“Stop right there, asshole,” Lynch said to him and Tazer turned over the garbage pail and put out the fire. It hadn’t done what Rodney apparently wanted the fire to do. The books, probably logs of some sort, were barely burned.
Tazer’s phone buzzed and he pulled it out of his pocket. He saw it was one of the troopers in charge of the backup.
“We got our guy in the back office past the private back room. Were you able to grab some people to arrest?”
“We got a shitload plus two bartenders who drew guns on us. It’s a fucking mess of chaos,” Trooper Lawrence told him.
“Hopefully one that can give us answers. Thanks for the quick response.”
“No problem.”
Tazer disconnected the call and started looking through the logs as Lynch began to interrogate Rodney.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. This is my own business. There aren’t others,” Rodney said to him.
“So you’re willing to take the fall for this entire operation?” Tazer asked him. Then Trooper Lawrence arrived by the door with another trooper.
Lynch and Tazer looked at him.
“What did you find out?” Tazer asked him.
“Two of the women were abducted from Austin six months ago. They were with another two women and they said they’re dead. They were killed by friends of this guy right here, Rodney.”
Tazer looked at Rodney.
“Double counts of murder too? We’re just getting started.”
“I didn’t kill those women. I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Rodney said to them.
“Start talking or you’re going to take the fall for whoever did kill them and anyone else who turns up missing or dead. This is all on you, asshole. Unless you’re willing to start giving names,” Tazer told him.
“I can’t. They’ll kill me.”
“Your life is over anyway. Your choice,” Tazer told him.
Rodney ran his fingers through his hair. He was sweating profusely and looked at Lynch.
“A lot of what you need will be in there, and in the other books in the safe too. But it won’t matter. The ones in charge, the guys operating this business are smart and they have people all over the place watching. They’ll know you’re here right now and they’ll make any evidence disappear,” Rodney said to them.
“Well, that can’t happen or you will be as good as dead. Give us something. A name, anything else we can use,” Tazer said to him.
“Stolley. Look for Stolley. He’s the one who connected me to these guys and this business. He knows them. He knows all the locations and exactly who the guys are who run all the operations.”
Tazer looked at Lynch. That same fucking guy. The one no one could find. He needed to call Flours and get them on this. He and Lynch did what they needed to. They were heading back home after they rapped this shit up.
* * * *
Eliza Grace was shaking. She just finished performing a second act on stage with the band and she was exhausted, yet filled with energy. The crowds were so big tonight and there were a lot of college kids there and a bunch of bouncers had to break up fights. The energy in the place was outrageous. In fact, she was starting to think that maybe this wasn’t her thing. Especially now as she tried getting through the crowd and a bunch of rowdy guys tried pulling her into their group to buy her a drink.
“Not interested. Let go of my arm,” she demanded.
“Come on, honey. One drink and I guarantee you’ll want to stick around,” the one guy said and his friends chuckled. One of them held a drink and her gut clenched. She didn’t trust them. Hell, she heard stories of guys putting things in women’s drinks.
“Not interested,” she repeated and attempted to move past them but they were big. When a hand landed on her waist and tried pulling her back she reacted. Out of fear, out of anger but she wasn’t fast enough to make contact with his face. He ducked and snagged her around the waist.
“Damn, she is a spitfire,” he said and his friends roared with laughter. She screamed for them to let go when suddenly the guy released her. She pushed away, turned around and saw two out of the three men she saw last week and on Wednesday night. One look at them and the young guys raised their hands up and stepped back. She couldn’t tell what the one big guy was doing to the guy who grabbed her, but he looked scared. She turned to hurry away, feeling the tears about to break out. She didn’t belong here. She never should have accepted doing this. It was a mistake.
As she hurried away from the scene she bumped into someone. He held onto her waist and she looked way up, locking gazes with the guy from the boutique. The one who was with the two guys that just helped her escape.