Where is this house, this place where you keep the girls?”
“In Hawaiian Gardens. It’s on a dead end, near the river.” He shook his head. “It would have been better for me if that stupid girl had drowned in that water.”
“Look.” This time Magda grabbed Simon’s shoulders. “This is what we will do. You will go back to the house and wait for me to call. I will look into American law. I don’t think this girl can tell the police much. She will simply be a mystery to them. I don’t think they will put her in jail. Maybe in a couple of days it will be
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