Chapter 846
Tarquin furrowed his brows, his intuition about Gideon being a classic wrong ‘un was too sharp to ignore. The mess with the Inkster family? It reeked of Gideon’s handiwork.
Gideon, that scumbag, wouldn’t think twice about throwing his own flesh and blood under the bus, so why spare a thought for strangers?
Keith had been plotting for years, all to settle a score with the Bradford clan!
Tarquin caught himself nervously biting the inside of his cheek. Born into the Bradford family and entangled with Gideon-it felt like a curse from a past life!
“What was Gideon doing in Border City back then p>
Lowell replied, “He was launching new housing developments. Bought several plots in Border City and took a keen interest in the projects there, even overseeing them in person for a while p>
“Did he have any dealings with the Inkster family during that time p>
“Nothing turned up. The Inkster’s neighbors said they never heard them mention the Bradford family, nor seen anyone from the Bradfords visiting. Even the Inkster’s relatives and friends claim there was no connection between the two families. The Inksters were true-blue Border City folks. Phineas and his wife were both educators, one an art teacher and the other a preschool teacher. They lived a modest but comfortable life, far from the Bradford’s league of wealth. Plus, the land Gideon bought was miles away from the Inkster’s place, not even remotely linked to any demolition
concerns.
But ever since Gideon left Border City, the Inkster family just vanished into thin air!
At first, neighbors thought they’d gone on a trip, but when they didn’t return, everyone assumed they’d moved p>
Tarquin’s frown deepened. “Didn’t their relatives look for them p>
“They did, even reported them missing, but the police found zilch. The Inksters’ whereabouts became a mystery, and their relatives feared the worst. Then, out of the blue, over a decade later, both the Inkster and the Blackwood elders received a hefty sum of money and a letter.
The letter claimed the Inksters were engaged in confidential work for the nation, unable to surface or fulfill familial duties, hoping for understanding and peace of mind p>
“And who was the letter supposedly from p>
“Phineas and his wife. We never saw the letter, but the Inkster elders were convinced it was Phineas’s handwriting p>
Was Phineas still alive?
Tarquin asked, “Any word from Phineas since then p>
“Nothing. Even when old Mr. Blackwood passed away two years ago, Phineas’s family was nowhere to be seen. Now, there’s all sorts of rumors about the Inksters-most believe Phineas had some unique talent that caught the state’s eye, leading them to be ‘frozen’ for some top-secret mission p>
Tarquin knitted his brows tighter,
“What about Keith? Has he been in touch with the Inkster or Blackwood relatives p>
“Nothing we’ve found suggests that. Keith hasn’t even been back to Border City p>
Tarquin inquired, “He disappeared for a while during the holidays, where did he go p>
“No clue. Keith’s movements are a mystery, but it’s clear he hasn’t visited the Inksters or the Blackwoods. Probably off hunting down some treasure!” Tarquin clenched his jaw, the thought of his daughter in Keith’s hands driving him to the edge.
After a pause, he asked, “Anything odd about Gideon after returning to Jindale City from Border City p>
“I snooped around a bit, nothing out of the ordinary. He even attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Border City developments, acting as if nothing was amiss p>
Was it that he hadn’t done anything, or was he just that indifferent about his actions?
With a steely expression, Tarquin instructed Lowell to send over all the details they’d gathered.
The call had barely ended when Elysia let out a sharp scream!