Chapter 19
“What’s your name, sweetheart? I don’t much like drinking with a woman whose identity is a mystery,” said Clay, signaling to the server. “Can I get you another beer?”
“It’s Cherry, doll. Bet you can’t guess why,” Indi giggled, pointing to her head. “I’ll take another beer, maybe a shot of whiskey later. This ain’t exactly the kind of place that knows how to make a good Cosmo, if you know what I’m sayin’.”
After Clay had given the server their order, he leaned back casually. “I couldn’t help but overhear what you were shouting to your friends. Sounds like your boyfriend fell into something sweet.”
Indi let her nose wrinkle. “He’s not my boyfriend.
Really, I haven’t known him long. Horace…
uh, Henry…uh, whatever…likes to buy me things in exchange for a little sumpin-sumpin.
If you know what I’m sayin’.” She winked and ran her tongue over her lips.
“Anywho, he promised he’d buy me a diamond bracelet with his next score.
Guess he’s hooked up with some dude who’s swimmin’ in it.
Flash and cash from what Horace…uh—” she huffed and rolled her eyes with a slight grimace, “from what my friend says.”
Propping her chin up on her hands, bent elbows resting on the table, her gaze traveled over Clay again.
“I overheard him on the phone with this guy the other day when he thought I was asleep,” she confessed.
“Something about selling junkies to these shady treatment facilities? I dunno. Like, how does that make any sense? As if some junkie—I don’t give a shit how high off his ass he is—gonna let some big shot shove him into a padded room without causing a scene.
” Indi shrugged as if she was not much interested, accepting the beer the server brought to her.
An electric shock raced through the APS team.
Infinity had told them Rob Vonn—Rob Kilgore—had been sniffing around the body brokering business, but didn’t have a way in.
He had no contacts, no reputation among the big players, and his name had never once floated up anywhere outside of embezzlement or money laundering schemes.
Other than Kilgore—in his persona as Rob Vonn—hijacking the remains of the mother of one of Infinity’s clients from the funeral home where they had been taken and selling them on the open market, there had been no indication Kilgore/Vonn was seriously involved in body trafficking.
Now, however, it was quite clear Indi had been harboring more than a few suspicions concerning Kilgore’s possible involvement in live body brokering—in addition to his embezzlement, money laundering, and grifting wealthy marks—and she was using this casual meet as an excuse to dig for additional intel.
It was rapidly becoming clear that body brokering had most definitely been on his agenda.
And Rob Kilgore’s partners hadn’t a clue how much he’d been scamming THEM.
“Goddamn,” swore Blake over the comm, watching Reflex closely with Brooke. “Look at Kilgore’s face! That motherfucker knows something his partners-in-crime don’t. Son of a bitch!”
Rob Kilgore wore an impassive expression, but the slight tightening of his mouth and positively arctic eyes as he flicked them at Indi meant he was quite aware of the minefield he was currently treading.
Meanwhile, Clay—after ordering whiskey shots for the table—frowned slightly as he casually asked, “Did Horace say anything else, sweetheart?”
Shrugging, Indi took a swallow of her beer before revealing, “Maybe something about the job havin’ to do with him and the other guys this dude has on the hook makin’ money from fingering the junkies they know?
Christ knows, there ain’t no shortage of them around.
I’m guessin’ the guy scoops up the ones with insurance and pushes them to these shady rehab centers for a cut, then pays his dudes a finder’s fee out of it.
But you didn’t hear that from me. Ain’t healthy for a girl in my position to hear too much… if you know what I’m sayin’.”
“She’s fishing,” said Kelly softly, her eyes glued to the live feed.
“Indi is throwing out different scenarios to see if anything lands, while playing brainless ditz at the same time. Looks like there’s a fish on her line, if Kilgore’s reaction is any indication.
Whatever limited intel our girl has had up her sleeve and been sitting on until this point has hit the bullseye. ”
“We’re not necessarily talking about human remains.
Jesus Christ. He may possibly be trafficking in the sale of live bodies, just not from a sexual exploitation perspective.
” Drew was thinking, her brow furrowed. “There’s someone I need to talk to online tonight, who can possibly shed some light on this.
I suspect she knows far more about this shit than she’s let on so far. ”
Brooke’s voice came over the comm. “In other words, the Reflex dudes have been all about their typical embezzlement and money laundering scams while in Tampa Bay. Cask & Canvas is only one of the craft microbreweries that has been a target in their usual sleazy con. But, unbeknownst to the other partners, Rob Kilgore has set up his own hustle grifting wealthy marks under a different alias and potentially brokering drug addicts to shady treatment facilities, who are more concerned with profit than providing actual patient care.” She hissed, furious, as Blake pulled her femme into her arms to calm her down.
“Indi? Step carefully, my friend,” Bryn said quietly.
“Clay has started to look suspicious, and your Rob Vonn is clearly incensed, for all that he’s been keeping his expression emotionless.
It’s apparent that Jack and Thom have started to feel the tension between them as well.
The APS crew onsite will help Shaelyn and Dani extract you if you need it, although it appears you still have control of the situation at the moment. ”
As the server came up to the table holding a tray on which an unopened bottle of whiskey and a stack of clear plastic shot glasses sat, however, Indi squealed and clapped her hands as if she had already forgotten what she had been blathering about.
“Ooh! Shots! I adore whiskey! Pour ‘em out, boys…let’s get this party started!”
“Is she seriously going to do whiskey shots?” Riley wanted to know, raising a dark brow. “Surrounded by those goddamn predators? Has she lost her fucking mind?”
A snort came from Piper. “Dani told me when they were in college, Indi could drink anybody under the table. Even when she, her sister, and their friends were drunk off their ass, little Miss barely-weighs-more-than-a-minute would only have a slight buzz. Her metabolism must be off the chain. She’ll be okay, although it’s my bet she’ll pretend to be affected just to throw them off. ”
Giggling, Indi slammed down her empty shot glass after throwing back the whiskey, then pouted at the lack of noise from the plastic cup. “Poopy. Plastic shot glasses are no fun.” She waved her hand in front of her face, tittering. “Is it hot in here, or is it just me? Who’s ready for another one?”
“Cherry.” Clay, for all his suspicion of the situation, attempted to keep his voice casual.
“Just one more question, sweetheart, then I promise we’re going to have a real good time.
Did Horace ever tell you how he contacted this man?
Phone number, email, anything like that?
How did he get ahold of him if he had any questions? ”
Indi’s eyes grew huge. “Oh, no. No, no, no, no, no. Horace wasn’t allowed to call him, doll.
” She squinted as though the whiskey was already affecting her.
“Or is it Henry?” Impatiently, she flapped her hand at Clay.
“Whoever the dude is, he would call you if there was a job. Any problems, you figured it out for yourself. If you couldn’t, then you missed payday.
Better luck next time, loser. Everyone used a burner phone for reasons, if you know what I’m sayin’.
” Her eyes grew wider. “Holy hell, this girl needs to pee. Pour me another shot, fellas, and I’ll be back.
Think I saw the little girls’ room on my way in.
” She rose unsteadily, then turned on her heel and started making her way to the front of the bar, acting as though she was tipsy.
“Dani and I are not far behind her.” Shae’s voice came over the comm.
“However, Vonn/Kilgore immediately jumped up and is now following her, too…and he is fucking furious. Indi, he’s moving fast, not caring who he’s shoving aside to get to you.
The look on his face? That right there is a man who plans to get answers, even if he has to shake them out of you, because he is skeptical about your whole story.
Watch your six, sis. I have a feeling shit’s about to get real in here. ”
“We’re moving.” Already, the APS team was jumping out of their vehicles, heading for the front door of The Hideout.
“It sounds as though you’re not too far from the front,” Riley said.
“Be warned: APS showing up like this is liable to cause a stampede. Blowing your cover isn’t exactly my first choice, unfortunately, but we’d already discussed the possibility of that happening if the op went south.
If Kilgore has decided Indi isn’t who she said she was, the three of you may need to get out of there now.
” Flinging open the front doors, the APS crew rushed in—and walked straight into bedlam.
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“Dude! What the fuck?!” Standing at the front corner of the long bar that ran down the length of the room, Indi yanked her arm out of Rob Kilgore’s grasp after he grabbed her and swung her around to face him.
“What the hell is your problem? I said I was going to be right back! Geez, like I don’t have enough pushy dudes in my life to deal with! ”
“Who are you?” He yelled and tried to grab her again as Indi skillfully avoided him. “What’s your game? Who do you work for?”