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I open my mouth to protest. I'm not going home when we haven't found my daughter. But he gives one shake of his head, and I remember what he said. t
Trust him, do what he says.
"Okay, let's go." Back in the car, I wait for him to fill me in.
“I can’t tell you everything, babe,” he says. “We have some cops we avoid and some are on our payroll. That’s all you need to know. I’ve got a lead and that’s all I need.”
He dials Timeo.
“Identify this location for me."
"Car dealership on the South Shore.”
Turning to me, he says, "He's hiding out."
“Why would anyone hide at a car dealership?” I ask Ricco.
"Lots of reasons. Limited foot traffic, it's hard to get in and out. The safety and security of amenities, bathroom, food.”
“And I can tell you right now, when I get my hands on that officer, we will find Nick’s location. We have them communication on video footage. I’d bet anything he knows where Nick is.”
We drive to the dealership in silence. I don't know what to say, and I'm a bundle of nerves. But for the first time since this began, I have hope. Hope that we're going to find my little girl.
We pull up to the dealership, and as soon as Ricco parks, I get a little uncomfortable.
I don't know if I should be here. I don't want to witness whatever he's going to do to find out the answers.
"Flo’s picking you up," he says. "You do not have to go far. There's a little coffee shop down the street, and a little delicatessen. I don't want you to be nearby, Dani. Even though I don't want to ever hide anything from you, that doesn't mean there aren’t things you shouldn’t see."
"If he had anything to do with hurting my daughter, there's nothing that I'm going to ask you to stop doing." Flo pulls in behind us at the entrance of the dealership, waving at me. I come to a decision. "Ricco, I need to see."
"See what?”
I stare at him and state the truth that’s hard to admit. "Who you really are."
For the first time, there’s pain in his eyes when he talks about any of this. And I know it’s because he isn't the kind of guy that likes hurting people. He doesn't want to do what he's going to. But there's nothing that will prevent him from finding Emmy.
That's why I called him.
Flo rolls her window down and waves me over. “Come on, let’s go. Let’s leave Ricco to do his magic.”
I shake my head vehemently. “No. I’m staying."
Ricco shrugs. “Thanks for coming. But if she's made up her mind that she’s staying, I’m not gonna make her leave.”
He stares at me. “You sure about this?”
I let out a breath and nod. “Yes.”
Ricco and I walk into the main showroom, and he raises his voice, his hand up in the air. “The dealership is closed for the night. Any salesperson on the cusp of a deal, I'll pay you double. Employees with hourly wages, they’re tripled for the night. Get a drink on me. You’ll give all your information to this woman right here.” He gestures toward me. Ricco pulls a gold card out of his wallet and hands it to a secretary at the desk. "Take them somewhere, feed them. Everybody leaves, but before you do, you’ll each check in with me after passing along your information."
They start to come up to me, giving me their names and hours and contact information. I put notes in my phone.
People stare at each other, while the customers begin to leave. “What the fuck is going on here?" one guy demands. When the secretary answers in a hushed whisper, we realize she knows who Ricco is. And she's filling everybody else in. She glances down at the credit card, her eyes wide. Of course. His name is right there.
One by one, they leave, each of them checking in with Ricco first. It's surprisingly simple, the way he commands the room so quickly and easily. In a matter of minutes, it's vacated.
He jerks his head to one door as a black car, the same one that picked me up at my studio and took me to Bella Notte, arrives. Half a dozen men I've seen at Bella Notte get out of the car. Some have weapons, others don't, but they don't need them. Just their presence alone is terrifying.
I look at Flo, who had followed us in, but she only smiles. "They're hot, huh?"
"How can you say something like that at a time like this?"
"Honey, I live for times like this. All this big-dick energy testosterone? Fuck." She fans herself. “Hey, you want something from a vending machine?"
She jerks her thumb at them.
"No, thanks, I'm good."
"You sure? I know how to get in without any money. You don’t have to pay at all! It's easy."
