Page 30 of Daddy Detectives: Episode 1

I want a million dollars in small unmarked bills, or else I’ll take it all to the press.

I have pictures. Lots of pictures.

And trust me, you don’t want them going public.

I’ll send instructions for where to deliver the money.

If you tell anyone, I’ll make sure you regret it.

“Ian? Is everything okay?”

I glance up the drive and see Tyler watching me with concern. I realize I’m standing there frozen, staring at the sheet of paper in my hand. My heart lodges in my throat, and my chest feels like it’s being squeezed in a vice. “Yeah. Fine.” But even I don’t believe me.

Tyler leaves the stroller with Kimi and walks down the drive to meet me. “What’s wrong?”

When he frowns, I realize I’m clutching the paper to my chest.

His suddenly hard gaze searches mine. He’s in detective mode now as he holds out his hand. “Give it to me.”

I hand him the paper, and as he reads it, I look away. Instead I stare at my townhouse, my home for the past decade. I watch a smiling Kimi as she bends over to talk to the babies. They’re probably awake by now and hungry.

Tyler turns the paper around to study the back. Then he takes the envelope from my hand. The note and the address are written in black ink. “Do you have any idea who sent this?”

I shake my head. “No one knows about my birth mother and my past, except for my parents and Layla, but they’d never do this. It was in the news years ago, but I imagine everyone’s forgotten about the salacious coverage.”

Tyler folds the sheet of paper and slips it back into the envelope. “I’ll see if I can get someone to lift fingerprints off this. Besides yours and mine, I mean. As far as evidence goes, it’salready contaminated.” He reaches out to cup my face. “Don’t worry. I’ll get to the bottom of this.”

I’m at a complete loss. “Do you think my mom—I mean mybirth mother—could do something like this? I don’t even know if she’s still alive.”

His hand slides down to mine, and he laces our fingers together. “I don’t know, baby, but I’m sure as hell going to find out.”

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