Pirates in Peril: A Made in Savannah Cozy Mystery (Made in Savannah Cozy Mysteries Series Book 10) Hope Callaghan (unputdownable books TXT) 📖

“If our suspicions are correct, he’s probably desperate to get out of the hospital, before something else happens and his dirty little secret is uncovered,” Mercedes said.

By the time they reached the police station, Carlita was out of breath and her calves were cramping in protest. Thankfully, there was a seating area. She eased onto the bench and began rubbing her legs.

Mercedes approached the station desk and briefly explained they needed to speak with someone who was investigating Lawson Bates’ attack.

“I’ll be back in a minute.” The receptionist made her way out of the area and Mercedes began to pace.

Each second that passed was one second closer to Lawson getting out of the hospital and returning to the Mystic Dream.

Finally, an investigator who looked all too familiar emerged from the back and made his way over. “Mrs. Garlucci. I heard you and Mercedes were in the lobby and you wanted to discuss Lawson Bates’ attack.”

“Detective Polivich. Yes. We have what we believe may be some important information,” Carlita said.

“Or at least we have some information about the investigation,” Mercedes added.

“Mr. Bates is going to recover. In fact, he’s raising a ruckus at the hospital, demanding he be released. I sent one of my guys over there to try to talk to him. I think he’ll be able to name his attacker, if not today, then soon.”

“He might not want to name his attacker,” Mercedes said.

“Oh?” Detective Polivich raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

Instead of answering the detective’s questions, Carlita asked one of her own. “Have you ever heard of the Smuggling Straits?”

“Of course. It’s a smuggling operation that runs along the East Coast, north from Canada, all the way down to Florida and beyond. It’s the nickname for the path the human traffickers use to transport people.”

“We think Lawson Bates is involved in human trafficking.” Mercedes quickly laid out their suspicions, starting with the damage to the Mystic Dream, the employee comments about the high turnover of riverboat employees who couldn’t speak English, who were there one day and gone the next.

“That’s all speculative,” Polivich interrupted. “What proof do you have?”

Carlita and Mercedes exchanged a quick glance. “We were near the Mystic Dream the other night and thought we saw someone on board the ship, although it was shut down and all of the lights were off. And…there’s something else.”

Mercedes pulled her cell phone from her pocket, tapped the screen and then handed it to the detective. “I got this list from an anonymous source. It was in Lawson’s office. Do you see anything unusual about the list?”

Polivich nodded grimly. “Yes. This looks similar to a list found during a recent human trafficking bust south of the Georgia border.” He handed the phone back. “You’re sure this was found in Lawson’s office?”

“Yes. Positive.”

“I don’t know how my guys missed it,” Polivich said. “I think it’s time to get a search warrant for the Mystic Dream pronto.”

*****

 Mercedes pressed her hands to her cheeks as she watched Detective Polivich and several other investigators enter the Mystic Dream.

Carlita slipped in next to her daughter. “Do you think they’ll find anyone?”

“Yes, I think so. If they don’t, Polivich will never believe us again.”

The women stood near the fence for what seemed like forever, but according to Carlita’s watch, it was just over half an hour. “Maybe we should call the detective later instead of hanging around here. We could be waiting around all day.”

“Not so fast. Check it out.” Mercedes pointed to an ambulance entering the parking area. It drove past them and then parked in front of the Mystic Dream.

Two EMTs exited the vehicle. They removed a stretcher from the back and then followed an officer, who was guarding the entrance to the Mystic Dream, inside.

Moments later, a van arrived and pulled in next to the ambulance.

“Undercover police vehicle,” Mercedes said.

“You think?”

“Yep. The license plates are government plates and I spotted a bubble in the dash.”

“Ah. I didn’t notice.”

They waited a little longer and finally, several police officers emerged. They weren’t alone.

Chapter 23

Along with the officers were half a dozen men and a woman. The woman and the men climbed into the van.

The EMTs emerged next, carrying a stretcher.

“I see someone on the stretcher,” Carlita said.

One of the EMTs climbed in back with the person on the stretcher while the second one returned to the driver’s side.

The ambulance pulled away and the van followed close behind.

Detective Polivich appeared and stood talking to the uniformed officer near the entrance.

“Let’s go.” Mercedes grabbed her mother’s arm and hurried to the detective’s side. “Well?”

“You were right. There were several immigrants hiding out in the engine room. It took some time, and the help of a translator, to coax them out. We promised we weren’t going to place them under arrest.”

“What about the ambulance?” Carlita asked.

“One of the men was badly burned. From what they told us, they accidentally set fire to the Mystic Dream and were too afraid to have the injured man go to the hospital for treatment,” Polivich said.

“And Lawson didn’t care enough about a human being to take him for treatment?” Carlita gasped. “What kind of person does that?”

“An evil one,” Polivich said. “I’m on my way to confront Lawson now. He could still claim amnesia or that he has no idea what we’re talking about.”

“Do you think one of the men he was hiding attacked him?” Mercedes asked. “Not that I would blame them.”

“They swear up and down they know nothing about Lawson’s attack and appeared genuinely confused as to why Lawson hadn’t returned. They were living in, to put it bluntly, squalid living conditions with limited food and bathroom facilities, not to mention sleeping quarters.”