It was, of course, Connie’s connection to the Montgomery children and the many summers they spent in Sister Bay that allowed Garth Montgomery to approach her with an investment opportunity. Connie was hesitant at first to become so intimately connected in business to the father of two of her former students, but eventually gave in to the smooth-talking financial wizard. There were too many benefits of investing with such a storied firm for Connie to decline. Garth Montgomery promised to work tirelessly for her and capture the returns that were so common at Montgomery Investment Services. The firm had strict rules about minimum investments, but Mr. Montgomery was willing to wave the rules for such a close family friend. Connie had socked away $2 million over the course of her life, and handed every penny over to Avery’s father. He promised to double it in five years.

The feds knocked on the front doors of Montgomery Investment Services a year later. Search warrants followed, as did freezing of accounts and seizure of assets. When the dust settled, along with every other client of Garth Montgomery, Connie Clarkson learned that her money was gone. Detailed accounting showed that it had been paid to long-term investors who were due outrageous returns the fund could not legitimately cover. Some of it was surely squandered on the lavish lifestyle of a billionaire who had robbed his way to the American Dream. Garth Montgomery had promised Connie everything and left her with nothing.

Their conversation eventually moved away from Garth Montgomery and settled on the death of Avery’s mother. Connie was Avery’s surrogate mother, so it was natural for Avery to pour out her heart to this woman. And then, as always, talk moved to Avery’s brother. Christopher had been, after all, Connie’s most cherished student over the years.

It was only later that night, after Avery was tucked quietly into Connie’s guest room, that her thoughts returned to her father. Despite the prosecution’s argument that Garth Montgomery was the very definition of a flight risk, he had disappeared after posting bail. The feds suspected he hadn’t gotten far, having surrendered his passport, and with all of his assets frozen. Mexico, likely, but South America couldn’t be ruled out. Although sightings had been reported as far as Europe and Australia. The only thing they knew for certain was that he had gotten far enough to stay hidden for the past three and a half years.

The feds had spoken to Avery multiple times over those years, and questioned her about her father’s whereabouts. She always told them the same thing: she had no idea where her father was hiding, had no interest in finding him, and was happy he was gone. It had always been the truth. Then the postcard arrived and changed everything.

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