With that, she breezed to the door, Ken behind her. They left Darren thrashing like a wild animal in the interrogation room and reconvened outside. They were in a small, cramped police station not far from the strip club, but if what Darren said was true, then they needed to get back to Frankstown and hunt down this Rawling or Ryley character. But first: Nicky needed to confirm whether any of it was true.

They went into the lobby of the police station, where an older secretary sat behind the desk. She looked up at Nicky and Ken through her glasses. "You two find what you're lookin' for with that guy?"

"Actually," Nicky said, "we were wondering if you could give us any information on a cop over in Frankstown. Should be in your database, right?"

The secretary nodded, going on her computer. "Yeah, should have it. What's the name?"

"Should be something like Ryley or Rawling, something with an R."

The secretary typed in the name and waited. "Nothing's coming up," she said.

Ken ran his hand across his hair. "Are you sure?"

"Certain," the secretary said. "I . . . oh," she said, looking at the computer screen.

"What is it?" Nicky said.

The secretary swallowed and looked up. "I'm getting a picture of a police officer named Rawley in Frankstown--"

"That's the one," Ken said.

"--but it looks like he was let go from his position three months ago."

"What for?" Nicky asked. This case was seriously starting to stink.

"Soliciting prostitution," the secretary said. "Seems like he was a dirty cop."

Nicky looked at Ken. He gave her a steely gaze that said he was thinking the same thing: this had corruption written all over it.

"Anything else you can tell me about him?" Nicky asked. "Did he ever have anything to do with any missing persons reports?"

The secretary scrolled down her screen, which was reflected in her glasses. "There's not much on him or his history here. You'd have to go down to Frankstown if you want to know more."

Nicky looked at Ken and nodded. "I guess we should pay them a visit."

***

The moment Nicky walked into the Frankstown police station, she could smell the corruption. It was a dirty little police station, with its cracked paint and stains all over the floor, the walls decorated with an incoherent collection of posters and some of the worst paintings she had ever seen. Nicky could see the smug look of superiority among the police officers. At one desk was a large man with a belly the size of a house. He was laughing with another officer, but even from here, Nicky could see the disdain in his eyes.

They all went quiet as Nicky and Ken made their way in. They'd fixed their disguises from earlier so they were looking like normal agents again, and surely, these cops could smell that from a mile away.