Page 242 of Keep This Promise
“I didn’t think you were.”
“This whole thing, I just don’t know what to make of it. Why take an innocent little girl? Why put her life in danger for money? And . . . Sophie has nothing.”
“People do horrible things when they’re desperate. Do you know anything about who her husband was involved with?”
I shake my head. “We know nothing, Kate. Just that Eden is missing, and we have a clock we’re racing to get her before she could die. I will never be able to live through it.”
She sighs deeply. “I’ve been where you are. The fear of not knowing but still having to be strong no matter the outcome. Be there for each other and lean on your friends because they’ll help you through. When I—” She forces a smile. “It’s hard, no matter what the outcome is, but being optimistic is best here.”
I watch her, trying to read between the lines. “You speak as though you have experience with this.”
Kate gives me a sad smile. “I lost my daughter about five years ago. She was . . . well, she was sixteen, and it was the worst thing I have ever experienced. I didn’t think I would live through it either. I wanted to crawl into that casket and be buried with her. I lost my marriage because of it. It’s why I came to Oregon, to leave all of that behind. Each day, you find a way to wake up and make a difference in the world. It’s a pain that never goes away, you just learn to endure it. I hope you don’t go through the same thing and find Eden.”
“Thank you, and . . . I’m sorry. I can’t imagine this is easy for you, being here.”
Kate comes closer and then pulls me in for a hug. “This is what gets me through my pain—helping others.”
“You’re better than I am.”
“No, I’m not, I’ve just found ways to cope.”
And I hope I never have to. We walk into the dining room area where everyone is standing. The discussions are all theories, and my head is swimming.
“Hey,” Jackson says as I enter. “Is Sophie sleeping?”
“She is.”
“Did she say anything before she fell asleep?” Blake asks.
I shake my head. “She just kept repeating that she didn’t have any money. She came here with nothing and has never once mentioned having anything more than the envelope she was handed when she was driven here.”
“I can attest to that,” Jackson says. “When Sophie arrived in the US, I picked her up and gave her three thousand dollars. That was it, and Theo covered her protection prior to his death and had most of his financial assets put away offshore that he didn’t want anyone touching. It was imperative that we never let Sophie have access.”
“How much is in there?”
I’ll cash out every stock, bond, and bank account I have if that’s what it takes. They just need to say the word.
“It’s about two hundred thousand dollars, which isn’t enough to kidnap a kid over. Not that it’s pocket money, but a cartel or mafia syndicate would be after millions.”
I sink into one of the dining chairs, angry and frustrated and impatient. We need to find her because each tick of the clock is like a bomb ready to explode.
Spencer starts to pace. “Why not drain it then? We could pull all that money and see if that’s what they want.”
“We can, but my gut says it’s not the money they want. I could be wrong. Did Theo’s letter to Sophie give her any instructions or information?” Jackson asks.
“I have no fucking idea,” I answer, frustrated and over all of this. “I’m so tired of this! The games and the bullshit. First with Brielle, then Blakely, and now they took my fucking daughter. I am tired of having to unravel clues and search for missing links. Nothing ever adds up, and I am over it. I’m done.”
“I know you’re frustrated, but to get Eden back, we need to figure out what Theo did with that money,” Jackson says, calm and collected. “I’m a father, and I can only imagine how I’d feel if one of my girls was taken. I’d probably be homicidal, but I would hope that there were people with cool heads who could remember what we’re doing, and that’s to find what these people want.”
“They want money. What money? Sophie doesn’thaveany goddamn money.”
“She does. She just can’t touch it,” Blakely adds in. “If she did, people could trace where she was. I agree with Jackson that it’s not what they want. I think there’s another account that she doesn’t know about. Her husband was far from honest with her, and she knows almost nothing about what he was doing other than he worked in finance. So, let’s say he stumbled on something in the books that he shouldn’t have, which seems reasonable when you remember he was working for a shell company with links to organized crime. What’s the easiest thing to use as an insurance policy to keep someone from killing you to ensure you don’t spill that secret?”
Jackson is quick to say, “Information or—”
“Money,” I finish.
Blakely taps her nose and points at me. “Exactly. If that’s the scenario we’re looking at here, then her not knowing she has the money doesn’t mean she doesn’t have it.”
