1001 Dark Nights: Bundle Forty-Five by unknow

Author:unknow
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: 1001 Dark Nights Press
Published: 2024-12-10T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

Hours later, Trevor watched as Ollie paced the third-floor kitchen, a cup of cold coffee in his hand as he talked aloud.

“She doesn’t have money. She doesn’t have power.” He turned to look at Trevor, pain evident in his face. “Why take her for ransom? It doesn’t make sense.”

“She’s a journalist, right?”

“Yeah, for the last few years. She used to be in marketing. Big corporate marketing. Traveled all over the place, and the job was driving her into the ground. She quit, then was living on her savings for about a year. I think it was about four years ago that she picked up the journalism gig.”

“And you two kept in touch after you broke up?” He heard the hint of jealousy in his voice, and hoped that Ollie didn’t pick up on it.

“Yeah. We’re still friends. I thought she’d run far and fast from me after what I did, but she’s got a good heart.”

But do you love her?

He didn’t ask it. Why would he? He already knew the answer. He’d overheard Ollie himself saying it to Damien: You’ve had someone you love kidnapped, too.

Love. Not loved. The present tense.

He shook himself. A woman had been kidnapped. What the fuck kind of asshole was he for dwelling on how Ollie felt about her?

With no small amount of effort, he forced himself to regroup, then turned his attention back to Ollie. “What about family money? Could that play into this?”

Ollie shook his head. “There used to be. But they hit hard times a few years ago. As far as I know, they’re leveraged to the hilt. Probably beyond.”

Trevor nodded, thinking. “The kidnapper might not know that.”

“True enough. We’ll work that angle.”

“What kind of journalism? Investigative? Maybe she stumbled across something.”

“No, nothing like that. Assignments for entertainment magazines, mostly. That kind of thing. Puff pieces.” Ollie checked his watch. “I need to call her parents, but I’m going to wait another hour. They’re on vacation in London, and I don’t want to wake them up with this news.”

He started pacing, shock and grief etched on that face Trevor had come to know so well.

“What a conversation that’s going to be. Hey, it’s the asshole who kicked around your daughter, and by the way, she’s been kidnapped. Don’t worry, the ransom is taken care of, but so far we don’t know shit.”

Trevor took a step toward him and held out his hand. Ollie didn’t take it. Slowly, Trevor pulled his hand back. “We’ll get answers,” he promised.

“Yeah, but it doesn’t feel like it right now.”

“I know.” He put his hand on Ollie’s shoulder, and Ollie immediately shook it off and started pacing again.

Trevor sighed, frustrated and confused. “Come on, Ollie—oh! Fuck me,” he said as he realized what they’d all been missing.

Ollie stopped pacing and turned to face him. “What?”

“We’re too close. I’m off my game. You, too.”

“Dammit, Trevor. What are you talking about?”

“This isn’t about a ransom,” Trevor said, watching as confusion played over Ollie’s features. “It’s not about money at all.

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