Kidnapping cases usually boil down to money or revenge. Joseph was pulling in a cool million a year as a top executive twenty years ago. But when he and Rose were found, all their valuables, like watches, necklaces, and wedding rings, were intact.
Their family and social connections were straightforward, and they were known for their kindness, never making enemies.
Leanne was a little girl then, too young to be kept out of the loop as the kidnappers tried to intimidate Joseph.
While tracing through those chaotic records, her memories gradually resurfaced.
She was locked in a tiny, windowless, dark storage room with her parents, curled up in her mother's embrace while rats scurried around in the darkness.
On the last night, the door opened, and a man stepped in. The harsh glow from the hallway cast his silhouette large and ominous.
Joseph stood before them, spat on the ground defiantly, and landed a kick.
Another man, who seemed more refined despite the situation, wore a black mask and squatted down, tapping Joseph's face with a knife.
"Do you know what's the most useless thing for you right now? Your foolish loyalty. Maddox doesn't care about a small fry like you. I'm offering you a deal, and you don't see the value?"
Joseph responded, "My loyalty isn't to Mr. Richardson. It's to my profession and countless clients of VectorVista Bank. You see this as a power play, but those you crush with a flick of your wrist could be numerous ordinary families."
"What do I care if they die?" the man sneered arrogantly, "Do you want to be their hero or a hero to your wife and child? Think about it."
Joseph remained unwavering. "I won't cooperate with you."
The man's voice turned icy. "Cooperating with me is your only chance to leave here alive. You think someone's coming to save you?"
"Don't worry. I've arranged a little 'vacation' for you. No one's going to look for you."
"Mr. Castillo, think it over carefully."
That night, his parents gave Leanne careful instructions on what direction to run, her aunt's phone number, and the family's bank PIN, emphasizing over and over that her parents loved her no matter what happened.
But they never told her whom to seek revenge from after she got out.
"Anne, I grabbed some sushi for you," Amy burst through the door, placing a sushi platter on Leanne's desk.
"The wasabi octopus rolls from their place are amazing. Try them!"
Leanne felt a cold sweat on her forehead as if she was suddenly yanked back from that dark room.
"Thanks."
Amy didn't notice her discomfort and grumbled and left after receiving a call from Ruben asking her to come over. Leanne had barely understood those words then but remembered them vividly and relayed them to the police.
Her testimony directly steered the investigation, but progress was anything but smooth.
Once VectorVista Bank got involved, the Richardson family didn't need to step in. The Stonebridge city officials had started pressuring the police department.
The perpetrator cleanly eliminated his accomplices afterward, leaving no trace behind, and vanished without a trace.
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