“Yes, the irony isn’t lost on me either. It’s one thing to keep your distance and be discreet, it’s another to just assume others are doing so too. His name came up far too much, and as soon as fingers were pointed, it was easy to find the trail.”
“So, what makes this place different?”
“A few things, actually. One being the far more affluent student body. High-profile kids don’t just disappear without the media getting involved, right?”
“Right.”
“Except I have a witness saying otherwise. Someone who identified girls, who, for all intents and purposes, disappeared quietly into the night.”
I sit forward. “How long has it been going on for?”
“About three years, as far as I can tell. Right around the time the school changed hands.”
“Changed hands?”
“Yep. Someone up and bought the school outright. The same man who is now the headmaster.”
“That sounds so British,” I tease. Most colleges call them deans.
She shrugs. “That’s what he calls himself. Like I said, this school is run a little differently. Maybe he thinks it gives it a more intimate vibe. Who cares? The point is, lots of girls are going missing, but there is also a really high suicide rate.”
“That age group, though, the rates are always higher.”
“Not like this, Dulce. We’re talking a minimum of one a year, but sometimes three or four.”
“Yeah, okay, that’s a lot, especially for a school this size. They have a counselor?”
“Yep. A Luke Gavin. Qualifications check out. He started right after Aslanov did.”
“Aslanov?”
“The head. Dmitri Aslanov.”
“Why does that name sound familiar?”
“He’s the Bratva bastard, according to the tabloids, although I haven’t been able to confirm this.”
I whistle. “I remember reading snippets about him. He disappeared as a kid, then reappeared about two years ago?”
“Three.” Sugar’s face looks glum.
“Shit. He reappeared at the time the girls started disappearing. And now, just like with Edward, he has his pick of them.”
“Exactly. You’re going to have to go in with a slowly, softly approach. I’d rather not get tangled up with the Bratva if we can avoid it.”
“What else? You said there were a few reasons why this place is different from Whitmore.”
“Right. Well, I think girls are being funneled from this school directly into the hands of traffickers. There hasn’t been a single sighting of these missing girls, and I only have a handful of names. I have a feeling there are a lot more. Aside from that, Whitmore was Edward’s personal hunting ground, so barring the odd exception, most of the victims were his directly and were easy enough to find. These girls from Willow Creek are gone in a way it’s like they never existed, and the key players always have alibis.”
“So what you’re saying is, Aslanov might be calling the shots, but he’s not the only player.”
“Exactly. You’ll need to watch your back.”
I sigh. “I always do. You got a picture of this Aslanov guy?”
Sugar leans over the desk and thumbs through the prospectus until she gets to the last page.
“Here.”
“Holy shit.”
“He’s a looker for sure. I can’t imagine it’s difficult for him to lure girls into his web.”
“No shit. He wouldn’t even need to turn on the charm. Hell, I’m willing to throw my panties at him just from a photograph. I can only imagine how much harder to resist he is in real life.”
“Yeah, well, lucky for you, you don’t have to resist. We both know even the toughest men tend to let their guard down during sex. But again, be fucking careful. Dealing with the boys in this place will be one thing. Dealing with Aslanov will be something else altogether.”
“Yes, Mom. I know. Were you able to pull anything about him?”
“Next to nothing. And certainly not anything we don’t already know.”
“So I’m going in virtually blind?”