“Why? Do you think that would help my father?”
“Perhaps,” Travis allowed. “The feds might go easier on him.”
“If he did this,” she said coldly. “You sound like you’ve found him guilty already.”
Travis grimaced. “I’ll go get your phone.”
Once Travis was gone, she stared up at Curt. “You believe it? That he did this?”
His face shut down, becoming unreadable, and she had her answer.
“You do believe it.”
“I don’t know, Jenna. I’ve known David a long time and, at first, I thought it was preposterous, but there have been some things that didn’t add up. Like why was everyone else in the village in Sudan killed except for you?”
“But . . . what has that got to do with anything? They took me because they wanted my father to pay a ransom.”
“How did they know who you were? And why weren’t any instructions sent to your father about how to pay the ransom? Even the ransom amount was odd.”
“Do you think my kidnapping had something to do with my dad?”
He looked away for a moment.
“Curt?” she pressed.
He faced her. “We think you were kidnapped because of your father’s dealings with this guy called The Brit. He’s on Interpol’s and the FBI’s most wanted lists for supplying weapons to terrorist groups. They believe some of the weapons he shipped were used to blow up the US Embassy in Chad. The nickname is because of rumors that he has a British accent. But no one has ever seen him. No one knows who he is.”
“And you really believe my father sent weapons to this guy? Weapons that Doug Shipman’s company manufactured. That he sold weapons to this man who is arming terrorists?” She rubbed her stomach. “I still don’t understand what this has to do with my kidnapping.”
“Remember the man you said spoke perfect English and you thought he had an—”
“Accent. Oh, God, that was him? But why would he kidnap me if he was working with my father?”
“I don’t know that. But the feds seem to think your father is involved with him. Perhaps your father owed him something. Or your father failed to send him something. This could all be wrong, of course.”
“My father would never do anything to put me in danger.”
“No. And I suspect he settled the debt when you were kidnapped. But remember how hurt you were that he didn’t support you going to Sudan?”
“Yes, but he could have just been concerned for my safety. He loves me.”
“I know he does. And we could be wrong about this. Your father could be innocent.”
But she knew Curt didn’t really think that. He thought her father was guilty and he was the reason she’d been kidnapped.
Could this day get any worse?
“So, you came here to tell me all of this in person?”
“Yes. And because you’re going to need help
, Jenna. Whether your father is guilty or not, there are going to be a lot of angry people over this. Your dad’s company is going to suffer, the shareholders and employees will be affected. Then there are people whose loved ones have died overseas fighting terrorism or who were hurt or killed in the Embassy bombing. The Brit has been linked to several incidents across Africa and the Middle East.”
“And you think these people will be angry at me?” She had nothing to do with any of this.
“You could end up as a target.”
“Even if Daddy isn’t guilty?” Her head pounded at the thought.