Page 64 of Duplicity

“That doesn’t make me feel any less guilty.” The fact was, hehadmade it. And then when he had the means to take it down, they’d been so far under the radar he hadn’t seen a need. For all he’d known, it wasn’t being used. He hadn’t looked into it, preferring instead to ignore the whole ugly nightmare.

Years ago.

In the past.

Like the rest of his bad dreams that he tried to forget. But living only in the present hadn’t ever done him any favors. He had his family, but not much else to show for it.

Romeo came over and kissed her forehead. “Peter and I will go find Hayden.”

Cat frowned at her brother. “You’re going to work with Vanguard now?”

“If it keeps my family safe.” He strode out.

Jasper came over and stood near Cat’s father. “Simon, what can you tell me about Lance North?”

Cat glanced at him.

Simon asked, “May I?” and motioned to his computer.

She slid her chair over. She was clearly still in some pain even if she’d taken whatever pills Violet had given her.

The notepad with her statement lay on the table. His gaze snagged on a couple of the words, but he forced his attention to the computer and pulled up what he’d already found. “I’ve been monitoring the family for a long time. Part of a group of people I keep an eye on. Bankers, tech moguls, politicians…” He spun around. “Oh, uh…”

Jasper shook his head. “We’re good. I’m coming around to the idea of you…doing what you need to do.”

Oh, boy. They needed to figure this out. Otherwise, they were barreling toward even more of a misunderstanding.

When this case was over, he and Jasper needed to figure out how to work together.

“Lance North owns a number of tech companies, including the media corporation that owns the Splurge shopping app, and he has a controlling stake in others. He owns investment firms and research firms, several of which tie to foundations that make him look lily-white on the surface, so his PR company has something to work with when things get sticky.”

Cat said, “What about locally, in Benson?”

Simon found that part of his notes. “The entire chain of Wildmare Hotel and Suites.”

“Those are everywhere.”

“But if the girls are there, we have no way of figuring out which one. He has thirteen hotels. We can’t search every room in every hotel. That would take forever.”

“We could try.” Cat shifted in her seat. “Can we get enough people together to do that?”

Her father said, “It would tip our hand, all that happening. He’ll know we’re onto him.”

“But how can we narrow it down?”

Simon said, “Along with that chain, he also owns the Wildmare Spas up in the hills north and southwest of here.”

“I’ve been to one with my mom.” She sighed. “That sucks. Those places are nice.”

Simon’s mind was still spinning on the issue of how to narrow it down. Was there a way to find out if the girls had been brought to one of those places? Or if someone had seen one of them? Maybe he could call Bob and ask what was the best way to investigate this kind of thing.

“What are you thinking?” Jasper asked.

Simon glanced over. “How do we find out where they were taken?” He didn’t mention that he might ask Bob.

“You don’t trust cops, do you?”

Simon flinched. “Since when?”

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