Chapter 4 Callie #2
“That isn’t an easy answer. I’m inclined to say yes because Sadie wasn’t presented with a choice.”
Shit.
“So she’s being held prisoner by those bikers?”
“I don’t know, but I’ll find out.”
“When?” I asked, sick of the endless wait.
“Tonight.” He coughed, lowering his voice. “Listen. I shouldn’t be telling you all this, but I don’t want you to lose hope. I’m finding Sadie. With any luck, I’ll be bringing her home after the raid.”
“What if those bikers are waiting for you?”
“It’s a possibility I’ve already considered and have covered.”
I didn’t need to know the specifics. One thing bothered me, though. “Why didn’t this footage show up sooner?”
“Do you know how many clubs and bars there are in Las Vegas?” He chuckled without humor, clearing his throat.
“Took longer than I wanted, but we’ve got what we needed.
There’s enough here for a search warrant for Elliot’s properties, the Dirty Death MC compound, and their known affiliates. It’s a big break in the case, Callie.”
He sounded tired. I imagined he hadn’t slept much since Sadie disappeared. I know I didn’t.
I woke up constantly every night, leaving my bed and staring out the sliding glass doors overlooking my back patio and the starry sky, wishing she would show up and end this nightmare.
“I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep tonight,” I replied finally, biting my lower lip as I tried not to focus on all the things that could go wrong.
“You should try. It’s going to be a long night.”
As if that would change a single thing. “I’ll keep the coffee on.”
He understood. “Once I have news, good or bad, I’ll let you know.”
“And if my sister isn’t there?”
“We’ll get the information we need on Sadie and the other missing women. You have my word.”
I didn’t envy Agent Phillips or the feds.
This case was making headlines on every social media outlet imaginable.
People were skittish. Some protested outside the mayor’s office in downtown Henderson.
City Hall had been bombarded with advocacy groups demanding justice.
Wherever I went, I heard people talking about the missing women and the reality of human trafficking in our city.
Unfortunately, this was an issue long before the mayor got involved.
“I’ll be waiting,” I announced, ending the call.
The printer finished the flyers, and I picked the massive pile up, dividing the stack into several bins for the interns to sort.
Hours later, Bree sat with me on a leather couch, reviewing the files she found in the mayor’s office. He’d left the door to his safe ajar, and she’d found a ton of incriminating evidence. Skeptical, I had to wonder if the files she found were planted. It seemed too easy.
“I didn’t have time to look at what I copied from his computer. I’ll go over it later at home when I don’t have to look over my shoulder.”
Good plan.
“I don’t know what I’ll find on the USB drive, but the safe I found was full of cash, stacks of documents, and several file folders like he stuffed it all inside in a hurry.
Elliot has identification records for some of the employees, receipts for several different Casinos, and photos. Lots of photos.”
“What kind?”
“Blackmail photos. Has to be. Look.”
She flipped through the stack, showing me shots of a motorcycle club called the Devil’s Murder MC.
I frowned. “There are two motorcycle clubs in Henderson?”
Bree shrugged. “Appears so. I know there’s the Dirty Death MC too. I’ve seen them pop up often in the mayor’s correspondence. I think he has some kind of longstanding deal with them.”
She flipped through the stack of pictures, stopping when she reached the ones with the mayor and his arm around each of the missing girls, including Sadie.
“Oh my god! There he is with my sister!” I snatched it from Bree’s hand, staring into Sadie’s face. “This is recent. It has to be from the weeks leading up to her disappearance.”
“Yeah, I agree.” She gestured to the pile in front of us. “This is evidence. We need to give it to your FBI contact.”
She was right. This could help my sister’s case. I needed to meet with Agent Phillips.
Biting my lip, I stared at Sadie’s face next to Elliot, concerned that the mayor had set her up.
“She’s in trouble, Bree. I know it. What if these bikers are hurting her right now?
What if they bury her out in the desert, and I never find her?
” Panic clawed at my chest. “I’m never going to see Sadie again! ”
“Hey, calm down. We don’t know anything yet, but it’s enough to share with Agent Phillips and maybe get a search warrant.”
Letting my imagination run wild wasn’t helping. “You think?” I didn’t tell her about Agent Phillips and the plans we discussed. I couldn’t.
But now I wondered if he needed to know about this picture and the rest of the snapshots someone had taken. Why did Elliot have all of this in his safe? Did he get sick pleasure knowing these women were all missing and he’d had a hand in their disappearances?
“Yes. We need to log off our computers for the night and get out of this office. It’s getting late.”
“You’re right.” I opened my phone, snapping a quick pic of the mayor and Sadie before handing it over to Bree. She arranged everything neatly into the folders, giving me an encouraging smile.
“I’ll keep the flash drive, and you should take the physical stuff. Find out if Agent Phillips will meet with you and look at all the information we collected. Let me know what he says.”
“Okay. I’ll contact him as soon as I’m home.”
My fingers gripped the file folders tightly as we gathered our belongings and left the building. We parted ways as we reached our vehicles, waving to one another as we pulled out of the parking lot.
I wondered if Agent Phillips would have what he needed to expose the mayor after this. It seemed like overwhelming evidence of his involvement to me. Enough suspicious documentation to raise a few red flags. That had to help Sadie’s case.
Driving home, I felt anxious, wondering if I should wait to reach out to Agent Phillips. He was preparing for the raid on the Dirty Death MC compound and wouldn’t have time to mess with bullshit. But this was important. It could mean something big for Sadie and the rest of the missing girls.
Pushing the button for a hands-free call, I dialed Agent Phillips’ number.
His gruff voice answered after the first ring. “Callie?”
“I have something you need to see.”