Alain said, “Perhaps that is more how a drug cartel works, but trafficking people is more… vague. It is more likely that procurersare paid for each girl they deliver. To disperse the people and cover more areas.”
“Wouldn’t that mean there are more people who can give them up to the police if they get in trouble?”
Alain nodded as he took off his reading glasses. “True, but my experience says that these groups are careful not to tell their stringers anything of value. Usually, only one person meets with them. If something happens and they go to the police, they really can’t bring down the entire organization. At best, one person will be identified, who will then disavow any knowledge of human trafficking. It’s a very difficult situation.”
I said, “Maybe that explains the murders. If there’s no quality control over who they hire, what if one of the stringers also has homicidal tendencies?”
Alain appeared to think about this carefully. “That’s a keen insight. I can see how you have risen so far in your profession.” He nodded like he agreed with his own comment.
I had to add in a reality check. “That isifthe bodies and the missing girls are even related.”
“I’m also afraid that the homeless population offers a wide array of potential targets.”
“So far, only one of the victims seems to have been homeless. Missy Harris from Palo Alto never told her mother she was homeless, but our research shows she stayed at several homeless shelters in the weeks leading up to her disappearance.”
“It is the same everywhere in the world. Criminals prey on the weak. It appears as if each of these girls had troubled home lives that left them vulnerable.”
“I agree. But what can we do to stop it?”
“My dear Lindsay, no one will ever be able to stop it. Humantrafficking has been going on as long as humans have roamed the earth. What we need to figure out is how to stopthisgroup. And recover some of these missing girls. I sincerely hope they are still nearby. Once they end up in a place like Russia or some countries in the Middle East, we have very little chance of ever rescuing them.”
That didn’t make me feel any better.
CHAPTER58
LIZZIE NUNEZ HEARDan electronic beep that woke her up. It took a moment to remember where she was. She’d slept so long and hard, it was already dark outside.
What was in the drink that woman gave me?
Then she felt panic. She couldn’t move her arms or legs freely. She looked down and realized her wrists and ankles were wrapped in gray duct tape. She struggled to sit up a little on the couch. She heard the beep again and turned to look to her right. One of the defibrillators was open next to the couch and a green light was flashing.
The older woman came back into the room and looked at Lizzie. “Did you have a good sleep?”
“What are you doing?” Lizzie had given up any pretense of trying to act cool. She had heard the hitch in her own voice and realized she was about to cry.
“Well, it’s sort of an experiment. You know, science kinda stuff.” She put on plastic reading glasses and tried to follow the instructions on the inside of the case’s lid.
Lizzie jumped when she heard a loud electronic voice say, “Unit is powered on. Clear the immediate area.”
The woman looked up and calmly said, “It’s like this: I sell these things and make a few bucks. But if I can prove that they make it look like someone died of a heart attack, I could sell them to the gangs for a whole lot more. It’s nothing personal, sweetheart. You seem like a nice enough girl. But I’ve gotta make sure this works before I start running my mouth.” She grasped the paddles and turned toward Lizzie.
“You’re going to electrocute me?”
That made the woman pause. “I never looked at it like that. I guess that’s what I’m going to do. You should only feel a jolt. Then you won’t have to worry about men chasing you on the street no more or where you’re going to get your next meal.”
Lizzie’s head was spinning. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. The woman awkwardly got to her feet to take the last two steps toward the couch. She was holding the paddles out in front of her.
“I’m gonna put one just above the top of your blouse and the other on your belly. Might feel a little cold to the touch.”
Lizzie flat-out panicked at that point. She swung her whole body so her taped-together legs struck the woman right at her belt line. It was a clumsy move. She felt like a walrus trying to fling its entire tail at something.
But it worked. The blow made the woman step back, then she tripped over the defibrillator. The paddles dropped from her hands. One of them struck the defibrillator and the machine sparked maliciously.
Lizzie wasted no time in jumping off the couch, then hopping across the room toward the front door.
The woman reached out a hand and grabbed Lizzie’s ankle just firmly enough for her to lose her balance. She fell to the ground, barely able to break her fall with her taped arms in front of her. She slipped out of the woman’s hand. Lizzie crawled like an inchworm toward the corner of the room that served as a kitchen. She used the counter to pull herself off the filthy floor. A couple of old Cheerios were stuck to her face.
When Lizzie looked behind her, she saw the woman was gathering up the paddles again. She was still trying to go through with her crazy plan. The woman paused and looked down at the machine. It was now flashing a red light. She stopped for a moment to read more instructions on the inside lid of the defibrillator case.
