Trumped Up Charges by Joanna Wayne Read Free Book Online Page B

be,” she said. “If the FedEx timing is accurate, it means the ribbon had to be taken and the ransom note written before the girls were abducted.”
    “Looks that way,” Lane agreed.
    Hadley wrapped her fingers around the bedpost. “There must be some mistake.”
    “Who mailed the note?” Adam asked.
    “John Doe from a nonexistent address. The charges were paid with cash.”
    “So impossible to track,” Adam said as they walked back to the small, formal living area. “That figures.”
    “But we do know the man will get in touch with us again,” Hadley said. “He won’t walk away from the chance to pick up five million dollars.”
    Five million dollars she didn’t have and had little chance of coming up with on her own. Her mother lived well, but Hadley was almost certain she couldn’t get her hands on that much money—not even if she sold the house. And selling the house would take far too much time.
    “Is there some organization that lends money in abduction situations like this?” she asked.
    “We’ll deal with the ransom later,” Lane said. “For now, let’s concentrate on what we know. Someone had access to the house both before and at the time of the abduction. Apparently they come and go at will. That significantly narrows down our suspects.”
    He put up his hand and counted off on his fingers. “Your mother. You. Am I missing anyone?”
    “Matilda,” Hadley said, knowing exactly whom he was referring to.
    Lane crossed an ankle over the opposite knee. “Do you know that she has a younger brother with a criminal record?”
    “Quinton.”
    “So you do know him?”
    “I know his first name and that he exists. I didn’t know he had a criminal record.”
    “His last name is Larson,” Lane said. “Exactly what do you know about him?”
    “Not much. He’s a quite a bit younger than Matilda.”
    “Have you ever met him?”
    “I have. Years ago, Mother occasionally hired him when she needed something done that was too strenuous for Matilda. I think he may have been living with Matilda’s family at the time. Her husband was still alive then.”
    “What kind of tasks did he do for your mother?”
    “Whatever she needed done that didn’t require a professional. Moving heavy furniture, washing windows, cleaning out the garage. But he hasn’t worked here in years, actually not since my fourteenth birthday when my mother ordered him off the property. I’m twenty-nine now.”
    “But you no longer live in the area, so you can’t be sure she hasn’t hired him for similar tasks lately?”
    “I seriously doubt that. Mother is very generous, but she is not one to forgive and forget. Besides, she hires Matilda’s son, Sam, to help out now. Mother likes him a lot. Says he’s polite and dependable.
    “And she hires Matilda’s daughter when she entertains. I’ve even used Alana to babysit on a few occasions. The girls love her.”
    Adam shifted so that he faced her. “What did Quinton do to upset her?”
    It had been a long time ago. Hadley had put the experience behind her and moved on years ago. Yet the disturbing memories came flooding back now.
    “Quinton and I were in the kitchen. He was on a stepstool, taking down Mother’s crystal serving trays. When I started making a sandwich, he asked me to make him one, too. I said sure. While I worked on that, he came over and started teasing me about my birthday. He said I was old enough to have some real fun now. Probably not his exact words, but that was the gist of the taunting.”
    “How old was Quinton at the time?” Lane asked.
    “I’m not sure. Around eighteen, I think. He’d been expelled from high school for the year. I never knew why.”
    “Is teasing as far as it went?” Adam asked.
    “No. When I started to leave, he grabbed my arm and pulled me back into the kitchen. He started touching my breasts. I told him to stop. He just laughed.”
    Lane took a pen and pad from his shirt pocket. “Where was your mother and Matilda