you know, give her back?”
“I think so.”
“That hasn’t happened. And they haven’t said how you can get her back. We’re missing something.” He held his arm across his torso, supporting his elbow. His hand stroked his chin and he rocked on his feet. “Did your mom save a copy of the letter she sent, maybe in her email?”
“Yeah, I used it to find the address.” Levin led Scott to the desk in the family room and opened the laptop. While it loaded, he studied the small cork board where his mother pinned various papers and fliers. Nothing seemed unusual.
The computer finished loading, and he opened his mother’s email program. Three new emails had appeared since Levin used her phone, and one caught his attention.
Scott leaned over his shoulder. “That message has your name in the subject line.”
“I noticed.” Levin opened the message.
Levin,
You were foolish to think your mother could stop communicating with us. Before we tell you where she is, we want to know if you can follow directions, since you did not heed our warning about your girlfriend. Another PR family lives near you. Rana knows them, but only one in the family knows her. The walls tell the story. That family has your next step.
“No, not this clue nonsense again. Now they’re just screwing with us.” Levin placed his elbows onto the desk and his face in his hands before he remembered something. He spun the chair around to face Scott. “You left the clues last time.”
Scott shook his head. “It wasn’t only me. I was part of a group. The front man.”
“So you have nothing to do with this?” Levin raised his eyebrows. “It’s pretty convenient the clues appear the same time you do.”
“You called me, remember? I’m not involved this time. You’ll just have to trust me.”
They stared at each other. Levin clenched his jaw and faced the computer again. “We need to retrieve my sisters.”
“Yeah, I figured. Do you know who they’re talking about?”
“I think I do. But Rana needs to lead the way.”
Chapter Fourteen
After Levin printed the email, he and Scott returned to the car.
Levin started the engine. “Don’t you know the location of all the PR families?”
“No, I don’t. They tell me where to go and who to talk to as needed.”
“Of course they do.” He put his elbow on the window and rubbed his forehead with his thumb and finger. “Have you tried getting information from them yet?”
“No. But I figured out a way to do it.”
Scott retrieved his phone from his pocket and found a contact. He silently held his phone to his ear for a few seconds. “Hi. It’s Scott. One of my brothers contacted me saying something happened to his mom. Just wondering if you know anything about it. Call me back.”
“That was simple. Who’d you call?”
“My dad–Steven Craig. He knows I met with you, so he won’t be surprised you called me. And he might know something.”
They sat in silence for the remainder of the drive. Levin yawned as he pulled into his apartment complex and parked the car. “Wait here. I’ll get the girls.”
****
“What do you mean another family?” Rana rose from the couch and stood with one hand on her hip, glaring at her brother and refusing to believe the Project knew about the party.
“That’s what the message said.”
“Do we really have to go on another treasure hunt? Maybe the police will find Mom.”
“I don’t think so. I don’t see another option.”
Rana stewed for a moment. “Fine.” She yelled into the bedroom. “Dayla, we’re leaving.”
Dayla tromped out of the room, holding a book. “I know; I heard you guys. You were loud enough.”
“Sorry. Let’s go.” Rana put her arm around her sister’s shoulders. Levin locked the door and led the way to the car.
“Is that Scott?” Dayla asked.
“Yeah. He’s helping us find Mom.” Levin took his place in the driver’s seat while the girls piled into the back seat.
Scott twisted
“I think so.”
“That hasn’t happened. And they haven’t said how you can get her back. We’re missing something.” He held his arm across his torso, supporting his elbow. His hand stroked his chin and he rocked on his feet. “Did your mom save a copy of the letter she sent, maybe in her email?”
“Yeah, I used it to find the address.” Levin led Scott to the desk in the family room and opened the laptop. While it loaded, he studied the small cork board where his mother pinned various papers and fliers. Nothing seemed unusual.
The computer finished loading, and he opened his mother’s email program. Three new emails had appeared since Levin used her phone, and one caught his attention.
Scott leaned over his shoulder. “That message has your name in the subject line.”
“I noticed.” Levin opened the message.
Levin,
You were foolish to think your mother could stop communicating with us. Before we tell you where she is, we want to know if you can follow directions, since you did not heed our warning about your girlfriend. Another PR family lives near you. Rana knows them, but only one in the family knows her. The walls tell the story. That family has your next step.
“No, not this clue nonsense again. Now they’re just screwing with us.” Levin placed his elbows onto the desk and his face in his hands before he remembered something. He spun the chair around to face Scott. “You left the clues last time.”
Scott shook his head. “It wasn’t only me. I was part of a group. The front man.”
“So you have nothing to do with this?” Levin raised his eyebrows. “It’s pretty convenient the clues appear the same time you do.”
“You called me, remember? I’m not involved this time. You’ll just have to trust me.”
They stared at each other. Levin clenched his jaw and faced the computer again. “We need to retrieve my sisters.”
“Yeah, I figured. Do you know who they’re talking about?”
“I think I do. But Rana needs to lead the way.”
Chapter Fourteen
After Levin printed the email, he and Scott returned to the car.
Levin started the engine. “Don’t you know the location of all the PR families?”
“No, I don’t. They tell me where to go and who to talk to as needed.”
“Of course they do.” He put his elbow on the window and rubbed his forehead with his thumb and finger. “Have you tried getting information from them yet?”
“No. But I figured out a way to do it.”
Scott retrieved his phone from his pocket and found a contact. He silently held his phone to his ear for a few seconds. “Hi. It’s Scott. One of my brothers contacted me saying something happened to his mom. Just wondering if you know anything about it. Call me back.”
“That was simple. Who’d you call?”
“My dad–Steven Craig. He knows I met with you, so he won’t be surprised you called me. And he might know something.”
They sat in silence for the remainder of the drive. Levin yawned as he pulled into his apartment complex and parked the car. “Wait here. I’ll get the girls.”
****
“What do you mean another family?” Rana rose from the couch and stood with one hand on her hip, glaring at her brother and refusing to believe the Project knew about the party.
“That’s what the message said.”
“Do we really have to go on another treasure hunt? Maybe the police will find Mom.”
“I don’t think so. I don’t see another option.”
Rana stewed for a moment. “Fine.” She yelled into the bedroom. “Dayla, we’re leaving.”
Dayla tromped out of the room, holding a book. “I know; I heard you guys. You were loud enough.”
“Sorry. Let’s go.” Rana put her arm around her sister’s shoulders. Levin locked the door and led the way to the car.
“Is that Scott?” Dayla asked.
“Yeah. He’s helping us find Mom.” Levin took his place in the driver’s seat while the girls piled into the back seat.
Scott twisted
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