Tidings of Fear. Ericka Scott

fax yesterday. Margaret received one too. I think the kidnapper sent them to us as we were the only two unknown numbers Sylvie kept in her cellphone address book.”

      “I’m still not sure I understand.” Lia sighed. “Oh, God. I feel so bad. Sylvie and I were never close. I haven’t heard from her in years. It was such a shock to have the police call and tell me she and her son, a son I didn’t even know she had, were missing. It’s been too much. But why would he leave clues in a crossword puzzle?”

      “We don’t know, but I’ll find out.” Jared looked down at the stack of papers in front of him. At first glance, he didn’t think solving the puzzles was going to pose much of a challenge. Deducing their meaning, now that was another story. Did the puzzle intimate where the victims were held and for how long? Did information, hidden deep within each puzzle, give any indication to the identity of the composer?

      “Wait a minute, you said you know she’s still alive. How is that? Have you heard something from her captor?” Mark put his hand over Lia’s.

      Jared felt an irrational jolt of jealousy. He tamped it back down. They were old friends, obviously nothing more. Mark had to be pushing sixty years old, and he had mentioned a wife.

      “No, it’s just…” Her gaze shot over to Jared, and just for a second, he felt as if her glance held all the answers as to why she had left him and dropped out of college.

      “I just know, that’s all,” Lia said. “Now tell me, what are we going to do to find her?”\