The resort restaurant was busy the next morning. AJ searched the noisy crowd for Maddie. It was mostly families trying to enjoy the last of the great weather before winter came tromping into the north woods. Their enthusiasm felt good, and then Maddie was suddenly beside her.
“I reserved a table,” she said, pulling AJ along. Dressed in jeans, a classy, long-sleeved green sweater, and nice mid-calf boots, she led them to a table near the back and got a waiter’s attention for coffee. AJ smiled. Maddie’s energy was back.
“Bring me up to date,” AJ said, sitting across from her.
Maddie held up her finger, took a drink of coffee, closed her eyes, and smiled. “I needed that.” She handed AJ a thick envelope. “Here’s all the information on X-Girl, including copies of my notes from the very beginning, our progress, Richard’s data, and the conclusion. Also, the DNA results and the men involved. Destroy it when you finish. Deal?”
“Deal.” AJ nodded and stuffed the envelope into her bag. “Can we talk about Jay Yardly first? I don’t want to discuss him in front of Tag.”
“No, you don’t.” Maddie laughed a little. “Here’s the story. Jay and Pete have known each other since high school and worked together for the last ten years. It started with a group of white supremacists up here.” She drank more coffee. “Who found the connection between Jay’s office and Donna Seesom? Tag?”
“It was Grace when she was in Jay’s office yesterday, and that’s a problem. He told Tag and Grace he didn’t know her.”
Maddie looked surprised. “Here’s what I got from Pete. I don’t think he lied. Jay saw the girls at the motel by pure luck. He was on his way out to the house he’s building by the lighthouse and called Pete. Put that together with Clint Weeks and see what you have?” She waved at the waiter for more coffee. “He isn’t aware of your two men at the motel nor has he seen you, but he knows you’re in town. He’s never seen Sam either and doesn’t know he’s here. Also, you should know he and Clint Weeks are a million miles apart, politically. My advice to you is to trust Jay, but none of you should talk to him about anything you’ve done here. When Tag and Grace join us, let me handle it. I’ll talk them through it.”
AJ leaned back in her chair. “So what happens next?”
“Our first priority is the girls at the motel. Once they’re safe, we’ll go after the two men running the show. After breakfast, we’ll go up to the suite and I’ll show you our information on these two men on the computer. It’s unbelievable what they’ve done, but we’ve got them nailed. Richard and I need them alive, especially now that Seesom is dead.”
“What about the two women, the minders who watch them every day?”
“They were at John Owens’s house in Milwaukee with Seesom. In fact, the day you took that house down you almost had one of them, but she got away.”
AJ leaned forward. “I remember a woman there. Well, that answers that question, but how will you rescue the girls?”
“We have a unit that specializes in extractions, recovering victims. They’re on their way here right now, about eight of our best. They’ll go in SWAT style, so your group stays with me this afternoon. Once we have them, we’ll transport them to Hannah’s House in Milwaukee. Three of my agents are trained nurses and work there, specializing in recovery, and that’s where it gets dicey. It’s hard to believe, but some of these girls go willingly. They’re the ones you have to be careful with, but so far we’ve been able to handle the ones we’ve had. All except Sandra and Happy, of course.”
“Are you serious?”
“As a heart attack,” Maddie said with a deep breath.
“Will you need to talk to my CI, Frog, when we find her? And we will. Or she’ll find us.”
Maddie nodded. “Yes, and I thought of something last night. We could use her at Hannah’s House. I read her file that covered her time there, and we could use someone like her on the streets. I don’t want to steal her from you, but she appears smart and flexible. I’d be willing to put her through school and the academy and train her if you’d agree.”
AJ nodded. “All I want is for Frog to have a real life.” It was the truth, but she felt a little niggle of missing something and shifted in her chair.
“All right, let’s run with that. Another thing. I talked to Lawrence Kelly about using your group again. Would you be up to doing this somewhere else in the state or in Milwaukee?”
“Of course, but what did he say?”
“He said to run it by you and he’ll call sometime today. I just wanted this out there before you talked with him.”
“Thanks for warning me. Sometimes Kelly is…” AJ smiled, unsure she should finish that statement.
“The best part of all of this is solving the X-Girl murder. That really jolted me, and I know it did you too. The other night in the morgue with Clint Weeks was terrible. Standing in the room with him and the body, explaining all the information. Honestly, AJ, I thought he was going to faint. He looked about a thousand years old when I finished. Even Lawrence Kelly had to sit down, and by the way, he apologized to me.” Maddie stared out at the busy room. “I don’t know. I haven’t figured Clint out yet,” she said and then smiled.
AJ followed Maddie’s gaze and saw Tag and Grace at the door, hyperaware of each other but trying to look casual.
“I see things haven’t changed much since you’ve been up here,” she said.
“God.” AJ shook her head. “I’ve had several moments with both of them, but you should know Grace threw up when she got back to the suite last night. I forget she hasn’t had the fieldwork we have, but I’m really proud of how she’s handled herself here. I know it hasn’t been easy, watching those girls every day and someone shooting at her. I’m not sure what you’ll ask of our group would be a fit for her, but she’s done a terrific job on the computers. Tag doesn’t know about Grace’s background but is starting to ask questions.” She watched them start across the room toward a large booth, Tag’s hand on Grace’s back as usual. And Grace’s dazzling smile. As usual.
“Ah, love,” Maddie murmured and they got up to join them.
“Where’d you two come from?” Tag looked up, surprised.
“It’s an ambush.” AJ grinned, sitting beside Grace. “I’m hungry. Let’s eat.”
“My God.” Grace grabbed AJ’s arm, nodding toward the crowded hallway. “Look. It’s Frog.”
AJ sorted through the crowd. It certainly was Frog, leaning against the wall, looking at them. She’d styled her hair differently. Now it was her normal brown.
Maddie elbowed AJ. “What are you both staring at?”
“It’s my CI. That kid has given me more heart attacks than anyone I’ve ever worked with. Are you sure you want her?”
“What do you mean ‘want her’?” Grace frowned at them.
“I’ll need Frog’s testimony.” Maddie spoke before AJ. “The FBI will transport the girls back to Hannah’s House, and I asked AJ if I can use Frog. The girls have been with her over a month, and that’ll help us get through what’s next.”
“What is next?” Tag leaned toward them. “I’ve had experience with this, and I’m not seeing any trafficking here. Murder, yes. Trafficking, no. At least not yet.”
“Let’s talk upstairs after we eat,” Maddie said to Tag.
AJ’s brain still itched with the feeling that they were missing something as she got up. She walked toward the restrooms but took a quick right into the hallway.
“I found your sketches,” she said, standing next to Frog. “Smart move.”
“I think I’m safe here. Boy, that hair color really changes your face.”
AJ bumped her with her shoulder. “I could say the same to you. Look at your hair. Come on, let’s eat. Sit in the middle.” They walked to the booth, and Frog squeezed in beside Grace while AJ did the introductions.
They ordered their food just as AJ’s mind shifted gears. She had it, the thing that had been bothering her. Who were the “cops” that had hired Frog to come up here?
She waited until they’d finished breakfast. Frog teased Grace about her hair and asked Tag about serving overseas. It proved Grace’s point that Frog had read the group’s website. Maddie asked her lots of questions about her time at Hannah’s House.
Finally done with the food, AJ opened the conversation.
“Everyone, be patient with me for a minute. We’ll go upstairs for the answers on the video we want to show Frog, but here’s the question. First, Maddie, do you remember how all of this started? Why I called you in Milwaukee right at the beginning?”
Maddie frowned at AJ. “Yes. Clint Weeks and Lawrence Kelly.”
“No. The reason I took it to Pete was Frog stumbling into trafficking at the house, the one that burned. Then, the two ‘cops’ that paid her all that cash to come up here. Remember the money? You and I talked about that and my fight with Lawrence Kelly.”
Maddie carefully placed her fork on the table, thinking. “I remember. I showed you Clint’s email. As the evidence came in, I assumed the ‘cops’ were the motel men here that impersonated the police. They’ve impersonated everyone else.”
“Can’t be them. You would have known, Frog, and told Jeff.” AJ looked at everyone. “We all did what Maddie did. Assumed it was Tattoo Man and his buddy. Frog, you’re the only person who’s talked to everyone except Clint Weeks. Let’s go upstairs and look at our video.”
“Who’s Clint Weeks?” Frog said. “Jeff mentioned him too. And what house burned?”
They all looked at each other. They’d forgotten the house had burned after Frog left.
* * *
“Where have you been?” Tag said to Frog, holding the door open to the suite.
“In the resort’s van, the one they use for back and forth to town.”
“Grace, notify Jeff and Greg that we have Frog here,” AJ said, moving chairs to the big desk and the computers. She brought up video of the gym with John Owens. “Watch this, Frog. Let me know if you recognize anyone.”
Frog turned with a disbelieving grin. “That’s the cop that contacted me.” She pointed at John Owens. “Are you guys playing with me? There’s his aide.” She touched the screen and Robert Owens. “This looks like a gym. Are they undercover?”
“No,” AJ said, reaching for her phone. “That’s Grace and me, undercover, trying to bait your so-called cop. He’s never been law enforcement. The chief has him under arrest in Milwaukee. I’ve got to call him.” She walked away when the chief answered and gave him Frog’s information.
Tag and Grace caught Frog up on what they’d found and what had happened in Milwaukee after she’d left. The two shootings and both fires.
Frog reached into her jeans back pocket when they were done. “You are going to fucking love me. Look what I’ve got.” She handed Maddie a piece of paper with a handwritten list of names and addresses.
Maddie looked stunned, reading the list. “You’ve got the motel girls’ names?”
“I was really close with them. I also helped Donna in the office, and the two women, the minders, even after the men came up from Milwaukee.”
AJ took a hard look at Frog. She’d lost weight and looked older, the softness gone from her face. “Whatever you can tell us is important, Frog. It’ll make a difference, like that list.”
Frog retied her shoelaces. “It was kind of fun when we first got up here and replaced the other group. We had plenty of food, TV when we wanted it, whatever. We were down at the stables once.” She looked at Grace. “I spotted Greg and Jeff right away and tried to make myself useful, to learn whatever I could and help those girls. They’re not bad, just young and scared.” She sat up and took a deep breath. “Everything changed when the two men came from Milwaukee, the ones in the black car. I got really tight with a couple of the younger kids, especially Lizzy. She was my favorite. Tattoo Man took a liking to her too. That bastard would take her into his room almost every night, and then he murdered her. Things got so scary that we all wrote our names and addresses down, just in case.” She swallowed hard. “I couldn’t believe that son of a bitch murdered her. He made me clean the floor in there after the cops and the ambulance had left. He knew I tried to protect her.” Frog wiped her eyes.
“You replaced what other group?” AJ said carefully.
“The kids that were here when we came in. There were some boys in that group, and the minders were a man and a woman.”
“Was Donna here, when you came?” Maddie tucked the paper in her pocket.
“Yes. I’m not sure if she actually owned that motel, but she said she did, and a house in the country. We played games at that house and helped her clean the place. She said she and the two women, the minders, were from Tennessee but had lived in Chicago for five years with Tattoo Man, then lived Milwaukee for a while. She’d worked with him for years. Kept track of the money. You’ll have to ask her for more than that.”
“I can’t, Frog. Someone killed her yesterday at that house in the country. That’s where we were last night.” AJ put her hand on Frog’s shoulder.
Frog looked down at her feet and took a deep breath.
“What did the chief say, when you told him about Frog and her cops?” Tag turned to AJ.
“He’s doing a happy dance and said Jock will too. Two birds with one big frog.” AJ grinned at Frog.
Maddie’s phone rang. She answered it and made a face, swearing softly. After she hung up she said, “The team is going to be delayed until tomorrow. Damn. I’ve got to notify Sam and Richard.” She punched a number on her phone. When she finished, she pulled a chair close to Frog, holding the paper in front of her. “This list is genius, thanks. Tell us what you know about the kids you replaced. Anything will help.”
“I only saw them that first night, and I think there was about as many as our group, but they were older. A man that Donna called ‘the lawyer’ drove them north the morning after we got there, but we didn’t see them leave. We were still asleep. The other girls might be able to add something.”
Maddie inhaled sharply and gave AJ a hard look. Tag looked angry.
“That’s what Clint Weeks described when we met with him. Remember the video he claimed he turned in to the police, the one we could never find?” Grace said.
AJ stood. “All right. We’ve got some extra time. Frog, do you have a bag anywhere? Extra clothes? You could use my room to shower and clean up. Let’s go. I’ll wrap up some odds and ends while you’re cleaning up. We’ll come back up here when we’re done. If Lawrence Kelly calls, I’ll let everyone know.”
Maddie went toward the door. “I’ll work with Richard and Sam for a while and connect with my office. AJ, stop by our room and introduce Frog to them before you come back here.” She looked at Tag and Grace. “Will you girls keep watch on the motel?” She checked her watch. “Two hours. Is that good?”