"It isn't what I thought I wanted for my life. I never imagined I'd be a single mother—never in a million years. Which is kind of stupid, in retrospect. Truth be told, I got pregnant because I thought that would be the final push Charles needed to leave his wife. I never even thought about the fact that there'd be a baby." She shook her head. "When Charles got sent to prison, I got stuck with the kid. Except once he was born and I looked in that tiny face, I fell in love."

Marisa sniffed and swallowed.

"You have a kid, Marisa?"

"A daughter. She's"—Marisa looked at Nate, and he nodded—"the reason we're here. She's been kidnapped." Tears streamed down her face, but she didn't falter. "They're holding her for ransom because they think I stole all that money from G&K."

Jessica glanced at Nate as if he might dispute the facts. "I can't imagine."

"No, you can't," Marisa said, "so if you have any information—"

She lifted both hands. "I swear, if I knew anything, I'd tell you. I was never convinced you took the money. I always thought..." She looked at Nate. "Have you been to see Charles's wife?"

"Ex-wife," Nate corrected. "Not yet."

"That's right. I heard she finally divorced him. Apparently screwing everything that moved was fine, but going to jail—probably too embarrassing for the old bat." She shook her head. "Anyway, I always thought she did it."

"Why?" Marisa asked.

"Because she knew about me. Knew he was in love with me. He'd been to see a divorce lawyer, and I think she found out. And she probably knew a lot more about what was going on up there than he ever said. I bet she did it just to get back at him."

* * *

NATE AND MARISA DROVE off the quiet street in White Plains and stopped in a gas station parking lot. After Nate wrote down everything he could remember about the conversation with Jessica English, he called Garrison from the car, and Nate and Marisa filled in the former FBI agent on the conversation.

"I figured about the kid," Garrison said.

"How did you know?" Marisa asked.

"I worked the case long after you disappeared. I knew she was pregnant. But it didn't seem relevant. It's...unbelievable."

"Why do you say that?" Marisa looked at Nate with raised eyebrows.

"She's twenty years younger than Charles." Garrison said. "It's just..."

"I'm with you," Nate said. "Apparently being rich is very attractive."

"Apparently." Garrison's one word dripped with sarcasm.

Marisa sighed. "We're not all like that. And she's certainly paid the price for it."

Nate turned off the car, and Garrison's voice suddenly seemed too loud over the car speakers. "Did you guys believe her?"

Nate turned the volume down. "She certainly had an answer for everything."