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Chapter Forty-four
Stasia sat in the car, her face covered in worry and her hands agitated. Keeping his eyes on the busy highway, Sam quickly glanced her way and then back to the traffic.
“What’s wrong, Stasia? You look upset.”
“I’m worried Ellieisangry.For me leavingthis way. Inmiddle of day. We had plans for children.To draw with them.”
“I know, and I’m sorry I had to take you away. But we need your help to find your friend.”
“You mean Maria?”
“Yes. You called her a few days ago, and she answered, right? We need you to do that again, but this time I want my guy to put a trace on the call.”
“Won’t they listen and find meagain?”
“No. We’ll be making the call from Starbucks downtown so even if they are watching, it won’t matter.”
Fear covering her features, Stasia held her stomach as if she suffered from pain. “Why do you need me to do this now?”
“I’d never ask you if it wasn’t imperative. Look, Stasia, they’ve moved everyone out of the house where they were keeping you. We need you to find out wheretheywent.”
He pulled in close to the café and parked the car. Then he turned to her. “We want to help your friends, Stasia, but we can’t if we don’t have any idea where to go.”
“I think theythinkI willcall Maria again.” She thought for a minute and added, “So… won’t they take her phone?”
“It makes sense, yes. But if they are expecting you to call her again, they might not. They need to find you, Stasia. You know that. You’re a loose end and could tell someone about their business. They can’t take any chances.”
Stasia looked at Sam, her eyes filling with tears. “The fear, itwill neverbe gone, Sam,I know, right?Always, Iworry someonecould… couldrecognize me. How can I believeStasia isgood enough to bewith Barney andfamily? If they find outsecret…how… howdirty I am, theywould be very, very angry.”
Sam had no idea young Stasia would react like this to his request, but he couldn’t blame her. Not at all. It would take years of counseling for most people to deal with the situation she’d found herself trapped in. He could tell her a million times she was the one wronged, the victim of adult cruelty, but she’d lived in the dirt, as she called it, for too long to have it wash off easily.
He turned to her and gathered her hands so she couldn’t pull away. “Sophia told them about your situation the night before you went to work with them. They knew whathadhappened to you, and they’re as infuriated about the treachery of those men as Sophia and I are. They’re good people, Stasia, and what they care about is how you treat their kids andbehavewith them.”
His words made thetears spill over. AndStasia’s expression clearedwhena glorious smile scattered the distress. “They know?”
“Yes, they do. Their reaction was wanting to show you there are good people in the world too.”
“I’m sohappy. You can’t know, living lies, not tellingtruth. It’s horrible.Ellie is so kind, I want totalk aboutmy family with her.”
“I bet they’ll be pleased to hear all about your father and brothers and sisters. But for now, let’s get this thing done, so I can get you back home in time to see Sophia off on her visit with Ellie’s cousin.”
Once they went up the flight of stairs to get to the Starbuck’s entry, Sam saw David in the far corner of the veranda. He steered Stasia into the café so she could choose a drink and a treat if she wanted, and then they joined David who had his equipment spread over the table. He also had the largest glass they sold filled with a fruit drink and a plate with two huge pieces of coffee cake, a big bite out of one.
After he introduced them, David took out a cheap burner phone and asked Stasia for Maria’s number. “Is she the only one who will answer?”
“I don’t know. She did before. Would you rather I call Pavel? I know his number too.”
David looked at Sam and then back to her. “Is he one of the others there?”
“Yes. We came on same ship together. He is two years older and different. But I don’t care. I like him. He is kind.”
Again, David looked over at Sam but didn’t say a word. He just waited for orders.
Sam played it out in his head. If Maria did answer, chances were they’d either be listening or taping the call. But just maybe, they wouldn’t be expecting Stasia to have memorized the number for one of the others. It was worth a try.
“Okay, Stasia. Give us Pavel’s number, and if it’s not him who answers, let David take the phone. He’ll pretend to be a wrong number.”
He then looked at David and asked, “You memorized how to ask for a person in Greek?”
