and you damn well know it. Take a look at Adam. He didn’t get those bruises twiddling his thumbs and whistling Dixie. He got them out doing your job for you.”
Lane pulled on his right earlobe and looked to Adam. “Care to explain what Mr. Dalton is talking about?”
“I was in Quinton Larson’s neighborhood. His thugs threw me a welcoming party. Three against one. Not the best of odds.”
“That’s a rough neighborhood. How do you know Quinton had anything to do with the assault?”
“One of the guys on the kicking team mentioned that Quinton had said not to kill me. Guess Quinton wanted to prove what a nice guy he is. Anyway he showed up while I was still spitting up blood and offered me a tour of his house.”
“His house?”
“Right. The house on Pickford Street with a window used for target practice. The DPD has surely searched it by now.”
Lane ignored the comment. His nonresponse made it clear to Hadley that he hadn’t been to the house on Pickford Street. Adam was proving more valuable in the investigation than she would have ever imagined.
Yet the kidnapper was still calling the shots. And she was almost positive that Quinton was behind the abduction, though he might not be in it alone.
“What kind of police department do you squirrels run in the Big D?” R.J. asked.
“I suggest you stay out of this, Mr. Dalton. I wouldn’t want to take you in.”
“Why not? It would make as much sense as arresting Hadley.”
Lane took the handcuffs from his belt. “Hadley, give me one good reason not to arrest you.”
He sounded sincere, and there was a reason, but did she dare let Lane know that they’d heard from the kidnapper? She’d told enough lies and yet the kidnapper had warned her not to involve the cops in any way.
Fred and Adam didn’t really need her to rescue the girls. She wouldn’t be there for them to come running into her arms, but she’d be there for the rest of their lives.
“Arrest me,” she said. “Let’s get it over with.”
Adam came over and slipped an arm around her shoulder. “You don’t have to do this, Hadley.”
Lane shook his head. “Okay, I may be a bit hard-headed, but I wasn’t born yesterday. It’s clear that I’m not getting the straight scoop.”
R.J. sneered as if this whole thing was too ridiculous to believe.
Lane turned to the two officers. “Giles, Mason. You two step outside for a minute. I need to address the suspect alone.”
The two officers looked dubious, but they did as told.
“Let’s start over,” Lane said. “No more lies, Hadley. What do you know that I don’t? Fill me in, or I swear I’ll get two more warrants and arrest the whole bunch of you.”
Adam put a reassuring hand to the small of Hadley’s back. “I’m sorry, Hadley, but we’re too close now to let this get screwed up. The kidnapper may insist on talking to you tonight. We have no choice but to trust the detective.”
“It’s about time,” Lane said.
“We’ve heard from the kidnapper,” Adam admitted. “R.J., would you mind getting Fred? I think he should be in on this.”
Hadley swallowed hard. “Does anyone object to our moving this conference to the kitchen? I need a cup of coffee in the worst way.”
An hour and two pots of coffee later, the details were ironed out to include minimal police participation, at least on the front end.
Hadley wouldn’t be arrested. A sharpshooter from the SWAT team would ride in the truck with Adam and Hadley. The sharpshooter would be passed off as the negotiator that the kidnapper was already expecting. He was to shoot only to save the girls’ lives or after they were totally in the clear and out of the line of fire.
Lane would ride with Fred and the pilot in the Lambert’s helicopter. They’d be in place nearby, ready to follow the kidnapper and arrest him after the girls were safe and before he made a successful getaway. There would also be unmarked, manned police cars in the area.
R.J. had offered to take the full five million from the bank if that was what it took to save the girls. Fred had said it wasn’t necessary.
It looked good on paper. Nonetheless, Hadley was a wreck. She’d count the seconds until it was time to leave. Count and pray that she’d tuck Lacy and Lila into bed and give them a thousand good-night kisses tonight.
* * *
ONCE MARY NELL MADE up her mind what