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Claire’s shoulders sagged. “It’s an airline’s special deals.”
“Fiona probably just copied over all his emails. That’s okay. She said he’d been getting emails almost daily, so there has to be something here, unless Jensen was deleting them remotely.”
Mike’s cell phone vibrated on the countertop and he grabbed it, cupping it in his hand.
“Is it Jack again?”
Mike cocked his head. “It’s the Chadwicks from Colorado.”
Claire put her fingers to her lips. “I hope Ethan didn’t have an accident snowboarding. Should I answer it?”
“Let me.” He put the phone back on the counter and tapped the screen. “Hello?”
“H-hello? My daughter-in-law, Claire Chadwick, gave me this number to call.”
Mike nodded at Claire.
“Nancy, this is Claire. Is Ethan okay?”
“Oh, no, Claire. Ethan is not okay. He’s missing.”
Chapter Fifteen
Claire’s brain went numb for a moment as she shook her head. It was a joke, some kind of joke.
Claire laughed. “Missing? What does that mean?”
Nancy sobbed, “He’s gone, Claire. I’m so sorry, but we thought he was safe. He was with Lori in a class and then he was gone. We’ve had the snow patrol looking for him, but an instructor in another class thinks Ethan walked away with a man.”
Claire doubled over, clutching her stomach.
“Claire?” Barry’s voice boomed over the phone. “Does this have anything to do with Shane? Tell us this doesn’t have anything to do with Shane.”
Mike grabbed Claire’s hand. “Mr. and Mrs. Chadwick? This is Claire’s friend Mike Becker. Have the kidnappers made any demands yet?”
Through her fog, Claire heard Barry respond. “Nothing. The police and the snow patrol are still searching the mountain. They’re not convinced it’s an abduction—yet.”
“Good.” Mike squeezed her hand. “Listen to me very carefully. When the kidnapper calls with his terms, he’s going to demand that you leave the police out of it. Do what he says. Is Lori there with you?”
Nancy sniffed. “No, she’s at the police station.”
“Don’t tell Lori you talked to me. Got it? Don’t even mention my name.”
“Why?” Barry coughed. “Who are you? Where’s Claire?”
“Barry?” Claire wiped her face. “I’m right here. You can trust Mike. This is more complicated than a simple...kidnapping.”
She shuddered, and Mike wrapped his arm around her. “Do what Mike says. Follow the kidnappers’ instructions, and don’t tell Lori about Mike.”
“Mr. Chadwick, I’m going to hang up now so your line is free. My guess is you’ll hear something soon, something before the police set up operations at your house and tap your phones. Play along with that.”
Nancy’s voice quavered. “This has to do with what happened to Shane, doesn’t it, Claire? When will it ever end?”
Claire set her jaw and dashed the last tear from her face. “It ends now, Nancy.”
* * *
IT TOOK HIM thirty minutes and one glass of wine to calm Claire down and to get her shaking to subside. He’d held her close and whispered in her ear while a black dread grew in his gut.
Now anger had replaced Claire’s fear, and she paced the kitchen floor as he continued opening emails.
His frustration had him practically breaking the mouse on the next email he clicked. “There has to be something on here or Correll wouldn’t have arranged Ethan’s abduction.”
Claire dug her fingers into her scalp, grabbing her hair by the roots. “I can’t believe he’d actually do harm to Ethan. He played grandpa to that boy.”
“He’s diabolical, Claire. Tempest and Caliban must’ve promised him something big for his cooperation in this plan—a starring role in the new world order.”
“What about Lori?” She clasped her hands behind her neck and tilted back her head. “Do you suspect Lori?”
“There’s no way she let Ethan out of her sight when he was in that snowboarding class.” He squinted at the next email, an invitation to play a social media game. “I told you that first day. I walked into something between the two of them. I guess she wasn’t as unwilling as she pretended to be.”
