“Because you’re staying in the car as lookout. There’s a chance O’Hara could bring them here, and I don’t want to be caught flat-footed. We can also get away quicker if you’re facing out.” She retrieved her lockpicks from the large handbag. “I’ll be as quick as possible. Honk once if you see anything suspicious.”

She got out of the car, and then leaned back in. “You brought the revolver?”

“It’s packed with the computer.”

“Get it out where you can reach it.” With that ominous instruction, she left.

Having picked the lock once, she was able to enter the house in half the time and went straight to Davie’s room. She took the model of Jonathan’s SUV off the shelf and removed the LEGOs hiding the hard drive, the KryptoFold, and the strip of paper with the private key to the smaller wallet.

Her phone buzzed with an incoming text. Right on time, she thought.

The message read—

We know you have the wallets and keys. Give them to us and no harm will come to the woman and boy.

The address was blocked, but a Reply icon was available. She assumed the text came from some secured device.

Ethel typed—

Okay. In-person exchange only. You choose the place.

She pressed Send and waited.

The response came a few minutes later—

No. Text the private key and we’ll tell you where to find them.

Ethel didn’t know if she could send a photo, but she used her phone to take a picture of the hard drive and KryptoFold. She linked it to a reply and wrote—

I’m not stupid. I give you the keys and I have no leverage. You’ll get the drive for Davie, the KryptoFold for Susan. We both walk away with what we want.

The immediate response—

SEND THE KEY NOW!

Ethel steeled herself. What she did next would be the biggest gamble of her seventy-five-year life. Bigger than when she confronted her father’s betrayer alone. This time two lives were at risk. And she chose to do nothing.

Five long minutes passed. The text arrived—

Don’t think we’re not serious. We’ve nothing to lose.

She quickly typed her response—

20 million is nothing? You see the KryptoFold we just found in Davie’s LEGO model? You walk away, I keep the money. Your choice.

Maybe they’ll ask Davie to confirm, she thought. That would be helpful as long as he said nothing more.

Another five minutes crept by. Ethel imagined some kind of conference must be underway.

The text came—

We’re monitoring law enforcement frequencies. Any sign that they’re moving toward us and everything’s off. Understood?

Understood. I also have a tail I’ll need to lose.

You have fifteen minutes. Then you’ll get directions one leg at a time.

She replied with one word—

Understood.

Then she placed a voice call.