Dead Ringer by Allen Wyler Read Free Book Online Page B

right?” the girl says, more as a statement than question.
    Wendy’s caught off guard and doesn’t answer.
    “Yeah, you police. You ain’t got real street moves. Look, we need to talk. I got a room there,” with a nod at the two-story run down motel the next block north on Aurora.
    Wendy doesn’t move. “About what?” She’s not about to go into an unknown room with a hooker.
    “A deal.” Lupita glances down the street. “But we can’t stay out here.”
    “No way.”
    Lupita shakes her head, looks directly at where the hidden microphone is taped to Wendy’s chest just below her breasts. “Naw. This gotta be strictly between us.”
    Just before Wendy enters the motel room she says to the microphone. “I’m entering room 104, request you move up.” She figures, screw it, her cover’s blown, so why not at least have herbackup in the parking lot in case they’re needed? Her transmitter isn’t powerful enough to reach the car from inside the room, especially with the door closed.
    Inside, standing next to the queen-size bed, the girl says, “Name’s Lupita. Yours?”
    “Cop.” She’ll be damned if she’s going to divulge personal information.
    “Then make one up, I don’t care. Me? Street name’s Charmane.”
    To Wendy the statement seems honest and open, and she likes that. “What you want to talk about?”
    “What if I could give you information on the crew bringing in them Asian girls?”
    “What kind of information?” For a year now Vice has been investigating the illegal importation of young women from Asia for use as “sex slaves.” Some girls were found in a shipping container at one of the piers. But little headway had been made in the case. Any good information would be welcomed.
    “Like where they keep them. Once you guys know that, you can work it back, find out who’s behind it.”
    “And what do you get out of it?” Wendy expects a dollar amount.
    “Here’s the deal. Got me some friends, their hearings are coming up in a few days. They need to get cut some slack.”
    There it was. “What friends?”
    “Some girls I know. Friends. I’m taking care of one of their daughters until … shit, I can’t see her doing time, not with her daughter out on the street … and I can’t keep on taking care of her. Got my own problems.”
    Wendy puts her hand on Lupita’s shoulder. “I don’t know if I have the juice to do a deal, and I sure as hell don’t know anything about your friends. Give me their names, let me look into it, and we meet tomorrow. How’s that sound?”
    Next day in a small cafe off Aurora, Wendy tells Lupita, “That’s the best I can do. We cool?”
    Lupita nods. “Thank you.” Those two words carrying genuine gratitude.
    “But there’s a catch.”
    Lupita looks up. “There always is. What?”
    “This won’t be our last conversation.” She pauses to let that sink in. “You will, of course, be compensated.”
    “Such as?”
    Wendy is amazed at herself, negotiating this deal, her commander letting her work her first confidential informant. “You know how it works. The price of the product is only worth its value. Depends.”
    Lupita sips her coffee, glances out the window.
    “I take that as agreement.” But it worries Wendy, the responsibility this suddenly places on her shoulders. It feels heavy. She’s now responsible for this woman she has somehow connected with. If she fucks up, Lupita will be the one to pay … “Excuse me for asking, but why are you doing this for these girls?”
    Lupita seems surprised by the question. “They friends.”
    “What I mean is, this can get dicey. You sure you’re up for it?”
    “Hey, just ‘cause I’m in the life, doesn’t mean I like it. Some of these players are mean motherfucks. If I help a few friends whiletaking some of these fuckers down, I’ll be happy. None of us chose to do this. But it’s what we do.”
    Wendy realized Redwing was staring at her, waiting for an answer. “Her street name