Page 20 of Leo
The elderly man’s face paled as he realized why they were questioning him. She’d referred to him as Duke. She didn’t call the agency phone line. She’d called his estate phone and asked for him personally.
“Oh dear,” he gasped. “She knew who I was, which means she may know who Fred is.”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” said Wes. “Do you have the phone number that she called from?” The secretary entered the office and set the coffee set down on the table.
“I can get that for you, sir. The call came through on my phone. All of the Duke’s calls come through me. I keep a list of all phone numbers. If it’s unknown, I don’t answer it. That was a recommendation of our security team.”
“That’s very smart. If you could get us the number she called from, we can try to find out where it’s located or where the call came from.”
“It was definitely a U.S. number,” said the woman.
She walked back out to her desk, and they could see her writing the number down. When she returned, she handed them the piece of paper and left the room.
“Gemma called Tillie to tell her that Jewel had been kidnapped. Either she was let go, or there’s something else happening here,” said Aiden. He quickly texted the number to AJ and Hiro, hoping they could reach the woman and find out what was happening.
“If she wasn’t kidnapped, then this woman, Gemma, lied to you,” said Frederick. “Why would she do that?”
“We’re not sure, sir. We need to find them both to get to the bottom of this. May I ask, is there any reason other than your apparent wealth and status why someone might kidnap your son?” asked Marc.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, does anyone have a score to settle with you? Is there a business associate who dislikes you? Perhaps someone in the political arena.”
“I’m sure I have people who aren’t my biggest fans, but for the most part, I get along with everyone. I’m not a man that abuses my wealth or power, both of which I only have because of my father.”
The four men looked at the painting hanging above the fireplace and held their tongues. The likeness was uncanny. It had to be the Duke’s father.
“I can see your wheels spinning,” he said calmly. “Yes, that’s my father, and yes, he was in the German army during WWII, like the rest of Germany. Forced to either serve beneath Hitler or die. My father chose to serve but in his own way. No one knew that my mother was born Jewish. They were married in a Christian ceremony in order to hide her identity.
“Her parents were obviously disappointed, but they understood, considering what was happening in the world. When Germany invaded Poland, my father saw the writing on the wall, as you Americans say. He sent my mother to Switzerland, then on to the United States.”
“I’m glad she was safe,” said Aiden. The old man nodded, then stood.
“Come with me,” he said calmly. “Please. I wish to show you something.”
They followed the old man through the massive foyer of the grand estate, through the sitting room, and into the kitchens, where he grabbed something off a tray and the cook playfully chided him. He picked up the platter, offering the sweets to his new friends, and they gratefully accepted.
“That’s delicious,” said Devin. The woman nodded at him, blushing.
Frederick opened a door with a spiral stone staircase that led to the basement.
“This is the neatest basement I’ve ever been in,” said Wes. “Everything is artfully stored.”
“Yes,” he smiled. “My lovely wife took this on when we married. She wanted the estate to last for generations to come. She ensured that everything that needed proper storage got it. The wines, cheeses, artwork, antiques, all of it.”
He continued to walk the entire length of the building and came to a brick wall. The four men stared at him, and he smiled.
“I’m sorry, sir. What are we looking at?” asked Wes.
“We are looking at my father’s true legacy.” He pushed the brick in the upper right-hand corner, and the wall gave way, opening inward. The four men were shocked. “This tunnel leads to our stables that are about a mile out on the property. More than five hundred Jews escaped through this property, into our stables, on horses, carriages, cars, trains, anything that he could get them on.”
“Your father risked his life,” said Marc. “Had he been caught, it would have been the firing squad or worse.”
“Yes. I know,” he nodded. “Which makes the sacrifice even greater in my mind. My mother was safe, but he was not. Not yet. The irony in this story, gentlemen, is that one of the Jews that my father saved was an American soldier who’d come back to rescue a woman he loved. My father got them both out, and when the allies invaded Germany, my father waited to be taken.
“Instead, he was greeted by the American soldier who told the story of what he’d done. My father was granted permission to meet my mother in New York.”
“In New York?” asked Aiden.
