Page 117 of The Black Trilogy

“Well, you sure did that if he ended up on the mat. Now, tell me, why have you got me over here? Not that I’m complaining or anything, because this car is freaking awesome.”

I pulled out my phone. Gabir had also emailed me some stills from the videos, and I got the clearest photo up on the screen.

“I want you to quickly look at a photo then tell me your first impressions.”

Dan gave me a quizzical glance. “Okay.”

I held the screen up for a few seconds, and her brows pinched together.

“Luke? What does a picture of Luke have to do with the kidnapper?”

“Look again.”

Dan chewed her lip as she took in the subtle differences between the two men—a slightly broader nose, a squarer jaw, a steeper slope to his forehead, and longer hair being the main ones.

“A brother? Cousin?”

“He told me he doesn’t have either. I don’t think he’d have tried to hide it—in the same conversation, he said he always wished he had a brother growing up.”

“Well, that guy looks so much like Luke, it’s hard to imagine he’s anything but.”

“And it would fit with his comment about Luke having taken his life. Maybe it’s not something Luke’s knowingly done at all. This guy wants what he sees as his birthright: Luke’s money, Luke’s job, Luke’s sister.”

“Luke’s girlfriend?” Dan suggested.

“If only. You have no idea how many times I’ve wished he took me instead of Tia.”

“I’d love to be a fly on the wall if he tried that.”

I winced as Dan started the engine. It had been ages since she drove me anywhere, and I hadn’t missed the experience.

“So, the possible brother—mother or father?” she continued as she pulled out into traffic, narrowly missing a cyclist.

“Luke looks nothing like his mother. It’s Tia who has her features. So, I’m gonna go with daddy dearest.”

Plus didn’t Tia tell us her father played around?

“Where do we find him?”

“Six feet under, unfortunately.”

“Recent?”

“Nope. He died years ago, and Luke’s been picking up the pieces ever since.”

“Maybe the mother knows something? The guy in the photo looks pretty close in age to Luke. Perhaps she suspected an affair?”

“Head to Lower Foxford,” I settled back in my seat. “Let’s see what the mother of the year’s take on all of this is.”

Had she even noticed Tia was missing yet?

CHAPTER 34

DAN DIDN’T DRIVE as fast as I would have, but on the plus side, she didn’t total my car and traffic was mercifully light, so we still made good time. On the way, I gave Nick a call to see what was happening at his end.

“Have you sorted out the logistics?”

“More or less. We found someone in the investigations division who looks enough like Luke that we could use him as a decoy, but Luke’s determined he’s doing the drop himself. He says he’s not taking any chances with Tia’s life.”

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