The woman blanched, then tried to cover it. Her hands, which had been on the desk, disappeared into her lap, and her spine straightened. She cast a furtive glance at Georgia, lifted a hand, and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.
“Who?”
Georgia inclined her head. This was amateur hour. “You heard.”
“What did you say your name was?”
“I didn’t.”
“Who are you?”
“I told you. A friend of Chad’s.”
“I don’t know anyone named Chad.”
Georgia blew out an irritated breath. “Look. We can go around the dance floor as many times as you want, Claudia. I have time. But I know you need to do your work. And your pal with the pocket protector is just bursting to tell your boss about my visit. He’s the kind that could make trouble for you, isn’t he? And trouble is the last thing you need right now.”
Nyquist swallowed.
“So let’s cut to the chase, shall we?”
Nyquist squirmed and flashed Georgia a guilty look.
“You’re basically in a really bad place. If you’re not up shit creek, then you’re close. You were underwater on your mortgage. You got divorced. Neither you nor your ex could afford the house. So the bank took it. You moved to a cheaper apartment in Skokie. In fact, this job is your only anchor.”
Nyquist played with her hair.
Georgia appraised her, glanced at the photo of the little girl. She decided to take a risk. “But the job doesn’t pay enough for you to keep your daughter in day care. So now someone—your husband, maybe your relatives—has threatened to take her from you.”
Tears welled in Nyquist’s eyes. “How do you know that?” she whispered.
She’d guessed right. Georgia suppressed her satisfaction. “And then you met Chad Coe.” She went on. “Where did you meet him? At a bar? In the hospital cafeteria? The nice new parking lot?”
Nyquist bit her lip. “At Dominick’s.”
“The grocery store.” Georgia followed up. “He followed you there, didn’t he? From here.”
Nyquist looked up at Georgia, astonishment warring with tears.
Georgia felt the warmth of triumph. It wasn’t hard to put things together when you knew how people behaved. “And he told you he knew a way for you to make a lot of money. Move to a better house than the one in Des Plaines.” She paused. “How am I doing?”
The woman nodded.
“All you had to do was take a peek at the records of infertile couples who came in. Couples who were trying to conceive but couldn’t. And give him their names.”
Nyquist’s brow furrowed.
“How much did he pay you for each lead?”
“Infertile couples? What are you talking about?”
“Oh, come on, Claudia. I thought we were past that.”
“No…really. What names? What couples?”
Frustration rolled through Georgia. The day had started out badly and, despite her inroads a moment ago, it was deteriorating. “For the adoption ring.”
Nyquist flipped up her hands. “What adoption ring?”
Georgia studied the woman. Nyquist’s posture was rigid, all her wriggling and fidgeting and playing with her hair gone. She was telling the truth.
“I have reason to believe that Chad Coe is part of a sex-trafficking ring where the girls are impregnated and forced to give birth. Their babies are then sold to couples who want them. Without going through the hoops of adoption.”
Nyquist sat back, a puzzled look on her face.
Georgia pushed. “If you’re helping him in any way, what you’re doing is illegal. You could be prosecuted. In fact, you could go to prison. Forget about a new home. Keeping your daughter. Even this job. All of that goes up in smoke if I tell the authorities what you’re doing.”
“Are you with the police?”
“What are you hiding?”
“You didn’t answer my question.”
“I’m not the one who’s breaking the law.”
Nyquist leaned forward. “You think I’m mixed up in an illegal adoption ring? One of those baby-breeding farms?”
“Aren’t you?”
Nyquist laughed. Actually laughed. Then she slumped in her chair. Defeat washed over her. “If only it was.”
A prickly feeling climbed up Georgia’s back. She thought back to the church newsletter that described how the couple in Glencoe needed a kidney transplant. The queasiness she’d felt then returned.
Nyquist tilted her head. Relief spread across her face. “You know, I’m glad you’re here. Whoever you are. I can’t do this anymore.”
Georgia ran her tongue around her lips. “My name is Georgia Davis, and I’m a private investigator. You and I need to go somewhere and talk.”