The Ransom by Chris Taylor Page B

forward and stopped when Mrs Harrow appeared in the doorway. She glanced around at the people in the room. “I’m sorry, Detective. Your partner left to interview Harry Shearer.”
    Lane frowned. “Harry Shearer?”
    “The boy who delivered the note.”
    “Oh, I see. Jett’s managed to identify him. That’s good. Thanks for letting me know.” Patting the pocket of his suit, he turned back to face them.
    “Detective Craigdon prepared the photo line-up. Let’s hope he hasn’t taken the car to the Shearer house. The photos were on the back seat. I’ll go and check.”
    Lane strode out of the office. Zara heard the click of his boots on the concrete floor. She turned to her father, concern and fear warring inside of her.
    “Dad, are you sure the men I saw a couple of weeks ago had nothing to do with this? Is it possible they were working undercover in the Redbacks biker gang? You said yourself sometimes the lines get blurred.”
    The Attorney General shook his head. “They’re from the Drug Enforcement Agency. I shouldn’t be telling you this, but I know I can trust you. They’re part of a taskforce investigating the illegal drug trade in Cabramatta. They have nothing to do with outlaw motorcycle gangs.”
    Zara sighed heavily in relief. His explanation made sense and it went a fair way to alleviating her concerns. It also explained the rough appearance and the air of danger that had surrounded both men. Living undercover in such a precarious and dangerous world meant total immersion. If the enemy they’d infiltrated had even the slightest suspicion that the two men weren’t who they said they were, it could prove fatal. The more believable they were in their role as active participants in the world of illegal drugs, the better their chances of success and survival.
    She couldn’t imagine what it must be like to live like that and she could understand why they did whatever was necessary to stay alive. No wonder they’d appeared so menacing. No wonder her father had demonstrated fear, even if he refused to acknowledge it.Reassured, she sat back in her seat and awaited Lane’s return. There was no point waking Brittany until Lane produced the photo line-up.
    As her mind shifted to the good-looking detective, she once again felt an unfamiliar surge of desire. She recalled the feel of his palm against hers and how her heart had skittered and stuttered and then taken off in a gallop. The breathless anticipation, a feeling so unfamiliar and compelling that she marveled at its existence, was even now causing her chest to tighten and her pulse rate to increase.
    Now that she knew her father wasn’t involved, she could afford to ponder the detective’s dreamy countenance without the strain of her concerns interfering. There was something very special about him. Even in the midst of the anxiety and desperation to find Olivia, he remained strong and calm and confident. He exuded capability. She was drawn to him like she’d never been drawn to another man. The feeling filled her with excitement and nervousness and anticipation and all kinds of delicious emotions that were totally foreign to her. It was like discovering and learning a new skill and experiencing the freedom that came with it. She yearned to find out more about him and get to know him better.
    The sound of his footsteps crossing the living room floor had her pulse once again picking up its pace. She sat straighter in her chair and smoothed down her hair and waited for him to appear in the doorway.
    “Here it is.” Lane re-entered her father’s office, brandishing a large envelope. “Jett left the car behind. I called him while I was outside. He only had to walk around the corner to speak to the Shearer boy. Unfortunately, the boy can’t tell us much, other than it was a bald man in a car wearing a black leather jacket. The man pulled alongside him while he was riding his push-bike and asked him to deliver the note to the Attorney General.”
    David