Page 11 of For Better or for Ransom

“I had the pleasure of meeting her yesterday. She drilled me for answers for more than half an hour.”

“Next time she interrogates you, just tell her you’re my ex. She’ll be much nicer.”

“Are you serious right now?” The size of Miquel’s ego had always bothered Sol—and had been one of the reasons why they’d ultimately split.

“Of course!” he said, not a hint of irony in his tone. He was that self-assured. “Will you let me know if you or Luke need anything?”

But then again, Miquel was also very attentive, and perhaps he’d called to offer assistance instead of just trying to get some publishable information out of her. Sol should perhaps stop being so paranoid—and irritated by his arrogance. “I will, and thank you.”

She hung up with Miquel and rang Luke right away.

“Sorry to force you to get dressed this morning,” she blurted the moment her lover picked up. “I’ve been worried all day because of this stupid piece I had to write. And about Leonardo. I keep wondering if I should have seen something. If I could have helped him.”

Luke

“How were you supposed to help him?” Luke’s tone was a bit harsher than he’d anticipated—or intended.

He and Divya had been waiting for the elusive Sandro Palau for more than half an hour. They were told the understudy was wrapping up a media interview.

“I don’t know. That’s what I’m saying. I was so self-absorbed—as I always am—that I didn’t even think about checking what Leonardo did when he was leaving.” Sol’s words came out strained.

“He is a grown man, Sol.” Luke was aware that he was clenching his jaw. The idea of a possible kidnapper lurking around Leonardo when he was still talking to her just occurred to him. He didn’t like it. What if something had happened to her? What if she’d also disappeared? He pushed the uneasy feeling aside and returned to the conversation.

“I know he’s a grown man! I could still have been more vigilant.” Sol’s voice sounded anguished. Something was bothering her. “I think I saw him chatting to someone when he was leaving the hotel.”

“You didn’t tell me.” The words slipped out, and he regretted them a beat too late.

“I didn’t remember!” she shrieked.

He breathed deeply, trying for his most soothing voice. “Of course you didn’t, cara. It was all a blur. It probably still is. And it’s definitely not a nice experience when someone you know and who you just saw, goes inexplicably missing.”

She exhaled on the other end of the line. “It is a blur. Miquel called me, I think he was trying to fish for information about Leonardo’s disappearance…”

What did Sol’s ex-husband have to do with that whole mess? It wasn’t that Luke didn’t like Miquel. He liked him as much as one could reasonably like their partner’s past husband. Luke still didn’t necessarily enjoy being reminded about him.

“Of course, I didn’t tell him the whole thing or anything, but it made me relive yesterday and I think I saw something,” Sol continued.

“You saw Leonardo chatting to someone while he was leaving the hotel.”

“I don’t know who they were, I only saw them from behind, but they were shorter than Leonardo.”

Luke put Sol on speakerphone and searched for something on his mobile. According to the internet, Leonardo Pascual was six foot two. So that hardly narrowed things down when it came to the mystery person Sol had seen with him—most people would be shorter than the actor.

“Sol, I’m with Divya. I put you on speakerphone. Do you recall any other physical traits about this person who was talking to Leonardo when he left the hotel?”

Divya, who’d been working on her laptop, gazed at him from across the table, aware they were talking about the case. Luke let her see the notebook where he’d been scrawling to make sure she was up to speed.

“I think they were dressed in dark colors. I don’t recall any hairstyle or hair color, so they may have been wearing a hat. Can’t tell you if they were a man or a woman either.” There was frustration in every one of Sol’s words.

“Build?” Divya asked.

“Medium?” Uncertainty crept into Sol’s voice. “I know, I’m describing a very broad character. It could be anyone. The only remarkable thing about them that I can remember is the hands.”

“The hands?” Luke narrowed his eyes.

“They were gloved but they kept making this move with their fingers, it was like a nervous tic. The fingers would close on the palm and then they’d stretch them rapidly several times.”

Luke made a note of it. “I assume you didn’t hear the conversation.”