Visible Threat (13 page)

33

I
VANA WAS A WISP
of a girl/woman. Her shoulder-length hair was blonde and stringy, her eyes a pale blue. A good three or four inches shorter than Brinna’s five feet seven inches, she couldn’t weigh more than 105. A bandage covered one side of her head where there’d been a gash. Her jaw, neck, and arms all bore bruises of varied colors and ages. She’d chosen a pair of jeans and a white cotton shirt to wear. She and Rose Caruso were trying to decide among the pairs of shoes Rose had brought with her when Brinna arrived.

Brinna raised a surprised eyebrow at the other people already there when she entered the room. Jack had said that Chuck would be there and he was, along with ADA Swift.

“Hello, Chuck, Counselor. Hope there aren’t any problems.”

Chuck smiled and shook his head. “Nope, we’re here to ensure all goes smoothly for your mom. And to make sure Ivana understands her status. She’s not a criminal; she’s a victim.”

“I’ll do everything in my power to make her feel at home,”
Rose said, smiling at the girl. “I’m just amazed she speaks such clear English.”

“Yeah.” Brinna frowned. “Where’d you learn your English, Ivana?”

Ivana spoke without meeting Brinna’s gaze. “The missionaries came often to the home where I was raised, the orphanage. I take the English classes.”

“Imagine that,” Rose said.

Brinna suppressed a grin. Her brother, Brian, was a missionary in South America. He’d talked once or twice about going to Eastern Europe but said the languages were difficult to learn. She could bet her mother was already thinking about how to get Brian involved in some way.

She switched her attention to Chuck. They’d worked together on many missing-child cases, and Brinna looked forward to working with him on this case as well. “Can we have a word?”

Chuck nodded and motioned to Swift. The three of them stepped out of the room.

“Will ICE want to talk to the girl at all?” Brinna asked.

“You worried about her immigration status?”

“Yeah, I guess I am.”

“Don’t be. Because Ivana is a victim, her immigration status is immaterial,” Chuck said. “We don’t want her to fear us, because we’re going to need her help.”

Swift spoke up. “We’re hopeful there will be an arrest and prosecution in this case, and we’ll need her testimony. She needs to clearly understand that there is no fear of deportation.”

Brinna nodded. “Will do.” She turned to go back into the room, but Chuck held the door closed.

“Before we go back inside, Brinna, I need you to be aware of something.”

“What is it?” Brinna asked.

“We’re working a new angle on this case,” Chuck began. “It’s possible there’s an organized crime involvement with the girl. Jack and Ben have suspicions, and I spoke to an agent I know back East. It seems they’ve had quite a big problem with the Russian Mafia and human trafficking back there.”

“Russian Mafia? Is my mom in any danger?” Anxiety stabbed at Brinna with an intensity she wasn’t prepared for.

“Don’t jump ahead,” Swift cautioned. “This is only a theory. We have no solid proof of a connection at this time, but we’re looking at all angles.”

“We’ve taken the steps needed to ensure your mom’s name and address stay out of the loop. An acceptable shelter bed could open up at any moment, but in the event Ivana is with your mother for an extended period, we’ll keep tabs on them both, so tell your mom to expect a government car in the neighborhood,” Chuck added. “Maybe not today, but for sure first thing in the morning.”

“The most important thing right now is that we build a relationship of trust with Ivana,” Swift observed. “You’re the only person of official capacity that she will even look at, much less talk to.”

“Yeah, I realize that.” Brinna crossed her arms. “But if this arrangement puts my mom in danger, I’m going to want
more than a government car in the neighborhood.” She shot a pointed look at Chuck.

“Understood, and I’m working on it. You have to trust me to keep your mom safe, just like I trust you to gain that girl’s confidence.”

Chuck and Swift left, leaving Brinna alone with her thoughts. She stood outside Ivana’s room for a moment. She’d never had any contact with organized crime. Other than the horrors she’d seen perpetrated on TV or read about in books, she had no frame of reference. Long Beach might have its crime problems, but the Mafia wasn’t one of them. Could they really have reached an arm in here now?

*   *   *

After all the hospital release paperwork was signed, Brinna stepped back into the girl’s room. She watched Ivana make final clothing selections and noted that Rose’s friendly tone and motherly demeanor were more successful than any interview techniques Brinna knew for putting someone at ease. Though shy, Ivana responded to Rose in a very positive way. Brinna paid attention, knowing that it would only be by making the girl feel comfortable and safe that an environment of trust could flourish.

Ivana’s face brightened as she picked out a pair of leather flats. She held them up and ran her hand over the top of them. A smile played on her lips as she slid them on and found they fit as if they were made for her. Rose then gave her a jacket to complete the outfit, and they were ready to leave.

“Are you hungry, Ivana?” Brinna asked. “We can stop somewhere and pick up lunch on the way home.”

Ivana looked at Rose and shrugged shyly. Rose placed a hand on the girl’s shoulder. “It’s okay. Remember you’re with friends. I’d guess that you’re hungry. We’re taking you out of here as lunch is being served. Do you have a favorite food?”

Nodding, Ivana said in a soft voice, “I would like to try something American. And thank you. You are very nice.”

“Why don’t we try that new barbecue place in Seal Beach,” Rose suggested. “I’ve heard only good things about it, and barbecue is very American.”

“Good choice,” Brinna agreed.

They left the hospital with Rose draping an arm over Ivana’s shoulder in a protective manner. Brinna fought a strange uneasiness as she looked around the busy parking lot.
Organized crime
 
—those two words had really spooked her, and she wondered if they were being watched. Almost as quickly as the thought entered her head, she felt foolish. They’d reached the section of parking lot where the car was when Brinna’s cell phone rang, interrupting her paranoia episode. She opened it, hoping it was Maggie.

“Hey, Brinna.” The unfamiliar voice caught her off guard.

“Hello?”

“It’s Dave the paramedic, just calling to see how you’re feeling today.”

“Uh . . .” Brinna fumbled for words. David’s sudden interest in her took her by surprise. And all she could think was
Jack
. “Hi, Dave. I’m okay. Up and around, anyway. Thanks
very much for the flowers, by the way
 
—they were beautiful.” Brinna turned away from her mother’s inquiring gaze.

“No problem. The sentiment was sincere; I hope you get back to duty soon. I was wondering if you’d be interested in going out to lunch or having coffee sometime.”

“Uh . . .” She paused. Lunch with Jack the other day had been awesome, but had he made peace with his wife’s death? “Thanks for asking, David. Not sure about that. Right now I’m a little tied up.”

“That’s fine. I’ll call you in a couple of days. Maybe then we can set up something.”

“Okay, bye.” Brinna closed the phone, knowing she was blushing under her mother’s scrutiny. David was a nice guy from what she’d seen. But as she stood, phone in hand, she realized that his invitation had only served to cement the fact that she wanted Jack to be the guy she dated.

“The guy who sent the flowers?” Rose asked.

Brinna nodded as they reached the car. They’d come in her mother’s since it had a more comfortable backseat than Brinna’s truck.

She didn’t say anything further so as not to fan the flames of her mother’s imagination, just opened the door and motioned for Ivana to hop in the back.

Rose was quiet as she got into the passenger seat, but Brinna knew she wasn’t going to let the matter drop. It was going to be a long afternoon.

34

“W
HAT DO YOU THINK?”
Jack asked Ben as they got back into their plain car.

“She’s hiding something.” Ben confirmed what Jack had surmised.

“I agree.” Jack thought about the way Magda’s face had blanched when she saw the first two photos, Alice and then the tattoo. It could have been shock over the girl’s appearance, but he doubted that was the only reason. “I’d bet money that she knew Alice, and she knows something more about that tattoo.”

“Yep,” Ben agreed. “But how to dig that out of her? We have nothing but the tenuous link of a blanket.”

“Not sure, but I think we played it right by not pressing too hard today. This is one person we’ll definitely get more out of with sugar.”

Ben nodded. “We should see if Ivana is ready to talk to us. She might know about Magda and this shop. And it’s time we got a positive ID on Alice. Make sure she is, in fact, Ivana’s
missing sister. If it turns out she’s not, the investigation might go an entirely different direction.”

Jack pulled out his phone. “Good idea. I’ll call the hospital and see if she’s been released yet.” He punched in the phone number and quickly discovered that Ivana had left. It gave him another excuse to talk to Brinna, maybe spend some time with her. “Ivana is with Brinna’s mom now. Let’s give her a little time to get settled in. I’ll call Brinna later today.”

*   *   *

Magda fled the shop after she was sure the detectives were long gone. Her cell phone rang several times, all calls from Simon, but she had no desire to talk to him at the moment. She rubbed her clammy palms together, then yanked a handkerchief from her pocket to dry them. Her hands shook, and her heart felt as if it would race from her chest. She wasn’t certain she’d convinced the officers of anything. And she wasn’t sure she wanted to. There had to be some way she could point them to Demitri without Demitri knowing the tip came from her.

But how?

Magda strode purposefully along the walkway that paralleled the marina. There was a chill in the air and a strong onshore breeze, but no rain. Magda felt nothing. Her golden opportunity was here, and she couldn’t figure out how to make the most of it.

How can I say I know who killed the girl? And that I know the same man brings many girls here and exploits them? And I help him? He uses my legitimacy to enhance his illegitimate
endeavors.
She stopped at the end of the walkway and leaned her elbows on a railing. The ocean was dark-blue and choppy, and the sting of salt was in the wind.

If I weren’t a coward, if I weren’t so afraid for my family, I would tell the truth and Demitri be damned.
Memories of the day Magda had been told that both her parents were dead and she was alone in the world played in her consciousness. She survived that day because she was young and fearless. But youth disappears with time, and fearlessness fades when one realizes just how much there is in the world to fear.

She knew she couldn’t survive a loss like that again; she couldn’t bear losing her family to Demitri.
I’ve come to see him as invincible,
she thought.
Maybe there is no chink in his armor.

As her tears began to fall, Magda felt her golden opportunity dwindle away like foam on a whitecap. Demitri’s grip grew stronger, as if he were next to her, hands around her throat, squeezing the life from her body. Her hand came to her mouth to stifle a sob as the realization hit that she was powerless to do anything.

35

O
NCE THEY ARRIVED
in Seal Beach, Brinna drove down Main Street to Ocean and turned slowly, giving Ivana time to look at the ocean, the beach, and a little of the town. Ivana wanted to get out into the sunshine but admitted to being tired and not up to it at the moment. Brinna was glad for that because ever since they’d left the hospital, she felt uncomfortable with the idea of the girl out in the open. Though there was no real reason for the lingering paranoia at the moment, she trusted her instincts and just wanted to get to her mother’s house and inside.

“How beautiful!” Ivana noticed the quaint wooden pier that extended from the end of Main Street out into the ocean.

“When you’re feeling stronger, we’ll take a walk out onto the pier,” Rose promised. The two of them chatted about the sights.

Brinna doubted the girl would be with her mother long enough to include touristy things in the plan but said nothing.

Her mother had called in a take-out order while they drove, so once Brinna parked, she just had to walk up to the window and pay, and then lunch was ready. The food smelled great all the way to her mother’s.

As they spread out the meal on her mother’s table, Ivana seemed to blossom. Color returned to her face, splashes of rosy red on pale cheeks, and Brinna hoped bad memories were fading. The girl alternated from delight to wide-eyed wonder as they piled her plate high with tender brisket, tangy short ribs, sweet potato fries, and coleslaw.

Rose said a blessing and they enjoyed their lunch. As Rose told stories about church, Ivana giggled and for a bit seemed like a normal American teenager, not an abused and exploited young woman. Brinna couldn’t stop her thoughts from drifting to all the kids she’d seen in her career who’d had their innocence shattered, including herself at six.

How many of us bounced back, able to deal with the scars and lead normal lives?
she wondered.

I don’t know what the future holds for Ivana,
Brinna thought,
but I’ll do everything I can to help her move on. My mom was right about one thing: what happened to me has helped me to be more empathetic. It also made me stronger, and I hope the same happens for Ivana.

36

M
AGDA HAD BEEN
so preoccupied with the police, she’d forgotten that Anton planned to meet her for lunch that afternoon. The time was 12:30 on her watch, and she was halfway back from the end of the marina walkway when she remembered. Bringing a hand to her mouth, she uttered a frustrated grunt and stepped up her pace. Anton would arrive at the shop at one, and Magda had to freshen up so he wouldn’t know she’d been crying. For a brief moment she wondered if the wisest course of action would be to tell Anton everything and enlist his help. But he knew nothing about Demitri and the loan
 
—nothing.

As much as she wanted
 
—no,
needed
 
—her husband’s support in most aspects of her life, fear that Anton would despise her for taking Demitri’s help had kept her quiet about the alliance all the years she had known Anton.

She’d met her husband in Varna, where her first shop flourished. He wasn’t Bulgarian; he was Albanian. Retired from the army after losing his left leg to a land mine, he’d
come to the seaside village of Varna to recuperate. He was hurt and alone, and that appealed to Magda. Their relationship blossomed to love quickly.

Now he spent his time caring for their children while Magda supported the family. The arrangement worked perfectly for both of them. Anton was a pillar of strength in the home for Magda. She couldn’t bear to disappoint him and tell him that he was beaten and humiliated and their children endangered because of a choice she’d made so many years ago.

I’ve put our family’s very existence in peril and have stood by and watched as Demitri brutalized other people’s children.
The despair rose so thick in her throat, Magda nearly choked. Swallowing the tightness, she fought for control, fingernails digging into her palms.
The crying must stop, and I must be composed before Anton arrives.

Slowly she felt a calm smoothing over the panic and guilt. Anton did that for her. Because of his very presence, she could believe that everything bad would, ultimately, be all right.

And then she reached the shop, only to see a man waiting for her at the door. But it wasn’t Anton. It was Simon.

Here was the source of her angst, at her doorstep, much too close to the time Anton would arrive. Magda nearly screamed, the sight too much to bear just now. Panic jolted her as she knew she could never explain Simon if Anton arrived early. She must get rid of him. Fast.

“I have called and called. Why haven’t you answered?” Simon demanded, striding toward her.

“I haven’t had the time,” she hissed, motioning him away from the front of the shop. “What are you doing here?”

“I need to know what the police wanted.” He gripped Magda’s shoulders, and she saw the fear in his eyes. “Time is running out. You must help me.”

Magda ripped away from his grip. “I’m trying to help. But you can’t haunt my shop like this. You have to give me an opportunity to think of a solution to this problem. And I can’t think with your constant badgering.”

Simon jerked a package of cigarettes from his pocket and uttered a string of curses in their native language as he pulled one out and lit it. Magda watched as he took a deep drag on the cigarette, shoved the pack back in his pocket, and blew out a puff of smoke.

“I’m sorry,” he said after another drag on the cigarette, “but time is short. What did the police want?”

Magda folded her arms. “They not only asked me about the girl who ran away; they came to me about a dead girl. You told me nothing about a dead girl.”

“A dead girl?” Simon groaned as if thoroughly distressed. “I didn’t realize they had found her. That was Demitri!” He cursed some more. “I hate this. Demitri, he lost his temper with that girl.” Pacing back and forth, sucking on the cigarette as if it were oxygen, he told her how Demitri had beaten the girl to death, then dumped her in the river, hoping the body would be carried out to sea and never recovered.

“I told him to be careful. He wouldn’t listen. You know him, Magda; does he listen to anyone?” Simon stopped his pacing, and his tortured eyes held Magda’s. She couldn’t help
feeling sorry for him. He was right. Demitri only listened to Demitri.

“The police knew that the two girls are Bulgarian, so they came to me.” She left out the remnant of blanket. “They have connected them, and Demitri is solely to blame for that. He branded them both.” She spit the last words out, and realization shone in Simon’s eyes.

He swore. “This nightmare gets worse and worse. Has Ivana told them anything?”

Magda covered her ears. “No names! I don’t want to know them. I don’t want to be any more involved than I already am. And if the girl has told them anything, they did not tell me.”

Simon rubbed his hands together and mumbled under his breath. “We tell the girls over and over again that they can’t trust the local authorities and that they will be sent to jail for entering the country illegally. Since we keep their papers and prevent them from going anywhere, that is an easy thing to make them believe.” He straightened his shoulders. “I have someone watching the hospital for me. When the girl is released, I will find out where they send her.” Simon tossed the cigarette on the ground and smashed it with his heel. “Unless you have other ideas, I plan on getting her back. He should call soon.” Immediately he lit another cigarette.

Magda sighed and shook her head. “Then you are on your own. I can’t help you. I will not jeopardize my business and my life over this.”

They stared at one another, and for a few seconds Magda feared Simon would force the issue. Then a light of understanding showed in his dark eyes, and he gave a slight tilt of
his head. “Will you tell me if the police come back? If they make any more connections between the dead girl and Iv
 
—uh, the one they found in the river?”

Magda frowned. “Is there another connection between the two girls besides Demitri?”

“The girls are sisters.”

Magda blanched. The girl in custody would not stay quiet for long. Her sister was murdered, so how could she keep from telling the police what she knew? Everything in Demitri’s organization would be exposed, including Magda.

“This is worse than I ever expected.” She grabbed Simon’s arm. “You must tell Demitri. Tell him to stay in Bulgaria. Then you and however many girls you have here must leave as well.” Magda’s mind raced. “He’s ruined this place for his business; even he must admit that.”

By staying away, Demitri might not get what was coming to him, but at least his reach to America would be severed.

“Are you mad? Demitri will not blame himself; he will blame me.” Simon tore his arm from her grasp. “I would be signing my own death warrant. The only possible solution is that I get the missing girl back before she says anything.”

Magda hugged her arms to her chest and shook her head vehemently. “Then I will not help you, and I demand you stay away from my shop. You’ve destroyed yourself. Please don’t take me with you.” She glared at Simon until he looked away.

Finally he stomped out his second cigarette and shoved both hands in his pockets. “Things were so much easier at home. The police could be bought with a minimum of
trouble. I think Demitri made a mistake coming here. It may well be the end of him, but I can’t be the one to tell him that.” He turned on his heel and strode toward the parking lot.

Magda watched him go, fervently hoping that Demitri would realize he’d made a mistake expanding to the US. If there was a God in heaven, she prayed he’d let this incident forever sever the hold Demitri had over her.