Free Taken by Lisa Harris

them. That you were trying to buy Sophie’s love.”
    Chad shook his head. “No...no, she didn’t return them.”
    “You’re telling me you don’t know where the music boxes...the diamonds are?”
    Chad ran his fingers through his hair and clasped his hands behind his head. “I don’t have them, Kate. She never sent them to me.”
    “Then where are they?”
    “I don’t know.”
    Kate gauged his expression and frowned. Something else was wrong. “What did you do, Chad?”
    Chad’s gaze dropped, his voice still barely above a whisper. “I had someone break into Rachel’s house to get the music boxes. You have to understand, they were threatening to kill me if I didn’t produce them.”
    “And when they went to get the music boxes for you, they...they shot her instead?”
    Kate shook her head. It didn’t make sense.
    “No...they just searched the house for the music boxes while she was out with Sophie, then left empty-handed. Whoever shot her...it had to have been someone else. Someone who was there when she returned.”
    “Someone who decided to use your wife and daughter as leverage to get the diamonds.”
    Chad nodded.
    “Then where are the diamonds?” Kate continued.
    “I don’t know.” Chad raked his hands through his hair again. Drops of perspiration marked his forehead.
    “So when they demand the diamonds in exchange for Sophie, you won’t have them.”
    “I was hoping you knew where they were.” Chad’s hands shook in his lap as he scanned the area around them. “I might have something else I can give them as leverage, but I’m not sure it will be enough. I was planning to turn it in to the police.”
    “What is it?”
    “I...I have a list of contacts and a ledger of my company’s illegal activities. I’ve been collecting it as a...safety net.”
    “While you played Russian roulette with your wife’s and daughter’s lives.”
    He looked up and caught her gaze. “It wasn’t supposed to end up this way.”
    “Of course it wasn’t supposed to end with your daughter being kidnapped and your wife in the hospital, but you decided to get greedy.”
    “I’m sorry, Kate.”
    “Sorry doesn’t fix anything at this point.”
    Kate shook her head and tried to focus on the solemn music playing in the background. The place where they sat was more than just a tourist spot. To many, it was a house of worship. A place filled with God’s presence. A place of forgiveness. She’d always been taught to forgive, but this...this was different. How could she forgive Chad for what he’d done?
    “Have you heard from the kidnappers?” she asked finally, breaking the silence between them.
    Chad studied a group of tourists walking by. “They called me this morning. They are demanding the diamonds in exchange for Sophie.”
    “When?”
    “On the second level of the Eiffel Tower at nine o’clock tomorrow morning.”
    Kate felt her stomach turn. No diamonds meant they couldn’t meet the demands for Sophie’s exchange. There had to be a way out of this. “You have to go to the police and tell them what you know.”
    “I can’t.” Chad shook his head. “I have to find the diamonds myself.”
    “How? If you don’t have them...and Rachel doesn’t have them—”
    “I think we should go.” Chad started to stand. “If they find us here together...”
    Kate hesitated as she glanced toward the entrance of the church. Marcus was here somewhere, along with Jocelyn and Pierre. She grabbed his arm. “Wait a minute. I’ve got someone who can help you.”
    He sat back down and leaned toward her. “You promised you’d come alone, Kate.”
    “His name’s Marcus O’Brian. He’s with the FBI, working with French intelligence.”
    Chad shook his head. “The authorities will arrest me if they find me. The only reason I decided to talk to you is because I need to find those diamonds.”
    “Chad, please.” Kate tried to curb the desperation in her voice. “Forget about the diamonds and think