The mayor’s secretary, Helen, was a stout woman in her fifties who guarded the mayor’s office like a sentinel. She was pleasant until crossed, or more specifically until the mayor was crossed, whereby she defended him like an overprotective mother.
Josie opened the door and a bell announced her presence. Helen looked up from paperwork and smiled broadly.
“Chief Gray! It’s a pleasure to see you.”
Josie smiled, thinking that her next visit would most likely not be met with the same enthusiasm.
“What can I do for you?” Helen asked.
“I’d like to see Mayor Moss, if he has a minute.” Josie hoped Helen would say, No, sorry, he’s out of town for the week.
“Oh, I imagine I can hook you right up. One minute.” Helen picked up her phone and spoke quietly into the receiver. She turned and faced Josie, smiling as if she had fantastic news. “Go right on in. He’ll be happy to speak with you.”
As Josie walked down the hallway, for the hundredth time she imagined how she would approach the subject. She had made love to Nick the night before, but her impending conversation with the mayor had nudged at her brain, interrupting the only joy she’d hoped to squeeze out of the day.
The mayor flung his reading glasses onto his desk as if she were interrupting an important task.
“Good morning,” he said, frowning and gesturing to the pleather chair in front of his desk.
The dark paneling, large mahogany desk, and fake leather furniture gave the office the feel of a cheaply decorated men’s club. Josie had the urge to open the curtains, which were always drawn, most likely because the wall faced the alley at the back of the office.
“Good morning, Mayor. Thanks for seeing me.”
He faced her, clasping his hands on the desk in front of him. She focused her attention on his eyes, took a deep breath, and stepped into it.
“I have some disturbing news to bring to you.”
“Well, you’re a cop. Most of the news you bring me is disturbing. Bring it on.”
“It’s about the human trafficking case. We’ve identified the two men responsible for transporting five women from Guatemala to the U.S. as Josh Mooney and Ryan Needleman.”
He put a hand to his ear as if he’d heard wrong. “Bill’s boy?”
Josie nodded. “He’s admitted it, and cooperated fully.”
“His dad know yet?”
“He does. He’s obviously upset, but he refused to pay for an attorney. Meanwhile, Ryan opened up and explained the entire operation to us.”
“Son of a bitch. I’ve known that boy since he was a baby. We gave that kid a hundred dollars for graduation last year, and then he got thrown out of college for fighting before he even got through the first semester. I thought about asking for a refund.” He leaned back in his chair and stared at Josie, clearly shocked at the news. “He’s a little rough around the edges, but I never figured him for a bad kid.”
“He was asked to work with Josh Mooney to drive five women from Guatemala to New Mexico, where the women would work for the hotel services industry. Most likely as maids.”
“How the hell did Ryan get mixed up in a shitstorm like this? What’d Bob have to say about this? I bet he’s ready to kick that boy’s ass all the way to the river and back.”
“That’s actually why I’m here, Mayor,” Josie said. She felt the acid bubbling up in her stomach and knew with sudden clarity that Otto had been right. The following information would never be viewed as professional courtesy.
“He didn’t want to share the information, but Ryan finally said that it was Caroline who asked him to participate.”
The mayor cocked his head. “What did you say?” His voice was low and quiet.
“He said that Caroline asked him to transport the women from Guatemala. She asked him to drive the van.”
He tilted his head and smiled like he’d just heard an absurd joke. “This is bizarre, Josie. Even from you. It’s just absurd.”
“Ryan explained that Caroline was trying to help these women. He said she was helping them come to the U.S. so she could find them jobs and help them get citizenship.”
Moss looked at Josie as if she’d lost her mind. “What the hell is wrong with you? This is my wife you’re talking about! You just attended her charity dinner, and now you bring me this?”
Josie laid a paper that contained a screenshot of the Web site from Jobs Without Borders on his desk and pushed it toward him. “We’ve traced this Web site back to Caroline. We believe she is behind the trafficking organization. I wanted to tell you first before I go to the prosecutor with this. I didn’t want you to hear it on the radio.”
He stood suddenly, knocking his chair over behind him. “I don’t give a good goddamn what you believe, Chief Gray. You are completely out of line!” He placed his fists on the desk and leaned forward toward Josie. “You’re going to take the word of a kid who got thrown out of college this fall over the work of a woman who has shown herself to be a pillar of this community? Is that seriously what you’re doing right now?”