Chapter Eleven #4
“How would you describe the members? What were they like?” Absinthe asked.
“Some of them were young and silly, but their president was a decent man and he seemed to care about the club members. I liked most of them. A few strutted around trying to look tough, mostly the newer, younger ones. They just needed to be noticed.”
“Do you believe they’re involved in human trafficking?”
The room fell completely silent, all eyes on Lyric.
She took her time, the way she always did when something was important.
“I know Sid was very worried. I could tell whenever he came in, he was preoccupied. I don’t think he wanted a huge club.
He wanted a smaller territory where they could live free.
He said it more than once to his girlfriend when they came into the shop.
He blew it with her because he kept finding new girls.
It was too bad. She listened to him and gave him really good advice.
I think she was genuinely in love with him. ”
Which wasn’t exactly an answer, Keys realized. She’d given them information, but she hadn’t told them what they wanted to know.
“If there was a route in those mountains being used by traffickers, would Sid know about it?” Absinthe persisted.
“Sid knows the mountains like the back of his hand. No one would be able to use the tunnels without his knowledge.”
Keys met Czar’s eyes. They’d spent three months looking into Headed for Hell, and it seemed as if he could have asked Lyric.
“Why wouldn’t you tell me you thought he wasn’t involved?” Keys asked.
“I had no idea you were looking at Sid for human trafficking until you told me when we were up in the mountains. There wasn’t time, or a good reason, to give you my opinion.
You were there three months, and you’re more in that world than I am.
It didn’t occur to me you’d care what I thought one way or the other. ”
“I always care what you think, Lyric,” Keys reminded her.
“I know that now. I didn’t then.” She was firm.
“I want your honest opinion, Lyric,” Absinthe persisted. “If someone is using Sid’s routes for human trafficking, who would it be? You have to have some idea.”
“Since I didn’t know anything about human trafficking—”
“Babe,” Keys cut her off. “He’s asking your opinion. You’re not leveling an accusation against anyone.”
“There’s a huge militia group living up in the mountains.
They keep to themselves for the most part,” she said.
“Recently, meaning a few months back, quite a few joined their community. You must have met them. They have no problem shooting anyone who comes near their homes or any operation they’re involved in. ”
“Is it possible Sid is partnering with them?” Absinthe asked.
“Anything is possible, but from what I observed of Sid, he wouldn’t want anything to do with it. But I don’t know.”
“Consider you might be right, Lyric.” Absinthe leaned toward her. “Why would he allow it? If he took their money, he’d be considered an accomplice.”
“This isn’t something I’m comfortable giving my opinion on, Absinthe. I don’t know any of you that well, other than Keys. I don’t want to carelessly say something that might get someone in trouble.”
Absinthe smiled at her, but Keys noted there was no humor in his eyes. “I wanted your opinion. Unbiased. Nothing to lose or gain. I may be wrong, but it’s my opinion that many people treat their hairdresser the way they do a priest.”
“That is kind of true,” Lyric admitted.
“In the beginning,” Absinthe said, “we all thought Sid was a good man trying to do the best for his club, but something is very wrong in those mountains. We couldn’t imagine why Sid would agree to allow something that would draw the kind of attention human trafficking would, especially since all the information we collected on him and the club was that he was trying to keep a low profile. ”
“The militiamen and women are intense. Some of them would come in for haircuts, the women mainly. They’d talk to me carefully. Choosing their words. They always came in pairs. After their group suddenly grew in size, the women stopped talking.”
“Would those women assist their men in human trafficking?” Absinthe asked.
Keys wanted to call a halt to what amounted to an interrogation. Lyric was decidedly uncomfortable giving opinions rather than facts.
“Do you really believe someone is using those mountains to traffic human beings?” she countered.
For the first time she looked Absinthe straight in the eye. If he found her direct stare disconcerting, it didn’t show on his face. His nod was slow, decisive, and he didn’t look away.
“Well then, take this for what it’s worth.
I don’t have any facts at all, but if something like that is going on, it isn’t Headed for Hell.
Sid might know, but he isn’t cooperating for money.
It’s possible he dumped Sarina because she was threatened.
He did it fast and ugly and hurt her, which was out of character for him.
He went after women, but he had been exclusive with Sarina, and I thought she meant something to him.
Ever since he dumped her, things have been tense.
So, my opinion—and again, I don’t think opinions are anything to go on—if there is trafficking going on, the militia is involved, and Sid’s being threatened to cooperate. ”