Page 42 of The Familiar Stranger

“This only came up … when?”

“Several years after you got Olivia back for us. I swear, it got to the point where sometimes I thought he’d kidnapped Olivia himself back then, just to get rid of her.”

But I knew that hadn’t been the case.

Didn’t I?

I’d caught the man who’d kidnapped Savannah and Olivia, almost killing him in the process. He was serving time for what he’d done.

Still, the tentacles of human trafficking were monstrous and vast. But there had been no indication her husband had been involved in any of it. I would have picked up on that. And yet, I was questioning myself.

We ended the call, and I was left wondering if I was trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.

Maddie plopped down beside me. “I heard bits and pieces. You think there could be a connection between what’s happening and this Terrence guy?”

“There’s a slight connection, I’ll admit. Still, it seems like a stretch.”

“Let’s keep looking. Even if this guy is bitter about the divorce, it had nothing to do with you.”

“Right. But what if he knew Hugh Barnes?”

I wished I could ask him.

Then I realized that I could.

His number was right there.

CHAPTER29

“Hello?”

“Is this Terrence Slade?” I asked.

“Yes ma’am. How can I help you?”

“You may not remember me. I’m Sloane Monroe, the detective?—”

“I remember you.”

His response was sharp and flat, but if what his ex-wife had said was true, it was understandable.

“I was reminiscing about some of my cases, and I decided to follow up to see how all the families were doing,” I said.

“Ours, not so good. Kris divorced me.”

“I’m sorry to hear it. Other than the divorce, everything’s going okay, I hope?”

“I’m fine, yeah. As far as how they’re doing, I wouldn’t know. I don’t talk to them much anymore. Have you spoken to Kris yet?”

“I haven’t. I was going to try her if I couldn’t get in touch with you.”

It was a lie, of course … but given Kris had gone to great lengths not to be found, it was warranted.

“Good luck finding her,” he said. “Once we split, Kris and Olivia disappeared from my life. It’s my own fault, I suppose.”

“Are you still in Jackson Hole?”

“Sure am. Just trying to put my life back together. I try to stay positive. I’m going to anger management classes, got a new job, trying to say productive, keep busy.”

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