Page 89 of Bombshell

“Yes, I don’t understand.” I look around and realize Ginny’s car is gone. “Did she kidnap her?

But the officer is talking into his radio, no longer paying attention to me. “The mother’s here. Yeah, I’ll take care of it.”

“Where’s my baby?” I demand.

“Your baby is fine,” he says, but there’s no softness in his face. Instead, he looks disgusted. “A concerned guest called when they heard the crying, and the management let us into the room.”

“Wait? What? She was crying, but where was…”

“She’s been taken into protective services. You can’t leave a baby alone around here. Do you have any idea what could have happened? You’re lucky someone even called. This area isn’t full of a lot of concerned citizens.”

“I didn’t leave her alone.” How could he think that? “She was with…”

“You should be more careful about who you trust, because we found her locked in that room wearing nothing but a dirty diaper on the bed. And I know the weather isn’t that cold, but a baby that little can’t regulate their body temperature.”

Now I understand the disgust, because I feel it myself. It coils around me and squeezes until I’m sure I’m going to throw up. My knees weaken and I sway on the spot. Ellie was alone. Scared. Cold. And it’s all my fault.

“Please. This is all a misunderstanding.” I can’t believe anything else, even though I know, deep down, this was planned. “My name is Adair MacLaine. I left her with my sister-in-law. She rented the room. There must be a record. If we can just talk to her or the manager.”

“I know who you are, Miss MacLaine. Your name is on the registration.”

“I didn’t rent the room,” I start to explain.

“Your credit card is on file. It says you arrived here earlier today.”

“Yes, I flew in from London.” I can’t believe this is happening. I can’t believe I was stupid enough to trust them.

“And you have family nearby?”

I know he recognizes the name, but he’s not interested in doing me any favors. “If I could just call my father.”

“He’s been notified,” the officer says. “Protective services prefer to reach out to family in these cases. Sometimes the child can bypass foster care when there’s an appropriate guardian available.”

“No, you can’t do that!” I say wildly.

“You really haven’t left us a choice,” he says coldly. “If you won’t care for your baby…”

“I love her. I would never do anything to hurt h—”

“You already have,” he cuts me off, and the rebuke knocks the wind out of me.

He’s right. Not in the way he thinks. I didn’t abandon Ellie, but I put my trust in the wrong person and she paid the price. She’s become a bargaining chip—another possession for the family to fight over. I never should have brought her back to Valmont. I never should have taken that risk.

“Is everything okay?” Poppy steps by my side.

I didn’t see her leave the car. How can I explain this to her? But then I realize, she might be my only hope. She knows me. Her family is powerful. Maybe—just maybe—all isn’t lost. I cling to the idea like a life raft.

“Miss, this is official police business,” the officer says dismissively, making additional notes on his pad.

“Perhaps, I should ring Captain Larkin,” she says sweetly, but her dark eyes narrow into slits. She might not know what’s going on, but she has my back. “I need to speak to him about the police officer’s ball my family is hosting. I’m certain he can clear things up.”

The officer pauses and finally looks at her. He sighs, dropping his head a little. “I have no idea what is going on here,” he says. “I only know the facts. Captain Larkin’s already abreast of the situation.”

“How?” I butt in. All of this is happening so fast. Too fast.

Planned. Planned. Planned. The word skips around my brain to an irritating tune like my own mind is upset with me. Because I knew before I ever landed in Nashville or stepped foot on the plane, even before Daddy arrived in London with the adoption paperwork, that I was outmatched. Three against one with no allies of my own.

“Believe it or not, he doesn’t tell me these things,” he says in a clipped tone. “But he’s been quite clear on the situation. We’re to work directly with your family. You should thank him really, he’s put a gag on talking to the media. Anyone talks and he’s firing everyone who touches this case.” He stalks off to talk to another officer.