His partner, younger and likely still wet behind the ears, stood to the side. At last the questioning officer sat. “Ma’am, you’re in a whole lotta trouble. Keeping quiet and protecting drug dealers isn’t going to help your case.” She’d already been given her rights. An attorney would tell her to shut up. Lucky hoped she’d keep talking.
Her head snapped up. “Drug dealers? What drug dealers?”
“Ma’am, you’re caught up in an illegal drug operation and human trafficking.”
“Human trafficking!” Outrage burned on her face. “I have not been involved in such a horrible thing. I wouldn’t.”
“Who do you think made the pills you’ve been handing out like candy?” Lucky would be screaming by now. The officer remained calm, the only outward sign of his rage the clenching and unclenching of his fist beneath the table. “One of the victims is only nineteen years old. She’s been used as a drug mule and in so many…other ways.” He let his pointed stare fill in the blanks.
The teacher’s eyes widened, but she didn’t speak.
“Another was just seventeen years old. All the victims were brought to this country illegally and forced to work for no pay. They barely had enough food.”
She opened her mouth but the officer cut her off.
“This kid, the same age as the ones you’ve been supplying with drugs, had been used by various drug cartels since he was fourteen. Fourteen!”
Amazing how the man conveyed so much fury while keeping his voice level and steady. “He was told that if he sought help he’d be arrested and sent to prison. Even so, he escaped three times only to be caught, beaten, and returned to the people using him.”
After a moment of silence the woman asked, “Wha.. what happened to him?” The pain in her eyes said she already knew.
Lucky’s insides clenched at the memory of how the kid’s story played out.
“During the raid that would have freed him, he got scared and ran. Jumped out of a window. He lost his life because of people like you.”
Fat, black tears rolled down her face, further streaking her makeup. She shook her head. “I didn’t know, I swear I didn’t know.”
“Now that you do, what are you going to do about it?”
“I’ll talk.”
“Would you like to have your attorney present?”
She let out a heavy sigh. “No. I’ll tell you everything I know.” The woman began speaking how she thought she was doing a good thing in helping the kids.
At a signal from the officer through the one-way glass, Lucky rounded the corner and entered the room.
The crying mess of a teacher glanced upward, equal parts fear and hope in her eyes. The cop gave up his seat to Lucky, fading into the background. Atlanta PD handled the arrest, but Lucky still had a case.
The officer waved his hand toward Lucky. “This is Special Agent Harrison with the Southeastern Narcotics Bureau. He’s heading up this case.”
Lucky nodded and slipped into the chair. “Ma’am.” Politeness seemed to be working so far.
She sniffled and waited. Good sign.
“You might not realize how big this operation is, or who calls the shots. Can you tell me the name of your supplier?”
She named the pharmacist a little too fond of working nights—and who had a key to Grandma’s drug store.
“Thank you. Your cooperation is appreciated.”She’d saved him hours of further research.
She easily gave up meeting times and places, the phone number she called when she needed pills. Next, she gave a list of every kid she’d sold drugs to.
A lot of ugly waited in this woman’s future. She’d never compete with the Mangiardis for drug trafficking, but she’d caused one hell of a lot of harm.
Once the woman exhausted her supply of new information, he left the room and searched out Walter. The boss’s appearance still caught him off guard. He’d lost weight and aged a lot in the dozen or so years they’d worked together.
Still smelled like Old Spice though. “Have they brought in the pharmacist yet?” That asshole had a lot to answer for.
