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Another thirty seconds passed then finally, the unmistakable sound of feet shuffling across a wood floor filtered through their earbuds. Her eyes shot to Gavin’s. At least one person was in the house.
Then a voice. And another. Then another.
All three were women, and all spoke very softly. Six turned up the volume and hoped that they would continue their quiet conversation. After a beat they did, although the language they spoke was a difficult one to follow. Six strained to hear, and after a few more comments, she recognized it. It wasn’t one she spoke, but she’d heard enough Malay interspersed into the conversation that she was certain the language was from Indonesia. Though which one, she didn’t know.
But that knowledge, and the questions it raised, all suddenly seemed secondary. Because in a flash, she knew exactly who the women were and what Jeremy had been up to.
Chapter Eleven
Violetta shifted beside Gavin.He met her gaze, waiting for her to indicate what she wanted to do next. He didn’t recognize the language, but judging by the way Violetta cocked her head in concentration, she did.
She pushed herself to her feet, and he followed her back into the woods.
“You know who they are?” he asked, keeping his voice low even though they were a good twenty meters away.
“Not specifically, but yes. You’ve seen Jeremy’s file, you know he traveled to Indonesia quite bit recently?”
He nodded. He did know that, but he didn’t know why. His file didn’t contain that information.
“Did you have access to the photos?”
His stomach sank. “What photos?”
Violetta’s eyes narrowed and her jaw tightened. Her gaze darted to the house, then back to him. “Several executives from Shanti Joy Cosmetics were, or maybe still are, raping and abusing women who work at the palm oil plantation the company sources their oil from.”
He stared at her for a beat, then spun around, unwilling to face her as he gathered himself together. He had no wish to fall down the rabbit hole he’d long ago thought had closed, especially not in front of Violetta. Even as he fought it, though, images of another battered body, weak from abuse and mistreatment, flashed in his head. Then just as quickly, that image was replaced with one of a sad smile, and a wave, followed by the screech of a train. And then nothing but Gavin’s hollow cry for help.
Ruthlessly, Gavin shoved those memories down deep. There might have been no way to help then, but there was now. When he was sure no trace of his memories would be written on his face, he turned back around.
“Those women, specifically?” he asked, pointing to the house.
Violetta inclined her head. “That’s my guess, yes.”
“And Jeremy’s role?”
“Have you heard of the Alien Tort Claims Act?” When he nodded, she continued, although as soon as she’d said the name he knew where she was going. “I think he was going to help those women bring a claim against the company, and he brought them here to keep them safe and have them close by.”
“And if he happened to make his intentions known to Shanti Joy, that’s probably why they came after you when you left his place. It’s a federal civil case, but who better to advise him than a federal prosecutor?” he said, putting two and two together. She hesitated, then nodded.
“We need to get those women somewhere safe,” she said.
He agreed. If Jeremy had poked the corporate bear, then it was possible the women were in danger. It was unlikely Jeremy would have said anything about the women being in the US, but it wasn’t a stretch to think the company, or the people involved, might look.
“You recognized the language?”
Violetta shook her head. “Some, not all. Part of it was Malay.”
“Do you speak it?”
She gave a half shrug. “Well enough to get by.”
That piece of information wasn’t in her files either, but he’d fill those gaps over time.
Violetta crossed her arms and stared at the cabin. “Those women have likely been abused, flown to another country, and are now living in a cabin with no access to anyone other than Jeremy, and I doubt they know he’s dead. I think I should be the one to approach them,” she said.
He sliced a look in her direction. If she thought she was going in alone, she had another think coming. Although her points were well taken. “You go first. I’ll join you after you convince them you’re one of the good guys. Or gals,” he corrected himself. “Any idea how to do that?”
She nodded and started typing into her phone. Then, after a beat, she flipped it around for him to see. On the screen was a picture of her and Jeremy Wheaton at what he assumed was their law school graduation. They both wore mortarboards, graduation gowns with some sort of drape, and tassels around their shoulders. Jeremy was dipping her back as if they were ballroom dancing. Someday he’d ask her how close she and Jeremy were, but not today.
