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Viv motioned to her zebra-patterned suitcase next to the bench. “I’m heading back to my home in Albuquerque. Where are you trying to get to?”
Echo hesitated, unsure if she should tell Viv the truth, but then she didn’t have any other good options. “I need to get to Oklahoma. Can you help me?”
Viv seemed to ponder it for a minute. “Well, you can stay with me until you figure things out. That sound okay?”
There were so many unknowns, like how Echo could earn money to get back to Oklahoma. She’d need to get a job. The thought of doing what she was forced to do before made her throat tighten with panic. Then there was the unknown of whether they’d follow her, the bad ones. Once they found out what she’d done, they would probably do anything to find her. Going with Viv could put the woman at risk, too, but she didn’t have much choice.
She had to do whatever she needed to protect her baby. She almost told Viv about her pregnancy, but she feared the woman would change her mind about helping her if she knew.
Viv looked at the dainty silver watch on her slender wrist, a little frown playing on her lips. “The bus will be leaving soon.”
“Okay. I’ll go with you.”
Viv popped up from the bench as if she’d been slapped with a burst of energy. She smoothed her knee-length red dress and grinned at Echo. “We better hurry our butts, then, and get you a bus ticket, Miss Rae.”
CHAPTER 6
RAE
2024
Detective Dayton Clearwater was even more impressive up close, Rae decided. He was at least six feet tall, with a broad chest that strained against his button-up and dark, slightly tousled hair, as if he’d woken up, thrown some pomade on it, and called it good, which it was. He had asked to speak with her alone, so she took him to her private office, well aware that only a wall separated them from her dungeon space. The last thing she needed was for a detective to know about her business practices, especially one with intense dark eyes that seemed prepared to pierce through any bullshit and discover her secrets.
The more questions she answered, though, the more he dug, like he knew she was hiding something.
“So, Mr. Highsmith is a client at this ...spa. Is that correct?” he asked Rae.
“For the last six months, like I already told you.” Rae forced her hands to stay on top of her desk, although she had a sudden insatiableurge to bite her nails, something she hadn’t done since she was a teenager.
Detective Clearwater wrote something down on his notepad. “And you said he missed his scheduled appointment this week. On Wednesday, is that right?”
“Yes. He’s never missed before.”
The detective looked up, his eyebrows raised in surprise. “Never? In six months?”
“No.”
“You must givereallygood massages.” He held eye contact with Rae, a slight dare in his expression.
“I do.” Her voice held way more confidence than what she felt under his intimidating stare.
“You have an unusual number of male clients, Ms. Dixon.”
Rae shifted in her chair. “Is that a question, Detective?”
“No.”
She leaned back, her stomach filled with painful knots as she anticipated what he’d ask next.
Detective Clearwater rested his clasped hands on her desk. “I’m going to come right out and ask you, Ms. Dixon. Are you performing sex acts with your clients in exchange for money?”
“No, Detective, I don’t, not that there’s anything wrong with it. If cops stopped focusing on arresting sex workers and went after rapists, I’d feel a lot better about how my tax dollars are spent.”
He appeared amused by her display of indignation. “I can’t say I disagree, but $300 is an awful lot for one massage. Then again, I’m a government employee who can barely afford health insurance, so what do I know.”
Rae offered him a tiny smirk. “People will spend a lot more than that for things that make them feel good. Especially these days.”
His eyes continued to penetrate her. “Still, $300 a week for six months? That’s quite a bit for an accountant to spend on self-care.Pretty much a mortgage payment. And then he doesn’t show up? Why do you think that is?”
