Trumped Up Charges

by Joanna Wayne

  Lacy and Lila might not recognize her.

  But she would recognize them and they’d know her the second she called their names and pulled them into her arms. Nothing could go wrong tonight. Fate could never be that cruel to her or her precious daughters.

  Fifteen more hours and she’d hold them in her arms. Fifteen more hours and they’d meet their daddy for the first time. Fifteen more hours and she could breathe again.

  She stepped out of the short cotton nightshirt and let it fall to the floor as she turned on the shower and adjusted the temperature. Then she stepped beneath the spray and let the water wash away the lingering memories from her nightmares.

  Fifteen more hours and the nightmares would be behind her. She and Adam would have to work through their mistakes. It might take time, but they could do it. What they had was too precious to let it die.

  The doorbell rang as she was grabbing a towel. No one ever came to her door this early, but she’d already learned that a rancher’s day started at dawn.

  Still, anxiety surfaced and swelled as she threw on her clothes and ran a comb through her wet hair. The smell of coffee wafted down the hallway along with the sound of voices.

  Detective Lane’s voice boomed above the others. A quick surge of panic sent her hurrying even faster down the long hallway.

  “I have an arrest warrant.”

  Hadley stopped just short of the family room as the detective’s words rang clear.

  “I’m here to take Hadley O’Sullivan into custody.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Hadley stopped dead-still. The detective couldn’t be serious. There had to be some mistake. Perhaps he’d misunderstood when they’d asked him to leak word of an imminent arrest.

  Apprehension strained her nerves to near breaking point as she stepped into the family room and viewed the scene. Adam stood toe to toe with Lane. R.J. moseyed over to stand by Hadley as if he could protect her from the detective or the two uniformed officers at his side.

  Fred had wisely stayed out of the confrontation. He had his own job to do.

  “Explain the charges,” Adam demanded.

  “Right now it’s for impeding an investigation.”

  Right now, suggesting it could change to something more serious in the future. “In what way have I impeded your progress?” she asked. “I’ve cooperated in every way I can. I have more at stake here than anyone else. It’s my daughters who are missing.”

  “Actually, according to the information I have, it’s your and Adam Dalton’s daughters who are missing.”

  R.J. looked from Hadley to Adam. “Whoa. Run that by me again. Did you just say that those two missing little girls are my granddaughters?”

  “I’m sorry, R.J.,” Adam said. “I just found out yesterday myself, but we were going to tell you when this was over.”

  “So you’d lied to Adam as well as to me,” the detective said, his gaze leveled at Hadley. “You told me the morning of the attack that you didn’t know who the father was. You specifically said Adam was just a friend.”

  A slow burn started in Hadley’s chest and then erupted into a full-blown fire. She took a step toward the detective and planted herself in front of him, hands on her hips.

  “Let’s set the record straight. I’m Lacy and Lila’s mother. I’m a single parent, the only parent my girls have ever known. Adam is the biological father. We had an affair. He went back to Afghanistan before I even knew I’d conceived, and I never told him he was the father.

  “I may not measure up to your standards for an ideal mother, but it’s not cause for arrest.”

  “You deliberately misled an officer of the law by giving false information. We can do the rest of our talking down at central lockup.”

  “You wait just a goldanged minute,” R.J. said. “Hadley had nothing to do with that abduction 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 loo
ked 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 to do, she knew she had to act fast. Quinton had left with Sam last night, but he’d said he’d be back this morning as soon as he took care of a little business.

  Once he was back, he’d relieve Mary Nell of her babysitting duties so that she could do whatever she needed to do on her last day in the U.S.A.

  Only she didn’t trust Quinton. She figured he was only trying to get rid of her. She wouldn’t be surprised if he found a way to get rid of Sam, too. He didn’t want half the ransom money or even seventy percent. He wanted it all.

  And once he got the money, he couldn’t care less if the girls lived or died. The money she and Sam were supposed to build their new life with. Money that would let her escape her stepfather who couldn’t keep his hands to himself and her mother who was too hooked on drugs to care.

  She threw the few items of clothing she’d bought for the girls into a plastic grocery bag. She put the rest of the box of Cheerios and the half carton of milk into another bag. That only left the small duffel with her clothes and the few toiletries she’d brought with her when she and the girls had moved into this shabby motel.

  She grabbed Lacy as the adorable toddler skipped by her. “Be still a minute and let me tie your bonnet, sweetie.”

  “Don’t like it.”

  “I know but you have to wear it when we go for a ride.”

  “Go see Mommy.”

  “Right. You’ll see your mommy soon.”

  She tied Lila’s bonnet on next, pushing the escaping red curls back under the fabric of the hat. Mary Nell didn’t want one strand of their red hair to show, not with everyone in the city on the lookout for two red-haired toddlers.

  The TV morning news had talked of an imminent arrest of the kidnapper. Mary Nell was sick with worry that it was Sam who was about to be arrested. Then she and the girls would be left at the mercy of Quinton. She had to make sure that didn’t happen.

  She slung the duffel over her shoulders, hung the bags from her wrist and took both girls by the hand.

  Lila balked at the door. “Need Amanda.” Lila pulled free and ran back and found her beloved doll beneath the edge of her pallet.

  “We’re going for a ride,” Mary Nell said, when Lila rejoined them. “Stay very quiet as we walk to the car. People might be sleeping.”

  “Get up, sleepyheads,” Lacy called, ignoring the warning.

  “Shhh.”

  Lacy looked at her sheepishly but was quiet as they walked to the back of the motel where her car was parked.

  Mary Nell put the duffel and the bags in the trunk of her mother’s old Chevy and then opened the back door. She hated that she didn’t have their booster seats, but the risk of staying here was much greater than that of driving without the protection.

  “I want you to sit very, very still while I’m driving. Keep your face away from the window and don’t wave at anyone. Can you do that for me?”

  “Go see Mommy,” Lacy said again.

  “If you do what I say.”

  “Pomise,” Lila said.

  “Good, and you have to promise, too, Lacy.”

  “Okay.”

  Mary Nell wished she could just drive them to Janice O’Sullivan’s house and drop them off, but if Sam wasn’t arrested, he’d be furious with her. All their plans, all their dreams of being rich and living like royalty would be gone forever.

  She couldn’t give up yet. But she would if it meant trusting Quinton Larson. They had to do this without him or not do it at all.

  She buckled the girls into their seat belts. The fit was poor, but it was the best she could do. Then she got behind the wheel and slipped the key into the ignition. The battery groaned and died twice before it caught and the engine clattered to life.

  As she drove off, she wondered if her mother had even noticed that she hadn’t been home in a few nights. Hopefully, she hadn’t missed her or the car.

  “We’re going on an adventure,” she said as she turned toward the I-45 Freeway. What shall we sing?”

  “Beary over the mountain.”

  “‘The Bear Went Over the Mountain.’ Great choice, Lila. You’ll have to make the motions without me because I have to steer the car.”

  They sang and laughed and Mary Nell told them stories—just like a normal, happy family on vacation. Not that she had ever been part of a normal, happy family.

  Maybe one day if she and Sam didn’t end up in jail.

  She adjusted her visor and turned on the radio. She could drive forever like this, except that she couldn’t afford gasoline. She had fifteen dollars left from what Sam and given her to buy food for the girls when they’d moved into the motel. She’d need that to buy more food now that they were on the run.

  And she had a hundred-dollar bill she’d stolen from Quinton’s wallet last night when he and Sam were out back of the motel sharing a joint.

  “Go to McDonald’s,” Lila said when she spotted the golden arches. “Get fen fies.”

  “And climb and slide,” Lacy added.

  It was a risk, but they were all hungry and in need of a bathroom break. They stopped in Conroe, Texas, and she let the girls play for about thirty minutes. They needed the exercise.

  If she stayed on I-45 south, they might have enough gas left to make it to Galveston. Galveston was on the Gulf of Mexico. It seemed the perfect place to take her stand.

  Either Sam left Quinton and they did this without him, or she’d call Hadley and tell her where to find her girls.

  Quinton Larson could go to hell along with her stepfather.

  * * *

  QUINTON FUMED. He should have known not to leave Sam’s girlfriend here with the girls last night. Never trust a bitch with a fortune.

  He paced until he saw Sam walk up to the door. He met him with a string of curses. “Your slut girlfriend took off with the kids.”

  “She’s not a slut and she didn’t take off. Mary Nell wouldn’t do that to me.”

  “Her car’s gone. She’s gone. The girls are gone. If that’s not taking off, what is it?”

  “She must have made a run to the convenience store to get something to eat.”

  “She took those girls out in public. How stupid is she?”

  “She is not stupid. She’s just got a heart, that’s all. She’s not gonna let those girls go hungry.”

  “Get her on the phone. Order her back here on the double.”

  “She doesn’t have a phone.”

  “Everybody has a phone. What is she? Homeless?”

  “Her stepfather took her phone away from her last week.”

  “She still lives at home?”

  “She’s only seventeen.”

  “Friggin’ jail bait. That figures. How come he took her phone?”

  “Because he’s a pervert and she doesn’t like him pawing at her.”

  “Well, if you don’t do something to get her back here before tonight, you can kiss that five million dollars that’s waiting on us goodbye.”

  “The five millions dollars was waiting on Mary Nell and me. So stop acting like this was all your idea and we messed it up. You didn’t take any of the risks. I’m the one who took the key off Mom’s key ring. I stole the ether from Johnny’s shop to keep the girls knocked out until I could get them out of the house. I was the one who had to clean my greasy footprints off Mrs. O’Sullivan’s carpet. So don’t gripe about how I’ve handled things when you did nothing.”

  “The biggest risk you took was bringing that bitch to the party. If she turns the kids over to the police, you’re going to jail. Do you know what happens to kidnappers in jail?”

  “I’m not going to jail.”

  “Then you better find those kids fast. If you don’t I’m your only ticket out of here.”

  “Do
you really think you could pull this off without having those kids to exchange for the ransom?”

  “I can as long as they’re still missing.”

  “How are you going to do that?”

  “Give me time to think, and then you’ll have to do exactly as I say.”

  Quinton started tossing around possibilities in his mind. One thing was for sure. If someone had to be sacrificed, it wouldn’t be him. When the plane he’d arranged for left tonight for Mexico City, Quinton and the cash would be on it.

  Janice O’Sullivan had paid for his funeral. Now she’d pay for his new life. The only thing that could be more satisfying would be getting back at Hadley O’Sullivan for trying to kill him with that damn crystal vase.

  She’d thought she was too good for him, acted as if his hands were poison. She was wrong. The snobby bitch had probably never had a real man like him.

  Too bad she still wouldn’t get her chance to find that out. Neither Hadley nor her daughters would get any mercy from him.

  * * *

  THERE HAD BEEN no more phone calls from the kidnapper. Hadley took that as a good sign. As long as there were no surprises, the girls would be driving back to the ranch with them tonight.

  Allowing themselves plenty of time, Hadley, Adam and the sharpshooter, Roger Orr, were in the truck and ready to go at 6:00 p.m.

  Two duffel bags of twenty-dollar bills were in the backseat. Four more duffel bags were stuffed with newspaper and in the bed of the truck. Fred had decided on the extra bags at the last minute in case the plan had to be altered slightly.

  Adam drove. Roger rode in the front seat with him. Hadley sat in the back with the money.

  Adam and Roger talked of sports and fishing and politics, avoiding any mention of where they were going or why until they were just a few miles from their exit.

  “Remember that no matter what happens, Hadley, you are not to get out of the truck,” Adam warned.

  “I remember.” But she hadn’t promised. It would be next to impossible not to jump from the truck when she saw the girls running to her.