Page 46 of Diagnosis Attraction

Sabrina nodded. “Yes.”

“But why is this happening in Baltimore?”

“Some of the girls had relatives in the city. That’s why they came here. We talked about this area, and I knew the partof the city where people from my country lived. I found this neighborhood. I was starving on the street, and Wendy helped me.” She gave Elizabeth a pleading look. “I need to hide out from the man who is in charge of this shameful business. And I need to get the other girls out of that house.”

Elizabeth was shuddering as she came back to the present. Tears leaked from her eyes as she looked down at Matt.

He rolled to his side, cradling her against himself. “You were investigating the smuggling ring.”

“Yes.”

“And it led you to Derek Lang.”

“Yes. Sabrina had picked up his name at the bordello.”

“Why didn’t you turn him over to the cops?”

“Because I went to a fancy reception where he was. I saw him with a man high up in the police department, and I knew he was paying the guy off to look the other way. I was afraid that if I just turned him in, I’d end up dead.”

“Which looks like it was the plan, anyway.”

“Obviously, Lang found out I was poking into his business. I was staying in a motel room near home while I figured out what to do.” She made a low sound. “I left some of my stuff there.”

“Like what?”

“Clothing. Toilet articles.” She thought for a moment. “I guess nothing that would help them find me now.”

“Right.”

“When you didn’t come back, the management probably went in and cleared it out.

“Did they save it, do you think?”

“Is there something important in your stuff?”

She laughed. “I did have some money.”

“We’ll have to think about whether it’s worth trying to retrieve it—and paying your back rent.”

“If we explain that I lost my memory, maybe they’ll be … charitable.”

“Maybe, but we’ve got more important issues.”

“Yes. Like my crashing my car.” She shook her head. “It’s not my car. Susan, one of my coworkers, lent it to me because she was going out of the country and wouldn’t need it.”

“When this is over, we’ll figure out what to do about that.”

“I suddenly remember a lot more stuff.”

“Good.”

She gave him a direct look. “Well, it’s not exactly coming at a convenient time. I mean, I want to explore what I know about myself, but we can’t while we’re stuck in this mess.”

“You remember something specific that you think is important?”

“Yes. You said your mother went to a fertility clinic in Houma, Louisiana.”

“Yes.”

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