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“We have a few clues yet that might lead us to the right culprit. I still think Eric was the first casualty of someone’s interest in the egg.”
She gave a jerky nod. “I believe that, too, but there’s no guarantee the person who took Caroline and Isabelle is the first one who learned of the egg.”
He left his hand on hers. “Bernard has a lead on Dimitri, who seems to be in the area. He sent a couple of officers over to see if he could grab him. If we can find Dimitri to talk to him, we might learn something about the Russians.”
Hope was elusive, and even that news didn’t lift the terrible fear pressing down on her. “That’s good. But it could be someone hired by Ivan Bury. And I didn’t really believe Roger Adams had no knowledge of the egg. It’s such an endless circle of possibilities.”
“We’ll lay all this out to the FBI and see what they can find.”
“Do you really have any hope we’ll get Isabelle and Caroline back safely?”
He squeezed her hand more tightly. “Hope is all we ever have, Carly.”
She ducked her head. “Yes. If I hadn’t had hope when Eric was murdered, I don’t know how I would have gone on. Hope that God had a plan for my future, hope for building a life with my son, hope for finding my way.”
“Our lives are so fragile. Maybe it’s by design so we look to God.”
His words brought some comfort but not enough. “They are bothchildren. What kind of monster terrorizes children? Isabelle must be so afraid.”
Her phone rang before Lucas could reply, and she snatched it up. “It’s Dad.” She swiped it on. “Dad, someone kidnapped Isabelle and a baby we’ve been taking care of. They’re demanding a ransom.”
“Ransom? We don’t have enough money to attract a kidnapper.”
“Where are you? It’s a long story.”
“I just landed at the airport. I was going to surprise all of you for Mom’s birthday.”
“I’m on my way back to town. I’ll see you at the house. I should be there in half an hour.”
“I should arrive at the same time. Where’s my mother?”
“At the house. There’s a lot to tell you.” She closed her eyes in a brief moment of despair. “I heard from the kidnapper a few minutes ago.”
“Don’t call the FBI. That’s dangerous to Isabelle.”
She started to tell him that was out of her hands, but she bit back the words. It was a terrible thing when she couldn’t trust her own father. His views and opinions were usually wrong. “I’ll see you at home.”
She ended the call and exhaled. “Dad is at the airport and on his way to the house. He said not to call the FBI.”
“Trust me, Carly. We need to do this right if we want them back.”
She caught his gaze and held it. “I do trust you. I hope you’re right.”
She broke eye contact and glanced at the clock on thedash. Nearly one. They had eight hours to figure this out. And Mr. Schoenwald would be here in two hours and had already texted her a picture of him on the plane. It was too late to cancel the appointment with him. Maybe that was for the best. Once the FBI rescued Isabelle and Caroline, she wanted that egg in someone else’s hands.
Thirty-Five
The house was as chaotic as Lucas expected when he carried Noah inside with Carly beside him. Her dad was pacing in the living room while Mary, Elizabeth, and Carly’s sisters wept on the sofa. Holt and Lainey sat quietly with Ryan in the living room. Lucas noticed the holstered gun on Ryan’s belt. He’d been prepared.
Noah fussed on Lucas’s shoulder, and he bounced him soothingly. He waited to tell Carly about Noah’s hungry noises until she embraced her family and tried to calm them. Reassuring them seemed to have a positive effect on her, because the color came back to her cheeks and she seemed less despondent.
“Your little guy is hungry,” Lucas finally said when the noise decibel lowered a bit.
She sniffled and came to retrieve Noah. “I’ll feed him.” She settled in an armchair and threw a light blanket over herself.
Kyle crossed his arms over his chest and glared at Lucas. “Why are you here and not out finding my daughter?”
“I’m waiting on a call that the FBI is here.”
