by Tripp Ellis
"When was the last time you spoke with Eva Orton?"
He gave me a sour look. "That's not illegal, is it?"
"Not last time I checked," I said.
"Did Nolan put you up to harassing me?"
"We’re not harassing you. Just asking a few questions."
"I don't have to answer any of your questions."
"No, you don't. But you might want to."
"Why is that?"
"You were about to tell us the last time you spoke with Eva," I said, ignoring his question.
"Yesterday morning. Why?"
"And you haven't seen her since?"
Liam's face tensed. "What's going on? Is there some kind of problem?"
“Eva is missing," I said. "She wouldn't happen to be here with you, would she?"
His face twisted with concern. “No. She's not."
"You mind if we look around your boat and see for ourselves?”
His worried eyes flicked between the two of us. "What do you mean she's missing?"
"Do you need me to define the term for you?"
He glared at me. “No, I don’t need you to define the term. How long has she been gone?”
“Yesterday afternoon.”
“Eva wouldn’t just run off without telling me. When you say missing, you mean taken.”
I exchanged a glance with JD.
“We can’t confirm that yet,” I said.
Panic washed over Liam. His eyes widened, and his face went long. Either he was genuinely concerned, or he was a damn good actor. “Have there been any ransom demands?"
“No. Right now, she’s just missing.”
Liam’s fear quickly gave way to anger. His jaw flexed, and his hands balled into fists. His face reddened, and the veins in his temples pulsed. “Goddamnit! How did it happen?”
I told him about the situation.
“Jason left her alone?!” he said with astonishment. He frowned, and a few more obscenities slipped from his lips. "Nolan can say what he wants about me, but at least I kept Eva safe.”
“When was the last time you spoke with Eva?”
“I texted her last night. She never returned the message. That wasn’t unusual. She's not always available to reply. But we usually touch base once a day. I had a funny feeling this morning when I hadn’t heard from her.”
“How long were you having an affair?”
He hesitated. “Cat’s out of the bag now. I guess it doesn’t matter. Six months. And don't look at me like that. Nolan was fooling around on Eva."
"Two wrongs don't make a right," JD muttered.
Liam shot him a look.
"Are you sure Nolan was having an affair?"
Liam laughed. "Please. I was with the guy all the time. I knew all of his dirty little secrets."
"And I'm sure you were happy to tell Eva all about them."
He glared at me. “I spent a lot of time with Eva. Things just happened. We became close. It's not just a sexual thing between us."
“So, you love her?”
"Yeah, I do. So what? I’m not the first guy to fall in love with somebody else's wife. Let me tell you, that douchebag doesn't deserve a woman like Eva. I don't care how much money he's got."
"Are you sure you didn't help Eva disappear? Are you sure she's not here with you right now?"
He gave us an exasperated look. "Come aboard. See for yourself.”
We crossed the gangway and stepped into the cockpit. It was an older boat, but Liam kept it in good shape. He showed us into the cabin, and we climbed below deck. It was a 2004 fiberglass monohull, updated with the latest navigation and charting. There was a full galley, a head with a shower, a forward V-berth, and an aft guest berth.
We took a look around, and it didn't take long to see that Eva wasn't here. There weren’t any articles of women’s clothing lying around. No bags. Nothing to indicate she was staying here.
"Satisfied?" Liam asked.
"For the time being."
"What are you doing to find her?”
“Talking to people like yourself. Chasing down leads. The county has been alerted.”
Liam shook his head. “She’s not missing. She’s been abducted. You know how many people have a motive to kidnap Eva? Do you know how much money Nolan has? Eva is a prime target. She didn’t just up and disappear.”
9
I asked Liam, “Do you know if she is seeing anyone else?”
His face twisted. “No! She isn’t seeing anybody else.”
“How can you be so sure?”
"Because she's not,” he snapped, clearly irritated. “We are in love. She's planning on leaving Nolan."
"For you?"
His eyes narrowed at me. "Yes. For me."
"And how do you see that working out? Seems to me she is accustomed to a certain lifestyle." I gave a casual glance around at the surroundings that were slightly less than luxurious.
Liam didn't like my tone one bit. I was trying to get a reaction out of him. It was working.
"For your information, Eva doesn't care about money. And in a divorce, she's gonna walk away with half. I don't think she’s got anything to worry about."
"What about you? Do you care about money?"
His eyes narrowed. "We all care about money to a certain degree, don't we? But I've done okay for myself. I spent a lot of time around some of the richest men in the world. I picked up a lot of little tidbits here and there. I heard conversations. I've been privy to meetings with CEOs of startups. I paid attention, I learned to play the game, and I invested very well."
"Sounds like insider trading."
"Sounds like what the rich do on a daily basis. They collude with all their little buddies and move markets. I got myself a piece of it.”
"You were the Head of Security for how long?"
"A little over a year."
"What can you tell me about the ongoing security threats?"
"My job was to oversee the logistics of the security detail, make plans and preparations in case of crisis situations. The online security team provided us with daily briefings of any online statements made on the platform that were directed toward Nolan or his family. We would vet those threats and assess a credibility level. Most of them were nonsense."
"What do you think about Jason Bradley? Is he up to the task of Head of Security?"
Liam frowned. "Obviously not. I never would have left Eva alone."
“If Eva was kidnapped, any ideas spring to mind?"
Liam's lips tensed, then he blew out a frustrated breath. "I don't know. With Nolan's net worth, it could be anybody—cartels, terrorist groups, somebody with a vendetta."
"Anybody come to mind?"
He thought for a moment. "I know he's getting sued right now."
"By whom?"
"I don't know all the details. You'll have to ask him."
"What about disgruntled employees?"
Liam glared at us. “I get it. I'm a person of interest given the situation. I’m telling you, I don't know where Eva is. And I would never do anything to harm her.”
"What about the corporate side?"
He thought for a moment. “There was a big scandal with their CFO, Evan Voigt. He was embezzling funds. They caught him, and he was fired. I think they came to a non-prosecution agreement as long as he agreed to repay all the money he stole."
“Do you know how much?"
"Ask Nolan. It was a lot.”
I dug into my pocket and handed him a card. "If you can think of anything that might be helpful, please get in touch."
"That's it? You just expect me to sit around while you guys chase your tail?"
"Until we have confirmation that Eva’s been abducted, she’ll be treated as a missing person. At this time, Nolan wants to keep it out of the press."
"I don't give a shit what Nolan wants. I want to find Eva. And I'm going to do everything in my power to locate her."
"All I ask is that you contact the Sheriff's Department if you discover
any pertinent information. If she has been abducted, I don't want you taking matters into your own hands."
"There's no doubt in my mind she's been abducted,” Liam said.
He looked like a capable guy. And I think his concern for Eva was genuine.
"If you truly care about Eva, you will coordinate your efforts with law enforcement,” I said.
I felt a little hypocritical making the statement since JD and I often took a maverick approach to situations. We tended to look at certain rules as flexible.
Liam sighed and gave a reluctant nod.
We climbed to the cockpit and crossed the gangway to the dock.
Liam called after us. "There is something else. Probably not related, but there was a guy that showed up at Nolan’s house a few weeks ago. Somehow he got past the security system and got access to Nolan."
“On your watch?” I asked.
He frowned and gave a reluctant nod.
"What happened?"
Liam shook his head dismissively. "He was just some guy looking for a job or something like that. We secured the situation, called you guys, and he was arrested and charged with trespassing."
"You recall his name?"
Liam bit his lip as he thought. “Callum Anders.”
10
My phone buzzed with a call from Nolan. I swiped the screen and put the phone to my ear as we walked down the dock to the parking lot.
“I just got a text on an encrypted messaging app from someone claiming to have Eva.” His voice quivered.
I grimaced. “Did they make any demands?”
“No. They just said to await further instructions and not to contact the police. ”
“Do you recognize the number?”
“No.”
“Send me the number and screenshots of the text.”
“Ok. Did you speak with Liam?”
“Eva’s not with him. I don’t think he’s involved. But he did mention a few persons of interest. What can you tell me about Evan Voight?”
He groaned. “Our HR manager handled his termination. You think this could be some form of retaliation?”
“Could be. Maybe he kidnapped your wife in order to fund the restitution.”
“I seriously doubt Evan is capable, but you never know.”
“What about Callum Anders?”
“That’s the gentleman that showed up at the house, looking for a job. I mean, I gotta appreciate his initiative, but it was inappropriate. We had him arrested and charged with trespassing. You think he could be involved?”
“I think anyone you’ve had negative contact with is a person of interest. Just try to remain calm. When you hear from the kidnappers again, I want you to get proof of life."
"Proof of life?"
"I know it's an unpleasant thought. But we need to establish that they actually have Eva in their possession and that she is alive and unharmed."
"Oh, God. I don't even want to think about it."
“Have you responded to their text message?”
“No, I wanted to speak with you first.”
“Good. We’ll be there momentarily.”
I ended the call. A moment later, Nolan sent a text with a screenshot of the message from the kidnappers and their phone number. I sent the information to Isabella and asked her to track the number and log the incoming calls to Nolan's phone.
We hopped into the Porsche and sped across the island to Stingray Bay. I updated Sheriff Daniels along the way. This officially went from a missing person’s case to a kidnapping.
Jason buzzed us into the compound when we arrived and greeted us at the door. He escorted us into the living room. Nolan’s assistant, Harlow, was at his side. Will and Toby walked the grounds.
Nolan looked relieved to see us. "What do you want me to do?"
I instructed Nolan to respond to the kidnappers and ask for proof of life. He did so, and we waited for a response.
The room was thick with tension. Nolan fidgeted nervously.
Worry tensed Harlow’s pretty face. She was a cute girl—25, shoulder-length caramel hair, azure eyes, olive skin. She had a light dusting of freckles across her nose, and she wore a stylish pinstriped navy pantsuit. The fashionable cut teased at what was underneath.
Her job was to manage Nolan’s day and anticipate his every need. It bordered on an obsession. She had empathetic eyes and was keenly aware of those around her. Harlow was an attractive woman, no question. I wondered how many of Nolan’s needs she was willing to satisfy.
A minute went by with no response from the kidnappers.
Then 2…
Then 10…
Then 20…
Nolan paced about the living room, unraveling. "I don't understand. Why aren’t they responding? Does this mean they don't actually have her?"
"It means they can't or won't respond,” I said. “Don't read too much into it. Perhaps it's a control issue. They’ll respond in their own time. They want you to feel scared, uneasy, and anxious.”
"Well, if they expect to get any money out of me, they need to prove to me that she's alive and unharmed,” he growled, puffing up in a moment of false bravado. In his frustration, he sent another text message to the kidnappers stating just that.
I cringed. I wanted him to maintain the impression of being calm, cool, and collected—not panicked or desperate.
We waited another few moments, but there was still no response.
This was a clear indication to me that these people were going to do things on their timetable. They weren’t going to answer questions. They would just bark commands.
I got the feeling we weren’t dealing with amateurs.
11
The FBI typically gets involved in kidnapping cases when the victim is transported across state lines or the crime occurs within the special maritime jurisdiction, the special aircraft jurisdiction, or the victim is a child of tender years. There are a few other scenarios in which they will get involved, but they are always willing to provide support to local law enforcement. Rarely do the Feds take over a case.
With the high-profile nature of the victim, I suspected they might want to take a more active role. But it was early, and not many outside of this room knew about the situation. We still hadn't confirmed that Eva had actually been abducted. Depending on the outcome, various agencies would either be fighting to take credit or wanting to steer clear of the debacle.
We waited for the kidnappers to reply, but there was no more communication. They’d have to state their demands at some point. Until then, it was a waiting game.
“I understand you’re getting sued,” I said.
Nolan frowned. "Another frivolous suit from a leach trying to siphon some of my wealth. Weston Prescott. The suit was dismissed."
"What was the claim?"
"He tried to say that Flutter was his idea. It wasn't. I had a brief meeting with him many years ago, but Flutter was already in development at the time. He discussed things that we had already been working on."
"How much was he asking for?"
"Half the value of the company. I'm happy to say he won't be getting a penny of my money."
"Unless he kidnapped Eva," I said.
Nolan's eyes rounded. "You think he's responsible?"
"You know him better than I do."
Nolan pondered the scenario. “He's a tech guy, not a paramilitary expert trained in high-value asset abduction. But by all means, if you think it’s a viable lead, please pursue it.”
"We will. Do you have contact information for him?”
“I can get that for you,” Harlow said.
She scrolled through her phone and found Weston’s contact info. She asked for my number, then texted me Weston’s.
The department didn't have the resources for a dedicated crisis management unit. We were it. Even if we did have a crisis unit, I got the impression Nolan didn’t want his house swarming with deputies—especially after he was instructed not to alert the authorities.
We
dealt with a lot of missing persons in the area, most of which turned up in a few days. But kidnappings for ransom were rare. We’d dealt with a few in the past. But the most common situation was a non-custodial parent taking their child without permission.
JD was getting antsy and wanted to grab something to eat. My belly was rumbling too. I told Nolan to contact me as soon as he heard from the kidnappers. I figured we’d chase down some of these leads after lunch.
Isabella had called and told me she couldn’t trace the kidnapper’s phone. The message came through the internet and had been routed through dozens of proxy servers across the globe through a VPN (Virtual Private Network). Whoever was behind this knew how to cover their tracks. Criminals were getting more and more sophisticated everyday.
We left the compound and headed across the island to Oyster Avenue. JD parked at the curb, and we strolled the sidewalk, looking for something to suit our fancy.
A bus passed by wrapped with an advertisement for Ultra Mega 2. Jack’s daughter, Scarlett, was featured prominently in her tight superhero costume. It was the biggest movie in the country.
JD beamed with pride.
The billboards and ads were everywhere, and the trailer was in constant rotation. The early numbers were good, and the studio had really gotten behind the picture. It was projected to top $1 billion at the box office.
“I think she’s going places,” JD said with a grin.
“I think she is.”
Jack decided to spring for lunch at Five Fathoms. We’d been meaning to eat there for a while and kept getting sidetracked. It was a five-star restaurant, and the price reflected its status.
A hostess in formal attire seated us. The decor was elegant and modern. Sconces with blue LED lights colored the walls. Tables were covered with white cloths and lined with fancy black chairs. A bar at the center of the restaurant offered a selection of fine liquor, and the wine cellar could run the tab into the five-figure range if you were feeling spendy. Needless to say, we were underdressed for the occasion. But they weren’t as picky at lunch. We’d never have been seated in the evening looking like this.