We were about two-thirds of the way through the transfer when my phone vibrated with a text from Dani.
I’ve got the video. When will my charges be dropped?
I sent back:
You know how this works. I have to make sure it’s usable, then I’ll take care of the charges.
Another message came through immediately.
Then meet me before my shift starts at 5. Otherwise you’ll have to wait until tomorrow
I showed James the texts.
He cast a glance at the computer, then turned back to me. “We should be done here soon. Tell her we can meet her at three.”
I messaged Dani, and we agreed on a Starbucks in south Little Rock.
But as soon as I hit send, a thread of unease tightened in my chest.
Natalie’s files were probably enough for James to give to his handler, so I suspected we didn’t need Dani’s video. Still, I’d learned not to build a case on a single piece of evidence. If the video showed Nixon—or anyone connected to Knox—it could lead us straight to Wilhemina. And what if we could link Wilhemina to Knox through the files too? The case against him would be even stronger.
The big question was—how were we going to follow through on our promise?
“Do you have a list of the names of the girls working at the club?” I asked Natalie. It was a long shot, but I figured it was worth checking. They assigned new names to the girls, but what if Wilhemina had kept her club name? Nova Lux was unique enough to stand out.
Natalie glanced back at me, startled.
“In your accounting,” I pressed, keeping my voice calm. “Do you have any names?”
Her cheeks reddened.
“I take that as a yes,” I said. “Pull it up.”
She looked up at James like she needed permission. After he gave a slight nod, she opened a spreadsheet and clicked on a tab. “Here.”
“You lookin’ for anything specific?” James asked.
“Yeah.” I didn’t elaborate as I started scanning the list.
Nausea rose when I spotted Lexi’s name, and the names of the two other girls she’d mentioned. But I didn’t see the name I was looking for.
“Are these all the women and girls Knox is using right now?”
“No.” Natalie clicked on another file titled The Gold List Club.
“The Gold List Club,” James said sharply. “What’s that?”
She lifted her gaze to his. “Knox’s private club. It’s attached to his legit bar, but it’s upstairs and has a private entrance. Members only.”
“What is it?” he asked.
“A gambling and strip club without the city and state ordinances.”
His jaw tightened. “So they can do whatever they want?”
Natalie’s mouth twisted. “I don’t know exactly what goes on there. The members are invited and sworn to secrecy.” She hesitated. “The books call them waitresses, but I’m not naïve enough to think that’s all they are. And I’m not stupid enough to ask.”
“And you have a list of the waitresses?” James asked.
