Chapter 41

"I don't like involving Cassidy in this," Bryant said as he and Jan walked into his office. Bryant sat at his desk and Jan sat across from him. "She's a civilian."

"A lot of police agencies do it this way," Holly said from the doorway.

"I don't care if they do," Bryant replied. "Surely we have someone in uniform who can play that part. It's only for a web chat. How clearly can a person see on a computer screen?"

"A lot of computers are high-definition," Holly said, shaking her head and taking a seat beside Jan. "And it's not just going to be on a computer. In order to bust these two, we're going to have to lure them to Emerald Cove for a meeting. They're going to be leery of a set up. You saw how twitchy Tallmadge was. That's the rule and not the exception. For the most part, we're not talking about sociopaths here. The people who abuse children understand that their actions are wrong and criminal. They tend to be exceedingly careful and will want to meet prior to wandering to a hotel room for sex."

"I do not want her alone with Tallmadge or the suspects," Bryant said. "I will not permit that. It's not just because it's Cassidy. I would not permit anyone without a badge and a gun to be alone with them. I'm not crazy about letting her be around those types of people even with someone with a gun nearby."

"She likes you, too," Holly said, smiling at her chief. Ever since Bryant had lifted Cassidy in the air at O'Bannon's a couple of months earlier the pair had grown closer. Cassidy was always making fun of Bryant when she was around and Bryant had become fiercely protective of the young woman. Cassidy had remarked that she wished she had someone like Bryant for a father instead of the lying, cheating piece of crap she was stuck with.

"That's something else we need to discuss," Holly said. "First off, I want to go over how operations like this work. I could see from your face and from Jan's that this wasn't something you're familiar with. I worked a couple of cases like this with the state police up in West Virginia. They handle most of the computer crime and computer forensics up that way. I was young enough when I was in college and on my first job in Milton that I could help them out. The Internet was new back then and it was the Wild, Wild West. There were newsgroups and forums for all sorts of shit that had always been underground – including child pornography and child sexual abuse. Right before I moved to the HPD, I helped to bust a guy who was luring girls to meet up for sex.

"The laws have changed a lot in the past 15 years. It used to be that someone had to actually have sex with a minor for an arrest. Now it's enough to plan to do it. In West Virginia, it's called cyber enticement and the penalty is the same as if the man or woman actually committed statutory rape. It's basically conspiracy to commit statutory rape. I've read the code book and it's just called luring down here. The penalty is far less, which probably makes sense. I mean, you can't really have a conspiracy of one and a co-conspirator can't be a victim. They've had a lot of trouble making cases stand up, particularly against teenagers who contact other teenagers."

"Yeah, we called that dating back when I was a kid," Bryant said with a frown.

"It probably isn't a huge deal in areas like Chicago but in small-town West Virginia, it is," Holly replied. "So we set up fake teenagers who would visit chat rooms. We'd post a link in our profile to a personal page with pictures of us in bikinis or whatever. This was before MyPage and all that. It was just Internet chat rooms and forums. We'd go in and pretend to be bored teenagers. Invariably you'd get middle-aged guys showing up and trying to make dates with us. We'd flirt and pretty soon they'd be looking to meet us somewhere. I had a guy who wanted to travel from Minnesota down to meet me. It was pretty effective."

"Sounds a lot like entrapment," Jan said. "If you flirted with him and convinced him, that's probably what it was. He had no intention of driving from Minnesota to West Virginia before you started to flirt with him. We'll have to be careful in this case, too, particularly with two civilians involved."

"A lot of cases were dismissed for that reason," Holly admitted. "I've sent feelers out to the State Police down here. They run the same sort of stings periodically. I think one of their experienced officers will be on-hand to make sure Tallmadge doesn't get too overzealous."

"I am not at all comfortable with having Cassidy involved, particularly if it means meeting with this group," Bryant said firmly.

"She'll be safe," Holly promised. "I would never let her get involved if I thought even for a moment that she wouldn't be. There will be a sworn law officer with her at every step of the way and when she does meet them, it will be in public. We'll have the place staked out. The Feds are willing to let us run with this. It's a federal crime but prosecution can be difficult depending on where the case lands. From what the lead agent told me there is variety in case law on enticement depending on what district you're in. That's probably why you two are unfamiliar with things. The Seventh District Court of Appeals in Chicago has attached a narrow view to what constitutes sexual conduct. The Fourth District Court in Richmond has allowed a broader definition. They would prefer we prosecute – but I'm sure that will change if we find the pair to be big fish."

Holly looked at her two superiors to make sure they were up to speed. Neither looked happy but both appeared to understand what was going on.

"Now we need to talk about the actual sting," Holly continued. "I will want to be nearby when Tallmadge is involved. I think Cassidy would appreciate having me close."

"I'll be there, too," Jan confirmed.

"Good God, we're going to have to rent out the convention center for this," Bryant said, "because I plan to be close at hand, as well."

Holly laughed.

"Actually, I think you'll be close at hand regardless of who else is outside," she said. "Cassidy is willing to do this but she wants you to be the officer involved, Bryant."

Bryant shook his head quickly.

"I think I need to take a backseat on this," he said quickly. "Morales and Andrews are already on the task force. One of them should play the adult in this scenario."

"It won't work," Holly cut in. "First off, can you think of an adult who could play a teenager easier than Cassidy?"

Bryant grudgingly shook his head. He had thought she was about 13 or 14 when he'd first met her a year earlier. She was tiny and cute and the smattering of freckles across her nose gave her a girlish quality. The fact that she was barely 5-feet tall and weighed 90 pounds made her even more childlike.

"OK, here's the thing," Holly said, "I think she would be much more comfortable with you. Jim doesn't look old enough to have a child in her teens."

"He looks young enough he could be a boyfriend, though," Bryant interrupted. That was the scenario he'd envisioned: a teenage girl with a boyfriend in his twenties.

"Bryant, think about this," Jan said. "Boyfriends don't generally want to share their girlfriends with strangers. Cases like this almost always involve a parent. It will make the scenario more realistic than if we suggest two non-related people."

"Then Carlos could do it," Bryant said.

Both women burst into laughter.

"Yeah, Bryant, I'm sure everyone would accept that a dark-skinned Hispanic could sire a redheaded daughter," Holly barked. "It's not going to fly. It's more than that, though. You know I've had any number of people ask me if Cassidy is my daughter. Well, people who think you're her father have also stopped me. You resemble each other in complexion and in facial characteristics. You also interact with each other in almost a father-daughter manner. Having someone your size nearby will illustrate to our predators just how tiny – and young – Cassidy is."

"There is also the logistical problem," Holly pointed out. "Tallmadge is an absolute creep but I can agree with most of what he said. This is going to take two or three months to even make contact. These assholes won't pop their heads out of their bunkers until they're sure of you. This isn't something where you're going to be able to fly somewhere and knock some heads together. This is something that is going to take time and a great deal of finesse in order to work. Whoever you put in charge is going to have to rely on his instincts to make sure he doesn't spook the predators. If we lose them there is no telling how many other young women will be raped before someone catches up to them. I think Jim is a fine detective but he doesn't have the experience to do this."

"If that isn't enough of a reason, I want to ask you this," Jan said, leaning forward in her chair. "Who else would you rather have sitting next to her when she's having lunch with these people? She wants you there, Bryant. She trusts you and she knows you. I'm no happier about involving a civilian than you are. But I went over our rolls last week and there is no one we could use. The only female younger than 25 is pregnant. That wouldn't very well work for our plans, now would it? Adele might be able to pull it off but the FBI statistics show it is invariably white men who orchestrate these things. If we had a month or a year, we could create a background for any of the officers and let Cassidy get to know them. We don't though. Every minute we stall makes it more likely that these people will act again. That girl looked drugged, Bryant. We can't allow this to go on if we can stop it."

Cassidy Bell was all smiles as she sat across from Bryant, Jan, Steve Curtis, Jonah Attenborough and Allyson Granger in the city's conference room.

"I want to make perfectly clear that you are under no obligation to do this," Steve said in a fatherly tone.

"I volunteered," Cassidy replied. "I saw the images on the FBI web site before Holly ever mentioned it to me. I thought the farms looked familiar and I was planning to ask Holly to drive out that way over the weekend so I could confirm my suspicions before I mentioned it. I knew something was bothering Holly so I asked her. When she confirmed that I was right, I told her I would help to get the bastards. Sorry, I should have said perpetrators."

"Bastards works fine for me, Dear," Steve replied.

"From a legal standpoint, I'm going to have to ask you to sign a waiver of liability," Jonah said.

"Like hell!" Bryant roared.

"Bryant, we can't have her coming back to sue to the city if something happens," Jonah pointed out.

"I'm out," Bryant said firmly. "If something happens to me, the city will step up. I want – no, I demand – the same protection for Cassidy. I will not send a civilian into a potentially dangerous situation if the city doesn't have her back."

"It's just a formality," Jonah began.

"It's not a formality," Bryant countered before the man could finish his statement. "Jonah, we have no idea what happened to that girl. She could have been shot to death two hours after the video was taken. She could have been abducted and sold into prostitution. I will be there to protect Cassidy and so will the others. But if she should be hurt I want the city on the hook for whatever it takes to treat her."

"I'll hire her onto my staff," Allyson offered. "I'll make room in my budget for a clerk. That will make her a city employee. Since she'll be employed by the city attorney's office, she will fall under the law enforcement protection clause of the city charter."

Jonah glanced at Allyson. He knew the only way she could make room in her budget was to fire her paralegal – which was unthinkable – or to cut her own salary.

"You're willing to do that?" he asked.

"I think we need to have her on the city payroll," Allyson said with a shrug. "So yes, I'm willing to do this."

"I'll split her salary with you then," Jonah said with a nod.

Allyson put a hand on his arm.

"You've got children getting ready for college in a few years," she said softly. "I have money I made in private practice that I've never touched. I can do this with no trouble."

"Wait!" Bryant said, looking at his ex-wife. "Do I understand this correctly?"

"You do," Allyson said before he could continue.

"Why?" Bryant sputtered.

"You think it needs to be this way," she told him. "That's good enough for me. After a moment's thought, I agree with you. This is the easiest way to get it done. There is the typical 30-day waiting period for coverage but I don't think that will be an issue. Besides, I really do need a clerk and I think Cassidy would fit the bill perfectly. I'm sure the pay would be better than the Burger Barn. This isn't a make-work job, Bryant. I would need her at least 20 hours a week in my office. She's considered full-time at 32 hours so that would give you 12 to 20 hours a week to work this. Will that suffice?"

Cassidy looked from one person to the other.

"You're going to pay me out of your pocket to work for the city?" she asked incredulously.

"The city is going to pay you from the city attorney's line item to work in my office," Allyson countered. "I will assign you tasks to perform and I will expect them to be done. I will work around your class schedule this semester but from here on out you'll need to make sure you're available at least two mornings each week."

"So this job doesn't end once the case does?" Holly asked. Cassidy was an adult but Holly still felt like a parent sometimes.

"Not unless Cassidy wants it to," Allyson said. "We'll pay, let's say, $10 an hour for your work."

"I'm only making $7.25 an hour at Burger Barn," Cassidy admitted.

"Then this should put some extra money in your pocket," Allyson said with another shrug. "I am going to assign you to the city's investigative squad for 20 hours each week for the foreseeable future. That's the Emerald Cove Police Department, by the way. All you need to do is fill out the paperwork and take a drug test and you're hired. We're not covered by a union so I don't need to post the job. Are you interested?"

"Of course!" Cassidy said. "I, uh, well, I switched my major to criminal justice this semester. This would fulfill a course requirement for next semester."

"Don't rule out law school, young lady," Steve said, looking as his employees with pride. "Jonah will be ready to move back to private practice once his youngest is out of the house. Hell, given what it costs to go to college these days, he'll probably have to leave the public sector sooner than that. I figure that will be just about the time you finish law school."

Cassidy fell in step beside Bryant on way out of the conference room.

"You can pass a drug test, can't you?" he asked jokingly. The smack on the arm he got first from Cassidy and then from Jan and Holly let him know the joke wasn't well received.

"You think this might be dangerous?" Cassidy asked. Bryant put a fatherly hand on her young woman's shoulder as they walked. The differences in their heights made Cassidy strain to see his face.

"I worry that it might be," he admitted. "I wanted to talk to you about maybe getting some firearms training. If you're assigned to the investigative squad you'll qualify for a permit if you're interested."

"I'm not sure," Cassidy said. "I've never fired a gun before. I'm not even sure I've ever held one. My hands are pretty small. Besides where would I carry one?"

"I've got a Glock-19 in my gun safe," Jan said. "It's what Holly uses. I've also got a bra holster for it. I'm not trying to talk you into anything. If you're uncomfortable with guns, we won't push it. But I also want you to go into this with your eyes open. Bryant is not invincible and he's not infallible. None of us would willingly put you into danger but what he said in the room just now is true. We don't know what sort of people we're dealing with. If one of the girls in the videos had turned up safe and sound, I'd feel more comfortable. But so far the feds haven't been able to locate a single victim."

"I'm not uncomfortable with guns," Cassidy said. "I know Holly has two or three in the house and that's never been a problem. I think it's mostly a fact that I'm unfamiliar with them. I don't think I could even lift that one that Bryant has."

Bryant looked at the Kimber M1911A1.45-caliber handgun on his hip. It was too big for Cassidy but she could probably shoot it if she needed to.

"Why don't Jan and I take you to the range this week and we'll see how you like it?" Holly offered.

"Cassidy, I want you to know that if any time this gets to be too much, you can back out," Bryant said, his hand still resting on Cassidy's shoulder. "No one will think badly of you and everyone will understand. In fact, if it gets too much, I'll pull you off the case."

Cassidy stopped and Bryant's hand wound up on the back of her head before he stopped too.

"Quit it!" she said firmly. "I'll be 20 years old next month. I'm not some sixth-grader off the playground you've brought in. I understand the situation and I'm comfortable with what my role entails. Bryant, I know you don't want to hear this but I'm not a little girl. I've had sex before. If I had to wager, I'd bet I've had sex more in the last four years than you have – maybe all three of you combined. If I have to have my picture taken in a pair of panties, I'm fine with it. If you have to put your hand on my boob or I have kiss you on web cam that's what we have to do. These people are sick. I've already started to pull any picture of me off the Net. I removed my photo from my blog and closed my FaceChat account. If you Google my name no images would come up except for me as a teenager. We're going to be operating under fictitious names but I don't want any slip ups so you might want to have your photos removed from the city web site. You also should contact a few of your friends who have pictures with you listed under your real name."

She took a deep breath and put her hands on her hips.

"I'm in, Bryant," she said with force. "All the way in. I understand that you want to protect me and I appreciate it more than you'll ever know. But for this to happen, you're going to have to lose some of that protectiveness and treat me as just another employee. Got it?"

Bryant's smile caught her off-guard.

"Do you think I'd let Holly wander into a situation unprepared?" he asked. "Do you think I would hesitate for an instant to pull Regina from an assignment if I thought it was too dangerous? I'm treating you just like I treat everyone who works in the department. I know you're tough and resourceful, Cass. I saw that the first time we met. I also look at you as a young woman who had a lot of her childhood stripped away from her. I think a part of me wants to give that back to you if I can."