Chapter Fifty-Six

For the next hour, the team picked over the footage from Lena’s phone call with Kenzie. What she’d thought was just an everyday conversation with a few leading questions mixed in was a lot more.

They studied every detail, from the angle the sun was coming in the room at the time, to the person who’d made and disconnected the call—the nanny, who’d only been on screen for a fraction of a second.

By the time they were done, Lena was stunned that they had nailed down which building housed the main residence, and where Kenzie slept, where she swam, and where she ate her “breffast.”

“I have an ID on the nanny,” Angel said, looking up from her laptop. “There’s a missing persons report filed for her.”

The team all glanced over the report.

“So, she’s also a captive. Damn.” Justin banged his fist on the table. “I was hoping we could catch her offsite and use her to get us in. Scrap that, I guess.” He ripped a piece of paper from his notebook and, after balling it up, shot it into the trashcan in the corner.

The trashcan was overflowing with ideas that had been passed over.

Lena glanced over at Dane. He was sitting quietly at the end of the table. He hadn’t offered anything or made any suggestions in quite some time. He seemed to be somewhere else.

She thought she might know where.

While she’d been caught up in the energy and excitement of tracking the details of her daughter’s prison, nothing had been done about Tobey. There were still a lot of blanks on that side of the white board.

Maybe there was something she could do about that.

With a strength she’d thought long gone, she pulled Justin’s notebook over in front of her and started working on a series of questions. Justin nodded at it before turning it back around and adding a few more.

Then she wrote out a little skit, similar to the one she and Dane had been given the night before. While she wished she could have practiced, they’d told her it came off sounding more sincere if done without preparation.

At the time, she’d thought it was more about amusing themselves with her discomfort, but she understood better now.

“I’m calling Viktor,” she announced, handing Dane a piece of paper.

His eyes widened. “Now? I thought you had until eleven. There’s still half an hour.”

“Yeah, but you’re getting impatient, and I’m worried you’re going to blow it today when we pick up Evan Masters. Just run with it,” she said with a wink.

Angel threw up her hands. “Give me twenty seconds.”

Lena punched in the phone number but waited to hit the call button until Angel gave the thumbs up.

Viktor answered after three rings. “This is not the time I gave you.”

“I know, but everything is going to hell here. I didn’t know what else to do.”

Justin threw a chair, creating a loud crash. All according to the script.

“What is happening?” Victor demanded.

“Dane is losing it. We were getting ready to meet up with Masters, and he exploded. He’s convinced his son is already dead, and that turning over Masters won’t get him anywhere. What should I do?” she asked, laying on the desperation in her voice.

Justin tossed another chair.

Victor swore. “Give me ten minutes. I’ll have the boy call.”

“Fuck this bullshit!” Dane yelled on the other side of the room, and slammed the bathroom door.

“Would you be able to let him see Tobey? Like a video call? It really helps me to know Kenzie is safe when I get to see her.”

“I’m not in the habit of helping anyone feel better, Ms. Scott,” Victor ground out. “But I’ll see what I can do. He needs to calm down. We can’t risk this meeting when we’re so close to getting our hands on Mr. Masters.”

Lena hated how Viktor always used everyone’s last name. As if he was so dignified and cultured. He was nothing but a common thug.

“Okay,” Lena said, feigning uncertainty. “I’ll try to keep him from wrecking the hotel room. I might have to pay for the television.”

“Put it on the card.” Viktor sighed, as if Dane losing it was an inconvenience, rather than a desperate father breaking down.

She disconnected the call and turned to the marshals. “Tobey will be calling,” she announced with a smile, and everyone flew into action once again.