Read The Ransom for Free Online Page B

of hay fever.
    A blond-haired princess lay curled up on a huge four poster bed which was decorated in reams of pink and white fabric. An iPod dock sat on the white cane nightstand, along with a remote control, presumably to the huge flat-screen TV fixed to the wall opposite.
    Lane approached the bed with caution, feeling more than a little out of his depth in the girly room. He was the oldest of four boys. Pink had not been a color of prominence in his family home. Even now, his condo reflected his solitary male existence. Sparsely furnished, it was a place to rest and recover from the events of the day. Nothing more, nothing less.
    Occasionally, he’d let a woman sleep over for the night, but that was the extent of his willingness to cohabitate. It didn’t do to get too attached when he had no intention of turning it into a permanent commitment. That was something that worried him about accepting another date with Katie Leeds. It was obvious she wanted to share more than a meal with him. It probably wasn’t fair to let it go any further without having ‘the talk.’
    His gaze strayed to Zara and then flicked quickly away when she caught him looking at her. He quelled the sudden surge of interest that pumped straight to his groin, and attempted to focus on the girl in the bed.
    “Hi, Brittany. My name’s Lane. I need to talk to you about what happened this morning at the mall. Olivia’s missing, Brittany. We need to find her. Do you think you can help me?”
    A tiny nod was the only sign that she’d heard him.
    “I know this is difficult for you, but it’s really important that you to tell me everything you remember.”
    It took the young girl a few moments to respond. She turned her head on the pillow and looked toward her sister. Zara gave her an encouraging smile. Brittany’s gaze slid back to Lane.
    “I’ll try,” she whispered.
    Uncurling her slight body, she reached for Zara’s hand and clung to it. The older girl leaned over and smoothed back the golden halo of hair from Brittany’s forehead.
    “Just take it slowly, sweetheart,” she murmured.
    Brittany took a huge breath and exhaled with a shudder. Lane stepped closer and perched on the end of the bed, his notebook and pen at the ready.
    “Your dad said you went shopping in Chatswood this morning with Olivia and her mom. Is that right?”
    Brittany nodded. “Stepmom, actually.”
    Lane bit down on his irritation. No one could ask for a better mom than Ellie. Pressing on, he tried again. “Did you buy anything?”
    Brittany shook her head.
    “Did you stop anywhere? Like for an ice cream or a milkshake?”
    “No.”
    “Tell me what happened,” he urged as gently as he could.
    Brittany compressed her lips, as if debating about whether to reply. At last, she spoke.
    “We went to Myer. It was our first stop. Olivia wanted to get a bikini.”
    “Did she find one?”
    Brittany shook her head. “Her mom—I mean, her step momsaid she wasn’t buying her a bikini. She made her try on some full-pieces. Olivia argued with her, but Mrs Munro wouldn’t give in. Olivia snuck a bikini into the pile of swimsuits Mrs Munro gave her and we went to the change rooms.” Brittany fell silent and turned her face toward her sister, clutching at Zara’s hand.
    “It’s okay, baby,” Zara reassured her. “It’s okay.”
    “What happened then?” Lane asked, after the girl had calmed a little.
    “We…we were in one of the cubicles. Olivia had just started to take off her T-shirt.” She stopped and bit her lip. Tears glinted in her eyes.
    Zara sat beside her on the bed and put her arms around her. Brittany sniffled and leaned into her.
    “Did the cubicle have a door, Brittany?” Lane asked.
    The young girl shook her head. “No, just a curtain,” she whispered, her voice muffled against her sister’s dress.
    “What happened?” Lane asked again, trying not to rush her, but aware that every moment Olivia remained missing dramatically decreased her odds