Stolen Daughters by Carolyn Arnold (top novels TXT) 📗

likes of you come around…” He was still grumbling while he grabbed the keys for both rooms from a pegboard. “Let’s go.” He held the lobby door open for them.

They followed him to room seven, and he unlocked the door. Inside, the place was furnished with dated furniture and had a worn, burnt-orange carpet. Just as she remembered it from years ago. There was a strange odor to the air that Amanda couldn’t quite place and wasn’t sure if it was must, mildew, human, rodent—or a combination.

“This is it,” Roy announced, opening his arms. “Quite the Ritz.” He smirked at Trent and went to a door in the middle of the room and unlocked it. “Voila! There you have it—adjoining rooms.”

Amanda and Trent walked into the room and through the door to the next. Room eight was a mirror of seven, but it had a rear exit. She put on a pair of gloves, unlatched the bolt, and ducked her head outside.

“Hey, you said you wouldn’t touch anything.”

She held up her gloved hands.

“Ah, so you go all CSI on me, and I’m supposed to be good with it?”

“You asked for that warrant, Roy, and I’m going to oblige. But there’s no harm in us having a quick look now. Was the man alone, or did he have company?”

Roy’s face became shadows. “I really shouldn’t say anymore.” He fidgeted with the keys in his hands.

“And why’s that?” she asked.

Roy rubbed his jaw, slid it left and right, and scanned the room. “Two girls were dropped off and joined him.”

Amanda’s stomach tossed. Sometimes she hated it when her instincts turned out to be right. Those young women had been sex-trafficking victims.

Forty-Eight

Amanda could only imagine how terrified those girls must have been every time they were delivered to a john. “Did you see who dropped them off?”

“I didn’t exactly get his name.”

“No need for sarcasm, Roy. And not really an answer to my question.”

He met her gaze but was the first to break eye contact. “I don’t think I’m comfortable saying much more.”

“You know what’s going on at the motel, then?” Amanda angled her head. “I’m going to guess it’s a regular thing by the way you’re acting. That would mean that you’re facilitating sex crimes.”

“I didn’t do anything to those girls.”

“Indirectly you did. Silence is what these lowlifes prey on. By not doing anything to help, you are a part of the problem.” Amanda paced a few steps. “I can have this entire place put under surveillance, and then you know what will happen?” She would be anyway, but he didn’t need to know that.

“What?”

She stopped moving. “You’ll be looking for a new job, possibly living out your life behind bars.”

“I didn’t do anything, and if I start talking, I’m good as dead.”

“Just continue cooperating with us, and I can get you protection if it comes to that.”

Roy narrowed his eyes and said, “I don’t like being strong-armed.”

“Look, it’s up to you how it goes from here,” she said. “Keep talking to us, and you’re aiding the police. We’re on your side. Clam up and—”

“Fine,” he spat. “I’ll talk, but I might take you up on that protection.”

“Okay. Why don’t we start from the top?” She figured if they backtracked and focused on the mystery man’s movements first, by the time they reached the point when the girls showed up, he’d be a little more relaxed.

“The guy rented the rooms.”

“Uh-huh, and what was he driving?” she asked.

“He arrived on foot.”

Not surprising. He probably left his van in the insurance company’s parking lot and walked over. “Okay, keep going.”

“He got the rooms, went into them, then about an hour after, these two girls were dropped off.”

“What time was this?”

“Say, ten thirty.”

She nodded. That would have given the killer time to drug the girls and wait for it to set in before escorting them to the van around eleven thirty, when Janet had spotted them. He could have had the girls long gone before their handler even clued in. “What did the girls look like?”

“I dunno. Young, I guess. Pretty, blond. They wore sexy clothing.”

“Did you happen to notice if they had any tattoos?” she asked.

“Nope. Didn’t notice.”

“Okay, they were dropped off. Then what?”

“The girls knocked on his door, and he let them in.”

“Which door did they go to?” she asked.

“Seven.”

That was the one without the back door… So the killer had the girls delivered to room seven, and then unbeknownst to their handler, the girls were likely shuffled into room eight and taken out the back door. “Did the person who brought them leave or…?”

Roy licked his lips and pushed out, “He stayed out front in the car he’d brought them in.”

Now that Roy was opening up, Amanda slipped in her earlier question. “Did you get a good look at him?”

He met her gaze. “He had the driver’s window down, and he was smoking. Oh, and he was playing country music. Just loud enough to sort of pick up, but not booming or anything. But gah, I hate the stuff.”

“Did he ever get out of the car?” Amanda was pressuring now, but she felt the effort would pay off. After all, Roy didn’t bring up protection because he didn’t get a good look at the girls’ handler.

Roy’s eyes went dark, and he stared across the room. “Yeah.”

She might need to wait a little yet before getting some description on the guy. “And what did he do?”

“He banged on the door of room seven.”

“What time was this?” Trent asked.

“About one in the morning. When no one answered, the guy stomped into the office and demanded I give him a key to the room.” He paused there, and his body was visibly trembling.

“You’re doing good.” Amanda was trying to keep calm herself. Roy would have gotten a real good look at the guy. “Keep going,” she encouraged.

“I told him I couldn’t give him a key.”

Trent winced. “And how did that go over?”

“He kicked down the room’s door.” Roy hitched a thumb over his shoulder. “We