False Notes Read Online Free PDF Page B

Leslie’s parents haven’t reported her missing, there must be a reason—some kind of ransom note, or instructions to keep quiet, backed up with threats of some kind. We don’t want to put Leslie in more danger.”
    George looked uncertain. “You don’t really think Granger would…” Her voice trailed off.
    “We don’t know what he might do,” I said. “In fact, I think it’s time to do a little more snooping into our possible future mayor. Come on, let’s hit the computer again.”
    Soon we were back at George’s computer, digging through the many online mentions of Morris Granger. We turned up plenty of information about his companies, his real estate holdings, and much more. George had been right about his homes in other parts of the country; he owned property in several midwestern states, apartments in Chicago and New York City, a beach estate in Florida, and a town house in River Heights.
    “Yikes,” Bess said. “What if he’s shipped Leslie off to one of those places? We’d never be able to find her without help from the police.”
    “I doubt he’d do that,” I said. “I mean, I’m sure he doesn’t really want to hurt her, or keep her forever. He’s probably planning to release her as soon as the paperwork deadline passes and his unopposed run is a sure thing. So it makes sense that he’d keep her someplace local.”
    “But if he releases Leslie, won’t she be able to turn him in as the kidnapper?” George pointed out.
    I shrugged. “Only if she knows he was behind it,” I replied. “And I seriously doubt that a rich, powerful man like Morris Granger would get anywhere near the dirty work himself. He probably hired some icky underworld-criminal types to grab her and guard her until he says the word.”
    We continued the online investigation, scanning through so many articles about corporate buyouts and stock options that my eyes started to cross.
    “It’s weird that there’s no hint of anything shady in Granger’s past in anything we’ve read so far,” Bess commented as we read an article from a back issue of a national business journal. “I mean, a lot of those big financial guys get in trouble somewhere along the line, but there’s not even a hint of anything suspicious about this guy.”
    George nodded. “Good point,” she said. “Maybe it’s time to dig a little deeper.…”
    I winced. Whenever George gets that particular gleam in her eyes, it means she’s about to do something illegal, or at least highly irregular. She can hack through any ordinary firewall like it’s nothing, and takes trickier ones as an exciting challenge. Normally I try to discourage that sort of behavior as much as possible; as a lawyer’s daughter, lawbreaking of any sort always troubles me. However, I figured that in this case, whatever we might find out would make it worth looking the other way for a while. I didn’t say a word as she started typing rapidly.
    Despite her best efforts, though, George didn’t come up with anything dastardly or even slightly despicable in Granger’s past. “He’s clean,” she said, sounding slightly annoyed at the fact. “I’d put money on it.”
    Coming from George, that was practically an iron-clad guarantee. I stood and stretched my shoulders. “Well, I guess that’s good news,” I said. “If this is Granger’s first criminal act, it probably means Leslie’s less likely to get hurt.”
    George glanced at me, looking grim. “Or maybe it means he’s so desperate for the mayor’s job that he’s willing to do anything. ”
    • • • •
     
    “How about a portable CD player?” Mrs. Fayne said. “Or a nice new set of barbecue tools?”
    “Neither of those seem quite right,” I said. “But keep the good ideas coming! I need all the help I can get, or you’re all going to see a very embarrassed and pathetic daughter at that party on Thursday night.”
    George’s mother chuckled sympathetically. “I’m sure you’ll come up with