“Not yet.”
“How old is she?” Kate asked.
“Thirteen.”
Kate glanced away.
“Her name is Callie Spencer,” Castillo continued. “Only a child. As soon as I get back, I’ll text you a photo.”
“Do you...do you have any leads on what might have happened to her?” Kate asked.
“Her mother thinks she may have gone to Houston to see one of her girlfriends. Apparently, she and a girl named Penny Schweitzer were close when Penny’s parents lived in Wharton. We checked it out. Callie never showed up at the Schweitzer girl’s home. No phone call, nothing.”
“They ping her cell?” Jase asked.
“Last call was made from a tower along Highway 69, which supports the mother’s theory she was on her way to Houston.”
“I’d appreciate if you’d send me anything else you’ve got on the girl,” Jase said.
“I’ll send you everything we’ve got and keep you posted on anything new.”
From the park, Jase drove back to the apartment, making evasive maneuvers just to be sure no one followed—including Castillo. According to the detective, HPD hadn’t heard a whisper about a human trafficking ring in the Houston area. Jase couldn’t help wondering why.
Back at the apartment, he sat down in front of his laptop to do a little more digging.
“Hector said not to trust the police,” Kate said, walking up behind him. “Maybe someone in the department’s taking bribes to keep things quiet.”
“Yeah, well, the more dead bodies pile up, the harder that’s going to be.”
“I can’t stop thinking about that young girl, Callie Spencer. Do you think it’s possible Los Besos kidnapped her?”
“She’s a runaway headed for Houston, so I suppose there’s a chance.”
Kate sighed. “I hope we can stop them before any more women die.”
Or anyone else, Jase thought,especially not him and Kate.
While Kate worked on her email and checked in with her office, Jase worked the internet. The file from Castillo showed up in his email, and Jase brought up the photo of the Spencer girl. Either the picture was old, or Callie looked even younger than her thirteen years. She was pretty, with the baby face of innocence, freckles across the bridge of her nose, long softly curling auburn hair and a fair complexion.
Callie Spencer was a pervert’s wet dream. She’d be worth a bundle to some lowlife who was into young girls.
“Oh, Jason, she looks so young.” Kate had returned to her place behind him. The scent of her soft perfume teased his senses and began to make him hard.
Inwardly he cursed. Damn, he wanted this case over and done, wanted Kate safe back home in Dallas. Safe from him and the temptation she posed.
Her cell phone chimed and she turned to answer it. At the smile on her face when the call ended, he came to his feet.
“What is it?”
“That was Holly. I went to see her at the hospital when her baby was born.” Her smile widened. “A beautiful little girl she named Angie.”
“Good for her,” Jase said, trying to ignore Kate’s wistful smile. There was a time he’d wanted kids, a family. Too late for him now. Just thinking about it made his chest feel tight.
“Holly called to ask if we were still looking for the men who killed Chrissy,” Kate said excitedly. “She said she’d thought of something that might help us.”
“We could sure use something.”
“Chrissy told Holly the women were locked in the back of an eighteen-wheeler and driven out to truck stops on the interstate. That’s where she was the night she escaped.”
