Page 20 of Doc
I watched her rise from the table, noting the renewed energy in her movements.Last night had been a release, a moment of connection amid the tension and fear.Now, it seemed, we were both ready to channel that energy back into the investigation.
“I’ll help.”I trailed her into the bedroom where her mother’s files lay scattered across the bed and floor, evidence of both the case we built and the passion we’d shared.
Nova turned to me, her expression softening for just a moment.“Doc… Winston…” She hesitated, then reached out to touch my arm briefly.“Thank you.For everything.”
The simple touch felt more intimate than our night together, somehow.I covered her hand with mine, allowing myself this one moment of connection before we returned to the work ahead.
“Always,” I promised, meaning it more than I should have, more than was wise given the danger surrounding us.
She nodded once, then turned back to her mother’s files, already refocusing on the investigation.I watched her kneel beside the bed, gathering scattered papers with practiced hands, and knew that whatever had shifted between us last night, one thing remained constant -- her determination to find justice for her parents.
And mine to keep her alive while she did it.
* * *
Nova transformed the small living room into a war room within minutes, her organizational skills impressive as she taped papers to the walls and spread folders across the coffee table.I helped where I could, but this was her domain, her mother’s legacy.She worked with a focused intensity that reminded me of triage in combat -- life and death hanging on the ability to find patterns in chaos.The metal fragment we’d recovered sat in a sealed evidence bag at the center of it all, a physical reminder of what was at stake.I watched her small hands move with purpose, no trace of our earlier awkwardness remaining as we fell into a rhythm that felt surprisingly natural.
“These are the financial records my mother had been tracking,” Nova explained, spreading several pages of bank statements across the coffee table.“She highlighted these transactions, but I never understood what pattern she was seeing.”
I kneeled beside her, examining the documents, looking for anomalies, to identify what didn’t belong.These numbers told a story, just like vital signs on a patient chart.
“Look at the dates.”I pointed to a series of transactions.“Five-thousand-dollar withdrawals, always on the fifteenth of the month, from an account labeled RH Enterprises.”
Nova’s eyes widened as she pulled another document from a folder.“And deposits of the same amount to these accounts --” she pointed to several names “-- all within twenty-four hours of the withdrawals.”
“Shell companies?”I suggested, scanning the unfamiliar business names.
“Maybe.”She bit her lower lip, a gesture I now recognized as her thinking deeply.“But why the consistent schedule?Why always the same amount?”
I studied the pattern, something clicking in my mind.“It’s too regular to be payment for services that might vary month to month.This looks more like…”
“Rent,” Nova finished, our thoughts aligning.“Or a retainer fee.”
She shuffled through more papers, pulling out a notebook filled with her mother’s handwriting.“Here.”Her voice quickened with excitement.“Mom tracked missing persons reports in Magnolia County.”
I grabbed the notebook and let my training kick in, absorbing the details fast.Dates.Names.Ages.Locations last seen.Most were young women between seventeen and twenty-four.Some appeared as runaways, and others vanished under suspicious circumstances.
“Cross-reference the dates.”An uneasy feeling settled in my gut.
Nova grabbed a highlighter, marking the dates of disappearances on her mother’s calendar, then added the financial info to those dates.It easily proved they were connected.
A cold anger settled in my chest as I recognized the pattern.I’d seen similar operations during my time overseas -- human trafficking networks operating under the guise of legitimate businesses.
“Your mother wasn’t just investigating corruption.She discovered a trafficking ring.It’s all connected.”I scanned more documents.“The judge dismissing cases, the police losing evidence, the financial transactions… They’re all part of the same operation.”
I knew I needed to back down, to stop helping her.Savior had made it clear from the beginning what he thought of Nova sticking around.And yet, I couldn’t bring myself to do it.If this is what she needed to find peace, then I’d help.Even if it meant I got my ass handed to me later.Nova needed someone on her side.
Nova’s expression hardened as she pulled out a map of Magnolia County, already marked with her mother’s notes.“Look at these locations.The truck stop on Highway 19.The Blue Pine Motel chain.Bailey’s district patrol routes.”
I studied the map, seeing the pattern as clearly as a diagnosis.“Transportation routes.”I traced the highways with my finger.“The truck stop is perfectly positioned for moving people without attracting attention.And the motels provide temporary housing.”
“And Bailey makes sure no one looks too closely at any of it.”Nova’s voice was tight with anger.
I continued examining the documents, my eyes catching on medical terms that leaped out from the pages of notes.“Your mother was thorough.She even documented suspected medical issues -- sedation, possible physical abuse… Not many of the girls were ever found, and the ones who were had either died or were so broken mentally they couldn’t tell anyone what they’d been through.”
Nova moved closer, her shoulder pressing against mine as she followed my gaze.The casual contact felt natural now, our shared purpose bridging the awkwardness from earlier.
“Can you tell anything from the medical notes?”she asked.“Things she might have missed?”
