to Storm. “Is it true?” she asked. “Have you found the men who murdered my son? Tell me, please!”
“I will,” he replied, “but it is complicated.” He took Gloria’s hand and led her to a chair. “Why don’t you sit here while I explain it.” Gloria was now to his right. Toppers was on his left, and he was facing Windslow, who was seated behind his desk. Agent Showers was standing behind him near the door.
He had everyone where he wanted them. Divided.
Storm began. “Agent Showers already has solved half of this kidnapping.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Windslow asked incredulously.
“Yes,” said Gloria. “What is half a kidnapping?”
“Let’s start at the beginning,” Storm said. “The day after Matthew was kidnapped, you received a ransom note demanding one million dollars. The note was handwritten in block letters. The writing on that note was completely different from the writing on the second note, which you received the next day. The second note didn’t include a demand for money, but it did contain Matthew’s teeth.”
“We know that,” Windslow said impatiently. “Get to the point. Who killed Matthew?”
“Let him talk,” Gloria said.
“The second note contained a mistake,” Storm recalled. “It identified Matthew as the senator’s son. The differences in these two notes were the first tip-off that you were actually communicating with two different groups.”
“Two kidnappers?” Windslow bellowed. “How could two different groups kidnap one person?”
“Please, Thurston, stop interrupting,” Gloria chided.
“Let’s call one group the real kidnappers,” Storm said. “They are the armed men who actually abducted Matthew. The second group was trying to take advantage of his kidnapping. They didn’t have anything to do with his actual abduction. Their goal was to get your money. That’s why they sent you a third handwritten note demanding six million in cash.”
Senator Windslow glanced nervously at Agent Showers and then gave Storm an angry look. “That third note was supposed to be kept confidential,” he said. “You weren’t authorized to discuss it. I’m going to have my lawyers—”
Gloria cut him off. “You can threaten him later. I want to know who killed my son. Go ahead.”
“Thank you,” Storm said. “It was this second group—the criminals who wanted your money—that had me confused at first. I knew it was someone inside your inner circle, because they mentioned my name in the third note.”
“Someone close to us betrayed us?” Gloria said.
“I had a hunch but wasn’t certain until Samantha and I were delivering the money.”
“Samantha?” Gloria repeated. Everyone looked at Samantha, who locked eyes with Storm and then looked at Gloria and said, “It’s not me.”
“During our ride,” Storm said, “Samantha used the word stashed . That was the same word printed in the third kidnap note, ordering the senator to use the six million stashed in the safety deposit box to pay the ransom. It’s slang that Russians don’t use.”
“What Russians?” Gloria asked. “Are you saying that Samantha was helping Russians?”
“I don’t even know any Russians,” Samantha said. “He’s not making any sense.”
“I’ll explain the Russians in a minute,” Storm said. “Let’s get back to the night when Samantha and I were making the deliveries. She told me that she was studying mechanical engineering.”
Agent Showers jumped in. “Which means she knows how to write in block letters on blueprints like the ones on the ransom notes.”
“Lots of people know how to do that,” Samantha protested.
Gloria fixed her eyes on Samantha and said, “Is this true? I thought you loved my son.”
“Yes, I do, I did,” she stammered. “I didn’t do anything wrong.”
“This is ridiculous,” Windslow complained. “Why would she steal money from us?”
Storm continued. “The most obvious clue was that each
“I will,” he replied, “but it is complicated.” He took Gloria’s hand and led her to a chair. “Why don’t you sit here while I explain it.” Gloria was now to his right. Toppers was on his left, and he was facing Windslow, who was seated behind his desk. Agent Showers was standing behind him near the door.
He had everyone where he wanted them. Divided.
Storm began. “Agent Showers already has solved half of this kidnapping.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Windslow asked incredulously.
“Yes,” said Gloria. “What is half a kidnapping?”
“Let’s start at the beginning,” Storm said. “The day after Matthew was kidnapped, you received a ransom note demanding one million dollars. The note was handwritten in block letters. The writing on that note was completely different from the writing on the second note, which you received the next day. The second note didn’t include a demand for money, but it did contain Matthew’s teeth.”
“We know that,” Windslow said impatiently. “Get to the point. Who killed Matthew?”
“Let him talk,” Gloria said.
“The second note contained a mistake,” Storm recalled. “It identified Matthew as the senator’s son. The differences in these two notes were the first tip-off that you were actually communicating with two different groups.”
“Two kidnappers?” Windslow bellowed. “How could two different groups kidnap one person?”
“Please, Thurston, stop interrupting,” Gloria chided.
“Let’s call one group the real kidnappers,” Storm said. “They are the armed men who actually abducted Matthew. The second group was trying to take advantage of his kidnapping. They didn’t have anything to do with his actual abduction. Their goal was to get your money. That’s why they sent you a third handwritten note demanding six million in cash.”
Senator Windslow glanced nervously at Agent Showers and then gave Storm an angry look. “That third note was supposed to be kept confidential,” he said. “You weren’t authorized to discuss it. I’m going to have my lawyers—”
Gloria cut him off. “You can threaten him later. I want to know who killed my son. Go ahead.”
“Thank you,” Storm said. “It was this second group—the criminals who wanted your money—that had me confused at first. I knew it was someone inside your inner circle, because they mentioned my name in the third note.”
“Someone close to us betrayed us?” Gloria said.
“I had a hunch but wasn’t certain until Samantha and I were delivering the money.”
“Samantha?” Gloria repeated. Everyone looked at Samantha, who locked eyes with Storm and then looked at Gloria and said, “It’s not me.”
“During our ride,” Storm said, “Samantha used the word stashed . That was the same word printed in the third kidnap note, ordering the senator to use the six million stashed in the safety deposit box to pay the ransom. It’s slang that Russians don’t use.”
“What Russians?” Gloria asked. “Are you saying that Samantha was helping Russians?”
“I don’t even know any Russians,” Samantha said. “He’s not making any sense.”
“I’ll explain the Russians in a minute,” Storm said. “Let’s get back to the night when Samantha and I were making the deliveries. She told me that she was studying mechanical engineering.”
Agent Showers jumped in. “Which means she knows how to write in block letters on blueprints like the ones on the ransom notes.”
“Lots of people know how to do that,” Samantha protested.
Gloria fixed her eyes on Samantha and said, “Is this true? I thought you loved my son.”
“Yes, I do, I did,” she stammered. “I didn’t do anything wrong.”
“This is ridiculous,” Windslow complained. “Why would she steal money from us?”
Storm continued. “The most obvious clue was that each
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