Once Upon A Prostitute

CHAPTER 52 - DEAD END

Mina

I am suddenly very tired. I wish I can go home, crawl in my bed and sleep into oblivion - a place of no thoughts and no regrets. I don't want to think about how so close we were to getting them but missed them. I don't want to think about how I am the reason the only lead the FBI has to catching other members of the ring is dead. I really want to go home, but Adam said to stay put. So, I've been standing in this same spot waiting for him, but he seems to have forgotten about me.

Around me, there's still a frenzy of movement. They retrieved Victoria's phone, her gun, and found a USB on her too. I watch them bag it as evidence. Adam, Melissa and a man I presume to be Ziglar are having a discussion a few feet behind me. I can hear every word as I stand staring out to the street. They don't seem to realize I was within earshot, or they just don't care.

"How do we know she didn't tip them off?" Mellisa is saying. I am too weak to roll my eyes like I want to. I don't care what she thinks anyway.

"She didn't. "Adam says, and the certainty in his voice is a comfort. "She came to me on her own. She wouldn't do that if she was working with them."

"Maybe she wanted to cover up her trail. Look how she got here before us." Melissa argues.

"Because we were fucking stalling." Adam snaps.

"We were observing protocol." Ziglar says.

"Exactly" Melissa agrees. I scoff. As if she cares what protocol is. "And I still maintain she's a person of interest in this case...

"Shut up Mellisa" Adam snaps. "The only reason we're here is because she's here. It was taking forever to reopen the fucking case, so don't act like we had a whole swat team sitting pretty, waiting to bust this place until a few hours ago. Stop looking for someone to fucking pin this on and do your fucking job."

"You're abusing that fucking word" Ziglar cuts in.

"Well, what job can I do now?" Mellisa responds in a neutral tone like he didn't just curse her out. "We're at a dead end again, just like four years ago."

"Just like four years ago" Ziglar sounds thoughtful. "What are the chances that we have another mole."

"Or maybe the same mole" Adam says. "Maybe you pinned the wrong guy"

They grow silent for a while, then Ziglar says. "We need to look over the entire case files again from the beginning, turn every stone, re-access every trail. These guys have a bitch in the FBI and we gonna find it."

They spent a few more minutes before Adam walks over to me.

"This way" He says.

Finally...! I follow him into the police car, and he ushers me into the back seat. Am I getting arrested? I looked at Adam.

"We just need to take your statement. Just to document what really happened." He explains. "Officer Amber here will run you through it."

I looked at the female officer now standing beside him and nod. She opens the passenger side of the car and gets in, then turns around. I notice she has a pen, jotter and something like a recorder in her hand.

"Do I need a lawyer?" I ask Adam, getting a little worried.

"It's routine debriefing, since you were a victim. That's all" Officer Amber said. She gives me a sympathetic smile.

I don't really feel like talking about what happened, but I know I have to. I let them know how things transpired but leave out the part of spraying chloroform into Victoria's face. I don't want them asking where or how I got it, or if I was legally permitted to use it. I certainly do not want to give them a reason to search me and see the pills in my jacket pocket. I still need them.