by Aimée Thurlo
“If I ask Joe, then the Bureau will get officially involved in the kidnapping again. Questions will come up.”
“But not right away. I know a way I can buy us some time.”
“How?”
“State Senator Matt Miller owes me a favor. I finally tracked down his runaway daughter and only charged him for expenses. I even managed to keep the press off his tail and hers. I met him in alleys and parking lots, just so it would never be on the record. He’d be willing to ask the Bureau to loan him their fingerprint expert. They’d honor his request, too, if he says it’s official business, even if he doesn’t give them details.”
Raymond nodded. “Miller’s got a lot of clout. He helped us solve a federal case several months ago involving interstate fraud. Without cooperation from his office, we couldn’t have done it. It should work. And we’re going to need to score a few points soon. That messenger was a dead end. Someone dropped off the package with the exact cash for an in-town delivery, like they’d used them before. No questions were asked.”
“Let’s get going, then. I don’t want to do one more thing for these creeps until I know if they really are the ones who took Carmen or can lead me to her.”
* * *
AMANDA WAITED at her office until she couldn’t stand it any longer. She needed to know the plan. How was she supposed to effectively distract a guard and the workers, as well as any patrons waiting in line? She had to get a look at the layout over at the DMV building.
She picked up her purse and walked over to Bernice’s desk. “I’m going out for a bit. If Tony comes by, tell him I’m on my way to the Department of Motor Vehicles. I need to check out a few things.”
Bernice gave her a searching look. “You’re not going to tell me what’s going on?”
“Not yet. Believe me, it wouldn’t help you to know,” Amanda admitted with a weak smile.
As Amanda drove, she kept glancing in the rearview mirror. This whole situation was making her extraordinarily paranoid. She parked on the north side of the building and tried to force herself to calm down and act natural. If she appeared nervous, the guards would know she was up to something for sure, and they’d watch her like hawks.
Amanda took several deep breaths, then got out of the car. As she started across the parking lot, Tony came rushing up. He was wearing jeans and a drab-colored shirt.
“You’re ahead of schedule. What’s going on?” he whispered.
“I was only going to take a look inside. My distraction’s got to be good, and I want to see where the camera’s positioned.”
“No, it’s better if this is unrehearsed. Let me tell you my plan.”
* * *
BY THE TIME AMANDA walked inside, her palms were sweating and her knees felt like rubber. She needed to act more casual. Learning from Tony that Raymond had only told one official what they’d be doing frightened her. She’d understood why they’d wanted to minimize the risk of a leak, but the operation had taken on a very dangerous edge. If they didn’t pull it off, Tony would be placed under arrest. Though neither of them would go to jail, the next few minutes could determine whether Tony got his child back.
Amanda walked into the ladies’ room, then opened the plastic bag filled with dry ice that Tony had given her. It wasn’t much, but when it hit the toilet water, the room would fill up with what appeared to be smoke. All she had to do then was run out and yell “Fire.”
Amanda dropped the ice into the toilet bowl, and within seconds, thick white vapor began to fill the bathroom. Amanda blocked the path of two women who started to come inside. “There’s a fire in here! It’s everywhere!”
The women rushed out screaming, just as photoelectric sensors triggered a smoke alarm. The high-pitched wail cut right through her ears.
Amanda hurried out, then stood with her back to the wall as people shouted and rushed toward the exit doors. In the midst of the confusion, Tony passed by and shoved the stolen form into her open purse. Quickly, Amanda joined the crowd hurrying toward the south exit.
As Amanda reached the doors, she glanced back. Tony was several feet behind her. Maybe they’d be able to make a clean getaway. She waited outside the building, and as the crowd thinned, she spotted Tony opening the door. Suddenly, two guards built like small mountains appeared and pulled him back inside, pinning Tony against a wall.
Amanda felt her heart twist as she saw Tony being manhandled. She wanted to go back, but she had her own task to complete. Walking to the blue-and-white pickup parked near the side door, she noted that the rear of the vehicle had no license plate. Amanda slipped the paper through the partially opened window and continued across the parking lot.
Chapter Eleven
Amanda returned to the center, barely managing to park her car without hitting the vehicles on either side. Thirty minutes after the theft, her hands were still shaking.
“You look awful,” Bernice said, rushing to her side. “Are you okay?”
“I’ve been better. Have there been any calls for me?”
“No.” Bernice studied her. “I’m going to get you a glass of iced tea. Why don’t you go to your office and sit down?”
Once in her office, Amanda turned on her radio, expecting to hear some coverage of the incident as soon as the hourly news came on. Just as Bernice came in holding a glass of iced tea, the news came on, with the DMV story as the lead item. Tony’s arrest and the diversion created by the dry ice were detailed. The police, the broadcast said, were looking for Tony’s accomplice, possibly a woman.
Bernice stared at Amanda. “Tell me that wasn’t you.”
“If you insist. It wasn’t me. Just don’t hold it against me if it turns out later that I lied.”
Bernice dropped down into a chair, took the iced tea, and began sipping it herself. “Well, at least Tony’s in jail and out of the picture for a while. That hell is over.”
Amanda thought about Bernice’s words. Hell was wanting what you could never have. Right now, her worry for Tony kept her from fully concentrating on even the smallest task. “I hope that after this the kidnappers finally tell him where to find his daughter. He’s put everything on the line to get her back.”
Amanda glanced at the phone, dreading whatever would come next. The kidnappers probably hadn’t expected Tony to be caught. Amanda was afraid that once they learned he was in jail, they’d focus on her to get what they wanted. If they reported her to the state authorities, and no one could find Hope’s adoption records, she was afraid that they would start a search for Hope’s birth parents. If Hope’s birth father came forward, she might lose her daughter to him or even the state.
It was almost time for Amanda to leave for the day when Raymond came into her office. She felt her heart stop. “Has something gone wrong? Where’s Tony?”
“He’ll be out soon. I’m just here to tell you that we’ve verified the footprints, and except for having been taken at a later age, they match Carmen’s. We tried to track down the adoptive parents listed, but the names and address were phony.”
“So the FBI is now officially involved?”
“Sort of. As it turns out, Tony has made some powerful friends over the past few years. By special request, I’ve been loaned out to a state senator, and through him I’m working Tony’s case. The Bureau doesn’t know the specifics of what I’m doing, and won’t for another few weeks. That was the deal that was cut.”
“I’m glad to hear it. Maybe this nightmare will finally end, and the kidnappers will tell Tony where his child is.”
“Tony and I will see to it that they do. That truck you placed the blank license form into could give us some productive leads. Unfortunately, we lost the driver in traffic when he went through a red light, but we have other ways of tracking him down. I’ll let you know when we finish tying things up.” Raymond leaned back and regarded her thoughtfully. “While I was searching the computer files, I came across something very interesting.”
Something in his tone sent a chill up her spin
e. “What?”
“I never quite got a handle on why you were so willing to help Tony,” Raymond explained slowly.
“They threatened my day-care center.” Amanda’s mouth was as dry as the desert sand.
Raymond shrugged. “So you said. But in the course of doing a background search on you, I tried to find Hope’s birth certificate. There wasn’t one filed with the state. You said Hope was born here in New Mexico, right?”
Amanda felt sick. She grasped the arms of her chair, but forced herself to meet Raymond’s eyes. “Am I under investigation now?”
“Not officially.”
“Then why don’t you concentrate on what you’re supposed to be doing? State employees have been known to produce bureaucratic bungles, including misplacing records. If you work at it yourself, I’m sure you’ll find those records. But it’s a waste of precious time. If you want to see my daughter’s birth certificate, ask my lawyer, who is not my ex-husband, by the way, and handle it through him.”
Raymond regarded her unblinkingly for a long time. “That’s not necessary. For now.”
As the federal agent stood up, Tony came into her office. He wore a cowboy hat pulled low over his face, along with a denim shirt and jeans. As he took off the hat, Amanda saw the bruise that covered the left side of his face. His eye was almost swollen shut. Amanda gasped. “What happened?”
“Oh, this?” Tony winced. “I used my eye to prevent the guard’s fist from going through my head. I had to make it look good, you know.”
Raymond shook his head. “You look better than the poor security guard you decked when they tried to cuff you.”
“How did I know he wasn’t trained in hand to hand? He should have blocked my move. I telegraphed the punch.”
“The other guy, the one who finally managed to get the handcuffs on you, must have had a few moves of his own.”
“Yeah, that’s for sure. I think he was feeling insecure after his partner kissed the carpet.”
Amanda stared at them, then threw her hands up in the air. “What is it with you two? That—” she pointed to Tony’s face “—has got to hurt like hell, yet you’re treating it as nothing more than a little macho game!” She shook her head and returned to her desk. “I think you both eat too much red meat,” she muttered.
Raymond laughed and Tony joined him.
“Catch you later, buddy,” Raymond said and headed out the door.
Tony sat down heavily. “Forgive the male posturing. It’s a knee-jerk reaction. If you want to know the truth, it does hurt like hell.” He glanced at the phone. “No news, I take it?”
“Not yet.”
He stood up. “I’m going to see if I can help Raymond track down something on that pickup.”
Amanda blocked his way out the door. “Take care of yourself, Tony,” she implored softly. Standing mere inches from him, she was vibrantly aware of everything about him. She needed him, just as he needed her. Her gaze fell on his hard mouth, then drifted downward. Her body ached with needs only he could fulfill.
“I’ll take care of both of us, Amanda.” He brushed her cheek with the palm of his hand. “Trust me. I know that’s a lot to ask, but I need you to believe in me.”
The plea came from his soul and was mirrored in his eyes. She was shaken by its impact. “I’m not sure I’m capable of that anymore.”
“You have to be willing to risk your heart. If you’re not willing to do that, you’ll be risking even more.”
She looked down the hall as a group of youngsters was being taken single file to the playground. “It’s easy for kids to trust. Once we’re adults, we have more to lose, and it takes longer for wounds to heal.”
“Then reach for the little girl within you. It’s our only hope, my beautiful lady.”
The thought of being his “lady” wove a spell around her, and her skin burned as if branded where he’d caressed her. She wanted to be his, to share in that world of gentle and fiery sensations they’d found with each other.
She stepped back into her office as he left. To accept Tony for herself was one thing, but no matter how much her heart cried out for him, she’d always have Hope to consider. Hope needed a father who was dependable and forthright. Despite everything, she still knew very little about Tony.
Amanda picked up her daughter from the nursery and began the drive home. Hope, oblivious to the actions that had such an impact on her destiny, was in wonderful spirits. She’d made a new friend and nothing seemed more important to her than that. She told Amanda everything about her exciting day.
Then, pausing only to take a breath, Hope switched the topic of conversation. “Mommy, will Tony come over tonight and play? He’s nice. I want him to be my daddy.”
Amanda’s mouth dropped slightly. “Peanut, that’s not very nice. You have a daddy.”
Hope shook her head. “Daddy Ron’s not home. He never comes home anymore, and he never wants to play. Tony wants to be a daddy. He likes to play. He likes you, too, Mommy. Can you ask him if he wants to come over and be my daddy?”
“It doesn’t work that way, Peanut.”
“Why?”
Amanda stared at the road, trying desperately to think of something a three-year-old would understand. “Well, because for him to become your Daddy, he has to be married to me and be my husband.”
“But you like him, Mommy. I can tell.”
Amanda wished she’d changed topics right from the start. Now it was too late. Knowing her daughter, she realized the subject wouldn’t be dropped until she was satisfied with the answer. “It’s a grown-up thing,” Amanda said, falling back on a tried-and-true gambit.
“But he’d be a good daddy,” Hope insisted stubbornly, then started singing a nursery rhyme about making a wish.
Amanda sighed. Sometimes her daughter was three going on thirty.
A short time later, as Amanda walked with Hope to the mailbox, Ricky Biddle came jogging by. Amanda suspected he’d been waiting in some cool shade for them to arrive. His hair was neatly combed, and despite the heat, he didn’t seem to have worked up much of a sweat.
“I saw you at the movie theater the other day. Did you like the movie?”
“It was exciting,” she answered, hoping Ricky wouldn’t expect her to comment on specifics. If her life had depended on it, she wouldn’t have been able to describe one single scene.
“I heard on the radio that Tony Ramos was arrested. I’m really glad you’re rid of him, Amanda.”
Amanda gave him a sharp look. “You shouldn’t judge people you don’t really know, Ricky,” she said firmly. “Rumors are notoriously inaccurate and a lousy way to tell what someone’s really like.” As she said it, she realized how much she’d been guilty of the same thing. She’d passed judgment on Tony before they’d really known each other, all based on innuendo and rumor.
“Let’s not get into an argument,” he said plaintively. “I came to ask you over for a quiet dinner for two.”
Amanda stared at him, surprised he’d speak that way in front of Hope. “Ricky, we’re friends, that’s all. I’d like to keep it at that.”
“Then why have you been sending me all those signals, giving me all those interested looks?” he demanded, suddenly angry.
“What on earth are you talking about? I’ve treated you like a neighbor, that’s all. We hardly ever talk. We both go our own way,” she said, trying to soften the impact of her words.
“I’m not good enough for you to date, is that it? Ramos, that rude bully, is okay, but I’m not? There’s gratitude!”
“Gratitude for what?”
“I’ve always been there when you needed someone. Not that you noticed, or that I care. I’m not anyone’s doormat.”
As he ran off, Amanda stared after Ricky in surprise. Of all the reactions she’d expected from him, that hadn’t been one of them.
“I don’t like Ricky,” Hope said.
“We both agree on that, Peanut.”
Hope tugged at her mother’s ha
nd. “Come on, Mommy. I’m hungry!”
Amanda smiled at Hope as they walked inside the house. “Are you ever not hungry?”
Hope ran to her room to get her toys, oblivious to Amanda’s last comment.
Amanda walked directly to the kitchen. There was one bit of business she intended to take care of before anything else. Searching underneath her kitchen cabinets, she found the bug Tony had placed there.
Amanda stared at the tiny object for a long moment, then dropped it into the garbage disposal and flipped on the switch. There was an awful crunch, then the whine of whirling blades. So much for that. Turning on the faucet, she watched the stream of water flow into the drain. Then she began preparing dinner.
* * *
TWO HOURS LATER, as Hope played before her on the living room rug, Amanda felt a sense of peace. She glanced at the chair across from hers and imagined Tony there. How wonderful if they could have been a real family!
Breaking the thought, she stared at the caller ID by the phone, forcing herself to face reality. With all the problems facing her, here she was daydreaming about playing house. With her daughter, it was cute. With herself, it merited psychotherapy.
Hearing the phone ring, Amanda’s heart leapt to her throat. She glanced at the display and noted the call was being made from a pay phone.
Just then, Hope, eager for something else to do, glanced up at her. “Mommy, can I play dress up? I’ll be careful, promise!”
Amanda nodded. As her daughter left the room, Amanda quickly picked up the telephone.
The electronic voice that greeted her was not cordial this time. “Ramos is trying to find out who we are. You have to divert him. Start interfering with his investigation.”
“Why should I do that? He’s done everything you asked. You’re the ones who aren’t holding up your end of the bargain.”
“I’ve got a news flash for you, Amanda. Hope isn’t legally yours. We didn’t erase the records. They were never there.”
