Fatal Charm

by Aimée Thurlo

“I hope so.”

  “After you finish, can he be my daddy?”

  “Now that’s an idea,” said a masculine voice from the door.

  Amanda turned around and glared at him. “No, but Tony could stay our friend, providing he learns to behave himself.”

  “Is Tony naughty?”

  Tony grinned. “I can be. But your mom sets me straight real fast.”

  Amanda stared at Tony. “Do you mind?”

  “Good night, Hope.” With a chuckle, Tony turned and went back to the living room.

  Hope looked at Amanda. “Mommy, you do like him! I can tell. You’re just teasing.”

  Amanda smiled at Hope. “Let’s keep that our secret, okay?”

  “Okay.” Hope buried her head deeper into the pillow. “‘Night, Mommy.”

  Amanda met Tony back in the living room. “In the future, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t interfere when I’m talking to my daughter in private.”

  Tony felt a stabbing pain somewhere around his heart. If she only knew how little privacy she’d have from now on. He’d left a listening device just beneath the molded edge of her kitchen cabinet. With that in place he’d be able to hear any conversations she had in either the kitchen or the living room. Earlier today, after the bomb threat, he’d placed one on the bottom of her office desk.

  “I guess I’d feel that way, too, if she were mine. Some things are meant to be shared only by family.”

  “Did you get in touch with your friend who owns the security service?” Amanda asked, obviously anxious to get down to business.

  “He’ll have someone there tomorrow. They’ll cover the day-care center as long as you need them. The man he sends will leave a list of references for you, so you can check out their firm.”

  “Thanks.” Amanda sat down on the sofa. “Now what? Did you figure out a way to get the file the kidnappers wanted?”

  “I have it already.” He looked away, unwilling to meet her gaze. Amanda liked playing by the rules, and that was something he seldom did.

  “What have you done?” she asked softly.

  “What I had to,” he said in a clipped tone.

  “I’m not trying to pass judgment on you. I just need to know. Everything you do impacts me directly as long as I’m involved.”

  Tony took a deep breath. “Let’s just say I made the necessary moves. No matter what my relationship with Raymond is, I can’t afford to work with the FBI. What I’m doing is more in line with working around them. I’ve always suspected a leak,” he said, explaining briefly. “I can’t afford to risk it now.”

  “Yet you still miss being an agent, don’t you?” Amanda observed. “It seems like you invested a lot of yourself in your career. It couldn’t have been easy for you to walk away.”

  “I didn’t walk away. I was forced out,” Tony admitted, his voice cold and hard. Amanda could read more into him than he believed possible. That knowledge bothered him. “I called in sick often, following up leads in my search for Carmen. Finally the Bureau chief gave me a choice. Either stop searching for my daughter or leave. That discussion got out of hand fast. Let’s just say that he lost face in front of quite a few agents. When I quit, he took my resignation gladly.”

  “Maybe someday all that can be straightened out.”

  “No. There’s no turning back. Not anymore.” Tony glanced at his watch, then the phone. “I really thought you’d be contacted again tonight, but it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen. I better go now, otherwise my cover as TV repairman won’t hold.”

  After a quick goodbye, Tony walked out and, as nonchalantly as possible, bent over and activated a receiver/recorder inside the thick hedge bordering her home. He did it in one smooth motion and simply continued on into the van.

  The black demons from his past were always there, molding him, forcing him along paths he would never have walked down on his own. He glanced in the rearview mirror at the warm lights of Amanda’s home as he drove away. He was tired of being alone, of having to lie and trick people all the time. But he’d been doing this for so long now—first in undercover work, then on his own—that he wasn’t sure he could be any different.

  Slamming his hand against the steering wheel, he welcomed the night that crowded in around him. Amanda was of the day, a woman who thrived in the sunlight. These days he was more comfortable in the shadows of darkness. It was there he belonged.

  * * *

  AMANDA SAT ON HER SOFA, working absently on a crewel design she’d been given two Christmases ago. Someday she’d finish it.

  Hope was asleep. The house was quiet. And for once, she shut out all the disturbing thoughts that circled in her mind. Then a car turned into the driveway.

  Hearing Bernice’s familiar knock, five quick raps followed by two, Amanda answered the door. “Come in. Is everything all right?”

  “When I was driving to the supermarket, I saw a TV repair van pulling out of here. If your set’s on the blink, you’re welcome to borrow my portable. Shall I bring it over after I put my groceries away?”

  Amanda started to tell Bernice the truth, but then stopped. The more Bernice knew, the greater the possibility that someone else could find out that Tony had been here. Amanda decided to protect Bernice as best she could. “It’s okay now. It wasn’t a big deal. Hope was kind of upset because the people were green.”

  Bernice laughed. “Well, I can see how that could get annoying.”

  Amanda led Bernice to the kitchen. “How about some cocoa?”

  “Sounds good to me. The groceries will be okay for a little longer.” Bernice opened her purse. “By the way, I went to the library today. I looked for stories about Tony Ramos written at the time his daughter was kidnapped. One article in particular caught my attention.” She slid it across the table toward Amanda.

  Amanda read the headline. Local Fed Fired—Excessive Force Charges Dropped. She scanned the article quickly, aware that the report conflicted with what Tony had told her. The story claimed Tony had attacked a fellow agent and been fired from the Bureau.

  “This doesn’t sound right,” Amanda said.

  “In what way?”

  “It seems to be more innuendo than anything else. Notice how the reporter fails to mention any names except Tony’s? And while he says that his information came from reliable sources, it’s not confirmed by anyone in an official capacity.”

  “The reporter was protecting his informants,” Bernice answered. “Don’t you think it sounds plausible, though, knowing what you do about Tony?”

  Amanda didn’t answer. Tony was unpredictable and stubborn, but he didn’t seem the kind who used violence unless someone used it on him first. But if the article was accurate, then it raised other important questions. If Tony had lied to her about that—something said in conversation and really not that important in the overall scheme of things—what else was he lying about? The more she learned about Tony’s past, the harder it was to trust him. Still, just being around Tony made her feel more alive, more of a woman, than she had in years.

  With a heavy heart, Amanda slid the article back to Bernice. “Thanks for showing this to me.”

  “Keep it. I have a feeling you’ll need it as a reminder from time to time.” Bernice rinsed out her cup. “I better go.”

  Amanda walked her friend to the door and said good-night. After locking up, she went down the hall and listened to the soft breathing coming from her daughter’s room. Amanda peered inside, and saw that Hope was still sleeping peacefully. She was exhausted after a full day of playing at the day-care center and then with Tony. Remembering her daughter’s words, Amanda wondered if Hope was starting to get too attached to Tony. The danger existed—for both of them. As nice as it would have been for Hope to have a real, stay-at-home daddy, Amanda knew it couldn’t be a man like Tony. He loved his own daughter and seemed good with hers, but he wasn’t a domesticated, family-man type. Ignoring the protests of her heart, Amanda went to her empty room.

  Chapter Six
>
  Amanda stood at the kitchen counter, struggling to come awake as she filled the small coffee machine with water and then turned to stir Hope’s oatmeal. Nightmares had kept her up all night. Now it was morning and time to get breakfast for her daughter. Unfortunately, all she wanted to do was crawl back into bed.

  Hearing the telephone ring, she walked into the living room, bypassing the phone in the kitchen. It was probably Bernice needing a ride to work. Her car was, at best, temperamental. Amanda glanced down at the caller ID. The screen indicated a private caller. That meant it wasn’t Bernice. Steeling herself, she picked up the phone.

  Amanda immediately heard the electronically altered voice. Perhaps it was the early morning hour or the silence of the house that made the voice even more ominous, but it took all her willpower to keep her own voice steady. “I know it’s early, dear, so you better take notes,” the caller said, as if speaking to a child. “We’ve decided you’re going to be our courier.”

  “Me?” Amanda’s mouth went dry.

  “That’s right. You. Now listen carefully. You’re to get the file from Ramos and bring it to Las Tiendas Mall at noon today. Go to the west side. There’s a corridor right next to the rest rooms. Bring Ramos’s cellular phone with you and wait there. We’ll contact you.” The line went dead.

  Amanda placed the phone back on the cradle just as Hope ran into the room. “Good morning, Peanut,” she managed, trying to sound cheerful.

  “Mommy, a pretty lady said I can have a new daddy.”

  Amanda groaned softly. “It was just a dream, Peanut.”

  “No, Mommy! She’s my angel. She said it when I was sleeping.”

  Amanda smiled. A few months ago, Bernice had given Hope a print of a guardian angel guiding two children over a bridge. For a while, Hope’s interest in angels had soared, but then, like most children, she’d gone on to other interests.

  “She likes you, Mommy. She told me.”

  “I’m glad.” Amanda worried that perhaps this was Hope’s way of coping with what had been happening. Maybe her daughter wasn’t as oblivious to the dangers surrounding them as she’d thought.

  “Did she tell you who your new daddy will be?” Amanda almost hated the trick question, but if Hope mentioned Tony, then she’d know her daughter was using her imagination to deal with the situation.

  “No, Mommy, but she said we would be happy.”

  Amanda breathed a sigh of relief and went into the kitchen with her daughter. It had just been a dream after all. She placed a bowl of oatmeal on the table in front of Hope. “It’s the way you like it, with fresh strawberries.”

  Amanda picked up the phone. She would have to be careful what she said in front of her daughter, but she had to call Tony and let him know what had happened.

  Tony’s groggy voice greeted her. “Ramos here.”

  “Good morning,” Amanda said. “Hope and I are just having breakfast, but I wanted to let you know that I received a call this morning. The number had been blocked, though.”

  “So much for tracing it, then. Any instructions for the drop?” he asked, instantly alert.

  “Yes. Noon at Las Tiendas Mall. They want me to bring it,” she answered, measuring her words carefully.

  “You mean they want you to deliver the file?”

  “Yes. We’ll have to meet. I’ll call from work to discuss it.”

  “Take the tape with you. I’ll want to hear it. Did the caller ID come up with a number?”

  “No. It just said private number, that’s all.”

  “Okay. See you shortly, then.”

  “Who was that, Mommy?”

  “Just business, Peanut.”

  Amanda replaced the tape with a fresh one and slipped the used one in her purse as she watched Hope finish her breakfast. Looking forward to another day at school, Hope began chattering about the games she’d be playing today with the other kids. More determined than ever to protect her daughter from danger, Amanda mentally prepared herself to face the day.

  * * *

  BY THE TIME AMANDA arrived at the day-care office, Tony was already waiting, disguised as a maintenance man. His hair had been powdered to look almost white, and he was wearing blue workmen’s pants and shirt with a tool belt and harness.

  Despite his change in appearance, his demeanor hadn’t altered. He was pacing back and forth in the reception area like a caged tiger.

  Bernice gave Amanda a frustrated look. “Look what the ill winds blew in,” she said, cocking her head toward Tony. “The maintenance man.”

  “We’re wasting time,” he growled, staring at Amanda.

  As Amanda’s gaze drifted over him, her pulse began to race. Despite his change of hair color, he looked spectacular. His broad shoulders and flat stomach were accentuated by the military-style shirt, making him look fit and ready for physical action. His day-old beard gave him a rugged look she found appealing.

  Forcing herself to ignore her body’s instinctive reaction, Amanda unlocked her office door and led him inside. “What kind of plan have you come up with?” she asked, shutting the door as he crossed the room.

  “First, I’d like to hear the tape.” Tony placed a small tape recorder on her desk. “I brought this in case you don’t have a player here at the center.”

  Amanda took the microcassette from her pocket and placed it into the machine. They both listened to the exchange that had occurred earlier. “I’ve got to tell you, I wasn’t prepared for that at all,” she admitted after the recording ended.

  “I could hear it in your voice.” He exhaled softly. “Do you have a speakerphone?”

  “Sure.”

  “I think we need to have Raymond in on this, and it’ll be easier for us to coordinate if he’s on the speaker while we talk.”

  Amanda dialed the phone number Tony gave her, then when Raymond answered, pressed the button to put him on the speaker. Tony quickly recapped the situation.

  “I was afraid something like this would come up,” Raymond said. “I’m about to leave on another case. I’ve got to back up another agent when he makes an arrest today. I’m sorry I can’t help you. If you’d agree to let me tell the boss what’s going on—”

  “You know that won’t work. Forget it. I’ll handle this on my own.”

  “If you change your mind, let me know. I’ll do whatever I can to find someone else to give you backup.”

  “No chance.”

  Amanda hung up the phone when their conversation abruptly ended. “Do you think it’ll be safe to handle this ourselves?”

  “It’s not the ideal situation, but we’ll be okay. There’s no way I’d want anyone else but Raymond involved. We can handle this if we work together. I’ll give you my cellular and be your backup. We’ll play it by ear, but I’ll be the one who gets...let’s say creative, if it’s necessary. Agreed?”

  “I don’t know....”

  “I’ve got more to lose than you do if something goes wrong, so believe me, I won’t take unnecessary risks. If I blow it, they won’t be back. I think this is a test of sorts, a trial run. They want to see if we’ll both play by their rules. They’ll be watching, giving you last-minute instructions and seeing how we handle it.”

  “No way are you planning to play by anyone’s rules except your own, Tony. I know you that well already. What have you got up your sleeve?”

  Tony reached into a pouch of his leather tool belt. “This is a two-way radio. I have another one. We’ll stay in touch. I’ll follow you to the drop site and when they show, I’ll tail them. With luck, your part in this will be over by this evening.”

  “Even if you catch the kidnappers, they still may not tell you where your daughter is.”

  His eyes turned the color of a moonless night. “They’ll tell me everything, Amanda. Believe me.”

  She did. Tony’s expression was now cold and deadly, and she fought to suppress the shiver she felt building at the base of her spine. She almost pitied the kidnappers when Tony finally got his hands on
them.

  “You won’t see me again this morning, but if anything comes up, call my pager number. I’ll get to a phone. And I’ll be at the rendezvous point. You can count on it.”

  Amanda glanced down at the cellular and the two way radio. Fear slammed into her. “I wasn’t cut out for this kind of work. I’m a teacher, not a spy.”

  “Are you frightened?” he asked softly, reassuringly.

  “Terrified,” she admitted.

  He gave her a quirky half smile. “I think what you need is a distraction.”

  Without warning, he pulled her into his arms, then lowered his mouth to hers. His kiss was hard and hungry. Her body turned into molten wax and her knees threatened to buckle. She could feel the barely leashed power in him. Need, powerful and primitive, demanded she yield to this man. She had to fight to keep her willpower from shattering under the gentle assault.

  “I won’t let anything happen to you. These are my enemies. I’ll deal with them,” he whispered in her ear.

  Amanda stepped away, suppressing yet another shiver that this time his heated breath had sent spiraling through her. The steel-hard determination she’d come to associate with Tony alarmed her. She’d always hated violence, but the underlying darkness she sensed within Tony was the closest she’d ever really come to it. Up to now, the violence in her world had consisted mostly of three-year-olds fighting for a toy.

  She took a deep breath. “I can do whatever’s necessary,” she said, trying to bolster her own courage.

  “I know you can, Mandy.”

  Amanda was startled by the nickname. “My mother was the last person to call me that,” she said, smiling, remembering better days.

  “It suits you somehow. Do you mind if I call you that?”

  “No,” she answered.

  “Good.”

  As he started out the door, she heard him whisper two words. A special warmth ribboned through her, making her heart race. There was no way to be sure, but she could have sworn he’d said “My Mandy.”

  * * *

  AMANDA ARRIVED at the shopping center a bit before noon. Walking confidently—she’d read somewhere that to appear weak invited being victimized—she entered the corridor the kidnappers had selected.