Family Money(4)

“Did it have plates?”

I thought about that for a moment. “No, I don’t think so, actually. I don’t recall seeing anything on the back.”

“I’m not surprised,” he said, jotting some notes on a small notepad. “What about these men? You say there were three of them?”

“Yes. All young guys. Probably early twenties. They were wearing regular T-shirts, jeans, and work boots. Two of them had facial hair. Goatees. The other guy was clean-shaven, I think.”

“Any tattoos? Or other markings?”

I shook my head. “I don’t know. It all happened really fast.”

“Had you seen any of these men before today?”

“No, I don’t think so.”

“How many times have you been here to this village this week?”

“Three other times. We’ve been picking up groceries and other items for the orphanage. Has this kind of thing happened here before?”

Raul sighed. “Yes, I’m afraid so, Alex. Local criminals often look to exploit generous Americans like you who’ve crossed over our border to do God’s work with the missions and orphanages here. They likely spotted you earlier this week and have been following you. They probably know you’re over at Casa de Esperanza and were waiting for an opportunity. I’d expect a ransom note to arrive over there by morning.”

“How would they go about delivering a ransom note?”

“They have their ways. Probably pay a kid to walk it over there.”

“Is there anything the police can do?”

“I will interview the people here to see if anyone will talk, but it’s unlikely. You see, these people are too afraid to speak up. But I will try my best. Then I’ll go back to the station, enter this information into our system, and see if anything matches up. I promise we’ll do everything we can. Maybe we’ll get lucky.”

“Do things like this usually turn out okay?”

“Depends. Do you have money?”

“Are you suggesting I pay the ransom?”

Raul took a moment, pressed his lips together. “I wish I could advise you otherwise and tell you not to pay. To allow us to find these men, bring them to justice, and get your father-in-law back safely. But this is a different world than in the States. We have the type of crime around here you likely never see in Austin. As police officers, we’re doing everything we can to keep people safe. But we’re overwhelmed right now. And I know the most important thing to you and your family is to have your loved one back with you as soon as possible. As much as I hate to admit it, the safest way to accomplish that without risking something happening to your father-in-law may be to pay.”

“How much will they ask for?”

“Probably a couple thousand American dollars. It’s a quick trick for them.”

I nodded. “I appreciate you being straightforward about it.”

This felt like an out-of-body experience. But I would gladly give them all our life savings to get Joe back safe and sound. The only reason Taylor and I even had extra money in the bank was because of my father-in-law. Three years ago, Joe had put $5 million into the software company I was starting, privately funding the whole venture. That investment had allowed me to hire the best team possible and be aggressive in the marketplace. Our company had taken off like a rocket and made all our personal dreams come true nearly overnight. We had just moved into an exquisite new house with a pool in an affluent neighborhood. The girls were in the best private schools. We’d taken them to Disney World three times in three years. We’d been able to support the charities we cared about with significant financial contributions. None of this would’ve been possible without Joe’s unwavering support and belief in me.

“Do you have a photo of your father-in-law?” Raul asked.

I searched my phone, found one I’d taken just this morning of Joe holding Nicole in his arms, and texted it to the officer. I also spelled out Joe’s full name. He told me to contact him if I remembered anything else that might be helpful; he’d reach out to me if he had any update.

“So what do I do now?” I asked him.

“Go back to your family, wait, and pray.”





THREE


I drove slowly up the dirt road to Casa de Esperanza. I felt numb all over. I kept trying to figure out what I was going to say to Taylor when I got there, but the words just wouldn’t form in my mind. There was no easy entry into a conversation about her father being kidnapped and held for ransom. But I did make the decision to tell her alone. Just the two of us. Give us a chance to process all this together first and then figure out how we would share it with my mother-in-law and the girls. Plus, if Taylor got really angry with me, I wanted her to be able to let me have it without Carol or the kids around. I deserved whatever Taylor wanted to spit at me right now.

Casa de Esperanza—House of Hope—sat on five acres of flat pastureland surrounded on all sides by a chain-link security fence. The main two-story building housed up to forty children. Most were elementary-age, but a few teenagers still lived at the facility. A second building next door contained the kitchen and eating space. There was also a small schoolhouse on the property with a couple of classrooms. That building was in the worst shape of all the structures. I thought it might collapse at any moment. I had been thinking about trying to raise money when I returned to Austin to help build the orphanage a brand-new schoolhouse. I couldn’t imagine Olivia and Nicole getting their education in a building like that.