trigger.’
My whole body froze with shock. I met Jam’s gaze. He looked as distraught as I felt.
Across the clearing the police car was pulling to a halt.
I looked down at the bag with the money on the ground beside me. I had to think – and move – fast. I kicked the bag across the gravel so that it was half hidden behind a large piece
of scrap metal.
‘You don’t have the two million,’ I hissed into the phone. ‘And if you shoot Madison now you’ll never get it.’
‘Are you threatening me?’ The filtered voice hardened. ‘Because you’re—’
‘It’s not a threat,’ I said, desperately. The police car front door opened and a female officer got out. ‘I didn’t call the cops but they’re here .
Right now.’
Holtwood sucked in her breath. ‘OK, we’ll do another deal,’ she said quickly. ‘But this is your last chance, Lauren. If you tell those officers anything you’ll never see Madison again. Leave the phone on so I can hear.’
I took the phone away from my ear and held it in my hand.
‘What’s going on?’ Jam hissed.
Across the clearing a male police officer had now got out of the car as well. He and the policewoman started walking towards us.
‘We have to lie about the kidnapping,’ I said quickly. I had no doubt Holtwood meant what she said. If she heard me speaking to the police now she would kill Madison.
‘Oh, man.’ Jam blew out his breath.
‘Hello there.’ The male police officer smiled as he reached us. He was young – not much older than we were. The woman beside him, on the other hand, was middle-aged, with grey
hair and a permanent crease down the middle of her forehead.
‘What are you two doing out here?’ she said, unsmiling.
‘We just came for a walk.’ My lips were dry. ‘We’re not trespassing on private land, are we?’
‘No.’ The policewoman looked irritated. ‘We had a call from a Shelby Purditt. Do you know her?’
Jam and I looked at each other. Shelby. So that was why the police were here.
I met the policewoman’s gaze. ‘Shelby’s my sister.’
A beat passed. The woman was still staring at me. ‘So you’re Lauren Purditt?’
I opened my mouth. I was about to explain that my surname was different because I’d been brought up by different parents, but then I thought better of it. There was no point complicating
everything.
‘I’m Lauren,’ I said. ‘Look, I don’t know what Shelby’s told you, but she’s always making up stuff. She does it to get me into trouble.’
Jam cleared his throat. ‘What’s this about?’
‘The station received a call from your sister about an hour ago,’ the policeman said. ‘She was apparently emotional and incoherent, but the gist of what she said was that your
sister Madison had been kidnapped and that you were paying a two-million-pound ransom to get her back.’
Jam laughed. ‘That’s crazy.’
‘Yeah.’ I raised my eyebrows. ‘Jeez, Shelby’s really acting out this time.’
The young policeman fixed his eyes on my face. ‘You’re saying she’s making her story up?’
I gripped the phone in my hand, my stomach tightening into knots.
‘Of course,’ I said, rolling my eyes. ‘It’s ridiculous. Madison’s at home with our mum.’
I held my breath. Would the officers believe me? The phone in my sweating palm felt sticky.
The policewoman coughed. ‘The officer on duty asked Shelby to come to the station to make a formal statement. She refused and hung up, but about ten minutes ago she called again and
described where you were.’ She paused. ‘We were driving through the area so we came to take a look.’
I nodded, working it through in my head. When Rick couldn’t get over the iron fence, he must have rung Annie who must have told Shelby what was happening . . .
‘We haven’t been able to get hold of Shelby’s mother on the number Shelby gave us, but Shelby herself seemed convinced that when we found you, you’d be in possession of a
bag containing
My whole body froze with shock. I met Jam’s gaze. He looked as distraught as I felt.
Across the clearing the police car was pulling to a halt.
I looked down at the bag with the money on the ground beside me. I had to think – and move – fast. I kicked the bag across the gravel so that it was half hidden behind a large piece
of scrap metal.
‘You don’t have the two million,’ I hissed into the phone. ‘And if you shoot Madison now you’ll never get it.’
‘Are you threatening me?’ The filtered voice hardened. ‘Because you’re—’
‘It’s not a threat,’ I said, desperately. The police car front door opened and a female officer got out. ‘I didn’t call the cops but they’re here .
Right now.’
Holtwood sucked in her breath. ‘OK, we’ll do another deal,’ she said quickly. ‘But this is your last chance, Lauren. If you tell those officers anything you’ll never see Madison again. Leave the phone on so I can hear.’
I took the phone away from my ear and held it in my hand.
‘What’s going on?’ Jam hissed.
Across the clearing a male police officer had now got out of the car as well. He and the policewoman started walking towards us.
‘We have to lie about the kidnapping,’ I said quickly. I had no doubt Holtwood meant what she said. If she heard me speaking to the police now she would kill Madison.
‘Oh, man.’ Jam blew out his breath.
‘Hello there.’ The male police officer smiled as he reached us. He was young – not much older than we were. The woman beside him, on the other hand, was middle-aged, with grey
hair and a permanent crease down the middle of her forehead.
‘What are you two doing out here?’ she said, unsmiling.
‘We just came for a walk.’ My lips were dry. ‘We’re not trespassing on private land, are we?’
‘No.’ The policewoman looked irritated. ‘We had a call from a Shelby Purditt. Do you know her?’
Jam and I looked at each other. Shelby. So that was why the police were here.
I met the policewoman’s gaze. ‘Shelby’s my sister.’
A beat passed. The woman was still staring at me. ‘So you’re Lauren Purditt?’
I opened my mouth. I was about to explain that my surname was different because I’d been brought up by different parents, but then I thought better of it. There was no point complicating
everything.
‘I’m Lauren,’ I said. ‘Look, I don’t know what Shelby’s told you, but she’s always making up stuff. She does it to get me into trouble.’
Jam cleared his throat. ‘What’s this about?’
‘The station received a call from your sister about an hour ago,’ the policeman said. ‘She was apparently emotional and incoherent, but the gist of what she said was that your
sister Madison had been kidnapped and that you were paying a two-million-pound ransom to get her back.’
Jam laughed. ‘That’s crazy.’
‘Yeah.’ I raised my eyebrows. ‘Jeez, Shelby’s really acting out this time.’
The young policeman fixed his eyes on my face. ‘You’re saying she’s making her story up?’
I gripped the phone in my hand, my stomach tightening into knots.
‘Of course,’ I said, rolling my eyes. ‘It’s ridiculous. Madison’s at home with our mum.’
I held my breath. Would the officers believe me? The phone in my sweating palm felt sticky.
The policewoman coughed. ‘The officer on duty asked Shelby to come to the station to make a formal statement. She refused and hung up, but about ten minutes ago she called again and
described where you were.’ She paused. ‘We were driving through the area so we came to take a look.’
I nodded, working it through in my head. When Rick couldn’t get over the iron fence, he must have rung Annie who must have told Shelby what was happening . . .
‘We haven’t been able to get hold of Shelby’s mother on the number Shelby gave us, but Shelby herself seemed convinced that when we found you, you’d be in possession of a
bag containing
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