Page 62 of Deadly Avarice
Disappointing but not unexpected. “Do you know what he was doing that Lucas didn’t like?”
Billy’s already pale skin turned ashen. “He was sellin’ people. Not to other countries.” Billy’s nose wrinkled with thought. “Not like traffickin’ and shit like that. It was for other things.” Billy sounded distinctly uncomfortable, throwing fertilizer on the sick feeling growing in my gut.
Clearing my throat, I asked, “Sex things?” As shitty as it was, sex and drugs often went hand in hand.
Billy’s agreeing nod was minuscule. “Yeah. That’s what Lucas said. I don’t think he had a problem with it at first, but Boggs kept bringin’ in younger and younger people. Lucas didn’t like that.”
Once again, I found myself in total agreement with our victim. “Your brother was right.”
Billy scrubbed a finger under his nose, sniffing loudly. “Yeah, well, look where that got him,” he huffed. “And now…” Billy’s voice trailed off and his eyes shifted to the side.
“And now what?” Billy’s mouth pinched into a hard line, and he absolutely refused to look at me. Taking a chance, I reached forward, lightly laying my fingers on his hand. “Billy, I want to help you, but you have to help me do that. Do you understand?” I thought he did. Otherwise he wouldn’t have gotten up the courage to walk through our front door.
Chewing on his bottom lip, Billy’s eyes darted around the precinct again before he finally answered, “Boggs sent his guys. They were waitin’ for me outside school.”
I pushed down the low growl bubbling up from my chest. “Were they dealing?” Dealing drugs within so many feet of school grounds was a good way to increase your time behind prison walls.
“No.” Billy shook his head before shrugging and amending, “Maybe. I’m not sure. That’s not what they wanted with me. They…they said that Lucas owed them money when he died and it’s my responsibility to pay it back. If I don’t, then they’ll go after Candy or her kids.” Billy swallowed hard and when he finally looked back at me, his eyes were glassy with unshed tears. “I don’t have that kind of money.”
“And what did they say when you told them that?” I was afraid of the answer. I wish Billy’s next words relieved me of that fear.
“They said that…they said they had ways for me to make it up. One of those guys grinned and he… I didn’t like the way he looked at me. It made me feel sick.” Fear rose with every word Billy said.
My jaw tensed enough I thought my teeth might crack. Pure rage and hatred were not common emotions I indulged in. Currently, they swamped my body and soul in a thick coating of tar. They seeped into every pore and crevice, sticking and gumming up any logical reasoning. Ridding myself of it was difficult, if not impossible. Somehow, I managed to clean enough of it away to work the problem. I didn’t think it was wrong to be furious, but my anger wouldn’t help the boy in front of me. Billy needed me to be better than that.
Inhaling deeply, I slowly counted to five before I asked, “Did these men give you a time frame? Did they indicate when they might be back?”
Chewing on his bottom lip, Billy gave a weak nod. “Thursday. They said I had until this Thursday.” With a desperate head shake, Billy turned pleading, shimmering blue eyes toward me, finally meeting my gaze. “I don’t have that kind of money. Papa doesn’t either. And Candy… Every cent she makes goes toward her kids. We… I don’t know what to do.”
But Billy had known what to do. He’d come to me, and I refused to let him down. “You did the right thing by coming to me. Do you think you remember the men who spoke with you well enough to help one of our artists come up with sketches?”
Billy’s eyes brightened. “Yeah, I think I can do that. I can even tell you how they smelled.” He wrinkled his nose. “Like Papa when he comes home from work, before he’s had a chance to take a shower. Only worse. It was awful.”
If we had a were on staff, Billy’s scent description might have meant more. Once again, I lamented humanity’s lack of foresight. Law enforcement would be so much more effective if we embraced what the other species could offer instead of fearing them.
“Come on, let me take you to see a good friend of mine. You’re gonna like Officer Clara James. She’s a really good artist and sweet as pie.” At the vague mention of food, Billy’s stomach grumbled. “I think there are some cookies or doughnuts in the lounge. Once I get you settled with Officer James, I’ll see what I can find for you. Would you like a soda too?”
Billy immediately perked up. “Coke if you have it.”
“I think I can manage a cold can of Coke.”
With my hand steady on Billy’s shoulder, I walked him down a couple of halls on our way to Officer James’s office. I probably should have called before heading her direction, but James was eight months pregnant and unless she was in the bathroom, she could normally be found at her desk. Along the way, I managed to keep a smile on my face. Only years of practice kept the boiling anger at bay. People like this Boggs were what made the world such a shitty place. They preyed on the disenfranchised, on the addicted, and the desperate. As far as I was concerned, there was no lower form of life. Boggs was going down, and I’d happily be the one to squash him out of existence.
Chapter
Twenty-Two
Erasmus
Wednesday or Thursday will work perfect for me. I appreciate your time.Janet Meeker’s tone had certainly softened. She’d been very understanding when I had to cancel our meeting when I was run off the road and shot at. She was being even more so now. While I hadn’t elaborated why I’d had to cancel the last time, I’d indicated it was something serious. Her agreeability was refreshing. Maybe stress had made her more demanding before. I knew well enough that heavy emotions could make others snippier than typical.
I checked the time. Franklin texted about ten minutes ago, letting me know he was on his way home. The oven was finished preheating and I stuck the frozen chicken fingers and tater tots in the oven about two minutes ago. It wasn’t exactly the dinner of champions, but it was easy and something both Franklin and I liked well enough. Fancy food was wasted on us.
The decorative lights in the kitchen cast a warm glow. Turning off the overhead lights made the atmosphere even more magical. Momma and I’d gone a little overboard this year and I didn’t relish the idea of taking them all down, but right now, theywere lovely. I’d need to remember this feeling when it was time to put them away.
I turned to check the timer on our food when a chill raced down my spine. I stilled, body unmoving with the distinct impression I wasn’t alone. My fear was quickly replaced by irritation, and I said, “Aurelia, is that you? I swear to Gaia, if you’re just hanging around and not showing yourself…” I wasn’t really certain where to go with that empty threat. While I was the only one who could truly harm Aurelia, she’d have to do something a lot more heinous than creeping around my home for me to do so.
Eerie quiet met my verbal tantrum. Hands on hips, I spun around the kitchen, my eyes darting to every darkened corner, as if I just concentrated hard enough then I’d be able to make out her shady form.
