Page 20

CHAPTER 20

Our GPS led us straight to the Lelands’ door, where Mike and Andi awaited us with sandwiches and cold drinks. Andi’s mom was visiting her mother in Florida and wouldn’t be back for another week.

My mind was all over the place, the rock in my stomach reminding me that in the blink of an eye, another person in my life could die.

We sat in the living room filled with colorful décor and soft lighting, including candles. There was a poster advertising an evening at the popular nightclub with Racy Lacy—that was Mike’s name when he performed—posing alongside of Lady Grady. Their costumes outlandish, their eyelashes even more so, but their hearts …

I knew them well—at least as well as I’d known anyone during my casework. They were good people. And now one of them was dead.

Mike saw me looking at the poster. “A good place to start, huh? Grady was our honcho, you know? A friend to all. Encouraged us to go out there and have fun. That’s why we did it. For the artistic expression, to do something outside the box for a change.”

“I remember, yes,” I said, Maddie nodding alongside me on the couch.

Mike was an accountant—not the most creative of professions, unless finding loopholes could be considered a way to express oneself. But it was a good, solid profession.

I clasped my hands on my lap, biting my lip.

While Grady’s fourteen-year-old nephew had disappeared, only to be found dead by apparent suicide, we never could connect him to the human trafficking ring that was focused on others his age in the Savannah area.

But Andi Leland had been one of those teens—and had fought her way out, her bravery leading us to Hugh Barnes.

Hugh Barnes, the ringleader, had a long history of evil, almost as if he were born into it. This included a quirk with the number 5. That quirk had led us to him and his system for collecting his “product”—focusing on fourteen-year-olds: 1 + 4 = 5. We had Maddie to thank for connecting those crazy dots.

Barnes was long dead, but Grady’s murder was fresh. Part of the same circle, but not completely, and I was desperate to find out what was going on.

Maddie broke the ice, as she was known to do, and grabbed a sandwich and a beer. We all followed suit, except Andi and I each chose a probiotic-infused soda.

“The funeral was a big deal,” Mike said. “The number of people who showed … crazy good stuff.”

“It was so beautiful,” Andi said.

“I wish someone would have called me to let me know what was going on,” I said.

“We all assumed you knew,” Mike said. “I’m sorry. I should have found a way to track you down earlier, let you know what happened.”

“It’s the reason I did,” Andi said. “I just wondered … well, you helped the police before. Can you help them now? We’re coming up on two weeks since his death, and I’m afraid the police are not doing all they can. You know what I’m saying?”

I did.

She’d implied that maybe a black drag queen wasn’t worth their time.

“I don’t think that’s it at all. He was an icon, well-loved in this community,” I said. “And we don’t know all the details yet. We should wait a bit before we?—”

“It makes sense!” she insisted.

“Andi …” Mike warned.

“No, it’s okay,” I said, holding up a hand. “It’s a conclusion that is neither far-fetched nor unlikely. But there’s something you don’t know …”

Where to begin telling them about the connection with everyone who’d been injured or killed … and me?

“We think someone’s out to get Sloane,” Maddie blurted out as she took a huge bite of her turkey-and-provolone.

Mike jerked his head back. “Oh my.”

“Hold up,” Andi said. “I haven’t finished saying all I need to say. It’s true, I agree. Sloane is a big part of this whole thing. She has to be.”

“You sound so sure,” he said, his expression one of confusion. Then he dropped his head to the side as his shoulder slumped. “What haven’t you told me?”

“It wasn’t intentional, Dad. I realized it just a few minutes ago.”

She pulled out a piece of paper from her sweatshirt’s pocket.

Parchment.

Small square.

Maddie gasped.

I put my hands in together in front of my lips, prayer formation.

It can’t be … yet another note … no.