Page 58 of The Prodigal Prince

Silas set a file folder in front of her. “We haven’t found the passages yet, but we do have a lead on former employees who might be able to help.”

The door to the suite opened, letting in Queen Esmeralda and Gabe. The queen had clearly been crying as she rushed toward them.

Fiona stood so she could curtsy, but before she could, the queen was hugging her

“I’m so pleased you’re all right.” Esme squeezed her a little tighter.

“I hope Mac is, too,” Fiona told her.

The queen released her and took a step back. “He will be, and so will Gray. I am sorry I wasn’t here when you were found. We’re trying to keep this quiet for the time being, and I had an engagement I couldn’t miss without raising questions we didn’t want to answer.”

“I understand. Mac will, too.” Those around the table moved to provide a space for the queen and Gabe.

“We’ve sent a team to find the lead caretaker who retired about twenty years ago. The house manager from the same time frame is reportedly still in Ancora, so we’re looking for him as well.” Thor checked his phone. “No word on either one yet.”

“Is there anything else you can tell us about where you were? I saw the preliminary reports, but if you could walk me through it, I would greatly appreciate it.”

Beau and Angie came into the room as Fiona began to walk through the events again. She tried to remember the most minute details, knowing that any of them could be the trigger for someone else to remember something they knew.

“I wonder if it’s the guy,” Angie said, looking at her husband. “The one who sabotaged our first event here.”

“What guy?” Fiona asked. “What event?”

Beau told the story. “When we moved in, virtually the entire staff had been dismissed and the estate left to fall into disrepair. A few weeks later, we had an event the night before Christmas Eve. The power to the building was severed, but only part of it. The video of the perpetrator wasn’t very good due to the lighting and other factors, but the men you’ve described match the general description. They were seen on video near the building you likely exited, so that’s an additional connection.”

“It would make sense if there’s a hidden door of some kind in that building.” Thor leaned back in his chair, crossing one foot over the other knee. His pen tapped against his leg as he thought. “How hard did your team look?” he asked Beau.

“They conducted a search, but they didn’t tear the place apart. If there’s a secret entrance, it’s well-hidden.”

“Then how would these guys know about it?” Fiona asked. “If your team wasn’t able to find it, how could two others know?”

“Mr. and Mrs. Batten know of rumors. After the three of you disappeared, they began looking through their old records again to see if they could find anything.” Beau rested his forearms on the table. “This time, they found a piece of paper they missed last time. They think it was stuck to the page in front of it. A couple of sentences in it hinted at the existence of the passages. It was typed and unsigned, so there’s no way to know who wrote it. The date is about thirty years ago. The caretaker and house manager were both here for another decade or so after that. That’s who we’re looking for.”

They spent another fifteen minutes trying to come up with some answers, but none were forthcoming.

Thor looked at his phone. “It seems they’ve found the caretaker. He’s on his way here.”

Fiona’s heart leapt into her throat. Maybe he’d know how to find Mac and her son.

Then she’d be able to breathe again.

* * *

His brother?

Mac tried to wrap his mind around the idea that this man was his brother. Probably half-brother, with Isaiah as their common parent.

Which also meant this guy was Gray’s uncle.

And Mac had felt sorry for the other man’s father - a man who didn’t deserve many kind thoughts.

“You don’t look surprised.” Mr. Villain’s eyes narrowed. “Why doesn’t that surprise you?”

Mac shrugged. “I know who my father is. I know he has a number of other children, even if I don’t know how many or who they are or how old they are. He was a notorious criminal. Why should it surprise me that his son is one as well?”

“You’re his son, too.”

“Everyone is capable of doing things that are illegal, but I don’t believe I’m capable of the kinds of things Isaiah did. It still doesn’t surprise me that one of his other children is.” He needed this guy to slip up. To tell him something useful.

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