Chapter Three ~ Conversations

In the unusually large, four-stall restroom, Trixie voiced her suspicions to the other two as they washed their hands after using the facilities. “There used to be a couple of waitresses here. One was a girl named Lee Song, who I think is a senior in high school, and an older lady who I assumed was her mom. I always assumed the owner was her dad. When I was here with my boyfriend two weeks ago, there were two strange girls sitting at that table behind the screen, looking like they were studying. When I asked Lee about them, she said they were cousins, newly arrived. But when she said it, she looked away. That’s what made me suspicious.”

“If the girls are minors, you can make a confidential report without their consent. It would be investigated, and if nothing was going on, there would be no harm done. But Trixie, the evidence you’ve told me about seems very thin so far.” Gina looked at her quizzically as she dried her hands. “And you know, some Asian people are small and appear younger than they actually are. If you could learn more about these girls and perhaps observe and document more details, you might find that everything is as innocent as your friend wanted you to think. Or, vice versa, that there’s reason to make a report. But as I mentioned tonight, if you find out that any suspected victim is eighteen or more, you’ll have to convince them to self-report. Also, remember you could pass out lip balm to every waitress here and explain it’s a way to keep the reporting hotline handy without raising suspicions and that ‘if they know anyone’ who’s being exploited or trafficked for labor or sex, they can pass on the lip balm.”

“You’re right, I know. My brothers, my boyfriend, and Dan constantly tell me I’m too impulsive and need to slow down and not strike out on my own.” Trixie sighed. “But it’s been my ambition to be a detective for, well, for the past five years. I realize you don’t know this, but Honey and I have solved some tough cases.”

“That’s the truth,” agreed loyal Honey.

“Just remember what I said about the police having the necessary resources to keep themselves safer, as well as to make a case stick,” Gina said. “And now, we’d better get back to the table. Or Sonny may just come busting in. He worries if we’re somewhere and he doesn’t see me for a while.”

“You’re right.” Trixie tossed her paper towel into the trash, and the three exited the restroom and headed back to their table.

Back at the table, they found Dan engaged in animated conversation with Sonny Crockett. “So how long did you work undercover, Sonny?” Dan asked. “Undercover work is something that‘s fascinated me as a future career path. Of course, I know I have to get some experience under my belt first, so it would be a few years off anyway.”

“I might not be the best person to ask.” Sonny’s eyes seemed to shutter. “What was it, darlin’, seven years? The last five years I lived undercover about ninety-five percent of the time, except when I was actually at the squad. My first marriage broke up over my work, and I had trouble keeping my real identity separate from my cover.”

“Yeah, Sonny.” Gina’s voice was soft, and she reached over to clasp one of her husband’s hands. “You were under cover for a couple of years before Tubbs came to Miami, and he was there for five years.” She looked from Dan to Trixie. “Undercover work isn’t for most people. And yeah, it can take over your life. I won’t say you should forget about it, because sometimes it’s the only way to catch a bigger criminal and get the dope on their whole operation. But I’d never go back to it.”

Gina sipped her tea, which had arrived while they were in the ladies’ room. “Sonny had a head injury from a boat explosion while working undercover. He was rescued from the water by one of the guys in the organization he was investigating, but didn’t get proper medical treatment. They whisked him away to a shady clinic offshore, and when he woke up, he had amnesia. In the end, he did get his memory back and returned to us, but he wasn’t the same person. It was a couple of years before he was really back to himself.”

“I don’t really remember the time when my memories were gone. When those came back, the months of amnesia got really cloudy. It was like trying to see down a dark tunnel, but with an occasional flash of light. Still is.” Sonny fidgeted in his seat and reached for his inside breast pocket. “Sometimes I wish I was still smoking,” he said, dropping his hand.

“Were you guys married then?” Trixie felt there was much more to this story, but sensed that the older couple didn’t want to talk about it.

“No, we had dated several years before, but we both thought a serious relationship wasn’t in the cards as long as we stayed in the undercover life. And we couldn’t have both worked in the same squad if we were married, anyway.” Gina’s lips tightened as she gave the explanation.

“So, Sonny, it sounds like you’re retired from being a cop?” Dan asked. “Is that right?”

“Yeah, about a year after the boat explosion, I left the squad. I was burned out, and felt like we weren’t getting anywhere in the war on drugs.” Sonny sighed. “Our lieutenant supported me; he would have helped me come back if I’d wanted to, but I couldn’t. I was done. Instead, he helped me file for retirement. Since I had four years of military service before I went to the Academy, combined with my years on the force, I could retire with full benefits. Now I run a charter fishing business. This time of year there’s not much to do because it’s still hurricane season for a few more weeks.”

Mei appeared with their food on a rolling cart. Trixie tried hard to study her, tried to decide how old Mei might be. When the girl placed her food on the table, she decided to be direct.

“Mei, I hope you’re liking Sleepyside. Do you attend Sleepyside High School with your cousin Lee?” she asked pleasantly.

Mei stared at her and almost dropped the small plate with an egg roll she was about to place next to Trixie’s General Tso’s Chicken. “Y-ye-yes,” she said. “Very nice.” She moved quickly to Honey, Mart, then Dan, Gina, and Sonny, without looking at Trixie again.

As soon as Mei had gotten far enough away that Trixie felt sure she couldn’t hear, she burst out with a low-voiced question. “See? See what I mean?”

“Gee, Trix, I don’t know that we saw anything that couldn’t be explained away.” Mart frowned and squirted a puddle of sweet and sour sauce onto his saucer. He delicately squeezed a few drops of hot mustard onto the red puddle and dipped one end of his egg roll into the sauce.

“It doesn’t look like she trusts you, Trix,” Honey offered, giving her friend a sympathetic look.

“If you want to find out more, you’ll need to work on getting Mei to trust you.” Gina smiled to take the sting out of her suggestion. “Quizzing her about her living situation or relatives may just scare her into clamming up. If she actually is a trafficking victim, she’s probably been threatened by her trafficker with deportation or maybe jail if she lets anyone else know.” She manipulated chopsticks expertly and brought a bite of broccoli to her lips. “Mmmm, I didn’t know how hungry I was until I smelled this food.” After a bit of chicken and a few grains of rice, she said, “I can see why you kids like this place. The food is delicious and tastes very fresh. I’ve just started trying to use some Chinese cooking techniques, but my food isn’t nearly this good.”

“Hey, you don’t hear the kids or me complaining.” Sonny put down his fork and sipped some tea. Trixie was glad to see that at least one of their guests was using a fork instead of chopsticks. Even Mart and Dan had more skills than she did. Honey, naturally, was expert.

“You guys have kids?” She was a little surprised. Sonny, she’d decided, was probably the age of her dad, although Gina might only be in her mid-thirties. Of course, her parents still called even her oldest brother Brian, twenty-one, a “kid.”

Sonny had already taken another bite of sweet and sour pork, but Gina answered. “Yes, we have two little girls. The oldest is six and the youngest is four and a half. We also have a son who’s about your age.”

“Wow, that’s a big age difference,” Trixie blurted out before she could stop herself.

Mart kicked her gently under the table and once again, Trixie felt her face heating.

Honey jumped in with a bright smile. “That must be so much fun for the girls, having a big brother to look up to. I know how happy it made me when my parents adopted my older brother, Jim.”

Gina didn’t miss a beat. She smiled warmly. “They adore him!”

“Billy is from my first marriage,” Sonny’s tone was reassuring, but Trixie thought she detected a subtle strain behind his words. “He’s a sophomore in college now.”

“Is he planning to go into law enforcement?” Dan asked.

Sonny shook his head. “Nah. He’s seen how I messed up my life and he’s determined to go his own way. And please don’t think I mean law enforcement is bad, but some people—like me—have a hard time separating their work and their real life; making time for their family. Billy’s a smart kid, and I support his choices, whatever he decides, as long as it’s honest work.”

“I guess it’s natural that kids don’t want to follow in a parent’s footsteps,” Mart said. “Our dad’s a banker, and our mom stayed at home with us until about a year ago. Now she works in a frame shop three days a week and does paintings that are for sale in a local art gallery.” He took another bite of his Mu Shu Pork and chewed thoughtfully.

“Right, and none of us are interested in banking, or talented in art,” Trixie said. “Our oldest brother Brian wants to be a doctor. He graduated first in his class and is a senior in college, majoring in biology. He hopes to get accepted into medical school in the spring. Mart’s trying to decide between journalism and secondary education, I’m getting my general electives out of the way while I decide between criminal justice and forensic science. Our little brother Bobby is only eleven, so he’s all over the place. But he loves sports and is already a jock, so I won’t be surprised if he aims for some kind of sports career—broadcasting or writing, if he doesn’t end up playing professionally.”

“My dad was career military, in the Army.” Dan rarely spoke of his parents, and Trixie waited, anxious to see what he would say. “But he was killed in Korea when the jeep he was riding in ran over an old mine that had been washed to the surface by flooding. This wasn’t during the war, it was years afterward. The driver didn’t see it in time. I was nine when that happened. My mom couldn’t have been more down on the Army after that, and I’m sure she would have had a fit if I’d ever considered military service. But then she died too, and I got mixed up in a street gang, when I was almost fifteen.”

“That’s tough,” said Sonny. “My parents died when I was just about your age. I have an older brother, but he worked on an oil rig out in the Gulf and lived in another state. I had to make up my mind and take care of myself without anyone else’s help. Are you on your own, then?”

“No, my uncle became my guardian,” Dan explained. “But it took the authorities awhile to locate him, because he and my mom had lost touch. My uncle’s only seven years older than me, so we rubbed each other the wrong way at first. But we’re cool now. I have a job on the property where he lives, patrolling a game preserve and taking care of the riding trails.”

“Is everything all right?” Mei had materialized at Gina’s elbow while Trixie was listening to Dan.

“Yes, delicious. Thank you.” Gina gave Mei one of her thousand-watt smiles.

Mei checked the pot of tea. “I will bring more tea.” She took the empty pot, bowed and walked away to another table.

Trixie glanced around the restaurant, which had slowly emptied during their meal. She identified the strange girl she’d seen behind the screen, who was now delivering a check to another group, but didn’t see the smaller girl she’d seen during her last visit, who appeared to be younger. How to gain the trust of Mei and any other servers for whom she was concerned? For that matter, how to gain the trust of Lee so that Lee could feel comfortable telling her the truth—whatever it might be?

“Tell me, Trixie, what got you started thinking about being a detective?” Gina asked.

Trixie, with frequent interruptions from Mart and Dan, described several of the cases she and Honey had solved—from a mysterious neighbor who lived like a miser but was really a wealthy man with a stash of cash inside his house, to a jewel thief ring, to a con man who impersonated the uncle of an old friend of Trixie’s in order to defraud her family of a large amount of money, to a ring of gunrunners. Honey added to the story as she went through some of their cases, and took full responsibility for insisting that the two girls go with the Aguileras.

“That was a really dangerous one. I learned to be more cautious after Honey and I got kidnapped and left for dead on an abandoned riverboat,” she said with a shudder. “That horrible Lontard could have killed us outright, but it was really pure luck that some kids out fishing discovered us in time.”

Honey nodded. “Ugh, I still get chills every time I think about that one!”

“We never should have left you girls alone at the hotel,” Mart told her. “That happened four years ago but it still feels like it could have been yesterday.”

Mei returned with a fresh pot of tea, and filled each cup before leaving again.

“You’re making me glad Billy never wanted to be a detective or go into law enforcement.” Sonny shook his head. “Who knows what kinda trouble he could have gotten into? Let’s just hope our girls won’t be so... adventurous.”

“You know, as police officers, we do have resources for investigation that teenagers just don’t have access to,” Gina reminded them. “But we also plan things like surveillance so that we always have backup, and legal processes like obtaining search warrants to protect us from being charged with invasion of privacy or trespassing. I know it probably felt like reporting to the authorities was a waste of time, or maybe you thought they laughed off your concerns, but there are protections built into the legal system. Sometimes you do lose out on making a case—yes, it happens to us, too—but that’s better than losing your life.”

“I know.” Trixie sighed. “I’ve learned a lot and I’m not so impulsive now. And I know there are reasons to report something and let the police handle it. But that’s how I first got interested.”

“Trixie’s right,” Honey added. “We have learned quite a bit since we first got involved in solving mysteries.”

For several minutes there was silence at the table while they ate. Trixie decided she was full and took a final sip of tea just as Mei returned to give them their checks.

“My treat,” Sonny said, taking the slips of paper from her.

As a chorus of thank yous rose from the Bob-Whites around the table, Trixie asked for a few to-go boxes. Mart and Dan had both cleaned their plates, but everyone else had enough left for another meal.

“Yes, I will bring. Just one box? Two?” Mei lifted one finger, then two.

“Actually, our room does have a mini-fridge and a microwave,” Gina said. “What do you think, Sonny?”

“Sure, if you want to, darlin’.” He smiled at Mei. “Two more boxes.”

The four Bob-Whites each pulled cash from pockets to leave a generous tip, in spite of Sonny’s insistence there was no need. “Maybe one of you could be our tour guide tomorrow,” he suggested.

“I’m free,” Trixie blurted out. She looked at her brother and then Dan. “Don’t you both have jobs tomorrow? Honey, what about you?”

“Right.” Dan nodded. “I’ve got to patrol and make sure trails are cleared in the preserve. That’ll take most of the morning because it’s probably the last big clearing until spring.”

“I’d love to, Trixie,” Honey said with a smile. “But Mother and Dad are getting in tonight from their meeting in San Francisco. I promised to spend some time with them.”

“I’m taking pictures at the Homecoming game tomorrow,” Mart said. “It’s not until afternoon, but I’ll need to spend time on my research paper in the morning. Don’t you have a research paper, Trix?”

“Yes, but I’m planning to work on it Sunday. Believe it or not, I’m a little ahead of schedule on it.” She scraped her remaining food into the Styrofoam container Mei brought.

“We won’t take up too much of your time, Trixie.” Gina gave her a reassuring smile. “If you can take us around town on a walking tour of the historic sites for about an hour, it will be perfect. Sonny, you know we can’t really take a passenger in the Corvette.”

“You’re right, as usual, darlin’.”

“Let’s plan to meet at the Town Hall,” Trixie suggested. “You can’t miss it; it’s got a copper grasshopper weathervane on top and sits in a grassy square overlooking the downtown business district.”

“That sounds good,” Gina agreed. “Does ten o’clock sound good for you?”

“Yes, that’ll be fine. We’ll finish up in plenty of time for you to do some shopping, or sightseeing, or eat lunch and still have plenty of time in the afternoon to do whatever.”

As they left the restaurant, Trixie’s heart sang. Surely in an hour, she’d have time to extract some useful tips from Sonny and Gina about winning the trust of Lee Song, Mei, and perhaps other potential trafficking victims.