Page 9 of Night Moves

“I’d appreciate any help you can give me and I can promise protection for you. And like Diego said, relocation if you want.”

I cover Willow’s clenched fist on the counter. “Tell us what you know, and I’ll take you to safety personally.”

She takes a deep breath and exhales, shaking her head. My hope dips, she’s going to refuse.

“I went to Vicky’s apartment that night at eleven. My normal time to babysit. When I knocked, Eizlee started crying. But Vicky never came to the door. I tried to call. I could hear the phone ring, but she didn’t answer. I knew where she hid the spare key and let myself in.

“Vicky lay on the living room floor, Eizlee Jane sat next to her mom. When she saw me, she pushed her mother’s arm and started calling out to her. The poor little thing was hungry, her clothes were soaked and dirty from her diaper. She had to have been alone with the body for hours.

“I freaked out and wasn’t thinking. I knew I couldn’t leave her, but I also couldn’t go to the police. I grabbed as many of her clothes as I could, her favorite stuffy, shoved everything into a bag and snuck out.”

“Why couldn’t you go to the cops? Tell them you had Eizlee Jane?” I ask.

“Because the man who’d been trying to date Vicky, who’d been flirting with her was a bad cop. I’d seen her talking with him before and tried to warn her. When I saw him with her earlier that day. I had a bad feeling.”

“How did you know he was bad?” Raven asks softly.

CHAPTER6

Willow

You stand for something and you fight back. It’s all you can do.

But I didn’t. I was scared and alone, so I ran. I hid. And then I was trapped in a lose-lose situation.

“I’d tried to warn her, but he can be very charming as he reels you in. But if things don’t go his way, if he doesn’t get what he wants, he’s brutal.

“When she asked me how I knew he was a bad guy, I couldn’t tell her I had dated him and knew from experience. Women never believe the other woman. And I didn’t want to lose my job with Eizlee.”

“Do you know how she met him?”

“At the club where she worked.”

“Wait. When I was here at Christmas, Vicky was bartending at a breakfast club,” Diesel cuts in.

I nod. “That’s how she originally met him. It’s a tag team thing. Look, this is what they do. The first guy meets someone who he thinks they can manipulate and becomes friendly. Gets them fired and has his friend offer them a job where they are promised a lot more money. In the beginning she didn’t mention where she was working only the hours. So, I had no clue what club she was at.

“He and a couple other cops handle the staff and clientele issues for ‘management’. They smile and buddy up as they reel people in. Assuring everyone it’s a great safe place to work and patronize, all the while they’re forcing girls to turn tricks or spiking drinks which basically can lead to date rape.

“I tried to talk to her. She said they weren’t really dating but she was enjoying the flirting, and he seemed harmless.”

“Vicky didn’t tell me about the job change,” Diesel says.

“When I started taking care of the baby, she was all excited about the job and the extra money. But recently she confided she was tired of it and wanted to quit. That it wasn’t as great as she thought. I think she was planning on following you once you got to your new home. She loved having you here and having family for the holidays. She wanted to take Eizlee to a better environment.”

“You said you saw them the day she died?” Raven asks.

“I’d gone to the store by her place and was walking home. I saw him get out of his car and go to her apartment door. He had a bag. He did that thing guys do when they lean against the door frame and flirt. I saw her shake her head, then he went inside with her for just a few minutes. Maybe five, max, and left.

“What’s the name of the club,” Raven asks.

“Swagger.”

“That’s the place where they have the male dancers. Fancyman or something dancers,” Raven cuts in.

“Fanta-Sensual Dancers,” Diesel corrects.

“Yes,” I confirm.

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