Criss Cross

Chapter 23

You can call me M.

That was the line that had eventually led to Mahoney and me getting on a plane to Ohio. It was the same line that rang in my head long after we heard Diane Jenkins’s crying at the end of the recording and begging her husband to pay the ransom.

“Five million in Ethereum?” Mahoney said.

“I had to look it up,” Jenkins said. “One of those cryptocurrencies. You have to go through a whole legal process that takes like a month before you can even transfer money into an exchange to buy Ethereum.”

Special Agent Rowe said, “He’s right, sir. There’s no quick way to get the approval for that much in crypto in the time Mr. Jenkins has to gather his resources.”

I said, “Unless we get someone high up in the Treasury Department to approve it.”

Mahoney said, “We don’t usually encourage people to pay ransoms, but I can ask — if that’s what you want to do, Mr. Jenkins. I mean, if you have that kind of money.”

“Not liquid,” Jenkins said. He hesitated, then added, “But I might be able to get it from a line of credit my company has. I could use it as a loan and then repay it.”

“I’ll give someone a call. Do we know which crypto exchange you’re going to use?”

“Kraken?” Jenkins said.

Ned nodded and left, and Jenkins looked at me and said, “Can I get you some coffee, Dr. Cross? I was about to make some.”

“I’ll go with you,” I said. “I’ve been sitting too much.”

I followed him down a narrow hallway hung with pictures of Jenkins, his kids, and his wife, a handsome brunette with a big, genuine smile. I hesitated in front of a picture of Diane Jenkins alone on a cliff above tropical water somewhere.

She looked radiant, and I could not help thinking, Why is M asking for a ransom for her? He’s never done anything like this before. Why does he need the money?

“She’s beautiful in that photograph,” Melvin Jenkins said. “And never happier. That’s Fiji. It was her dream to go there.”

“Did you take the picture?”

He nodded.

“You can feel her love as she looks out at you,” I said.

Jenkins’s chin quivered. He nodded again and turned away, sniffling.

We went into a kitchen with low ceilings, dark beams, and a cozy atmosphere. He seemed to find solace there and made us a pot of coffee.

My phone made a weird dinging noise. I pulled it out and saw a message on the screen: Hi, Dad!

Then it vanished. I frowned and stuck the phone back in my pocket.

“Are you married, Dr. Cross?” Jenkins said, pouring coffee into a cup for me.

“I am, sir.”

“Kids?”

“Three,” I said. “Where are your daughters?”

“At my sister’s house. I didn’t want them to be here if news of the kidnapping leaks. There’ll be a media circus, and I don’t want them exposed to that kind of thing in any way, shape, or form.”

“I don’t blame you. I’ve been there, and they try to eat you alive to get ratings.”

“Oh, I know,” Jenkins said. “Diane used to be an on-air reporter, but she got disgusted with it all and quit.”

“She sounds like one tough lady.”

“You have no idea,” he said with a smile that quickly weakened. “Has this M done other things? I mean, does he come up in your databases, a kidnapper named M?”

“He does,” I said.

“Okay,” Jenkins said, brightening. “So he does let them go?”

I didn’t want Jenkins to lose hope. To get through the next few days, he was going to have to be stronger than he’d ever been, and I worried about weakening his spirit in any way.

But in the end, I told him the truth. I’ve found that lying to people, even with good intentions, comes back to haunt you one way or another. Besides, a man like Jenkins would want to know who and what he was up against.

After I finished, he stared down at the wooden floor and then up at the beams.

“This was Diane’s idea,” he said, gesturing around. “She designed it to look like her grandma’s farm kitchen, which was where she was happiest as a child.”

“It’s beautiful,” I said.

“I think so,” he choked out. “My girls... I... I don’t know what to tell them.”

Jenkins broke down and hung his head.

“Mr. Jenkins, you have to stay positive,” I said, putting my hand on his shoulder. “There’s always a possibility that M will change his pattern.”

Jenkins stiffened. “You’re what this is all about, aren’t you, Dr. Cross? I mean, M leaves these notes for you. He knew you’d find your way to this case.”

“I think that’s fair to say, Mr. Jenkins.”

“So my Diane’s a pawn in some twisted game you’re playing with this guy?”

“It’s not a game I entered willingly. It’s a game I was sucked into.”

“For twelve years?” he said. “Who does that? Why you?”

“I don’t know.”

My phone made that odd dinging noise again.

I did not move a muscle.

“Is he going to kill my wife in order to punish you?” Jenkins asked.

“I can’t answer that. But I do know that this is the first time he’s requested money. That’s a good thing. Money is traceable.”

“Not those cryptocurrencies,” Jenkins said. “I’ve read up on them in the past day or so. They’re untraceable. That’s why China banned them.”

“Mostly untraceable,” I said. “FBI experts are on their way from Quantico, and they’re brilliant with anything cyber. If anyone can track the flow of the ransom money, it’s them.”

My phone dinged a third time.

“Excuse me,” I said. I walked out into the hall and pulled the phone from my pocket in time to see It’s me, Dad! Ali! Go to Wickr on your phone and message me back. We can be spies!