“Where?” Jonathan demanded, his voice a strained whisper as he tried to control the tremor in his chest. Marcus, despite his exhaustion, stood his ground. “They’re keeping her in a warehouse near the docks,” he said. “I don’t know why, but she asked me to find you. She said you’d know what to do.”

The clarity with which Marcus spoke, the specific details he offered — it was enough to start a cascade of thoughts in Jonathan’s mind. Too many things about Emily’s death hadn’t added up. He had been too swamped with grief to notice, or perhaps he had been too afraid to question. Now, every unexplored doubt flooded back with intensity.

He hesitated only a moment longer before pulling out his phone. “Stay here,” he instructed Marcus, who nodded solemnly. Jonathan dialed a secure number, one that connected him to the private investigator he occasionally employed for sensitive matters. Within moments, a plan was set in motion. He had to be cautious. If Emily was alive, and indeed held against her will, he couldn’t risk spooking whoever was behind this.