Nate wasn't sure how to respond, so he said nothing.

"Anyway, the modeling agency was totally legitimate. A swanky upscale place in Manhattan. I got there, found it filled with tall, skinny girls, just like Marisa. She could have done it."

Nate wasn't surprised, though maybe it wasn't nice to say so. "Why didn't she?"

"She thought about it. And Mom was all for it—which is probably why she didn't do it. She was in a rebellious stage. That and her father didn't want her to."

The way Leslie said father made Nate ask, "You didn't like her father?"

Leslie looked at her hands. "He was my father for a few years, too. He and Mom married when I was about a year old. He was the only father I'd ever known. And he loved me, treated me really good. I knew they were trying to have a kid, and I was happy about it. I wanted a little brother or sister to play with. Marisa was born when I was seven, and it was like Daddy forgot I existed. They divorced a few years later, and to me, Daddy became Carlos, Marisa's father."

"What about your own father?"

She shrugged. "Never knew him. Mom never told me anything about him."

"Your mother passed away, right?"

"Yeah, I'm an orphan. Like Ana." Her smile was sad. "At least me and my niece have something in common."

"Marisa, too, right? Didn't her father die?"

"He was killed in a motorcycle accident a year before Mom died. But at least she had a dad all those years."

He tried for a gentle tone. "None of that was your sister's fault, you know."

"I know. I love Marisa. I'd do anything for her. But...well, everyone thinks she has the money. Except you. I'm just saying, just 'cause she looks like an angel doesn't mean she is one."

Hadn't he had that very thought? "Point taken. But if she had millions of dollars, why would she be living in a tiny Mexican village?"

"Well, we don't actually know where she lives." Her gaze scanned the lobby a moment before she turned back to him and smiled. "But I know you're right. Of course she didn't steal it. She was always so good. Not perfect, of course. I used to be so jealous of her, but now... Well, it's not like her life's been all roses and cream, right? The last few years with her gone, I've realized how much she means to me. I just want my sister back." Leslie blew out a long breath. "But I have to find that money, or they're going to kill me."

"We're not going to let that happen, Leslie." His words carried a confidence he didn't feel. "We'll figure it out."

Chapter 6