Page 38 of Delivering David

“Yeah,” Suzanne admitted. “It’s been almost five days since he vanished and there’s no sign or word about him. Those PSA’s are still running, so you think someone would have heard or seen something by now. Unless he’s de–”

“Stop,” Kristopher ordered. “We’re not going there again.” Despite his best efforts to help her put aside her guilt over everything that had happened, he could see she was still troubled.

They sat at the wide computer desk in the Safehouse office, searching the Internet for talk of events using young children. Even using Tor and the Invisible Internet Project to hover around the dark web, they’d found nothing, and Kristopher was unwilling to venture too far into that territory without identities that would guard their safety.

“If Griff Tyler were here, he’d be able to infiltrate them,” Kristopher told Suzanne. “He has a handful of identities he uses to go to chatrooms to learn stuff.”

“Glad he’s on our side,” Suzanne said. “Should we contact him?”

“I already did,” Kristopher told her. “If there’s something about to happen in Knoxville involving kids, he’ll find it. And about David,” Kristopher said, pushing the mouse aside. “I’ll bet someone is hiding him, keeping him safe. You know him. What do you think?”

“That he’s missing his mom,” Suzanne replied. “And he wants to come home.”

“Hey,” Bailey called, pushing open the door. “You guys should really keep your phones with you instead of leaving them on the dining room table.”

They exchanged glances, searched their pockets and issued a collective sigh. “Okay,” Kristopher said. “Guilty as charged, but we’ve been doing research. What’s up?”

“Grant Miller has been blowing up mine. Otherwise, I’d never know he needed to talk with us, and I mean like right now.”

“I wonder if that man ever sleeps,” Suzanne said. “He’s been on this case almost non-stop since it started. Wait! Is it about David? Has he been found?”

“Not yet, but it’s almost as good,” Bailey said. As disappointment covered her face, he added quickly, “But he’s found someone who says she knows something about all this mess. Or at least he thinks that’s what it is.”

“Does he need us to meet him at the precinct?” Kristopher started to stand but Bailey waved him back into his chair.

“Dude, I’ve got you beat and in spades,” Bailey boasted. “I went after them while you two were doing your research. They’re waiting in our smaller office even as we speak.”

“Damn, Bailey. That’s great!” Kristopher praised.

“Does BP allow people other than the police to come to the safehouse?” Suzanne asked. “Wouldn’t bringing someone else here compromise your secrecy

“Hey, she’s good,” Bailey praised.

“I’ve had some good teachers,” she said modestly, and the men laughed.

“But we better hurry,” Bailey urged. “The lady ain’t too happy.”

“And why is that?” Kristopher asked. “Did your Southern charm fail you?”

Bailey just laughed. “Come and see.

In the small office, they found Miller waiting at the table with a short blond woman wearing a blindfold and a definite pout.

“Can you take off the f’ing blindfold now?” she complained. “You know I’m not a talker, Miller. And you said you’d help me get out of town if I helped.”

“The less you know where you are, Mandy, the better,” Miller carefully removed the blindfold and put it aside. “Everyone, this is Mandy, and she may know something that will help us.”

He quickly introduced them, and they all sat. Mandy’s very short skirt, low-cut top and stilettos screamed ‘working girl’. Suzanne stared in fascination at the little woman who had to be almost her own age, but with heavy make-up it was hard to tell.

“Mandy hears all kinds of things in her work,” Miller began.

“But I don’t snitch,” Mandy insisted. “At least not on the other girls. Only if there’s a heist going down or someone moving drugs. Drugs killed my little sister, so I don’t play that game. But this?” She shuddered and a look of disgust spread over her face. “This is about using little kids. I’m not standing for that crap.”

For a minute, her amber-hued gaze inspected the room and then them. Bailey sat at the head of the table and Kristopher and Suzanne were across from her. Grant stood behind Mandy’s chair. “Nice place,” she said. “You guys own it?”

“Our company does,” Kristopher said. “We’re in the personal protection business. What have you heard, Miss Mandy?”

Her eyes glittered with interest. “Personal protection? You mean like those TV shows,The Enforcer andLeverage?”

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