Page 83 of The Lost Bones
“She remembered me from my time in Colorado. Nice girl.” He gave a wan smile that soon faded. “She told me she’d come across Aria in a porn film.”
That was why Sophie was murdered. Because after all those years, she’d discovered her sister in a film linked to a prostitution ring run by powerful people. Someone must have found out that she was sniffing around and had her silenced.
“Did you suspect who was behind this operation?” Nick asked.
Cameron paled, visibly uncomfortable. “There were a few names. The former mayor of Riverview. A few people in the governor’s office in the executive branch. The state auditor at the time, I think. But we weren’t able to find any hard evidence that could actually land them in jail.”
Together they were invincible. Each of them like part of a wave. Rising and bringing destruction, taking in more and more victims, growing and thriving. But the wave had to crash sometime.
“Were you never able to rescue anyone from this ring?” Mackenzie asked, fighting to keep her determination strong. But if four FBI agents didn’t have a shot, then what were two detectives from Lakemore PD going to do?
Cameron’s face was drawn tight, like he was trying not to cry, like the memories he was recalling had sharp edges. “These girls were terrified. The men who trapped them by blackmailing them with sex tapes and the men they were forced to sleep with were the people who were supposed to protect them. In all those years, there was only one girl I was able to get to talk to me. Her name was Salma. She gave me some details. How Judge Romano had a doctor who would give them birth control shots and perform abortions if needed—”
“Judge Romano is a conservative. He’s known for his pro-life views,” Mackenzie blurted in disbelief.
Cameron snorted. “Yeah. Sure. That’s how it works.”
Nick shrugged off his jacket and sat on a stool without a word. Mackenzie knew that when he reached his tipping point, he didn’t show his anger or disappointment. His body always reacted—the cords jutting out on his arms, that tight clench of his jaw, and his measured breaths.
Mackenzie felt surreal. Her brain was slowly absorbing the information—a defense mechanism.
“Where is Salma now?” she asked.
“I don’t know.” Cameron’s face fell. “We lost touch and I was never able to find her again. Though she did tell me something else.”
“What was that?”
“Since their medical care was all under the table, it was very limited. If anyone got sick, they weren’t provided with treatment. She said she knew two girls who died from some STD, and that another girl told her that it wasn’t uncommon. Whatever happened to their bodies was anyone’s guess.”
That was how they’d ended up in the mass grave. First they were manipulated into having sex, then blackmailed into becoming escorts, and those who had the further misfortune of catching an STD or tetanus were left to die and buried in that clearing.
“Did you know that Sophie’s fiancé is a detective?” Mackenzie asked. “Did she mention him? Why didn’t she ask him for help?”
“She was scared!” Cameron limped back to the chair. “She wanted to, but I told her to keep this to herself. Anyone who has tried to get to the truth has suffered consequences. From transfers to suspensions, you name it. We were all silenced. I advised her to keep her fiancé out of this to protect him. Did she?”
Mackenzie nodded. “Did you keep any evidence you’d uncovered? Anything related to your unofficialinvestigation?”
“Stay away from this, Detective Price.” He shrugged, but Mackenzie knew it was a facade. “Before you lose everything. We learned it the hard way.”
“We will keep your name out of it,” Nick assured him. “But we are a part of this now and we can’t walk away.”
Cameron was wound up tight. “Anyone who gets involved in this is hunted down! The fact that I’m talking to you right now means I’m putting myself in danger as well as the two of you.” He reached across to a side table and poured himself a glass of bourbon. That was when Mackenzie noticed the row of empty bottles on the windowsill behind him. He had been drowning himself in alcohol and cigarettes.
“So no one’s looking out for them,” she whispered.
“My buddy went missing,” Cameron admitted. “He was a reporter.” A lone tear cascaded down his rough cheek. “Knew him for over twenty years. We started talking about the case. Weeks later, he vanished. A missing person case was filed, but nothing came of it.” His hand clenched and unclenched around the glass. “They took my friend away from me.”
“I’m sorry.” Mackenzie shook her head. “But they will keep taking women from their families, their futures.”
Cameron’s chin trembled as he took a sip and belched. “We’re not superheroes, Detective Price. The sooner you realize that, the less disappointed you will be with yourself.”
Mackenzie wasn’t naïve enough to believe that she could change the world or that she would be the one to save everyone. But she feared Cameron’s fate. She didn’t know if she could live like that, constantly haunted by failure.
“So did you keep any evidence or not?” Nick asked.
Cameron nodded reluctantly. He stood and walked slowly into the next room, returning with a wooden box. “Nothing is electronic. Computer files can be hacked. I didn’t want to take any risks. This is all I could collect, and it wasn’t enough.” He hung his head low. “I’m sorry.”
Heading back to the car, Mackenzie held the box in her hands like it was treasure.
