A Shoulder to Cry On

By: Carol Costa

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

Detective Paula Taylor suspects that Hector Alonzo is engaged in Human Trafficking of young women who have been kidnapped in Tucson and Mexico . The victims are being held in a secluded house on the outskirts of town before being transported and sold in foreign countries. Paula identifies a medical doctor who visits the house every week to evaluate the single girls and care for two pregnant women also in residence there. The doctor has been told that the house is a rehab center and is unaware of the horrific fate of the women once they leave the house. Paula has secured the aid of an F.B.I. agent and together they convince the doctor to let Paula, disguised as an older nurse, accompany him on his weekly visits and he agrees. For her weekly transformation , Paula has enlisted the help of her friends at Trenza Hair studio. Beverly, Susan, and Tina use their talents and expertise in hair, makeup, and nail decoration to transform Paula into a dowdy woman with nails imbedded with a micro chip that allow Paula to record her visits to the house. Finally, enough evidence has been gathered and the F.B.I. raids the house and saves the girls being loaded into a van for a one way trip to the private plane waiting to fly them into slavery. Hector arrives planning on killing the doctor, his nurse, a mother and her new born baby. Paula saves them and shoots Hector in the knee as he tries to escape arrest.Paula is the primary witness and Hectors associates on both sides of the border are trying to kill her. She has been reassigned to desk duty reviewing cold cases, but the danger she is in prompts her family to hire Jack Scoletti, an expert in martial arts and military strategy and conflict to guard her. This leads to a marriage of convenience and months on a military base. AsPaula continues to review cold cases, one of them requires more assistance from Beverly and Susan at Trenza. Their information helps Paula close another cold case connected to a recent murder. Then, a new danger arrives when Alonzo’s silent partner swears to kill Paula. While Jack and Paula consider taking their relationship to a more intimate level, the Twin Terrors, wrestlers connected to the mob and Paula’s Aunt Sophia, come to town to help Jack eliminate the latest threat against Paula. However, all the danger, chaos and emotional decisions leading up to the Alonzo trial pale in comparison to the drama and explosive scenes that take place in the courtroom. An unexpected witness testifies and brings this novel to a stunning and satisfying conclusion.