Trumped Up Charges - By Joanna Wayne Page 0,33
whether you’re having fun or not.
R.J. set his bowl on the table and then went back for a spoon. His memory was less dependable by the day. According to the doctor, it would get worse. Not much to look forward to.
For a few weeks there, he’d looked forward to his five sons and Jade moving back to the ranch. Stupid of him to think he could force them into one big, close family when they had no use for him.
All but Adam had stuck around to ask a few questions yesterday. None had indicated they’d be back anytime soon.
R.J. picked up the remote and turned on the TV for the noontime news. He blew across a forkful of chicken to cool it as the commercial ended and the blonde newscaster smiled into the camera, making it look like she was smiling right at him.
Always nice to get smiled at by a good-looking gal even if the smile was fake and she didn’t know he existed.
The lead story was about those two twin girls who had gone missing from the bedroom in their grandmother’s house yesterday. A man who’d do something like that was just stirring up hell with a long spoon.
“...Adam Dalton, a veteran...”
“Whoa. What was that?” R.J. grabbed the remote and backed up for a repeat.
“No arrests have been made, but police say they’re investigating several persons of interest in the case including Adam Dalton, a veteran of the war in Afghanistan who’d moved back to the Dallas/Fort Worth area less than a month ago.
“When our reporters tried to talk to Hadley O’Sullivan, she and Adam Dalton refused to comment.”
“Well, don’t that just beat all.” Adam was mixed up with the mother of the missing girls. No wonder he lit out so fast yesterday. He wondered if Adam could be involved in the kidnapping.
Not likely. Jerri would have raised him better than that. Maybe he should give Jerri a call. He’d have to give that a bit more thought. Might be better to contact Adam and see if there was anything R.J. could do to help.
Maybe later, he decided. Only fools jumped into the fray when they hadn’t been invited. Actually, he could be wrong about that. He supposed a good father might jump into trouble to help out his son on occasion.
He finished his chicken and dumplings and carried his dishes to the sink. If he was going to think this through properly, he’d have to go saddle up Dooley. He always thought better on the back of a horse.
Old memories invaded his mind. Adam had loved horses, too. From the time he was first walking, he’d been fascinated by them. R.J. would sit him in the saddle and Adam would grin like a possum. Never showed fear, that boy.
From what Meghan Lambert had learned about him during her investigation, Adam had never shown fear as a marine, either. That had almost cost him his life.
Hadley O’Sullivan was lucky to have him on her side.
* * *
HADLEY FORCED DOWN another bite of sandwich. She’d been hungry when she started, but no matter how much relief the beginning of the video offered, the ending always turned her stomach.
They’d watched it three times now, parts of it in slow motion. If there were clues as to where it had been filmed, they were well-hidden.
“I’ve seen enough,” she said. “I’m ready to go when you are.” She wadded the rest of her sandwich into her napkin and carried it to the nearest trash can.
When she came back, Adam was perched on the top of the picnic table watching her. He patted the spot next to him. She slid onto the wooden table and rested her feet on the bench.
“I hate to bring this up again, Hadley, but I’d really like to have a better handle on your relationship with the girls’ father before we talk to Fred. I know he’s going to ask as I’m sure Lane did before I showed up yesterday.”
“It was one of the first questions Lane asked.”
“That makes sense, especially since it looks like an inside job.”
“He’s not involved. But I’m sure Lane followed up to ascertain that for himself.”
“I’m not trying to be nosy. I just don’t want any surprises at the last minute. Just tell me what you told the detective and I won’t ask you again.”
But she’d gone too far to settle for that. Adam had every right to know the whole truth. She realized that now. That didn’t make this any easier. Now