The Second Girl(7)

“Would you come to the conference room, please? Oh, and bring an orange soda and whatever snacks you can find.”

“Be right there.”

I find the controller for the TV and push the power button. CNN pops on, with a panel discussion about the latest terrorist threat. I hit the channel button and stop on the Discovery Channel.

I hand the controller to Amanda.

“Here. You can watch what you want.”

She takes it and tucks it in both hands on her lap.

Leah arrives shortly thereafter carrying a medium-size wicker basket that contains assorted snacks—Snickers bars, granola bars, small bags of pretzels, potato chips, and Wheat Thins. Amanda grabs a bag of potato chips. I tell her I’ll be right back, then exit and walk to Costello’s office.

“What the hell’s with the little girl, Frankie, and who is she? And why does it look like your suit coat is the only item of clothing she’s wearing?”

“I’ve been working on this case I picked up couple of weeks ago. I was conducting a bit of surveillance on this house and there were exigent circumstances, so I had to go in. That’s when I found her.”

“Exigent circumstances? Don’t try to con me with that ‘exigent circumstances’ shit, Frankie. You know me better. What the hell is this about?”

“Damn, Leslie, I got in because it was necessary, and now there’s a little girl who’s been through all kinds of shit and has to get back to her family.”

“Okay, okay, tell me what’s going on.”

“I found her in this house on Kenyon Street. She was being held against her will, handcuffed to a chain in a bathroom. They shot her up with heroin, some other shit, raped her, I’m sure, although she won’t talk about that right now. I’m certain it’s some sort of gang-related thing, but she’s not a part of the gang. They were just trying to make her a part of it and probably would have had their way if I hadn’t gotten there. She’s scared to death. Didn’t even want to leave at first because they convinced her they’d kill her family if she ever escaped.”

“That poor girl. So why didn’t you call 911 and take her to a hospital? I don’t get why you’d bring her here.”

“I wasn’t thinking straight. This case has got me running circles in my head.”

“This is not good, Frankie. I don’t know what you’re thinking, but this is not how it’s done and you know that.”

She’s right, I’m whacked out right now ’cause I’m starting to crash. I got to get myself back up so I can think straight. I’m starting to feel like the room’s shrinking, the air thick. Next, I’ll be spinning.

“I’ve got to use your bathroom,” I say.

“What? What the hell’s wrong with you? Have you gone mad?”

“I really have to use your bathroom,” I say, and turn and walk quickly toward the bathroom down the hall.

“I’m calling the police, Frankie,” she advises as I open the door to the bathroom and walk in.

I lock the door. I pull a prescription pill container out of my front pants pocket and twist it open.

I don’t have any more than a couple of grams in the container. My heart pounds, mostly because the thought of soon being without anything is terrifying. I turn on the water. I pull out two capsules and set the container on a shelf above the sink. I twist one of the capsules open and carefully squeeze the powder out of each half and onto the back of my hand. I close one nostril with my finger and snort it up through the other. I do the same with the other one. I straighten up, lick the residue from the back of my hand, then wipe the residue from my nose and upper lip, and rub it on my gums. I pinch my left nostril shut again and sniff quietly one more time.

A sudden, beautiful wave across my brain mixes everything together perfectly, lighting me up and releasing the neurotransmitters. Everything is clear. I put the capsules back together and drop them in the container, then slip it back in my pocket.

“Shit,” I say, as if I suddenly realize how stupid I am.

But that’s all right.

I walk out of the bathroom with a new lift and find Leslie walking out of the conference room holding my jacket.

“Leah found something more suitable for her to wear. And I called 911. I’m sure they’ll be here any minute now.”

“She said they know her address, and you know damn well the police won’t act on it fast enough. Once these boys find her gone, her home will be the first stop they make. I got her to leave with me ’cause I promised her I’d keep her family safe. I’m going back to the house I got her out of.”

I take my jacket from her hands. “I’ll call you within an hour and give you the address. I’m pretty damn sure that Amanda doesn’t know it. Tell the police what you have to, but I got to do what I got to do.”

I walk toward the exit. She follows behind with quick steps. I slip on my jacket without stopping.

“Frank! You can’t just drop off a kidnapped teenage girl who’s probably been gang-raped and expect me to try to keep you out of it! You can’t just walk out of here!”

I open the door and turn to her and say, “I gotta take care of this, Leslie. And notify Fairfax County police too, because she lives in Burke.”

I let the door shut itself and choose the stairs instead of the elevator.