Home Is Where The Heart Is (Revenge)

Blessing

Private Investigation Firm James Morris, NY

When Daniel entered James Morris' office a few days later, the private investigator had bad news for him.

"As arranged with you, I went to the airport to watch the tapes of the surveillance cameras," Morris said calmly. "There, however, I was told that the tapes, probably due to a technical defect, were inadvertently deleted."

"Inadvertently deleted?" Daniel repeated disbelievingly. "How many tapes?"

"Three tapes full of recordings from the surveillance cameras that were activated at the time when your wife had probably arrived at the airport and also had flown off." The private detective looked at him with a contrite expression. "I'm so sorry, Mr. Grayson. But such things happen sometimes."

"It's a very strange coincidence that of all tapes these were deleted, don't you think?" Daniel raised his eyebrows. He saw Morris grabbing a pen and twisting it nervously in his hand while he tried to avoid Daniel's gaze. "You're hiding something. I can see that."

"All right," the private investigator finally admitted with a sigh. "You're right. There is something strange going on here." He cleared his throat. "It's true that I went to the airport as soon as possible after you have given me the order to pick up the tapes. But when I arrived, I was told that someone had already been there to see the footage. I tried to explain to the person that I would work alone and had no employees. Well..." Morris wrung his hands. "Someone knew what I had planned and was there before me. Someone who doesn't want you to find your wife."

"Someone who is highly gifted and knows how to tamper with footage on tapes," Daniel muttered thoughtfully.

Morris nodded. "Someone wants to prevent that you find out your wife's whereabouts," he confirmed, looking at Daniel curiously. "Do you know someone who comes into question?"

Daniel's hands clenched involuntarily. There was only one person who possessed these abilities and also had an interest to protect Emily: Nolan Ross! "Oh yes," he said, jumping up from his chair. "I know him, and I also know from whom he learned what we had planned."

He was well aware that he risked his driver's license as he drove through the streets with too much speed to get to Nolan's mansion as soon as possible. But he didn't care. There was so much rage and hatred inside him that he pounded against the door with his fists until the house owner finally opened.

Apparently, Nolan had guessed the reason of his visit, for he took a few steps backwards and raised his arms in a defensive gesture. "If you think you just have to hit me to find out where Emily is, you're on the wrong track."

"So you admit that you were the one who deleted the tapes of the surveillance camera?" Daniel demanded.

Nolan nodded. "It was easy. No one has noticed anything. And when they noticed what had happened, it was already too late."

"You...!" Daniel approached him in a threatening pose, his hands clenched to fists. "I'm going to beat the crap out of you!" he warned. "You either tell me where Emily is, or..." He left the sentence open.

"Or what? You're not drunk enough to be physically abusive towards me," Nolan said matter-of-factly. "But be my guest..." He spread his arms and walked towards him. "Hit me, if you feel better then."

Daniel lowered his arms slowly. As fast as his rage had come, as quickly vanished it now. "No, I'll feel better when I know where she is. You knew that with the surveillance camera from Charlotte, right?"

Nolan nodded. "She doesn't want you to find Emily either." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Do you have any idea how difficult it was for her to leave everything behind?" He said to Daniel. "She wanted to stay, even though she knew you hated her. She wanted to fight for you, your love. But then she had to witness the destruction of the last bit of hope that she still had, the beach house, her home!"