Lisa Gardner - Touch & Go

In this photo, Tessa could see that Anita’s husband had had blond hair, which complemented his fair complexion. Before going silver gray, Anita appeared to have been a strawberry blonde with equally pale skin. Which left their youngest son with noticeably darker features than the rest of the family.

She and Wyatt exchanged a look. He was seated comfortably in the other wingback chair, one leg crossed casually on the other, elbows resting at his side. He was going with his quietly accessible demeanor. Not pressuring their interview subject, but letting her come to him.

Effective approach given how much Tessa herself had volunteered in just one car ride.

“We have received a ransom demand,” Tessa said.

Clearly, this was not what Anita had been expecting. Immediately, the COO was on her feet, fingers once again working her pearls. “How, when? What do they want? Are Justin and his family okay?”

“Demand is nine million dollars. Justin evoked some special clause that allows an additional life insurance payment in situations of extreme danger.”

“Oh my God.” Anita’s hand, covering her mouth. “Is he…all right? Ashlyn? Libby?”

“Justin states they are currently safe, but we haven’t received visual confirmation yet.”

“Will the insurance company pay?”

“Being worked out as we speak.”

“Of course they’ll pay,” Anita said, no longer looking at them, but seeming to speak to herself. “That’s why one carries such policies. So that when the worst happens, the company will pay, and Justin and his family will be returned safe. When?”

“Soon. We hope.”

Anita sat back down. Her earlier wariness was gone. She appeared intent now. “So what do you need from me? How can I help?”

Tessa and Wyatt exchanged another glance. If Anita had a vested interest in the Denbe family’s disappearance, she was doing a good job of hiding it. Or maybe, none of this was news to her. The ransom had been part of the plan, and all was proceeding on schedule.

Tessa decided to cut to the chase. “Tell us about your youngest son.”

The COO froze. For one moment, Tessa thought the older woman might fight it, but then she conceded their point with a single, stiff nod. “I see the rumor mill’s been busy as usual.”

Tessa and Wyatt just waited.

“You want to know why I didn’t just tell you everything yesterday,” Anita continued unprompted. “First second you arrived in my office, I should’ve aired my dirty laundry, dragged all the skeletons out of the closet. Because of course, Justin’s disappearance must have something to do with my son. Families are like that.”

Again, Tessa and Wyatt said nothing.

“He doesn’t even know,” Anita said abruptly. “Timothy, I mean. Daniel does. And, yes, it was a very difficult time in our marriage. But we survived it. And Daniel loves Timmy. Views him as just as much his son as our other two children. In the end, we decided to let it be. Daniel is happy, Timmy is happy, why rip apart our family for no good reason?”

“Does Justin know?” Wyatt spoke up.

Anita shrugged. “People in the company have whispered about it for years, of course. But I’ve never directly stated that Timmy is Dale Denbe’s son. Frankly, the first ten years I wasn’t even sure myself. Of course, as Timmy’s grown up, the family resemblance…”

“Does Justin know?” Wyatt pressed again.

Anita seemed to be struggling. “I’m sure he must suspect it,” she finally allowed. “But again, for Timmy’s sake as much as anyone’s, I’ve never gone there, and I never will.”

“For Timmy’s sake?” Tessa repeated, allowing disbelief to color her voice. “Because being in line for a hundred-million-dollar family business can’t possibly be in his best interest?”

Anita smiled faintly. “Do you know what Tim is studying at college?”

They shook their heads.

“Animal husbandry. He wants to move to Vermont and start his own free-range all-organic all–environmentally correct dairy farm. Timmy isn’t interested in building two-hundred-million-dollar prisons or hospitals or colleges. He wants to be one with the earth.”

“So he sells his share of the business and uses it to start his farm.”

“What share?” Anita said calmly. “Dale didn’t leave the firm to his surviving heirs. He left it to Justin, specifically, by name. Even if I wanted to subject my family to the strain of declaring Timmy’s parentage, it wouldn’t change anything. Besides, given the shape the firm’s in, I’m not sure it could survive the drama. And again, for what? Justin is the right member of the Denbe family to be heading the company. He loves it. My son has his own dreams. Nothing is broken. Nothing needs to be fixed.”

Tessa wasn’t buying it. “You’re denying your son part of his family, let alone the choice of getting involved with the business—”

“Excuse me. I am the business and Timmy’s spent as much of his childhood at the Denbe Construction offices as my two other boys. At any point, if he was interested in construction, I could’ve gotten him involved with the firm given my own position, let alone his possible gene pool. He’s never been interested.”

“And Justin’s really okay with this?” Wyatt again, sounding just as skeptical as Tessa.

“We’ve never spoken of it. Ever. Timmy was just a baby when Dale died. Then, by the time he hit ten, and started looking more and more like Justin, and less and less like Daniel, what was the point? People suspected. Rumors swirled. But Justin has never asked me and I’ve never volunteered.”

“But Timothy got a college scholarship. First one Denbe ever paid.”

Anita hesitated. Her gaze slid away. “Justin offered,” she murmured. “Company had had a good year. Who was I to argue?”

“So he knows,” Wyatt pressed.

“We’ve never spoken of it,” Anita repeated stubbornly. Apparently, in her world, denial made it so.

Daniel was back, standing in the doorway.

“Justin knows,” he said. The words came out hoarsely. The man cleared his throat, as if to speak again, but Anita was already moving to his side.

“Honey, it’s okay, they’re just leaving.”

Daniel stood his ground. “Justin knows,” he said again, the words firmer this time. “Those bonuses he gives to you. They’re profit sharing, for Timmy, too. Like the checks he sends to his mother.”

Anita flushed, didn’t say anything

Tessa and Wyatt regarded Daniel with fresh interest.

“Why do you say that?” Tessa asked.

“Dale, whatever else you wanted to say about him, always met his obligations. Justin’s like that, too. Takes care of his mother, given her a share of the proceeds of the company, even though she hasn’t spoken to him in years. He takes care of his half brother likewise, even if Timothy has never been acknowledged.”

“You don’t know—” Anita started.

“You set the money aside,” Dan interjected loudly. “You dole out part of your year-end bonus to Timmy, but not to Jimmy and Richard. You think I don’t know why? You think some year Tim won’t ask?”

Anita flushed, didn’t say anything.

“Justin knows,” Daniel repeated. “But he doesn’t pry. After all these years, it’s just one of those things. The arrangement works, as long as no one questions it.”

“And Tim has never questioned it?” Tessa asked.

“No, ma’am.”

“And Justin’s never questioned it?” Wyatt pressed.

“Not that I know of.”

“We’re going to pull your financials,” Tessa warned, glaring hard at Anita. “Anything else you’d like to tell us now, before we read about it later?”

Anita flushed again. “I have nothing to hide. Whatever happened to Justin…whoever is holding him for ransom, it has nothing to do with me or my family.”