Page 96 of Hart of Darkness
It was admirable that she wanted to be the savior, and if they could get a location, then it would be easier for Ted to get his team in and take Miguel down.
“We’ve found Miguel’s bank,” Dom said. “My buddy is trying to crack through the firewall to look at all the properties Miguel’s purchased recently.”
If I called Hughes, and someone inside the police department was working for Miguel, then Miguel would find out, and I might never find or see Maggie again, much like Grace. She’d been gone for four years, and the only way she’d gotten free was by killing her owner. I would die if something happened to Maggie or if she disappeared and I never saw her again. I couldn’t live through that.
“How long?” I asked. “Maggie doesn’t have time.”
Dom slid over to the laptop on the table. “Give me thirty minutes. He was working on things when I called him earlier.”
I eyed Duke, who had been quiet the whole time. “It’s worth a shot,” he said. “And if Miguel does have a cop or two on his payroll, they’ll alert Miguel, and we might not find Maggie.”
“Thirty minutes,” I said before heading outside. I needed air.
Duke was right on my heels. “I need to check in with my guys.”
“Dillon.” Grace’s tone was all doom and gloom. “We’ll find Maggie.”
She didn’t sound so sure, and I checked my watch, marking the time. In exactly thirty minutes, if we didn’t have a lead, I was calling Hughes. Hell, I might call him anyway. He adored Maggie. And I wasn’t comfortable putting Maggie’s life in the hands of two people I hardly knew. I really didn’t know my sister anymore, and frankly, Maggie was my concern. She was my girl and the woman my heart was opening up to.
When Duke and I were out in the open night air, I asked. “Do you trust Dom? You think he’s legit?” Duke dealt with morons and thugs who lied and the whole gamut of criminals and jerks. I didn’t think Dom was a moron. I couldn’t say for sure if he was a thug. Just because he was ex-military didn’t mean he was trustworthy. Or maybe I was too untrusting.
Duke scratched his nose. “He seems like a good guy. Give him the time to find out something. I also agree with them on the cops. Jeremy Pitt is mafia, and he has most of the cops on his payroll. So Miguel could too. I have to call the club.” He walked in the opposite direction toward his SUV.
I ambled toward the water along the side of the building that had rusty metal drums piled high. I inhaled the salty air then called Hunt. He knew Detective Hughes. He also worked for a mafia-run company owned by Jeremy Pitt, and he had access to a team of ex-military folks.
“I’ve been waiting for your call,” Hunt said as soon as the line connected.
“Sorry.” I’d called him and Rafe on the way to the factory to check on the shelter and to let them know what I knew at the time. I’d relaxed some when I found out that the girls at the shelter were tucked into their rooms. I filled Hunt in on Dom’s plan and what I knew from Grace about Miguel and the cops. “I need my own plan to find Maggie. I’m debating on calling Hughes. You seem to know the detective. Is he good or corrupt?”
“He’s one of the good ones,” Hunt said. “However, I don’t know his gang unit very well. Before you call him, let me check with my brother, Wes. He’s Pitt’s right-hand man and knows most cops in the city. Give me fifteen minutes.” He ended the call.
I dropped my head back, hoping that Hunt would come through with something I could work with in finding Maggie.
A crescent moon brightened the sky.
The night was turning out to be one for the books. My sister had shown up alive and well after four years. Then Maggie had been kidnapped on a busy city street. The question “why?” flitted through my head. Then it dawned on me. Denim had been asking around the prison gangs. He might’ve mentioned Maggie’s name to the wrong person. Or maybe they took her because she helped Nadine.
Grace came running out. “Dom is close. We just found out that Miguel purchased a house on Bleven in the name of Marco Holdings.”
Duke rushed over.
My eyebrows dove down.
“What is it?” Duke asked.
“I saw Marco Holdings on a notepad on Maggie’s desk when I was at her office yesterday.” Maggie hadn’t been kidnapped because of Denim or Nadine. She’d been taken because she’d been investigating Miguel, and he wanted to shut her up. I gripped the back of my neck to keep my hands from shaking.
Grace’s tone softened. “If we found the house, then we can find his other properties.”
I didn’t want to get all pissy with Grace. It wasn’t her fault that Maggie had been kidnapped. “Maggie’s life is on the line.”
She stuck her hands on her small hips. “What are you going to do?”
I peered down at my sister, whose expression was swirling with emotional pain. I suspected she wanted revenge on Miguel, much like Maggie wanted on Cory. “I know you’re trying to help. Go back inside and see what else Dom finds. Duke and I will be out here.” I couldn’t go back into that stuffy building. “I want to talk to Duke anyway.” I wanted to know why Duke’s attitude had changed from dick to jerk to prickly to the brother I knew as a kid.
She didn’t argue as she left Duke and me standing in a deserted parking lot near the water with the city lights twinkling in the distance.
Duke grunted, sounding exasperated and torn.
