“I’ve gained too much weight since I got here and Uncle Charlie told me no more junk food,” Angel explained. “I was hungry, so I snuck in here for a bag of chips and was, like, afraid to come out.”
After Evangeline helped Angel pick a snack bag, she escorted her back to her room. By asking a few basic questions, she learned that Angel’s boyfriend had introduced her to a man calling himself Uncle Charlie. He’d offered Angel ten grand for her newborn, plus a free place to stay during the last trimester of her pregnancy.
Evangeline stood in the doorway. “Did you meet Uncle Charlie?”
“Uh-huh.” She popped a corn chip into her mouth.
“Can you describe him to me?”
“White guy. Tall, dark hair. Friendly, too. I think he said he was from Florida. Once I got here, I heard the director is also called Uncle Charlie.” She shrugged. “Pretty weird.”
“All these Uncle Charlies are kinda confusing, huh?”
Angel removed her shoes before sitting on the bed. “One of the other girls told me that the director has an army of Uncle Charlies helping her find baby mamas who don’t want their babies.” She rolled her eyes. “Whatever works. All I want is my money.”
“Thanks for talking to me,” Evangeline said. “Someone will be by shortly to explain what’s going on.” She closed the door and hurried to the lobby, the scream of sirens growing louder.
As the caravan of vehicles pulled into the parking lot, Evangeline made her way outside.Charlene Caraway is Uncle Charlie, with an army of Uncle Charlies scouring the country for babies. I can’t even wrap my brain around that one.
“Sin,” Evangeline said. “First responders are here.”
“I can’t find her down here.” Frustration tinged his voice. “A guard told me her office is on the third floor. I’m heading there now.”
“Law enforcement will want you out of the building.”
“Buy me some time,” he replied.
“Will do.”
After Evangeline introduced herself, the lead officer asked, “Any relation to Henry Worthington?”
“My dad.”
Officer Springer smiled. “I worked a few cases with him before he retired. He was a great detective. Why don’t you bring me up to speed?”
After doing so, Evangeline pulled a picture of Charlene from the Internet and Officer Springer posted someone at every exit.
“My partner is on the third floor looking for her now,” Evangeline explained.
Officer Springer relayed that to her team. “My officers will start on the first floor, and I’ll put in a request for a search warrant.”
A news truck pulled into the parking lot. “I’ve got to move these guys off the property,” said the officer. “We’re dealing with minors and I need to keep a tight lid on this.”
“I want to check on my sister,” Evangeline said as the women exited the building. As she headed into the parking lot, Evangeline pulled out her phone and called her boss.
“Tate, here.”
“Jim, it’s Evangeline.”
“I take it you saw the email.” She could hear the smile in his voice.
“No, I haven’t.”
“The Bureau issued you a formal apology. You’ve been officially reinstated. Now, when the hell are you coming back to work?”
“How ‘bout now?”
“That’ll work.”
