“Anna was there today. I couldn’t call it in with her in the building,” I repeat.
“And we still don’t know why she hasn’t told him about the cops watching that place. If he knew, he’d have moved that shit out by now.”
I nod. I’d been thinking the same thing. She sounded like she needed desperately to build trust with him. “Maybe she was hoping he’d get caught?”
“She knows he would have walked out of the police station within a day. We need to be careful that she isn’t siding with him. Maybe she’s falling for him?”
I ball my fists. “That makes no sense. She would have told him about the cops to save his ass. I don’t know what’s going on there. Maybe she’s scared. He’d want to know how she knew, so maybe it just wasn’t worth telling him.”
I go to my office and pick up the phone. I have the mayor on speed dial. “I’ve been waiting to hear from you,” he snaps.
“Things were complicated. I’m going to text you the address of the warehouse. There are women inside packing the drugs. It’s at the back of the warehouse. You have to hit it tonight because during the day there’s a whole workforce packaging toys. Too many innocents.”
“Did you get your kid back?” he asks.
“Yeah.”
“We have someone inside,” he says quietly. “Living in the house.”
My body goes on alert. “What?”
“I spoke with the Chief of Police yesterday. She’s been undercover for a few months, but things are getting worse. She’s not sure if she can stick it out. I’m meeting the chief tomorrow, so I’ll get more information then, but we’re hoping to get to him this way. It’s the first time we’ve ever managed to infiltrate into his life.”
“My ex is there,” I blurt out. “In the house. She mentioned another woman.”
“Well, if you have contact with her, don’t tell her about this. You can’t blow the officer’s cover. We’ll hit the warehouse tonight.”
He disconnects the call and I quickly send him the address. I begin to feel hope. Maybe we can end Reggie, breaking down his businesses one by one until he has nothing.
I sleep in the chair by Michelle’s bed. She’s improving hour by hour, and when I wake in the morning, she’s staring at me. “Why am I here?” she asks coldly.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” I ask, my voice croaky from sleep. “I found you unconscious being fucked by some man who had teeth missing. There were three more waiting for a turn.”
“So what?” she snaps. “It was my choice.”
“It was the drug’s choice,” I mutter. “Get clean. If you want to go back to that kind of thing after, then that’s your choice, but right now, the drugs are controlling you.”
“I saw Anna. She’s always by his side, ya know. Everyone says they’re together again.”
“Stop,” I snap. “You’re lucky I haven’t put a bullet in you. Do you realize what you did? I had to give up the docks to get my kid back. The kid you took out when I told you not to leave this place. You could have gotten him killed as well as yourself.”
“You may as well put a bullet in me. Bringing me back here is like torture.”
“Ziggy can’t sleep. The doctor has to medicate him, and he lays with me or Frankie all night. He’s hardly speaking. I could strangle you,” I hiss. “And you wake up from your drug-filled fucking and you don’t even ask me how he is? Did you even think about him at all?”
“Of course, I did,” she mutters.
“Until they gave you a hit!” I state angrily. “You’re staying in this room until you’re clean. Cold turkey,” I say, and she cries out. “That’s the punishment for what you did. I hope every day hurts. Then when you’re well again, I’m sending you to Scotland. I want you far away from me and Ziggy, where you can’t hurt us anymore.”
“Scotland?” she screeches.
“Yes. I have a friend there waiting with a room to rent and a job. You will get your life sorted.”
“Riggs to the damn rescue,” she mutters.
“Call me a fucking saint.” I sigh, then I leave, locking her in the room.
My cell rings and I head for the office as I answer.
“Riggs?” It’s Anna and I sigh in relief.
“You okay?” I ask.
“I just called to find out if Ziggy is okay.”
I smile. She’s putting herself in danger to call me and ask about Ziggy when his own mother doesn’t give a crap. “He’s okay. A little traumatised, as you can imagine.”
“Good. I’m so glad. Reggie’s real mad,” she whispers. “He just found out about the club. Was that you?” Cree’s doubt haunts my brain and I withhold my answer.
“Are you okay?” I repeat.
“Yes. Please be careful. He’s screaming into his cell in his office. I don’t know what he’ll do next.”
“Tell me about the woman you mentioned before,” I say.
“Crystal?” she asks. “She met Reggie and fell in love. She said before I came home, he was good to her. Now, he’s awful. He abuses her, hits her, makes her serve me food.”
“Anna, can I trust you?”
“Of course, you can,” she cries. “Why are you asking me that?”
I push Cree’s doubts to one side. “That woman is an undercover cop,” I say. Anna falls silent. “Are you there?”
“Yes. She’s a cop? What the hell?”
“You can’t fuck up and blow her cover. It’s very important, Anna.”
“But he’s raping her. He’s doing awful things to her. Why doesn’t she leave or get her boss to get her out?”
“They need something on him. You have to help her. Tell her whatever you know. The quicker you help her, the quicker you can get away.”
“I have a towel,” she says. “I kept it because it has DNA on it. He beat a man . . . ” She pauses. “Marshall something.”
“Ankers? Is he dead?” That would explain why I haven’t heard from him.
“I
