Free A Body to Spare (The Odelia Grey Mysteries) by Sue Ann Jaffarian

there was a ransom demand?” asked Greg.
    “Yep,” said Clark after swallowing some eggplant parmesan. “The kidnappers demanded two million dollars. The whole thing was kept pretty quiet media-wise during that time. The parents paid the ransom, and the kid was never returned. That’s when the whole thing went public.”
    “So who exactly are this kid’s parents?” I asked as I doodled in the sauce of my mushroom ravioli with the tines of my fork.
    “His father is Alec Finch. He’s a big finance mogul. His company owns several mortgage companies, investment firms, stuff like that,” Clark said. “At the time of the kidnapping he headed an investment company that specialized in backing international construction, some of it questionable. One of the theories was that some thugs from overseas grabbed the kid, but that was never proved.” Clark wiped his mouth with his napkin. “Even with the two-million-dollar hit on the ransom and the economic downturn, it hasn’t slowed Finch down. He’s expanded his holdings over the years.”
    “I think I’ve read about him in the Wall Street Journal or someplace like that,” said Greg. “He keeps a very low personal profile, doesn’t he?” He’d stopped shoveling chicken cannelloni into his mouth and was reaching for more bread. Generally, my husband keeps a sharp eye on his weight to make it easier for him to be more mobile. I knew that tonight’s feast would be paid for by extra time in the gym over the next few days. Greg had the discipline I lacked when it came to fitness, but he never got on my case about it. I thought about grabbing more bread but changed my mind. Extra exercise time wasn’t a price I was willing to pay, and there was dessert waiting at home.
    “Yes,” Dev answered. “From what I’ve read about this Finch guy, he’s a big wheeler-dealer but likes to remain behind the scenes pulling strings. He almost never grants interviews.” He turned to Clark. “Is that the same guy?” Clark nodded.
    “Something’s been bothering me,” I announced to the table.
    “You mean something besides finding a dead body in the trunk of your car, sis?” Clark stared at me with amusement. “Or are you getting used to this sort of thing?”
    Dev nudged Clark with his elbow. “Just wait for it, Clark. This is normal procedure for Odelia.”
    Next to me Greg laughed, but when I shot him a death ray glance, he shoved a bite of food into his mouth.
    “We’re all ears, Odelia,” Dev said, urging me to continue.
    I continued toying with my food as I formed my thoughts into a clear picture. “If this Zach was kidnapped so many years ago and his father is such a big deal, why hasn’t his death been on the news yet? All they’ve said is that an unidentified body was found in a car in a Long Beach car wash. It’s being treated almost as non-newsworthy as a kitten up a tree.”
    “Are you complaining that your name’s been kept out of it?” asked Dev with surprise. “Wasn’t it enough that your backside and car were all over the news last night and today?”
    “No, not at all,” I quickly added. “The more they forget about me, the better. But the finding of a kid, long missing and thought dead, is very big news. Look at all the media around those kids that pop up years after they’ve been abducted.”
    “I’m not involved in this case,” Dev said after taking a drink of his beer, “but I can offer up a possible explanation.” Our attention turned to Dev, giving him the floor. “Nothing about Zach’s identity would be given to the press until his family is informed of his discovery.”
    “Dev’s right,” Clark agreed. “From last night’s digging, I also learned that Zach’s mother went into a deep depression after the kidnapping and committed suicide a couple of years later. So until they can reach Alec Finch, the identity of the body will not be released to the news.”
    “Is that why they’ve kept Odelia’s name out of the news