Got the Look by James Grippando Read Free Book Online Page B

said he had no intention of involving the police.
    He didn't call us, said Henning. The kidnapper sent a copy of the ransom note to the FBI. When we called Mr. Salazar to discuss our plan with him, he told us to call his attorney, Jack Swyteck.
    But I'm not his attorney.
    Mr. Salazar says you are.
    Jack could have set her completely straight, but his instincts as a criminal defense lawyer told him not to volunteer too much information until he had a better understanding of where Agent Henning's investigation was headed. Mr. Salazar and I obviously have a few things to clarify, said Jack. In the interest of keeping this conversation moving forward, what exactly did he tell you I was empowered to do as his attorney?
    Deliver the ransom.
    Now I'm thoroughly confused. Again, when I last spoke to Mr. Salazar, it was my understanding that there wasn't going to be a ransom payment.
    There isn't. Not from him, anyway. It's our money.
    The FBI's?
    Agent Henning leaned forward, her hands folded atop the table. Mr. Swyteck, I want to be as frank with you as possible about our strategy. Since you're a former prosecutor, I hope I have your assurance that this conversation isn't going to find its way into the newspapers.
    Of course.
    The kidnapping of Mrs. Salazar isn't the first of its kind. The ransom note, which you've seen, is a signature of sorts for a serial kidnapper. For lack of a better label, we call him the Wrong Number Kidnapper.'
    You mean like dialing the wrong phone number?
    No. Nothing to do with that. His ransom notes put the onus on the family to place a value on their loved ones. Rather than demand a specific sum of money, he consistently uses the language Pay what she's worth.'
    I saw that in the Salazar e-mail.
    What you haven't seen is the consequence of paying too little. In other words, of choosing the wrong number.'
    Are you saying he's killed before?
    She nodded. Ashley Thornton. Married to Drew Thornton in Ocala.
    The woman who died in the aquifer?
    Yes.
    I read about that. Horrible. But I didn't know it was the same kidnapper.
    Not many people do. We've tried very hard to keep the pay what she's worth' ransom demand out of the media. It's the only way to be sure we aren't dealing with copycats or crackpots.
    Did Mr. Thornton refuse to pay a ransom?
    Hardly. He paid a million dollars. Wasn't enough. Less than twenty-four hours after the cash was delivered, we found Mrs. Thornton's body in a cave beneath the Santa Fe River. A plastic bracelet around her wrist said, Wrong number.'
    What would have been the right number?
    That's the big question. A million dollars is a big ransom.
    So this guy doesn't care how much you pay. It's never enough.
    That's what we thought at first. But we pieced something interesting together through VICAP. It turns out that eight months ago, in north Georgia, the wife of a twenty-five-year-old auto mechanic was kidnapped. He got the same note: Pay what she's worth. The guy sold his truck, hocked everything he owned to scrape together nineteen thousand dollars. His wife was returned a day later, completely unharmed.
    Whoa, said Jack.
    Yeah, no kidding. By that standard, Mr. Salazar would have to come up with about forty million dollars.
    Now I understand why he refuses to pay.
    Really? she said, her interest seeming to rise. There have been verified ransom payments as high as sixty-five million dollars.
    I'm sure there have been.
    So, are you suggesting that forty million is way too much ransom money, period? Or do you know something about Mia that compromises her worth, to use the kidnapper's term?
    I'm not sure what I meant, to be honest with you.
    She paused, as if expecting him to say more. You sure?
    He considered it, then said as much as he thought was appropriate. You should probably ask Mr. Salazar that question.
    I will, she said as she penciled a little notation on her yellow pad.
    Part of Jack wanted to speak up, but the words caught in his throat. That he hadn't known Mia was