“My father, Silas, he’s a grower for the Kingpin, look he has my sister and my nephew, I can’t put them in trouble.”

“So, he has your sister, Goldie, he took him from your father and is holding her for ransom?”

Mazzy started sobbing, “No sir, my daddy sold my sister to him. She was checking in on him after the divorce, the King took her son when she last visited and is holding him ransom so Goldie works for him. She was going to school for science or some stuff, she knows about genetic coding, CRISPR technology, she invented Spun to get her son back.”

“Do you know who the Kingpin is?”

Mazzy shook her head. “Daddy never talked about him in name.”

“How did your father come into contact with him.”

“Promise you’ll help me, not let anybody know that I’m here?” She looked at him pleadingly.

“I’ll do what I can, but you’ll have to work with me.”

“My daddy is a Proud Boy, I don’t believe in that stuff, never did, part of the reason I left, but that’s how he met him,” she sighed and rolled her eyes, “they met online, the kingpin was running guns, my daddy said that Goldie knew science was really good with plants. She was into Four H and horticulture growing up, that stuff. Anyway, dad said that he was really upset with mom and he just wanted to see Goldie and his grandson.”

Mazzy took a deep breath, “Goldie knows where mom is, she told me when I got out of juvie that we could all go there and be safe, then dad found out our plans and wanted to make sure we would never leave.

He gave Goldie’s son to the kingpin and sold her to him, I thought he was going to make her do things, like sell her body,” she broke down and started sobbing, “but Goldie is smart, real smart, instead of her body she offered her mind, said she could create something that would make them all rich if she could just have her son and leave, but she’s still there, she’s been there nearly a year.”

Rupert gently patted her shoulder, “what you told me was very brave, and I’m gonna do everything in my power to make sure you stay safe. Do you know where the kingpin is?”

“Daddy wanted to take me up there to party with the King, I told him I had a boyfriend and I wasn’t that kind of girl. He found out who Tom was and now he’s gone, it’s my fault Tom’s dead, I should have just run away to mom.”

“It’s not your fault, it’s not your fault that bad people take advantage of kids, what’s important is you told us this now, we have a lead to catch the bad people. You sit tight, we’ll find a place for you to go.”

Rupert left the room and went to the back room on the other side of the glass. Chief Ellis was sitting there with a notepad.

“Poor kid, but I think we have enough information to get a stakeout, if the stakeout works, we’ll get a warrant,” said Ellis.

“What about the girl?” asked Rupert.

“Well, Stiltskin, I can work with juvenile services to make sure she stays safe if she agrees to testify. There’s a retreat called Mountain Manor that can keep her safe until it’s all over, then she can stay with her mother and older sister.”

“Mountain Manor is a psychiatric facility.”

“She’ll be safe, and get the treatment she needs, I’m sure the petty crimes were her acting out from all the dysfunction at home. It’s an optional choice, but it’s safe and they treat their patients well there.”

“We should leave the choice to her,” said Rupert.

“True, but she’ll take the Manor given the choice, it’s a safe place until this all blows over. She’ll be well cared for, they have talk therapy, treatment for PTSD, hell they even have horseback riding and camping trips for the less troubled patients. She hangs out for a few weeks, sings Kumbaya around a bonfire, we raid, get the kingpin she and Goldie to testify in court and bam, no more Spun issue.”

“Is the government at least going to take care of the bill?” asked Rupert.

“It’ll be part of the witness protection program; she won’t have anything to worry about.”

Chief Ellis went into the room and Rupert could see him talking to her through the mirror. Instead of the intimidating police chief, he seemed gentle, even fatherly toward Mazzy. Rupert saw the girl nodding profusely and even hugging him. A few hours of paperwork later a car with a middle-aged woman came and took the girl away.

“Look, I’m going to need both you and Ralston to run a stakeout tonight,” barked Chief Ellis.

“Chief,” said Ralston, “Silas Miller is a Proud Boy, a White Supremacist, do really think it’s the best idea to put me on surveillance detail?”

“It’s a stakeout, you just have to observe and remain inconspicuous.”

“In all due respect Chief, it’s not exactly easy to remain inconspicuous when you’re a brother heading up the Grand Dragon’s house.”

“We’ll have a...