Trumped Up Charges by Joanna Wayne Read Free Book Online

Hadley. It’s your daughters.”
    But not hers alone. “I’d appreciate your honest opinion,” she said. “As a friend and as a male point of view.”
    Before he had time to answer, her cell phone rang again. This time it was a close friend who she hated to ignore. She took the call and accepted the empathy. Another call buzzed in.
    Detective Lane. She told her friend a quick goodbye and took the detective’s call. “Have you found Lacy and Lila?”
    “Unfortunately, no.”
    Her spirit plunged. “What about the construction workers involved in the remodeling project? Did you check them out?”
    “We’re working on it, but at this point it doesn’t appear that any of them have a criminal record.”
    Desperation forced her to ignore Adam’s words of caution. She had to do something, and Lane could probably make the arrangements quicker than she could on her own.
    “I want to go on television and plead for the girls’ safe return,” she said.
    There was a long, silent pause before the detective responded. “We can discuss that possibility.”
    “I don’t need to discuss the possibility. My mind’s made up. The only question is will you help me arrange it or should I proceed on my own?”
    “I’ll set it up, Hadley, but we need to talk first. Do you mind if I call you Hadley?”
    “Please do, and I’m not questioning your expertise or your methods, Detective. But unless you can assure me that you have a credible lead in finding Lacy and Lila, I insist we go forward with the TV spots immediately. There is no time to waste and no reason to talk about it.”
    “I agree, but we have a new development in the case.”
    She held her breath, a wave of dread rushing through her. If this was bad news... “What’s the development?”
    “Someone claiming to be the kidnapper has made contact.”

Chapter Four
    Hadley’s heart waspounding as Adam pulled into her mother’s driveway. At her frantic urging, Adam had broken the speed limit more than once on the way here.
    Detective Lane had refused to give her any additional information on the phone except that there had been a ransom demand along with a promise by the kidnapper that Lacy and Lila were alive and well.
    Alive .
    The word echoed in her heart. But the detective’s word choice continued to haunt her—someone claiming to be the kidnapper.
    Please, God, let this be more than a claim.
    She spotted the detective on the covered porch, standing in the stalking shadows cast by a pair of aged oak trees. She jumped from the truck as it rolled to a stop and raced to hear the rest of the story.
    The detective was not smiling when he greeted her. She paused a few feet away as her gaze zeroed in on a FedEx envelope the detective held in his right hand along with a small plastic bag. When she looked closer she recognized the bag’s contents.
    A pink ribbon with a row of intricate hearts that she’d last seen tied around Lacy’s ponytail.
    She took a deep breath. “That’s Lacy’s ribbon. Where did you get it?”
    “It came in the envelope with the message.”
    She gulped in air and relief. “Then the man isn’t just claiming to be the kidnapper. He has my girls.”
    “You’re sure about the ribbon.”
    “It looks exactly the same.”
    Only Hadley was certain Lacy’s hair had not been in a ponytail when she’d gone to bed last night. The loose red curls had been spread about her pillow when Hadley tucked her in and kissed her good-night as well as when she’d checked on them just after one.
    Now that she thought about it, Lacy’s hair hadn’t been in a ponytail when they’d taken her mother to the hospital. Lacy must have taken the ribbon out when she and Lila were playing dress-up with their grandmother’s old hats, shawls and shoes just after lunch yesterday.
    The kidnapper must have taken it from the dresser for this very purpose. “May I see the message?”
    “Yes, but I think we should go inside and sit down first,” the detective