Trumped Up Charges - By Joanna Wayne Page 0,66
and handed it to Adam. “Give me about a thirty-minute heads-up if you can. I’ll be in the area.”
“Thanks, “Adam said.
They hadn’t told the pilot the nature of their business. Nor had Durk, but Hadley was certain he could tell from their demeanor that this was not your normal business trip.
Adam took care of the paperwork on the rental. There was still no follow-up to the earlier text. He opened the car door for her. “No use to just hang around the airport. We may as well find a coffee shop on the beach.”
They had just taken their first sip of coffee when the text came through. Hadley picked up the phone but said a silent prayer before she checked the message. She read it silently to herself and then read it out loud.
“The SunFun Motel. Room 217. I’m sorry.”
Frustration took hold again. “I’m sorry. That can mean anything. Sorry the texter had changed his or her mind about talking to me? Sorry he got our hopes up for nothing. Sorry that...”
“Find the hotel on your phone’s GPS,” Adam said, calm in the face of immense frustration—as usual. Calm but not immune. His fingers had tightened on the wheel and his muscles bunched and flexed beneath his light blue sport shirt.
“It’s 6.2 miles away,” Hadley said. She gave him directions and cursed every red light.
“I can’t stand this. I’m calling the motel,” she said. “I’ll ask for Room 217 and see if someone answers.”
She made the call. “Room 217, please.”
“I’m sorry. The guest in that room checked out just a few minutes ago.”
Hadley mouthed the words checked out for Adam. He grimaced.
“Please ring the room anyway,” Hadley said.
“I’m pretty sure I saw her drive away, but I’ll ring the room.”
“Thanks.”
Hadley checked the GPS while the phone rang. “Turn right in six hundred feet.”
She was about to hang up when the phone clicked and she heard a noise as if it had been dropped. “Hello, she called into the phone. Hello. Is anyone there?”
“It’s Mommy.”
The familiar voice wrapped tight around her heart. Her throat closed. Tears burned at the corners of her eyelids.
“Lacy, is that you?”
“Come get me, Mommy.”
“I’m coming, sweetheart. I’m coming. Is Lila with you?”
“Yes. She being bad. She took my cookie.”
“We’ll buy more cookies. We’ll buy all the cookies you want.”
Adam took her hand and squeezed it as he jerked to a stop in front of Room 217 at the SunFun Motel. “Ask her who’s with her.”
Dread choked Hadley’s joy. She’d been so excited at the sound of her daughter’s voice that she’d never considered that this might be a trap. If Quinton was in that room with them, if this was another of his schemes.
He’d never let them just walk in and walk away with the girls.
“Who’s in the room with you, sweetheart?”
“Lila?”
“Who else?”
“Amanda. Mary Nell leaved us.”
Adam was already out of his truck when the door to Room 217 opened and Lila stepped onto the outdoor walkway. Adam flew up the steps and grabbed her. She started to scream and he quickly set her back down.
Lacy ran out of the room and started kicking him.
With tears streaming down her face, Hadley raced to his rescue. She fell to her knees and both girls tumbled into her arms.
“Don’t cry, Mommy.”
But she couldn’t stop crying and laughing and kissing.
“This is Adam,” she said when the girls had endured all the slobbering attention they could stand. “He’s my friend.”
She’d tell them he was their father later when they’d had time to get to know him. They’d soon love him the way she did. The way she’d always loved him. The way she always would, even though they still had a few serious barriers to hurdle.
Adam picked up both girls and started toward the steps. Hadley took one quick look inside the motel room. She didn’t see another soul, but there was food scattered about the room. At least her babies had not starved.
“Wanna go home, Mommy,” Lila said when she caught up with them.
“Me, too, sweetheart. Me, too.”
Oddly, when she’s said home, she was actually thinking of the Dry Gulch Ranch.
* * *
QUINTON SWERVED INTO the left lane and passed an 18-wheeler that was going five miles over the speed limit. He cursed the traffic the way he had ever since leaving Dallas.
By now, the stupid broad would have surely heard that Sam had been arrested. There was no telling what she was planning.
Most likely she’d try to get the ransom for herself and end up in jail with