Damage Control by Kathy Bennett

Author:Kathy Bennett [Bennett, Kathy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781733758161
Publisher: Kathy Bennett

54

ANTONIO

* * *

After his phone call with Roy, Antonio got showered and dressed. Having a few hours before he had to be at the used car lot, he drove to Victims of the Streets.

The facility, was a center where people working the streets, male, female, adults, and kids, could come for help to leave the vicious circle of selling their bodies…and their souls.

Just as he’d helped Antonio find a job, Roy had gone to bat with the founder of Victims of the Streets for Araceli. A former working girl and stripper, Araceli was scared straight when Antonio and Roy saved her from being murdered by a former abuser.

He walked through the door where one of the teen residents sat at the front desk, eyeing his gang tattoos.

“Hi there! I’m Araceli’s brother. Is she here?”

“Your name, sir?”

He grinned. “Antonio. Although if you tell her it’s her pain-in-the-ass brother, she’ll know for sure it’s me.”

The girl giggled and dialed the phone. “Your brother, Antonio, is here to see you,” she murmured. “Okay.” She hung up and smiled. “She said you should go to her office. Do you know the way?”

He smiled. “I do. Thank you.” When he reached the door marked Counselors he tapped and poked his head inside the room.

Araceli looked up from where she sat, typing behind a computer. “Come on in.” She pushed back from her desk and motioned for him to take a seat in a chair beside of her desk.

“I feel like I’m back at school about to get chewed out by the principal.”

“What are you doing here?”

“I suppose you’ve seen the news about the Buckners’ little boy.”

His sister’s face sobered. “Yes. I was going to call you, but it’s been busy this morning. I feel awful for them. Do you have any news?”

“Nah.” He shook his head. “They did a house-to-house search in the neighborhood, but there’s no sign of him.”

“What brings you here?”

“You didn’t return my call from last night. I was wondering if any of the girls ever talk about anyone dealing in little kids—young, like Gage Buckner’s age. You hear any chatter like that?”

Araceli sighed. “For the past few months, the gangs have focused more on human trafficking than drug smuggling. It’s easier to get kids over the border than dope.”

He nodded. “I’m looking for someone dealing specifically with younger kids.”

“Maybe…a little girl who came in just a little while ago.”

“Why do you think she’d know baby traders?”

“Because she’s not much older than a baby herself. Maybe ten or eleven years old. She wouldn’t give me a lot of information.”

“Is she here? Can I talk to her?”

Araceli shook her head. “Nope. She came in but was clearly scared to death. She’s been staying with a pimp and his girls, but for some reason, he hasn’t turned her out yet. She wanted help finding her sister but wouldn’t tell me anything to go on. I pushed her for info. She freaked and took off in a black SUV driven by a black girl.”

“We’re your cameras able to pick up the license plate on the ride?”

His sister scoffed.

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