Trumped Up Charges - By Joanna Wayne Page 0,67
Sam. He had to get to her before she screwed up everything.
He needed the girls and then he’d collect the rest of his five million. But one stupid move by Hadley and the next time she saw her daughters, they’d be dead.
* * *
UNABLE TO BE MORE than a few inches away from the girls, Hadley had sandwiched herself between them in the backseat of the car. The girls were giggly and full of chatter as they drove to the airport.
They were not only unhurt, there were no apparent signs that they’d been frightened during the kidnapping ordeal. That did not sound as if they’d been left at the mercy of Quinton.
Lacy had mentioned the name Mary Nell. Perhaps she’d been the one who’d cared for them and kept them safe.
Hadley leaned forward and touched Adam on the shoulder. “I should have gone inside the hotel room and looked around. There might have been a note from whoever texted me.”
“If there is, the cops will find it. I think we should call the detective now and let him take care of the case from here on out.”
“And I have to call Mother and R.J. I should do that now.” She took out her phone and made the calls. Her mother was so ecstatic she didn’t even complain about Adam. She’d talked to both of the girls, though. And then she’d started singing “Amazing Grace” right over the phone.
R.J. was silent for at least a minute. When he finally said something, it was a mumbled old Texas saying that had little relevance to the situation. But she’d swear he was crying.
“I don’t think your father is used to showing emotion,” she said when she and Adam had both finished their calls.
“I have no idea what R.J. is about or what affects him. But he came through for us when we needed his help. He opened his home and his pocketbook with no strings attached.”
“I think he’s trying hard to connect with you, Adam.”
“Maybe he should have practiced back when I was the age Lacy and Lila are now.”
“Everyone makes mistakes, Adam. Look at the years we lost together because of ours. What did Lane say?” she asked, changing the subject.
The scars in R.J. and Adam’s relationship would not fade overnight any more than the scars on Adam’s back would. But given a chance, they could at some time in the future.
“The detective admitted he owed you an apology,” Adam said. “He said he’ll deliver it in person when we get back to Dallas and promised that he’ll track down and arrest Quinton no matter how long it takes.”
Adam pulled into the almost empty airport parking lot. Traveling by private jet was far less complicated than taking a commercial airline.
Lila tugged on her arm. “Where my Amanda?”
The doll. They’d forgotten the doll. “Did you have her in the motel?”
“She’s in the covers.” Lila began to cry.
“We can’t leave Amanda in the covers,” Adam said. “We’ll go right back and get her.”
Lila quit crying. Adam turned the car around and exited the parking lot.
“When we get to the SunFun, I’ll run in and get the manager to let me back into the room to get it,” Hadley said. Hopefully the room hadn’t been cleaned and serviced yet. She wanted a chance to look around, though she had no idea what she was looking for other than the doll.
* * *
“ROOM 217 HASN’T been cleaned, but I’m afraid I can’t let you in there.”
“I only need to pick up my daughter’s doll. I can’t go back to Dallas without it. She’ll cry all the way and she won’t go to sleep tonight without it.”
“I sympathize, believe me, I do. But we have orders from the police to let no one into that room until they give us the all-clear. They didn’t say why.”
“Give me a minute.” Hadley made a quick call to Detective Lane. He owed her more than an apology. She was ready to collect on the debt.
Within five minutes, the local police called and gave the manager permission to let Hadley into the room with orders that she was only to get the doll and leave.
The manager took her to the room and unlocked the door. “You’re on your own. I normally follow police orders exactly, but I’m not getting in the middle of this. You do what you have to.”
“Thank you.”
Hadley quickly found the doll, hidden in the bed covers, just as Lila had said. She picked it up and hugged