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“Here in DC?”
I nodded. “DC isn’t immune. It’s all over the country, in communities you wouldn’t suspect.”
“Oh.”
“This group specializes in young girls brought in from eastern Europe.”
“I don’t think I want to hear any more.”
Her reaction was typical. We dealt with the seedy underbelly of society that most people were happy ignoring. They didn’t mind hearing about bank robberies, money laundering, or even drugs. But mention human trafficking, and curiosity left the building.
“You asked.”
She shrugged. “What happens to those cases while you’re looking after me?”
“I’ve been on overnight stakeouts on the trafficking case, and obviously I can’t do that while I’m watching you, but the bank case I can help with while you’re at work.”
We finished the salads without more discussion. Something I’d said had bothered her.
The salads were bussed, and our dinners arrived.
After a few bites she opened up again. “This is fantastic.”
“I thought you’d like it.” The food here was always delightful.
She nervously stirred her fettuccine around.
I took another sip of bubbly. “Kelly, what’s the problem?”
“If you’re watching over me, who catches those other bad men—the traffickers, I mean?”
“We have other people in the office to pick up that case.”
The answer seemed to calm her as she took another forkful of food.
“Are you going to give me a gun?”
I failed to stifle a short laugh. “No. That’s not part of the program. Look, I’ll be there for you if it comes to that, but the basic plan here is to not leave you alone where you would be vulnerable. This guy’s objective is not to hurt you. The note you got makes that obvious. He needs your cooperation for something. We need to find out what that is and catch him that way.”
She ate a few bites and seemed at ease with my answer.
“I’ll get you pepper spray to carry in your purse, if you like.”
“Does that stuff work?”
“Mostly. It’s better than nothing.”
She shrugged, which I took as acceptance.
After I’d taken another bite, a man came in and looked around the tables. His eyes rested on Kelly for longer than they should have.
I pushed my plate toward the end of the table.
She cocked an eyebrow. “What?”
I left my side and joined her on the other side of the booth. “Scoot over.”
She slid further in and moved her plate and silverware to make room for me.
