at the YWCA last March. Lacy pretended she was a fish from one of her favorite movies. She wasn’t the least bit afraid. In fact, she came up giggling when her head went under for the first time.”
“Yep, she’s my daughter. What about Lila?”
“She was a bit more cautious. She cried the first few times she got water in her eyes. But after the second lesson she was over her fears and reluctance. After that, she loved her lessons. And the hideous neon yellow swimsuit that she picked out herself.”
For once talking about them wasn’t making Hadley cry. In fact, it seemed to help. “What else should I know about my daughters?”
“Lacy loves to play outside. We walk to the park almost every evening in the summer. And she loves animals. She’s been begging for a puppy but we’ll have to move before she gets one. Condo restrictions forbid it where we’re renting now.”
“Every little girl should have a puppy,” Adam said.
“The condo is all I can afford. I do the best I can by them on just my salary.”
“That didn’t come out the way I meant it,” Adam said. “I’m sure that you’re a wonderful mother.” He’d never had any doubts that she would be.
“What does Lila like?”
“Her dolls and playing house and dress-up. She has this stringy-haired doll that she named Amanda. She never goes anywhere without it.”
“The doll she was holding in the video?”
“That’s the one. I’m so glad she has Amanda with her now. She would have cried herself to sleep every night without her. She might be crying now. She and Lacy could be locked up and alone with no one to hear or care if they’re hungry, or hurt, or afraid.”
Hadley’s voice grew unsteady. Her body swayed. Her face grew ashen.
Adam caught her just before she sank to the grass. He lifted her and held her in his arms. She felt fragile, as if she might break if he held her too tightly.
“I’ve got you,” he whispered. “I won’t let you fall.”
But that was the best he could promise. All they could do was take this one day, one hour, one second at a time.
“I think I should sit a minute before we ride back,” she said.
“I agree.” He led her to the base of a towering pine. Still holding his hand, she eased down to the carpet of pine straw. She straightened her back and held her head high as the color slowly returned to her face.
“I can handle this,” she said. “I will not let the kidnapper win.”
“That’s my girl.”
The girl who got away.
His phone vibrated. He pulled it from his pocket and checked the caller ID. Matilda Bastion. He retreated back to where the horses were waiting and took the call, keeping his voice low. If this was news about Quinton, he might need to break it to Hadley gently.
“Adam, it’s Matilda.” Her voice was strained. “I hope you don’t mind me calling you, but I didn’t know who else to call.”
“I don’t mind. I told you when I gave you my phone number to call anytime you feel the need. What’s wrong?”
“Detective Lane was here again.”
“To talk about Quinton?”
“No. He came to question Alana and Sam. He insisted on talking to each of them alone. I shouldn’t have let him.”
“Why is that?”
“He bullied them, treated them like common criminals. They were both nervous wrecks when he left. Alana was crying. Sam was so upset he put a fist through a wall. He just left for his summer school class. I’m afraid he might do something foolish like not come home tonight—or try to find Quinton.”
“Did he mention Quinton?”
“He said he understood why Quinton hates cops. I was hoping you could talk to him and try to calm him down before he does something that makes him look guilty.”
“I’d be glad to. Where’s his school and how will I recognize him?”
She gave him the information and the time Sam’s class would finish for the day.
“Alana’s freaking out, too, but I can handle her,” Matilda said. “She said the detective was trying to trick her into saying things she didn’t mean to say.”
“He’s likely just doing his job.”
“But why go after them instead of arresting Quinton?” Matilda protested. “There’s no way they could be involved. They’re both here all night, every night. I told him that. And they’ve never been in trouble with the police.”
“Never?”
“Almost never. Alana shoplifted a lipstick from the drugstore when she was twelve. The clerk called the police