Lock hesitated at the door leading out of the main Bakersfield police headquarters. Next to him, Ty nervously rubbed his wrists, both men glad to be back at liberty, but apprehensive as to what, or rather who, awaited them outside.
“You know, maybe if we ask nicely, they’d put you in that cell,” said Ty.
“That would mean you’d have to go out there on your own,” said Lock.
“Good point,” said Ty, opening the door. “You can be my human shield.”
“Thanks,” said Lock as they walked out into the fresh air.
Carmen waited for them at the bottom of the steps. She had her arms folded across her chest.
“Glad I’m not you,” whispered Ty as they walked down to her.
“Oh, don’t worry,” said Carmen. “I have plenty of anger to go round.”
“I swear, women have better hearing than bats.”
“I heard that too,” said Carmen, turning and walking toward her car, which was parked at the curb.
The two men fell in behind her like errant schoolboys. Lock’s car was in storage. Carmen would have to drop them at the pound so they could collect it before they headed back to Los Angeles.
Carmen turned back to them as she reached her car. Her mouth shaped to speak, but she stopped.
“I’m sorry you had to come all the way our here,” said Lock.
“Yeah, me too,” said Ty.
“Events kind of conspired to take over,” said Lock.
That drew a cool “Uh-uh” from Carmen, followed by a brusque, “Get in the car.”
Once Lock had settled into the front passenger seat and Ty was spread out in the back, Carmen looked at them.
“So how d'you persuade them to let us go?” Lock asked.
He had been expecting to spend at least one night in jail and have to post bail before he saw the outside again. He’d made Carmen his one phone call so you wouldn’t worry about where he was, fully expecting that she’d be happy to let him cool his heels. Instead, it seemed that she’d gone to work to secure their release.
“I called in some pretty big favors with an old law school classmate who works with the State Attorney’s office. And I suggested to the cops here that perhaps they might want to avoid the publicity they’d get from arresting people trying to rescue a fourteen-year-old girl from a sex trafficker while said sex trafficker was getting away.”
Lock nodded, as angles went that was a pretty good one.
“Of course, I didn’t word it quite that bluntly,” continued Carmen. “It’s the old saying about when you have the law on your side, argue the law, and when you have the facts on your side, argue the facts. I didn’t have either, so I went for the ‘there is such a thing as bad publicity approach’.”
She pulled out into traffic.
“They will be asking you to sign some paperwork, and they’ve also requested that once you’ve collected your car, you never set foot within the city limits again.” She paused, looking at Lock and Ty in turn. “Think you can manage that?”
Both men nodded.
“Oh, and the black woman that you chased down, they released her too.”
“They didn’t question her?” asked Lock, his mind snapping back to the reason they were here in the first place, Kristin Miller.
“They did, but what were they going to hold her on?” said Carmen.
Lock could think of half a dozen things.
“That they could prove,” said Carmen.
“What about the car?” asked Ty from the back seat.
“What about it?” said Carmen. “It’s registered and insured, and she had a clean driving license. Look, I know what you’re both saying, but I think they didn’t keep hold of her for the same reason they let you go.”
“Which was?”
“Trafficking cases are messy,” said Carmen. “My old classmate told me as much when I spoke with her. They take a huge amount of resources and they’re tough to prosecute, never mind get a conviction on.”
“That’s messed up,” said Ty.
“Welcome to the justice system,” said Carmen. “You catch some guy with a kilo of blow, that’s one thing. You catch a trafficked teenager and half the time they won’t give the cops their real name, never mind enough evidence to go to court. And when they do, the trafficker’s attorney use every trick in the book to delay it coming to trial. Victims lose heart, they move away, they’re intimidated. It’s a nightmare.”
The rest of the short ride to the police vehicle compound passed in silence. Finally, much to Lock’s relief, they pulled up outside the front gate.
“Thanks again,” said Lock, getting out.
“Not so fast,” said Carmen. “Once you get your car, Ty can drive it back to LA for you. I don’t think you’re in any fit state to be driving. Not with all the pain pills you’re taking.”
“Guess you’re driving,” said Lock.
“No problem,” said Ty, levering his long legs out of the back seat.
“You’re driving home with me,” said Carmen, her tone suggesting it was more a statement of fact than a request.
“Cool,” said Ty.
Lock pointed to the compound. “I’m gonna go sign for the car.”
“Sure,” said Carmen. “I’ll be here.”
Ty waited until they were clear of Carmen’s car before he spoke.
“Long ride back to LA,” he said.
Lock shrugged. “She’s pissed. I don’t blame her. I was supposed to be resting up at home, not getting arrested out in the middle of nowhere.”
“Hey, you were doing a good thing. She knows that.”
As Lock signed the paperwork for the return of his car and handed the keys to Ty, he caught sight of someone watching them from the street. It was the same young black woman they’d chased down in the BMW. Presumably, thought Lock, she was also here to collect her car.
Unsurprisingly there was no sign of Hanger, and even less surprisingly, no sign of Kristin.
She had seen them. He was sure of it. That was why she was hanging back.
Lock was confident that Ty had noticed her too.
“You see who I see?” said Lock.
“Roger that,” said Ty.
“You think we should go speak with her?” said Lock.
The last thing they needed was more drama. Not here and not now. He doubted the local cops’ patience would extend any further than it already had.
“I mean, we could,” said Ty. “But you really think she’s going to have a come to the Lord moment?”
“Nope,” said Lock.
“I have a better idea,” said Ty.
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah,” said Ty. “But I’m not sure Carmen is going to like it.”