Dark Legacy by Jen Talty (reading books for 4 year olds .txt) 📗

“That’s truly the sad part.”

Jackson held his breath as his heart sank to his gut like a cement brick. “This wasn’t human trafficking, was it?”

“Nope. Nothing worse than adults taking full advantage of young girls and boys and abusing their trust.”

“Fuck,” Jackson muttered. His thoughts had gone into a very dark place, and Shannon was at the center of it.

Jeromy leaned forward. “Belinda was a victim of that sex club. Her father used to sell her to the highest bidder during his Tuesday poker games. They’d take turns while he dealt.”

“That’s really fucked up.” Jackson couldn’t suck in a deep breath if he tried. A wave of nausea gripped him so tight, he thought he might pass out if he tried to stand. “How do you know all this?”

“I arrested Belinda’s father ten years ago when she was only fourteen years old.”

Jackson leaned back on the bench and stared across the street at the lake, just as a sailboat caught wind and cut through the water.

No one had such dark rituals with that much hatred for their father unless they had a really good reason.

“Did you know Belinda?” Jackson asked.

“Not well. But I heard she was seeing a therapist.” Jeromy cocked his head. “Shannon Brendel.”

A sharp pain stabbed Jackson in the center of his chest and ripped through his entire body.

“She’s a sharp girl, and I hear she’s really good at what she does. But I can see you’ve gone to the same place I’ve been living for years, and I’m going to take you to an even darker place.”

“I’m not sure I can handle that.” But Jackson wasn’t going to stop the man.

“Have you ever met her stepmother, Annette?”

Jackson shook his head. “Just her mother, Melinda.”

“She’s a piece of work. Fucking bitch turned a blind eye to the whole thing and still pretends it never happened.”

Jackson swallowed.

“But Annette, she’s something else. And she did something about it.”

“Did what?”

“This is where it gets really dicey, and I don’t know the whole story, but I’ve always suspected that Dwight was one of the leaders in the sex club ring, and that Shannon was a victim. She disappeared from—”

“What do you mean, disappeared?”

“She went to rehab.” Jerome used his fingers to make air quotes. “But I was never able to verify that.

The baby.

“I wanted to put a tail on Dwight, but my captain wouldn’t let me. By that time, a few years had passed, other sex crimes had come and gone, and no more girls had come forward.”

Jackson balled his fists. “Did anyone talk to Shannon?”

“She was a minor. We couldn’t. Not without her parents present. We approached her mother, and that didn’t go over well. But Annette, she was a different story, though she wasn’t a parent or a guardian.”

“How long were Annette and Shannon’s father married?”

“Less than three years,” Jeromy said. “Thing is, we busted an orgy at the motel up by Hoisers Bar two weeks before Dwight died. One young man by the name of Alex Angler worked for Dwight. That was enough for my captain to give me the thumbs-up to at least have a conversation. When I got nowhere with the mother, I went to Annette. I was disappointed that she defended her husband so vehemently, but I could tell she was totally disgusted by what I told her.”

“Do you think she knew what was going on?”

Jeromy shook his head. “No. Actually, I think the poor woman was shocked. A week later, the man was dead.”

“Are you accusing Annette of killing him?”

Jeromy shook his head. “No. The man died of a heart attack. But I question her story.”

“Could you please just be direct?”

“She told the first responders that she went to bed before her husband and woke up to find him dead. But she told me that he was asleep when she came to bed but had been complaining of heartburn.”

“That sounds like you believe Annette had a hand in his death.”

“What I believe is that Dwight was a monster, and while Ned wouldn’t tell me shit eighteen years ago or even ten years ago, he’s since had a change of heart and has been slowly giving me some information, in a weird way. The players have changed, but not how the club works.”

Jackson pinched the bridge of his nose. “I live next to Shannon, and for the last few days, I’ve seen Ned’s car at the top of my driveway. Why?”

“You’d have to ask him that.”

“I’m asking you.”

“Best guess is he’s concerned, considering the sex clubs have been popping up left and right lately.” Jeromy stood. “Perhaps it’s time you have a long, serious chat with Shannon.”

Jackson planned on doing exactly that. But first, he had to try to find Lilly. His cell vibrated in his back pocket. He pulled it out and glanced at the screen.

Katie.

“Hey, partner, what’s up?” He meandered toward his pickup.

“I’ve got some interesting news.”

“Lay it on me.” He pointed his key fob toward his vehicle. It beeped twice, igniting Jackson’s headache.

“First, I just scanned and emailed some information that came over from the adoption agency in Rochester where Shannon gave birth.”

“And?”

“I didn’t read it all, but we found her daughter.”

Jackson tossed his cowboy hat across the cab of his truck. He’d need to rifle through that file before telling Shannon anything. “What else?”

“You might want to hold onto your hat for this one. Janice, Belinda’s roommate, well, she was involved in the sex ring.”

“Excuse me? Isn’t that mainly men with sex addictions who like young girls, and in some cases boys?”

“That’s one aspect, but it seems this particular ring is filled with all sorts of surprises. And I have a name of a man that Janice says is at the center of it.”

“You talked to Janice?”

“She was arrested an hour ago,” Katie said. “She and a few friends were at a hotel having a party, and at the center of that little gathering was a young boy performing sex acts with adults.”

“That’s gross.”

“I know, but she gave up