Page 10 of Magnus
“I believe that coming up against such a rich and powerful family, Sapphie felt she had no choice but to leave the US and take her daughter with her,” Linus added.
“She was right to feel that way.”
His brother nodded. “Any woman with an ounce of self-preservation for her daughter’s and her own future would have felt compelled to do the same. She managed to leave the US and return to the UK before a court order had been put in place to prevent her from leaving the country. I’ve found no record of her having left the UK after arriving here two years ago. But she did change their name to Jones, and the two of them have been moving from city to city ever since. They never stay more than a few months in one place. This stint in London, six months, appears to have been the longest they’ve stayed anywhere so far.”
Magnus would take a guess on that possibly being because Angel was getting older, almost school age, and Sapphie would have been aware her daughter needed the connection of being able to meet and play with other children her age. A decision Sapphie no doubt now deeply regretted making.
“The warrant for the arrest of Sapphire Carlucci in connection with the abduction of one Angelique Carlucci is still outstanding in DC,” Linus continued. “From what I’ve learned, the Carluccis have employed people around the world to look for both mother and daughter. There’s a reward of a million dollars for anyone providing the information that results in the two of them being found.”
“At which time, they intend to take Sapphie’s daughter away from her.” It wasn’t a question.
“Looks that way, yes,” Linus confirmed anyway.
“Fucking hell!” Magnus muttered aggressively as he stood up to pace his office. “What a bloody mess.”
“Indeed.” Linus nodded. “I obviously covered any evidence of my investigation into her. I didn’t want to leave a trail online for anyone else to follow and know that I was looking into details of Sapphie and her daughter.”
Magnus had never doubted that for a moment. “But if you managed to find her…”
Linus nodded. “Then someone else could do it too, with enough patience and skill.”
“Yes.”
“Except they can’t, not anymore, because I removed any and all information that would lead to anyone discovering that they were ever in London or the previous UK cities,” Linus told him with satisfaction.
Magnus’s elation upon hearing that completely disappeared at Linus’s use of the past tense. “Werein London?” he echoed guardedly.
“I thought you would pick up on that.” Linus grimaced. “Mother and daughter left London last night, with just a single bag each. Sapphie then bought tickets for them, with cash, on the overnight train to Edinburgh. Security cameras showed them leaving the train there this morning before booking into a modest boarding house. Again, she used cash. And again, I’ve already eliminated all that information as well.”
Magnus was more interested in how long it was going to take him to drive up to Edinburgh. All while hoping and praying Sapphie and Angel would still be at that same boarding house when he arrived.
Whether she liked it or not—and Magnus had a feeling she wouldn’t—it was time for Sapphie to stop running.
“Taking the company helicopter would be quicker than driving all the way to Scotland. You could fly them both back with you the same way.”
He looked up to find himself the focus of Linus’s mocking gaze. “Her husband died in a helicopter crash.”
“Oops,” his brother murmured without sympathy.
Magnus winced. “Was it a happy marriage?”
“Who knows?” Linus snorted. “There are more actors in Washington, DC, than there are in Hollywood!”
He didn’t think Sapphie looked as if she had a deceptive bone in her body. “Well?”
“Rumor had it that Carlucci Junior was a womanizer and couldn’t keep his dick in his pants,” Linus revealed. “A trait that no longer seems to be a problem when you’re in politics, either over there or here.”
The thought of Sapphie being a cheated-on wife caused a burning sensation in Magnus’s chest.
“Can you contact Derek and have him prepare the helicopter and put in a flight plan for takeoff the moment I arrive at the airport?” he instructed decisively. “Also, organize an SUV to be waiting for me when I get to Edinburgh?” Magnus needed to go to his apartment and pack a bag before making his way to the private airfield where the company helicopter was kept.
He was undecided as to what to do with Angus. He knew Linus would look after the dog if he asked him to, but Magnus also remembered how enamored Angel had been with the little Westie. Her daughter’s happiness when she saw the little dog again might help to ensure Sapphie was a little less ambivalent about Magnus turning up at the house in Edinburgh where she was renting a room.
Last night, he’d tried telling himself he was looking deeper into Sapphie’s situation because it was the right thing to do. That maybe he could help her. But another part of him knew he’d been telling himself absolute bullshit.
Fuck the age gap and the fact the two of them had only just met, because Magnus had taken that first look at Sapphie and known she washis.
That both motheranddaughter were his.
