160 Stolen

"Are these letters the only way the blackmailer attempted to contact you?" Kyle flipped through to the first message that was sent.

"That we know of. They've kept their distance in their communication with me." Hawke smiled grimly, fingers steepled in front of him.

"This first letter says you should put a message in the newspaper if you agree to their terms," Kyle said, scanning the note. "Was that the only way they ever asked you to communicate?" Might as well finish picking his father's brain while he had the opportunity. There was always the possibility that something else had been overlooked.

"Yes, all rather cloak-and-dagger, like something out of a John le Carré novel. A wise move. If they'd used a dead drop, I'd have arranged to have the spot surveilled and the pickup followed. If they'd given us a phone number, I'd have had it traced. But a coded phrase in a newspaper personal ad? Anyone in the city could have been the recipient."