“Did she give you access to them?”
“She said they don’t work,” Flickinger replied.
That was information Slash didn’t have. “I need a copy of your reports.”
He made copies, walked her to the lobby. “I’ve got six months until I retire. If these women were gonna turn up, they’d have turned up.”
What the hell?
She wanted to tell him it was his fucking job to find them. That’s why he had the title “detective” in front of his name, but with six months left, he was counting down the days.
Slash left.
In the parking lot, she pulled on her sunglasses, muttered several obscenities, jumped in her ALPHA SUV, and drove out.
Next stop, the courthouse in Arlington. After searching for street parking for too damn long, she pulled into a paid lot. Once inside the building, she asked to speak with Detective Rosario.
A few moments later, a woman approached. “Agent O’Reilly, I’m Detective Rosario. I’m gonna grab a sandwich. Can we walk and talk?”
“Works for me,” Slash replied.
Once outside, the detective said, “Missing persons cases are always a challenge. Time is against us from the beginning. I tryto stay positive, but most times the outcome isn’t what anyone wants.”’
The detective led her to a small sandwich shop. After Rosario grabbed something to eat, she suggested they sit in the courtyard.
“Thanks for sending over the reports,” Slash said.
“Both these cases went cold fast, which is frustrating,” the detective said. “Kim and Terri Billiawitz both worked at the Blue Suit for years. I talked to several dancers. They said the sisters were there almost daily and both had regulars. I spoke with as many clients as I could, but most of these men are married or in a relationship, so they didn’t say much.” She drank down some of her iced tea. “Their memories get foggy. They can’t remember shit.”
“No surprise there,” Slash said. “Anything stand out to you as unusual?”
“The dancers had great things to say about both women, but the GM trashed them pretty good.”
“Did she call them unreliable?” Slash asked.
“Yeah, did she tell you that too?”
“There are seven women who’ve gone missing from the club in the past five months.” Slash sipped her water.
“That’s a lot.”
“The GM, Karen Woodside, said theyallghosted on her. I don’t believe that,” Slash said.
“I didn’t realize seven had gone missing.”
“I spoke with Detective Flickinger over at Alexandria,” Slash continued.
“I know him,” Detective Rosario said. “He’s good, but he’s about to retire, so I think he might be?—”
“Clocked out?” Slash asked.
Rosario nodded. “Between you and me.”
“I just want to find these women,” Slash said. “I spoke with Kim and Terri’s mom. Kim kept a journal and talked about a customer at the club who tipped her five hundred, then she ran into him at a store. Invited her to dinner?—”
“Where?” Rosario interrupted.
“No idea,” Slash replied.
