Home Is Where The Heart Is (Revenge)

Kidnapping

"I'll help you," Emily quickly tossed in. "And I'm sure we can ask others to help us, too."

"I have to contact our family lawyer because of the estate matters," Daniel continued. "And I hope Mom is back until the opening of will. I guess Dad left her the most of the family fortune." He looked at his sister, who had become strangely quiet. "Charlotte?"

She raised her head abruptly. "I just remembered something," she said hesitantly. "If David really had tampered with the jet because he had earnest intentions to kill Dad, he might have warned Mom before she could go on board. Maybe she left with him." She shrugged. "They had had an affair before. Maybe she left Dad and ran away with David."

"You really have a vivid imagination!" Daniel rolled his eyes. "Or you watched too many slushy movies."

Hesitantly, Emily pulled out her cell phone and looked into her stored contacts. She still had her father's number, but since the day she'd left him in the woods, she'd never tried to get in touch with him again. Maybe now was a good time to try it again. With trembling fingers she pressed the dial number and waited. She didn't know what she had expected, but of course she only reached the mailbox. Quickly she hung up.

"What are you doing?" Charlotte moved closer, looking over her shoulder.

"I still have my father's number stored," she said hesitantly. "I tried to call him."

"Did you want to ask him if he killed my father?" Daniel raised his eyebrows confused.

"'Rather, if he knows where your mother is. But only the mailbox is switched on."

"Just talk on the mailbox," Charlotte suggested. "Mention something like 'life and death'. Then he will return the call."

Emily looked doubtfully at her sister. "Are you sure about that?"

Charlotte shrugged. "Maybe. But it's worth a try."

Daniel sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Okay, do what you think is necessary, but I have to go back in there, to manage a few formalities because of the transfer. We'll meet up outside the car, okay?"

Charlotte nodded and pulled Emily to the exit. When they were outside, she pointed to Emily's phone. "Talk to the mailbox!" She repeated.

"What if he was really involved in Conrad's death?" Emily said. "I just didn't think it through when I called. What are we going to do then?"

"We'll think about it when he returns the call." Charlotte took the cell phone out of her hand and pressed the dial button. "At first I want to know where my mom is." She returned the phone. "Come on, speak something on it!"

Emily took a deep breath before she spoke her message on the mailbox. "Hi Dad! It's me, Amanda. It's a matter of urgency why I'm calling you. I need your help, instantly! It's about life and death..."

At the kidnapper's hiding place, New York

A few days earlier (after the crash of the company jet)

When Victoria regained consciousness, she was lying on a hard ground, her eyes blindfolded, hands chained. Panic came over her as she remembered what had happened just before she was anesthetized and had lost consciousness. The black van, the masked men, the cloth that had been pressed on her nose... Everything returned and she began to scream. At least they hadn't gagged her, she thought, as a hand was pulled over her mouth and stifled her screams.

"If you don't stop right away, I'll give you a gag!"

Frightened she obeyed. Even when the hand disappeared and she could breathe freely again, she didn't dare to emit another scream.