no.”
Her spirit plunged. “What about the construction workers involved in the remodeling project? Did you check them out?”
“We’re working on it, but at this point it doesn’t appear that any of them have a criminal record.”
Desperation forced her to ignore Adam’s words of caution. She had to do something, and Lane could probably make the arrangements quicker than she could on her own.
“I want to go on television and plead for the girls’ safe return,” she said.
There was a long, silent pause before the detective responded. “We can discuss that possibility.”
“I don’t need to discuss the possibility. My mind’s made up. The only question is will you help me arrange it or should I proceed on my own?”
“I’ll set it up, Hadley, but we need to talk first. Do you mind if I call you Hadley?”
“Please do, and I’m not questioning your expertise or your methods, Detective. But unless you can assure me that you have a credible lead in finding Lacy and Lila, I insist we go forward with the TV spots immediately. There is no time to waste and no reason to talk about it.”
“I agree, but we have a new development in the case.”
She held her breath, a wave of dread rushing through her. If this was bad news... “What’s the development?”
“Someone claiming to be the kidnapper has made contact.”
Hadley’s heart was pounding as Adam pulled into her mother’s driveway. At her frantic urging, Adam had broken the speed limit more than once on the way here.
Detective Lane had refused to give her any additional information on the phone except that there had been a ransom demand along with a promise by the kidnapper that Lacy and Lila were alive and well.
Alive.
The word echoed in her heart. But the detective’s word choice continued to haunt her—someone claiming to be the kidnapper.
Please, God, let this be more than a claim.
She spotted the detective on the covered porch, standing in the stalking shadows cast by a pair of aged oak trees. She jumped from the truck as it rolled to a stop and raced to hear the rest of the story.
The detective was not smiling when he greeted her. She paused a few feet away as her gaze zeroed in on a FedEx envelope the detective held in his right hand along with a small plastic bag. When she looked closer she recognized the bag’s contents.
A pink ribbon with a row of intricate hearts that she’d last seen tied around Lacy’s ponytail.
She took a deep breath. “That’s Lacy’s ribbon. Where did you get it?”
“It came in the envelope with the message.”
She gulped in air and relief. “Then the man isn’t just claiming to be the kidnapper. He has my girls.”
“You’re sure about the ribbon.”
“It looks exactly the same.”
Only Hadley was certain Lacy’s hair had not been in a ponytail when she’d gone to bed last night. The loose red curls had been spread about her pillow when Hadley tucked her in and kissed her good-night as well as when she’d checked on them just after one.
Now that she thought about it, Lacy’s hair hadn’t been in a ponytail when they’d taken her mother to the hospital. Lacy must have taken the ribbon out when she and Lila were playing dress-up with their grandmother’s old hats, shawls and shoes just after lunch yesterday.
The kidnapper must have taken it from the dresser for this very purpose. “May I see the message?”
“Yes, but I think we should go inside and sit down first,” the detective said.
“How much is the ransom demand?” she asked.
“Worry about that later,” Adam said. “First, we should hear the detective out.”
As if she had a choice. She fumbled in her purse for the house key before she remembered that Adam had locked up. He opened the door, and she led the way to the small formal living room where the detective had questioned her that morning.
Adam waited until she sat down and then dropped beside her on the sofa.
Adam Dalton, the man who had once thrilled her with his smile and made her blood run hot with his kisses. Adam, who had captured her heart so completely only to shatter it when it suited his purpose.
Letting him back into her life was likely the worst choice she could make for so many reasons. But this wasn’t about her or protecting her heart or hiding her secrets.
Nothing mattered now except Lacy and Lila and bringing them safely home again.
Detective Lane took the chair directly across from Hadley and then took his time pulling a sheet of paper from the FedEx envelope. “This is only a copy,” he said. “The actual note is considered evidence and is being checked for fingerprints and DNA residue.”
The note was written in the type of scribbled print a first grader might produce. Hadley read it quickly before taking a deep breath and reading it a second time, this time out loud.
“Your daughters are safe and being well taken care of. If you want them to stay that way, do exactly as you’re told from this point on. You have two days to get the ransom together. I want five million dollars delivered in unmarked twenty-dollar bills. Believe me, I will know if they’re marked and you’ll never see the twins again. Stay tuned for further instructions. Lacy and Lila send their love.”
“Bastard.” Adam followed that outburst with a string of muttered curses. He took the note and read it for himself before returning it to the detective. “Is that the envelope the note came in?”
“No, like the note, the original packaging has been taken as evidence. But the envelope was delivered at 5:32 this evening.”
Hadley checked her watch. Just over an hour ago. “Was it delivered to the police station?”
“No. It was delivered here and addressed to you. The officer we had watching the house signed for it.”
“I don’t recall you mentioning this morning that officers were staking out the O’Sullivan home,” Adam said.
“It’s routine in a case like this.” Lane reached across the coffee table and handed the plastic-encased ribbon to Hadley. “I need you to officially identify this without taking it out of the bag.”
“It’s Lacy’s hair ribbon,” Hadley said again. “But she wasn’t wearing it when I tucked her into bed.”
“When was the last time you saw the ribbon?”
