The Ransom Read Online Free PDF Page B

streaked with gray, but the strength in his forearm and the tautness of his belly beneath his tailored business shirt indicated a level of discipline rarely seen in men who had passed their prime.
    “What can I do for you, Attorney General?”
    “Please, call me David. And take a seat,” he added, indicating a pair of richly upholstered, black leather armchairs that stood opposite the desk.
    The Attorney General returned to his seat. Lane followed suit. His gaze snagged on a pair of matching photo frames that graced the overcrowded desk.
    “My daughters,” David supplied, noticing Lane’s interest. Picking up one of the frames, the man turned it so that Lane could take a better look. “This is Zara, my eldest.”
    Lane looked at the photo and tried to contain his surprise. The girl looked about eighteen or nineteen and was unmistakably of Filipino heritage. Her midnight black hair framed an oval face and fell in long, straight waves to below her waist. She was smiling at the camera, displaying a set of perfect white teeth.
    Unable to help himself, Lane reached for the photo frame and examined the picture more closely. His stomach somersaulted. The girl seemed to look right into his soul.
    “She’s beautiful,” he murmured, handing the picture back.
    The Attorney General took the photo and smiled with pride. “Yes, she is. This was taken a few years ago, on the night of her high school graduation. She finished top of her year.”
    “You must be very proud of her.”
    “I am. I’m proud of both of my daughters.”
    Setting Zara’s picture down, the Attorney General picked up the other one. Staring at the photo, his lips compressed and his eyes filled with emotion. “And this is my baby. This is Brittany.”
    He handed the frame across the desk and once again, Lane was forced to contain his surprise. Brittany Dowton looked nothing like her sister. A cloud of golden blond curls framed the tiny heart-shaped face of a child who looked about four or five. The only similarity between the sisters was their dark brown eyes. Brittany stared out at the photographer, her eyes alight with mischief.
    “I know what you’re thinking. My girls, they’re like night and day. Zara’s mother was my first wife, Anna. She died in childbirth a few hours after Zara was born.” He rubbed his forehead with the back of his hand. “God, I can’t believe it’s been twenty-five years.”
    Lane refrained from offering commiserations and waited for the Attorney General to continue.
    “I met my second wife, Allison, eleven years ago. Brittany’s our little girl.”
    Lane nodded and recalled the information he’d been supplied on his way to the scene. “She’s ten.”
    “Yes, Britt turned ten a couple of months ago. As you can see, this photo was also taken a long time ago. I really should update them,” he murmured, almost as an aside.
    Lane sat forward, ready to get down to business. “Tell me what happened this morning.”
    Dowton sighed, his expression troubled. He steepled his fingers and rested his forehead on them, staring down at his desk. He didn’t look up when he spoke.
    “Brittany went to the Westfield Mall today with her friend, Olivia Munro and Olivia’s mother, Ellie. Stepmother, actually,” he corrected.
    “Yes, I know them.”
    The Attorney General lifted his head, momentarily surprised. “Really? They haven’t been in Sydney long.”
    “That’s right, but I’ve known Clayton Munro for years, along with some of his brothers. They’re all in law enforcement.”
    “Oh, then you know him better than I do. Brittany and Olivia became friends only recently. We met through mutual friends. The girls have been spending a lot of time together during the school holidays. I’ve only met Clayton a couple of times. It’s usually Ellie who’s in charge of the play dates. I understand Clayton’s a highly respected profiler with the AFP?”
    “The best in Australia,” Lane agreed, regarding him steadily.
    The