Page 108 of The Lost Bones
“Tomorrow the FBI is going to open an investigation into a prostitution ring spearheaded by Judge Hamilton, Rafael Jennings, and around ten other extremely influential names.”
Hawkins set his beer down slowly, his eyes widening.
“There’s a retired FBI agent. Cameron Fletcher.” She slid a folded piece of paper toward him. “That’s his address. He has information. And you want to figure out why that neighborhood in Lakemore is called Tombstone.”
He narrowed his eyes at her. “Pardon me, Detective Price, but you’re the last person I expected to share anything with me.”
“You’re right. But I don’t know how deep corruption runs in this case, and there should be someone on the outside to shed light on it.” She clinked her beer bottle with his and chugged it in one go.
Hawkins watched her in awe. “Thank you. I appreciate it. Maybe sometime in the future…”
“No.” She smiled. “Don’t get used to this. The first and last time I’m being a source.”
He grinned. “I wouldn’t have it any other way. See you again, Detective Price.”
May 2
“We have breaking news!” Laura declared, a delirious look on her face. “The Lakemore PD has arrested Judge Hamilton after discovering twenty-seven women being held on his yacht at the Olympia Boat Club. Our sources tell us that the women have given statements that they were forced into prostitution by blackmail and intimidation.”
The women had been rescued and were being evaluated at the hospital. Their next of kin were being notified. The police had also found evidence of Debbie and Sterling being tortured on that yacht—and the freezer where Sophie’s body had been stored. There were enough eyewitness accounts to corroborate the same.
Visuals of Hamilton being escorted to the squad car played on screen. He was surrounded by police, with Mackenzie and Nick leading. His cuffed hands were hidden under the blazer draped over his arms. People showered him with questions and thrust cameras in his face. He scowled and dodged them all before Mackenzie gratefully pushed him inside the squad car, knowing that at least Hamilton was gone for good.
May 3
Mackenzie watched Austin pace the conference room and toy with his watch. She stood outside, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed.
“How’s the head?” Nick joined her.
“Floaty. I might have a permanent bump in the back. Like in cartoons.”
He raised an eyebrow, and she grinned at him, which made him even more suspicious. “Oh, now I’m concerned.”
“Why?”
“You’re smiling way too much.”
Her smile dropped when she saw a young woman reach the top of the stairs, escorted by Rivera. Her breath hitched in her throat.
Aria Fields was almost identical to Sophie, though her hair was straighter and her body curvier. She wore a timid, reserved expression. When Austin set eyes on her, he looked like he had seen a ghost. The last time he had seen his fiancée was two years ago. He had searched tirelessly for her. And now someone who looked exactly like her had showed up in front of him like an apparition.
Once he had composed himself, he shook her hand politely.
“Can’t imagine what he must be feeling,” Nick commented.
“He told me he’s going to help her get into college and cover her tuition,” Mackenzie informed him.
“That’s a good man right there. Sophie would have wanted someone to look after her sister. She died trying to save her.”
Together they watched Austin and Aria converse in the conference room. They were strangers, meeting for the first time. But something deeper bonded them. Sophie had loved them both. Mackenzie found some solace that perhaps Sophie was at peace now.
May 5
It was a soft night. The wind was pleasant. The moon was full. The stars were like snowflakes, peppering the dark sky. The spring air was fragrant. It had been a good day. Finally things were going back to normal, with the loose ends of the case wrapping up, the handover to the FBI nearing completion, and Mackenzie feeling much better physically.
When she reached Nick’s door, she waited for a moment. A moment to hesitate. A moment for fear and anxiety to creep in and chew up her insides. A moment for her heart to race. But none of that happened.
All she felt was peace and certainty. She rang the bell. Nick opened the door dressed in a black T-shirt and track pants, holding a glass of whiskey.
