One property that required assistance was Arthur Goding’s. Though his home and outbuildings were spared from the flames, the historic logging camp behind his house had been completely destroyed by the fire, along with a lot of brush in the canyon. Denuded hillsides could funnel a deluge of muddy water straight onto his property.

Tess and Mayor Horning toured all of the properties that needed help in order to make a priority list for the crew to follow. The day they visited Goding’s home, a light rain, slightly more than a mist, was falling, foreshadowing that more was promised soon.

“Be happy your house is safe,” Tess offered. “After all, with all the ATVs in your garage, that would have been quite a loss.”

“And you’re first on the list for a work crew to come through and help with the canyon,” Horning told him.

“Thanks, I appreciate that. I’ll help too, of course. I can fill a sandbag as well as the next guy.”

Monday, with the council in full hire mode and nothing left for Tess to do in regard to the fire, she ducked into her office after shaking water off her raincoat and settled in to review the information from Bass. He started out with an unfortunately familiar story, as far as Tess was concerned. Over the years Tess had come across many young women whose names could be interchanged with any of the girls rescued by the raid in Arizona.

Victim was recruited at sixteen by a good-looking guy who claimed to care for her. At that time she was unhappy at home. He spent a few months grooming her, wooing her in a way, before the real purpose he had for her became clear. Since the day she willingly went with him, she’s been sold over and over again for sex from one end of this country to the other. Usually at big sporting events—the Super Bowl, World Series. Poor kid doesn’t know which end is up.

As for Chevy . . .

Victim one was taken out of the stable of girls and brought to the boss. For two years she enjoyed a position at the top, was flown around the world in a private jet, and was treated as a favorite sex slave.

Tess grimaced as she read the narrative about the bust in Mesa. Some of the girls who were rescued actually fought the cops, such was the nature of their brainwashing. She thought about Chevy and her angry attitude. Would the girl continue to cooperate?

Tess was nervous about the case in general and Chevy specifically.