Free JOSH by Delores Fossen Page A

of scam and this had nothing to do with the illegal adoptions or baby farms.
    Jaycee had another look at the photo. “I remember the faces of the dozen or so women I saw come and go while I was there. But Sierra’s face isn’t familiar. What makes you think she was one of the captives?”
    “This.” Bryson reached into his pocket again, but this time he took out a piece of paper. He put it on the table next to the photo. “It’s a ransom demand.”
    That got Josh’s complete attention. To the best of his knowledge, there’d been no demands for any of the other pregnant captives.
    None of them touched the letter, but Grayson, Jaycee and Josh leaned closer to have a better look. It was a typed single page, and it had Bryson’s name at the top.
    “‘If you want to see your newborn baby,’” Josh read aloud, “‘it’ll cost you two hundred grand. Will be in touch tonight with the drop-off details. Don’t go to the cops or the deal’s off.’”
    “I found it on my car windshield yesterday morning,” Bryson explained, “but no one’s contacted me yet.”
    Maybe because the operation had been busted the day before when Jaycee and the others had gotten out.
    “Is it possible that Sierra was one of the women in the house?” Josh asked Jaycee.
    She continued to study the picture. “Maybe. If so, she changed her hair color. All three women in the house were brunettes.” Jaycee drew in a weary breath. “But honestly, I didn’t get a good look at their faces. The only times that I was in the house were for my weekly checkups, and they didn’t let me talk to the other women.”
    Valerie stood, shoving back the chair so fast that it made a shrill scraping noise on the floor. “I can’t sit here and pretend that Sierra’s a victim. Because she’d never be a victim.”
    Clearly, Valerie didn’t have a high opinion of her sister. Josh needed to run that check on both women ASAP, because something about this didn’t feel right.
    “You think Sierra’s behind the ransom demand?” Grayson asked.
    “I do,” Valerie said at the same moment Bryson said, “I’m not so sure.”
    “Bryson’s not sure because he wants that to be his child,” Valerie snapped. “Because he wants an heir.” She pointed at Bryson. “Tell them what Sierra pulled when you broke things off with her. Tell them, ” she repeated when he didn’t answer right away.
    Bryson twisted the button on his shirt cuff before he answered. “Sierra and I used to, well, record ourselves when we had sex. She said it was a turn-on. Anyway, after I broke things off with her, she threatened to release the sex tapes if I didn’t pay her fifty thousand dollars.”
    This woman sounded like a real winner. “You paid her?” Josh asked.
    “No. I hired someone to break into her place and steal the recordings.” His expression turned into a cold glare. “And I’m not apologizing for it, either. My reputation would have been ruined if she’d released them.”
    “Bryson’s married,” Valerie supplied. “In name only, but he’s married to Elise Wells.”
    Josh had known the name before he’d ever read Bryson’s bio. Bryson’s estranged wife wasn’t just rich, Elise had powerful friends. Politicians and community business leaders. And yeah, she wouldn’t have wanted her husband’s sex tapes leaked.
    “Any chance your wife had anything to do with the ransom demand?” Grayson wanted to know. “It could be her way of getting back at you.”
    “Elise isn’t involved in this,” Bryson said without hesitation.
    “But maybe Sierra is,” Valerie said the moment Bryson finished. She looked Grayson right in the eyes. “It’s possible Sierra’s the one who was in charge of that baby farm.”
    Jaycee and Josh exchanged glances. “Any proof of that?” Josh pressed.
    “Only her past behavior. I figure Sierra was plenty angry when she didn’t get the blackmail money from Bryson. That’s about the time she drained the rest of her trust