warning look. She didn’t get this far in the department to put up with asshole comments about her looks. Not even from her boss, a man who wasn’t exactly known for his sensitivity to women.
She knew he was right about the evidence, but she also knew in her gut Ditto had lied. The Suburban had been in the area that night. There had to be a connection. But any connection between Ditto and Ruiz’s disappearance was up for grabs. What he didn’t understand was that the girls looked out for each other. They noticed things that seemed unusual. Three of them had spotted the vehicle that night and told her about it. Sure, their sixth sense wariness wasn’t something that would stand up in court. But Wendy believed them.
Sometimes the law sucked.
And there was the bigger issue. About a year ago she noticed girls missing. Not that it was unusual. Working girls disappeared all the time, especially with it being a high-risk trade. Some simply left town. Others got busted. Others dropped out for myriad reasons. But she knew of three who vanished without any reason. Since then she’d been keeping track. Who knew how many had vanished before then?
“What up, girl?” calls Wendy as she approaches a tall black woman in the parking lot of a convenience store.
“Nothing. That’s the problem. Business been down.”
Wendy pulls a pack of Kools out of her purse, offers her one. “You seen Tanisha round?”
The girl takes a cigarette. “Not really.” She scans the lot. “Got a light too?” Her small purse is so thin it can barely hold the condoms.
Wendy holds her Bic flame up to it. “When the last time you seen her?”
The girl shrugs, checks out the occupants of a car pulling up to the front of the store. “Three weeks ago, maybe. Why you so interested in Tanisha?”
“Ain’t seen her neither,” Wendy says. “Gives me worry.”
“True that.”
That conversation took place six months ago. She suspected another Green River Killer might be working the area. She’d started nosing around, asking questions. Some of the other girls had noticed the same thing, but no one kept track or wanted to discuss it. But they silently shared the same fear of a serial killer. Every one of them knew the stories of the sickos who preyed on prostitutes. It heightened the girls’ vigilanceand their communication network. Several started passing on information to Wendy. So, yes, it wasn’t her only case. But no one, including Redwing, seemed to give a shit about Ruiz.
“Because I care about her.” She resented having to explain this.
“Just as long as it doesn’t interfere with your job. Don’t forget you got other cases to work.”
She was being dismissed. “Not a problem. But, sir?”
“Yes?” He looked up from his desk, eyebrows raised, like big surprise she was still there.
“Make sure I continue to get a copy of every missing persons report that comes through.” She intended to keep an eye out for any of the other street girls she knew.
8
H ARBOR V IEW I NTERNATIONAL , H ONG K ONG
U NLIKE SOME OF THE party hearty Japanese and Korean neurosurgeons Lucas had met over the years, these guys weren’t into slamming down whiskey until the wee hours of the morning, so when dinner wound down the group disbanded. Fine with him. The sooner he could get back to his room and try to reach Andy again, the better.
Wong dropped him off at the hotel with a handshake and a thank-you for being their guest speaker and doing the demonstration and wished him a safe flight home.
His room was typical for that level of hotel, a long and narrow space divided into closet, bathroom, and bedroom. Two single beds separated by a console built into a common headboard and a desk with a wall mirror that doubled as a dressing table. Two tall windowpanes angled outward to form a bay window, providing an almost 180-degree view of the harbor.
But Lucas wasn’t interested in the view. Instead, he sat in the chair by the window and dialed
She knew he was right about the evidence, but she also knew in her gut Ditto had lied. The Suburban had been in the area that night. There had to be a connection. But any connection between Ditto and Ruiz’s disappearance was up for grabs. What he didn’t understand was that the girls looked out for each other. They noticed things that seemed unusual. Three of them had spotted the vehicle that night and told her about it. Sure, their sixth sense wariness wasn’t something that would stand up in court. But Wendy believed them.
Sometimes the law sucked.
And there was the bigger issue. About a year ago she noticed girls missing. Not that it was unusual. Working girls disappeared all the time, especially with it being a high-risk trade. Some simply left town. Others got busted. Others dropped out for myriad reasons. But she knew of three who vanished without any reason. Since then she’d been keeping track. Who knew how many had vanished before then?
“What up, girl?” calls Wendy as she approaches a tall black woman in the parking lot of a convenience store.
“Nothing. That’s the problem. Business been down.”
Wendy pulls a pack of Kools out of her purse, offers her one. “You seen Tanisha round?”
The girl takes a cigarette. “Not really.” She scans the lot. “Got a light too?” Her small purse is so thin it can barely hold the condoms.
Wendy holds her Bic flame up to it. “When the last time you seen her?”
The girl shrugs, checks out the occupants of a car pulling up to the front of the store. “Three weeks ago, maybe. Why you so interested in Tanisha?”
“Ain’t seen her neither,” Wendy says. “Gives me worry.”
“True that.”
That conversation took place six months ago. She suspected another Green River Killer might be working the area. She’d started nosing around, asking questions. Some of the other girls had noticed the same thing, but no one kept track or wanted to discuss it. But they silently shared the same fear of a serial killer. Every one of them knew the stories of the sickos who preyed on prostitutes. It heightened the girls’ vigilanceand their communication network. Several started passing on information to Wendy. So, yes, it wasn’t her only case. But no one, including Redwing, seemed to give a shit about Ruiz.
“Because I care about her.” She resented having to explain this.
“Just as long as it doesn’t interfere with your job. Don’t forget you got other cases to work.”
She was being dismissed. “Not a problem. But, sir?”
“Yes?” He looked up from his desk, eyebrows raised, like big surprise she was still there.
“Make sure I continue to get a copy of every missing persons report that comes through.” She intended to keep an eye out for any of the other street girls she knew.
8
H ARBOR V IEW I NTERNATIONAL , H ONG K ONG
U NLIKE SOME OF THE party hearty Japanese and Korean neurosurgeons Lucas had met over the years, these guys weren’t into slamming down whiskey until the wee hours of the morning, so when dinner wound down the group disbanded. Fine with him. The sooner he could get back to his room and try to reach Andy again, the better.
Wong dropped him off at the hotel with a handshake and a thank-you for being their guest speaker and doing the demonstration and wished him a safe flight home.
His room was typical for that level of hotel, a long and narrow space divided into closet, bathroom, and bedroom. Two single beds separated by a console built into a common headboard and a desk with a wall mirror that doubled as a dressing table. Two tall windowpanes angled outward to form a bay window, providing an almost 180-degree view of the harbor.
But Lucas wasn’t interested in the view. Instead, he sat in the chair by the window and dialed
Similar Books
