The Trade – Shirley Palmer

Matt Lowell never set out to be a hero…but he wasn't given a choice.As a wildfire rages in the canyons around Malibu, Matt Lowell races along the edge of the surf in a desperate attempt to reach his house and save his dog, Barney. But as he runs he stumbles upon a horror that stops him in his tracks: a newborn baby abandoned in the sand. And before he can get her to safety, the baby dies in his arms.When the police find the baby's teenage mother dead on the side of the canyon road, her body covered with wildflowers, Matt can't ignore the unexpected sense of duty he feels for these innocent victims. And so he decides to get involved, a decision that will set in motion irreversible consequences–and lead him straight into the midst of an unspeakable crime ring of greed, slavery and murder.Matt Lowell is about to find out that doing the right thing could be the last thing he ever does…