“It’s a shock but not a shock,” Mayleah said bluntly. “At least we know one place to look for Reagan.”

  Gracie sniffled and blew her nose. “If she’s been here, maybe they had her working as a waitress or something,” Gracie said. “She’s not the type—”

  Gracie stopped. Buddy looked across the street.

  “We don’t know anything for sure,” Mayleah continued. “But a common practice is to get a girl involved with drugs, then use that dependency as leverage to control them.”

  “I understand about the oxycodone,” Gracie said. “But why would she want a refill of Ambien? That’s not very dangerous.”

  “People get so high and strung out they need something to help them come down and sleep,” Mayleah replied.

  “Oh,” Gracie said, grabbing another tissue.

  Buddy didn’t know what to say. Perversion hit hard when staring a person in the face. They sat in silence for several minutes. A phone with a tinny sound rang, and Mayleah reached for her purse.

  “That’s my burner phone,” she said. “Nichols is calling.”

  Twenty-Eight

  At the moment, Gracie couldn’t stand the thought of being within a hundred feet of Patricia Nichols and doubted she’d be able to pull off any ruse if they met in person. Even though she hadn’t looked in a mirror, Gracie knew her makeup was a total disaster. Mayleah answered the call and listened. Gracie couldn’t hear anything that Nichols was saying.

  “Pixie has the money,” Mayleah said. “Two thousand, and we can get more if she loves the puppy.”

  Mayleah listened for a longer time. Nichols must be a chatty person.

  “No problem if you’re short of cash. It was sweet of you to offer. No, we don’t want to waste a trip. And you don’t have to be there.”

  Mayleah listened again. “Hey, thanks for all you’re doing. Pixie wants to thank you in person, so we can wait until then. Just let me know. Bye.”

  Mayleah lowered the phone.

  “What’s going on?” Buddy asked.

  “She lied and said she was calling from the dog breeder. There is one supercute male left. The breeder is going to put a hold on him, even though Nichols didn’t have the money to lay down a deposit. If Pixie wants the dog, we’re supposed to come tomorrow, not today. Nichols put a woman on the line who claimed to be the breeder and told me all about the dog. She says the male is the pick of the litter, a real champion. That’s what took so long. Nichols is going to take a picture of him and send it to me.”

  “Why not meet with Nichols and the breeder today?” Buddy asked.

  “That was a convoluted story. Nichols made two commitments at the same time and had to rush over to the breeder to grab the best puppy for Pixie.”

  “I’m glad I don’t have to see her,” Gracie said. “Not today, tomorrow, ever.”

  “Don’t shut the door on it yet,” Mayleah cautioned. “If nothing else happens today, we may need to use the dog connection.”

  The burner phone chirped.

  “That’s the photo,” Mayleah said.

  She handed the phone to Gracie. In the center of the frame was a fluffy golden retriever puppy.

  “Wonder what internet site she pulled that from?” Gracie asked as she passed the phone to Buddy.

  “Maybe one of us should go back to the apartment,” Buddy suggested. “Our first priority is trying to find Reagan, not following Nichols around.”

  “That thought crossed my mind too,” Mayleah replied. “Why don’t you and Gracie go to the apartment while I stay here? Now that we’re not going to try to meet with Nichols today, we can drop any effort to present ourselves as Ahyoka and Pixie.”

  Gracie and Buddy got out of Mayleah’s car and into Buddy’s vehicle.

  “Call if anything happens,” Mayleah said through an open window.

  Buddy and Gracie left the convenience store parking lot and retraced the route to the apartment complex.

  “Even though I’m upset, it takes a weight off my shoulders that I’m not going to have to pretend to be Pixie in a meeting with Nichols,” Gracie said.

  “It would have been hard to pull off, but I believe you could have done it.”

  They stopped for a red light at an intersection. Buddy pulled into a fast-food restaurant that featured chicken.

  “Do you want anything?” he asked. “I’m starving.”

  The tension of the day had continued to numb Gracie’s appetite. “Maybe something to drink and a few fries,” she replied.

  Buddy ordered an extra-large meal at the drive-through window. At the apartment complex he laid out the food like a picnic in the front seat of the car. The white van was in the same place. He offered Gracie a piece of chicken.

  “Thanks,” she said. “Even if I’m not hungry, I need something in my stomach.”

  Buddy wiped a crumb from his mouth with a thin paper napkin. A female figure appeared on the landing of the building’s second floor.

  “It’s the blonde from the pharmacy,” Gracie said.

  The young woman scanned the parking lot. Even though the windows of Buddy’s car were tinted, Gracie slouched down in her seat. The girl disappeared from view in the direction of the apartment and didn’t come back out.

  “Evidently someone else is on the way, but they’re not here yet,” Buddy said.

  Buddy ate quickly, partly because he was hungry but also so he’d be ready to react. Nothing happened outside the apartment before they finished the meal. Gracie, who had been understandably upset when they followed Nichols to the strip club, seemed to have calmed down.

  “I’m going to eat salads every day next week,” Buddy said as he put the trash in a paper bag. “Have you tried that new place on Baxter Street? I went there last week with Chris Henley.”

  “No, I haven’t. After today, though, I can understand why police officers who spend a lot of time watching suspects gain weight.”

  An SUV approached from their left. Buddy instantly recognized it. “It’s the silver Cadillac from the pharmacy,” he said.

  Gracie leaned forward as the vehicle passed by. “It’s the right color, but the license plate is different.”

  “They stole another plate.”

  The driver parked beside the white van. Three people, two men and one woman, exited. The two men stood on either side of the woman and helped her to walk. The woman was wearing a ball cap.

  “Is that Reagan?” Gracie asked. “It’s hard to tell because she’s crowded in between those two men.”

  Buddy couldn’t tell either. When they reached the bottom of the steps, the men almost carried the woman up the stairs.

  “Something is wrong with her,” Gracie continued. “Do you see how the men are helping her climb the steps?”

  The group reached the landing at the top of the stairs. The blonde came out of the apartment and took over, helping escort the other woman into the apartment.

  “The young woman they brought in is either sick or drugged,” Buddy said.

  They settled in to continue their watch. Over the next two hours, both of them got out of the car to visit the clubhouse and stretch their legs.

  “After being cramped in this car all day, I’m ready for a run,” Buddy said when he returned after one of his breaks.

  Buddy’s cell phone vibrated. It was Mayleah. He put the call on speakerphone so Gracie could listen.

  “Nichols finally left the club,” the detective said. “She’s alone, and I’m following her now. Unless she makes a turn, it looks like she’s returning to the apartment. There’s more going on at the club, most likely employees getting ready to open later this afternoon.”

  “This afternoon?” Gracie asked. “I thought a place like that wouldn’t open until it was dark.”

  “They probably want to catch the crowd going home from work on a Saturday.”

  Buddy told Mayleah what they’d seen.

  “Okay. Let me know if you can confirm that it’s Reagan. I’ll probably be there in a few minutes myself.”

  Thirty more minutes passed. When Mayleah didn’t appear, Buddy called her back.

  “Detour,” she said. “Nichols drove to a different apartment complex not far from where you are. It may be another hub. There were a lot of people coming and going. As soon as we’re finished today, I’m going to let the Atlanta police know what I’ve seen in case they want to investigate.”

  “Are you going to stay there?” Buddy asked.

  “Yes. I think there’s just as much of a chance for Reagan to show up here as where you are.”

  “Unless there are even more places we don’t know about,” Gracie said morosely. “Atlanta is a big city.”

  “We’re doing what we can,” Mayleah replied. “This is better than working the dog breeder angle. Keep me posted.”

  “I get the idea Mayleah is enjoying this,” Gracie said after the call ended.

  “That’s why she’s a detective,” Buddy replied.

  “I don’t want to give up,” Gracie sighed. “But this is wearing me down.”

  “Don’t be so hard on yourself. For me, I’m trying to break it down into thirty-minute segments.”

  They sat quietly, but Buddy’s mind continued working. His simple attempt to encourage Gracie reminded him how much she’d helped him over the past weeks. And not just the evening when they sat on his mother’s porch. No one except his mother cared as much about his search for his daughter. Mayleah had been a great help in Soddy-Daisy, but Buddy knew Gracie’s heart had been invested for a longer period of time at a much deeper level.

  “Gracie, I really appreciate you,” he said.

  “Why?” she asked.

  “Because you truly care about other people, and even though you’re kind, you can be tough when it’s necessary.”

  “I don’t consider myself tough.”

  “Ask anyone who’s tried to hit your rising fastball. But I’m not talking about being athletic. If someone was threatened and you could do something to help, you’d step in without hesitating. That’s why you’re here now when you could be doing a thousand other things.”

  “You’re here too.”

  “Yes. But this is my opportunity to tell you why I appreciate you.”

  Gracie smiled.

  “And I like your smile,” Buddy continued. “It’s never connected to anything negative but comes from the joy and happiness that live deep inside you.”

  “Buddy, you’re painting me in a much better light than I deserve.”

  “You’ve always liked my drawings, haven’t you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then let me keep painting the picture I see of you. You do a great job at the courthouse. All the lawyers are glad you’re the clerk because it makes their jobs easier. I’ve heard Judge Claremont praise you more than once.”

  “Really?” Gracie raised her eyebrows.

  “He ought to tell you himself.” Buddy paused. “And you always pay your rent on time.”

  Gracie laughed.

  Buddy was silent for a moment before continuing, “You’ve been a true friend to me as long as we’ve known each other. We’ve been through a lot together recently, and I don’t want to mess up our friendship, but it’s made me wonder—” He stopped and pointed. “Look. A lot of people are coming out of the apartment.”

  Gracie quickly lost count of the number of people descending the stairs. Some had drinks in their hands. Others were vaping, sending up huge billowing puffs of smoke.

  “There must be twelve or fifteen people,” she said.

  Buddy was silent for a moment. “Fourteen,” he said. “Five men and nine women. Can you pick out the woman they had to almost carry up the stairs a little while ago?”

  Gracie stared at the group that quickly made its way to the white van, the Cadillac, and another large silver car. “No, it looks like a party that’s about to move to a new location.”

  Buddy phoned Mayleah.

  “Follow them,” the detective said. “It sounds like they cleared out of the apartment. Nothing like that has happened over here yet.”

  “What if the vehicles don’t stick together?” Buddy asked.

  “Stay with the Cadillac. We know it’s been connected with Reagan.”

  Buddy started the engine. Fortunately, the silver SUV was the last in the line of cars.

  “I’m going to wait,” he said. “Otherwise, it will look obvious that I’m following.”

  “Don’t wait too long,” Gracie replied. “And based on what we just saw, I don’t think they’re worried about someone following them. They have other things on their minds.”

  Buddy delayed so long that they could barely see the Cadillac when they turned out of the apartment complex.

  “They’re going right,” Gracie said excitedly.

  “I see them.”

  Buddy reached the exit and turned right. The Cadillac was out of sight over a hill. Gracie bit her lower lip. Buddy accelerated, and when they topped the hill, the Cadillac came into view.

  “Sorry for sounding so panicky,” Gracie said.

  “Hey, I’m nervous too. I just hope this doesn’t turn out to be a dead end.”

  “All three cars are staying together. That should make it easy to follow them. Did Mayleah give you the address for the apartment where she’s watching Nichols?”

  “No. Text and ask her. Then put it in your phone to see if that may be where we’re heading.”

  Gracie did so and watched as the route appeared.

  “According to the GPS, they could be heading toward Mayleah,” she said. “I’ll let you know if they go in a different direction.”

  The group ahead slowed to a stop as a traffic light turned red. There was another vehicle between the Cadillac and Buddy. When the light turned green, the line of cars turned right.

  “They’re off course for Mayleah,” Gracie said. “They should have stayed on this road for another three miles.”

  “Keep it on,” Buddy said. “It may be a detour or they may stop to pick up someone else.”

  The three vehicles turned into a much larger and nicer apartment complex than the one they’d left. Buddy continued past the entrance before stopping to turn around. When he entered the apartment property, Gracie’s heart fell. It was gated. There was no sign of the Cadillac or the other vehicles.

  “Hopefully, there’s only one exit,” Buddy said as he backed into an empty parking spot in front of the leasing office. “We can either wait here or get out and see if we can locate them on foot.”

  “Let’s get out and search,” Gracie replied. “If this is their destination for the night, I’m ready to go home. I can’t hang around here until 3:00 a.m.”

  “I agree, but if we spot them and then they go on the move, we’re going to have to sprint back to the car.”

  “I can’t keep up with you, but I’ll be close behind.”

  They entered the complex through an unlocked pedestrian gate.

  “Let’s split up,” Buddy said. “Call if you spot any of the vehicles.”

  Gracie headed left. The terrain was hilly, and she was able to find a vantage point that gave her a clear view of a long, sloping parking area that served multiple buildings. There was no sign of the Cadillac or the other cars. She went around another line of buildings to a much smaller lot and saw the Cadillac. A man came out and got in. The SUV moved away from the curb. Gracie started jogging back to Buddy’s car while trying to text him at the same time. Her fingers slipped. She stopped and called him.

  “I see it,” Buddy said before she could speak. “Run!”

  Gracie slipped off her sandals and took off barefooted. Buddy was already sitting in the car when she burst through the pedestrian gate and hopped in. He shot out of the parking space.

  “The Cadillac left thirty seconds ago and turned the way we came,” Buddy said. “The windows have a heavy tint, but there were several people inside.”

  There was no sign of the vehicle on the roadway, and Buddy had no choice but to stay in the line of traffic for the two-lane road.

  “Do you still have the route to the apartment where Mayleah is waiting available on your phone?” he asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Let’s follow it.”

  They reached the main highway and continued for three miles without seeing the Cadillac. Two turns later they arrived at the address for Mayleah. Buddy called the detective.

  “I see you,” Mayleah said. “The Cadillac pulled in a couple of minutes ago.”

  Gracie spotted Mayleah’s car. Buddy parked beside the detective, who rolled down her window.

  “Are we making any progress?” Buddy asked.

  “Welcome to police work,” Mayleah answered. “I have a hunch about what’s going on.”

  Gracie leaned forward so she could hear.

  “They’re taking people places as part of a prostitution operation,” Mayleah continued. “It involves both men and women.”

  Gracie felt like she might throw up. This was even worse than what she had imagined when they followed Nichols to the strip club. She closed her eyes and leaned back against the seat.

  “If that’s true, I definitely think you should notify the Atlanta police,” Buddy replied.

  “I will, and I’ll send them a report of what we’ve observed today.”

  Gracie opened her eyes as the Cadillac glided past. She didn’t want to follow it. She wanted to go directly home to Milton County. Buddy’s words that she wouldn’t hesitate to step up and help someone in trouble had limits. If Reagan was ensnared in the situation Mayleah described, Gracie couldn’t handle it. She turned toward Buddy to let him know. He was still looking at Mayleah.

  “Follow the Cadillac,” the detective said.

  Buddy backed out of the parking space.

  “I’m done,” Gracie said before he put the car in drive. “This is so much worse than trying to have a talk with Reagan and convince her to come home.”