Duncan nodded. “I guess it was the only way she knew to get in contact with her.”
“So you’ve spoken to this Angela person?” Jude asked.
“No. I thought it would be best to get some verification before we revealed who we are.”
Jude nodded, agreeing with that completely. “How do you want me to handle it?”
“I sent the info to the tech guys so they can look a bit further into her to see what info we can get before we decide on our next move.”
“And if it’s really her?”
“Then I think I want you to initiate a meeting with her. As a representative of our family… without telling her who we are. At least not until we’re sure of who she is.”
“And to make sure that the people who kidnapped her aren’t still in her life,” Jude added.
Duncan sighed. “Yes. We must make sure that there is not an ulterior motive behind her reaching out. Either because of the people who kidnapped her, or because of the type of person she is.”
Jude frowned. “Do you really think she might be seeking you out with evil intentions?”
“I wish I didn’t have to be so skeptical,” Duncan said. “However, I’ve learned not to take people at face value. It is far better to be safe than sorry. I learned that lesson a long time ago.”
Jude remembered when the kidnapping of Duncan’s twin girls had occurred. His dad had been part of the security team, though not the head of it yet. His promotion had come after Duncan had fired the previous head for bungling the security checks that should have been done on the pair who’d abducted Annalisa and Angelica.
Duncan's gaze darkened as he looked at a framed photo on his desk. Jude knew without seeing it that it was the one of the twins as toddlers, taken just weeks before the kidnapping.
"I won't make the same mistake again," Duncan said quietly. "Not with Annalisa."
"Of course not," Jude agreed. "I'll handle this with the utmost caution."
"I know you will."
When his computer beeped, Duncan shifted forward to look at the monitor. “Here’s an email from our team with an initial report. You should have a copy too.”
Jude pulled out his phone and opened his email program. Sure enough, there was an email from the head of the team that Duncan used to follow any leads on the kidnappers.
For years, there had been nothing substantial. It was as if the kidnappers had disappeared off the planet.
Now, however, they had something to work with. And wow, had they run with it.
"She lives in Briar Hollow, Kentucky,” Duncan read. “Small town, population under a thousand. Works at a bakery called Sweet Nothings. No criminal record. Limited digital footprint. Most of which has been over the past couple of years. Nothing really before that."
Jude leaned forward. “I would have thought they’d include a picture. Visual verification would go a long way to helping us plan our next step.”
“I’m sure that as soon as they get their hands on one, they’ll forward it.”
This tech team had never been under Jude or his father’s responsibility. They’d reported directly to Duncan, but they had always updated Jude, at Duncan’s request.
He’d questioned his dad about why details of the kidnapping hadn’t been released to the public. Or why the cops hadn’t been brought in. His dad’s explanation had revealed to Jude just how wealthy Duncan really was. And not just wealthy, but influential. More influential than most in the world.
And with power and influence backing him, Duncan made the choice to keep from letting the world know what had happened in order to prevent the rest of his family from becoming targets. He’d also been able to hire people who were more skilled than anyone who worked for the police department, and some of them were willing to step into the gray areas in order to get information in their search.
A second beep from Duncan’s computer sounded just as another email showed up in Jude’s inbox.
“Pictures,” Duncan murmured.
Jude’s heart pounded as he clicked to open the attachment. It felt almost surreal to be at this point. Twenty-four years of dead ends. Of no leads. Of losing hope.
Jude glanced up at his boss and saw that the wall hiding his emotions had dropped. There was now a wealth of feeling on the man’s face as he stared at his monitor.
