Fatal Charm

by Aimée Thurlo

  “You’re crazy. I was married to an attorney. He filed those papers.”

  “No, he didn’t. He was afraid of getting arrested and disbarred. The adoption papers your sister-in-law signed contained the signature of Hope’s birth father. But his signature was forged, because he was never told about the baby or the adoption. Think back. You’ll know I’m right. We can make sure that Hope’s birth father will show up and invalidate the adoption. Then your daughter will be taken away from you so fast you’ll never know what hit you.”

  Amanda’s stomach knotted and her flesh became covered with goose bumps. She’d never looked that closely at the adoption papers, trusting Ron to take care of the legalities. Searching her memory, she tried to remember everything she could. She recalled that Hope’s birth father had moved, but she’d assumed Ron’s sister had located him long enough to get the signature. If that wasn’t the case, and the kidnappers could prove it, the entire adoption might be invalidated.

  “I’ll do what you ask,” Amanda said weakly.

  “Good girl,” the electronic voice praised, then the line was disconnected.

  Amanda now understood more than ever why the kidnappers had chosen to deal with her. She was the ideal contact since they had the perfect leverage.

  As she erased the taped message, Amanda realized just how deep into trouble she was getting. She couldn’t expect Tony to trust her if she lied to him. Yet the last thing she wanted was for anyone else to suspect Hope’s adoption hadn’t been legal.

  Amanda stared at the phone. Although she had no wish to confront Ron, she had to know the truth. There were so many questions she needed him to answer. Had he forged that signature himself or taken it to someone else? Were some of the other papers forged, too? She remembered how thrilled she’d been when he’d brought Hope home only days after telling her about the child. She’d seen it as a blessing at the time. Now, except for the love she shared with Hope, it all seemed to have become a nightmare.

  Amanda picked up the phone to call Ron, then set it down again quickly. She was terrified of finding out that Hope wasn’t legally hers, that it had all been a sham. If that were the case, and she confronted Ron, he’d be sure to try to cover his tracks. With everything else going on, and with her life under such close scrutiny by whoever was behind the threats, it was very possible things would break wide open. Once others knew, it would only be a matter of time before Hope would be taken from her, and there’d be nothing she could do about it.

  Amanda sat up when she heard the doorbell ring. Nervously, she peeked out the window. It was Tony in his repairman’s disguise again. As soon as she opened the door, he walked inside. “What’s been going on?”

  Panic swelled within her, but she struggled to keep her thoughts clear. She knew exactly what she had to say and the words came out automatically. “Tony, things are getting out of hand. I need to trust you, but I’m not sure I can. The truth is I know very little about you. Do you realize I don’t even know how you make a living? A few cases here and there surely isn’t enough to account for the large sums it takes to pay off informants. Yet you always seem to have enough.”

  Tony sat down in one of her chairs and looked across the room, staring at the books on a shelf. Finally he spoke. “Most of the money I’ve been using comes from a sizable trust left to Lynn by her father. That fund should have gone to Carmen, but I’ve been using it to stay afloat while I searched for her. I’ve hated doing that, believe me, but I had no choice. All the money and time I’ve had has been used searching for my child.”

  Amanda nodded. “I can understand that, more than you know.” She picked up a photo of Hope from her coffee table. “All I ever wanted was a family. I never knew my dad, and my mother died when I was ten. I was raised in foster homes. I remember saving up and buying a pretty ceramic cottage. In my mind, I pictured all the rooms and what the furnishings were like. I knew some day I’d have a home where I’d be needed and wanted, a place filled with children.

  “But my dreams have never really come true. Ron couldn’t father a child, and he only adopted, I think, in order to cover that fact. Ron never wanted Hope, or the real me. He wanted a woman he could show off at parties, one who would look good in a photo on his desk. When all was said and done, I had to accept that my daughter would also grow up without a father. But I found my own strengths and gave Hope a home and surrounded her with love. She, at least, was mine. Then after I got that crazy phone call with a message for you, it turned everything upside down.” Amanda shook her head. “Nothing could ever have prepared me for that call. I don’t know...maybe dreams aren’t meant to come true.”

  Tony came up and placed his hand on her shoulder. “No one can take Hope away from you. She’s your child. What’s the problem?”

  Amanda realized the time for full disclosure had come. Halfway measures were no longer good enough. When everything was at stake, everything had to be given away. She took a deep breath and proceeded to tell him about the latest threat made to her. She even admitted erasing the tape. “If you go after your child, I’ll lose mine,” she said, moving away from him.

  Tony considered what she’d told him for a long moment. “If they know the adoption wasn’t legal, they’ll use that whenever it suits them. You have to concentrate on the real threat facing you, Amanda, and I’m not it. If we work together, we may both end up with our kids.”

  Amanda met his gaze. The honesty and courage shining there wrapped itself around her, filling her and pushing away her fear. A genuine alliance with a man thought of as dangerous by his enemies didn’t seem so bad all of a sudden. And even more importantly, for the first time, she didn’t feel so utterly alone.

  “I don’t know how to protect Hope,” she admitted.

  “First of all, you’ve got to get her out of town, someplace where no one would know where to find her.”

  “Out of town? Are you crazy? My daughter belongs with me!”

  “Even if that’s not the safest place for her?”

  Amanda’s shoulders slumped. “There’s only one person I’d trust with Hope. Bernice.”

  “Too obvious.”

  “That’s the best I can do.”

  “Then call Bernice,” he said. “Ask her to come over. Maybe she has a suggestion.”

  Amanda made a quick phone call and ten minutes later Bernice arrived. She gave Tony a hostile glance, then looked at Amanda with concern. “What’s going on?”

  Amanda gave her the highlights quickly. “So Tony seems to think that Hope would be better off someplace else for now.”

  Bernice nodded slowly. “Unlikely as it may seem, I agree. But I know of only one place where she’d be as safe as she is with you or me.”

  “Where?”

  “My sister Miriam’s. You and I took Hope there once and she loved it. She spent all her time watching the horses and cows.”

  “I remember. The farm’s about an hour from here, east of Galisteo. It’s in a very remote area, if I recall correctly.”

  “You do. It’s a hard place to find, even when you’ve been there before.”

  Amanda nodded. “Even with a map, we ended up lost in the middle of nowhere—twice!”

  “It sounds perfect,” Tony said, then turned to Bernice. “Do you think your sister would be willing to put Hope up for a few days?”

  “She’d love it. Miriam has no more kids at home, and that kind of place just cries out for children.” Bernice gave Amanda a hug. “I know this is very hard for you, but Hope will be safe there. I’ll even leave Winston with her as added insurance. That dog won’t leave her side and nobody will be able to get near her unless Winston knows them.”

  A wave of anguish engulfed Amanda. What she’d feared most was losing Hope, and now, in order to keep her safe, she had to send her baby away. Her heart was slowly breaking into a million pieces.

  “All right,” Amanda said at last. “I’ll tell her I’ve got to go away on business for a few days and we’ve arranged for a special trea
t for her.”

  Bernice put her arm around Amanda’s shoulders. “I realize how hard this is for you. I don’t think you’ve been away from Hope for more than a night since she was born. But you’re doing the right thing. She’ll be safe at Miriam’s.”

  “Yes, but it does hurt. She should be safest with me.” Amanda’s voice was barely a whisper. Dread chilled her soul as she thought ahead to the nights when the house would echo with silence.

  “It will all be over soon, Amanda. I promise. This will end,” Tony said, conviction in his tone.

  “Shall I arrange for this tonight?” Bernice asked.

  “Yes,” Tony answered. “We’ll smuggle Hope out of town immediately.”

  Amanda took a long, deep breath. “I can sneak Hope out and drive her to the ranch as soon as Bernice checks with her sister. It won’t take me long to pack up Hope’s things.”

  “It’s a good plan. We’ll make sure it works,” Tony said. “I’ll follow along well behind you, Amanda, but I’ll be there to make sure nobody tails you. Give me about an hour, though, to get some different wheels. In case I need it, I want something with a more powerful engine than my pickup.”

  Amanda nodded her agreement. So much had separated them in the past, but this time they were in perfect accord. Both were parents, fighting for their children. Amanda saw the understanding that flickered in his eyes, and her heart reached out to his.

  Bernice cleared her throat. “I’ll call Miriam now. She’ll be happy to take care of Hope, believe me.” She headed for the kitchen.

  Tony joined Amanda by the window. Placing one hand on her shoulder, he slowly turned her around. “With all that’s going on, I may not be a good role model for any child at this point in my life, Amanda, but I do care about you, and I care about Hope. You can trust in that completely. I know the streets, and I know criminals, maybe far too well for your tastes. But right now, that knowledge is exactly what you need in your corner.”

  She suppressed a shiver. Tony could be ruthless, but to fight the kidnappers, she’d need him there beside her. Since the day when Ron had placed that tiny little girl in her arms, Amanda had stopped defining herself as one person. Hope had claimed a place in her heart so thoroughly that she couldn’t even imagine how she’d ever gotten by without her. A few times she’d entertained the thought of adopting a second child, but Amanda wasn’t sure she could ever love a second child as much as she loved Hope.

  Yet now she was being asked to send her little girl away because she was no longer capable of keeping her safe. Her heart breaking, she prepared to do what she had to for the safety of her child.

  * * *

  AMANDA DROVE CAREFULLY as she headed out of town with her daughter. Once she hit an empty stretch of highway, she noticed a blue sedan in the distance behind her. Tony would guard them well.

  As they traveled down the highway, Hope was full of questions. Hiding the truth from her child would be the hardest task of all.

  “Mommy, I want to go with you! Why can’t I go?”

  “Peanut, I’ll be away a very short time, and I’ll call you often, I promise. Besides, you’re going to love being at Miriam’s.”

  “Can I help feed the ponies?”

  Amanda swallowed back her tears, determined not to break down in front of her daughter. “I’m sure you can. And you know what? Winston will be coming out to stay with you, too.”

  “Yay!”

  Amanda sang nursery rhymes along with Hope, helping pass the time. They arrived an hour later. Despite everything, to Amanda it seemed as if the time had sped by much too quickly.

  Amanda took Hope to Miriam, who sat waiting for them on the porch swing. Hope suddenly spotted the horses in the corral and dashed to the end of the porch for a better view.

  “Mommy, look! Big ponies!”

  Miriam laughed. “We don’t have the ponies anymore, Hope, but we do have some mares. You’ll like old Betsy, I’ll bet. She’s the chestnut horse with the white socks. She’ll happily carry you around the arena as often as you want.”

  Amanda glanced at Miriam. “Are you sure it’s safe?”

  “Betsy carries my grandkids. She’s steady as a rock. Of course, I’ll be leading her around. It’s not as if I’m turning the mare over to a three-year-old,” she said with a laugh. “Don’t worry, Amanda. Hope will be well taken care of.”

  Hope watched as a mare nuzzled her foal. “Mommy, look at the baby horse!”

  Amanda nodded, not trusting herself to speak. “Make sure nothing happens to my little girl,” she said, looking over at Miriam.

  “I will.” Miriam lowered her voice. “Bernice didn’t tell me much, except that you’re in some kind of trouble. I’ll make very sure Hope is safe. Nothing will harm her here. Don’t worry.”

  Amanda gave Hope one last hug and kiss and watched as her daughter walked with Miriam to the corral. Hope’s attention was riveted on the colt. Knowing her daughter would be all right, Amanda left and reached the highway a half hour later. Glancing around, she searched for Tony, but he was nowhere to be found. Then, as she rounded a curve, she spotted his sedan parked on the hillside opposite the road. He’d chosen well. From there, he could see for miles.

  Secure in the knowledge she hadn’t been followed, Amanda returned to the city. As they approached a rest stop by the road, Tony closed the gap between them. The highway was deserted as the shadows of evening covered the area. Tony came up from behind her vehicle and pointed to his left. Amanda pulled in next to a cluster of picnic tables, and Tony followed her in.

  “We have to talk,” he said, sitting down beside her. “I need to get Hope’s adoption papers from you, Mandy. Maybe I can track down some leads with them. Most forgers leave telltale signs that can be traced back to their previous work. Could be anything from the brand of paper to inks and typefaces.”

  Amanda hesitated. “I can give you any information you need.”

  “I won’t turn you in. Surely you know that by now, Mandy. My concern is getting Carmen back, not taking Hope away from you.”

  Amanda nodded slowly. “All right. I’ll let you see them, but it’s too late today. I’ll have to stop by my safe-deposit box. I don’t keep those papers in my home.”

  “To the best of your knowledge, was Ron ever involved in anything illegal?”

  “I truly don’t know. Ron never talked to me about business.”

  Tony looked at his watch. “I’ve got an appointment with a contact tomorrow. She’s learned of a counterfeiters’ ring that’s operating in this area, providing documents and IDs to anyone who can meet their price. If you can get the adoption papers while I’m talking to my informant, we can meet afterward and I’ll take them to be checked out by experts.”

  “I’ll let you see the papers, study them, and do whatever you need, but I’m not turning them over to you. Raymond is now involved in this case. If there is something wrong with the adoption papers, he probably wouldn’t hesitate to set things in motion that could cost me my daughter. I can’t risk that.”

  “I don’t have to turn the papers over to him.”

  “Then you won’t mind that they stay in my possession. It’s non-negotiable, Tony.”

  “All right.”

  “You will need me along when you question people about the counterfeiters, though. I’m acquainted with those adoption papers. If what makes Hope’s papers forgeries entails more than a phony signature, something more along the lines of a certain type of seal, for example, that means this was more than a one-shot deal with Ron. If he’s involved in a major way, then there’s a chance I may have overheard something I didn’t consider important at the time, or I might have seen something that could help you.”

  Tony nodded. “Sounds reasonable. You’re in, then. I’ll follow you back to your place. Try to get some sleep. I’m going to take care of a few details, like dropping by Raymond’s to see if he’s learned anything new, then hit the sack myself. I’ll be by in the morning to pick you up. We’ll ride together
.”

  * * *

  THE NEXT MORNING Tony drove across town with Amanda. “This meeting is going to be out in the open,” he said. “It’s the only way I could get K.T. to meet me. K.T. is into a variety of scams and always keeps an ear open to what’s happening in this town. She’s one of my best informants.”

  “There’s nothing on this road except an old cemetery,” Amanda said, looking around.

  “I know. She said that it was the perfect place. It would remind us both what people did to informants.”

  Amanda suppressed a shudder. “How will she react to my presence?”

  “She knows who you are. That bomb scare at the day-care center got a lot of attention. I don’t think she’ll clam up on me.”

  They parked just off the cemetery grounds, then walked in through an old wooden gate in the long, low adobe wall. Amanda noticed a small crowd of mourners leaving a graveside service. “What’s she look like?”

  Tony gestured to his left. “She’s right over there.” He called Amanda’s attention to a young woman with long, dark hair and sunglasses. Her long black skirt and conservative blouse made her blend in easily with the mourners.

  The woman took a step back as they approached, then glanced behind them. “What are you trying to pull, Ramos?” K.T. asked, her voice taut.

  “You know who this is. She’s helping me.”

  “Yes, I know who she is,” the woman admitted. She gave Amanda a probing, speculative gaze. “From what I hear, you’ve also got everything on the line.”

  “What have you heard?” Amanda asked.

  “Rumors mostly, that claim you were one of their first clients.” She shrugged. “But this was just gossip, nothing more.”

  “Get to the point, K.T. We’re pretty much out in the open here,” Tony growled, his gaze darting around. “Have you got something worth the price or not?” He reached into his pocket and brought out a roll of bills.

  “Oh, I think you’ll definitely like this.” K.T. reached into the pocket of her skirt and brought out a sheet of carefully folded paper.

  Tony scanned it. “It’s a birth certificate and a social-security number for a Jeremy Robertson. So what?”