LITMIR.BIZ

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know nothing about. He had one in his surveillance kit in the car. A little gem like that would allow him to hear anything Amanda said, either here or in the adjacent room. A receiver and tape recorder hidden outside in the hedge would ensure it.

      He turned around abruptly and caught the unguarded expression on Amanda’s face. She was frightened and trying hard to keep the lid on her fears. She was doing a pretty good job of it, too. He wondered what was going on inside her head. He had to know what secrets Amanda was keeping locked away—the stakes were too high to allow her any privacy. At the first opportunity, he’d set up his equipment and lay her life bare before him. As he contemplated the thought, it twisted in his mind. Passion sent a furnace blast of heat flashing through him.

      Forcing the distracting thoughts away, he took out a tape recorder from his pocket and made a show of setting it up. He felt Amanda coming up behind him a few minutes later.

      “What good will it do to use that little tape recorder? Surely you can come up with something more sophisticated?”

      “Not without getting the phone company and local law enforcement involved.”

      “You’ve decided not to do that, I take it.”

      “I have a friend in the FBI, my former partner. He’ll help me and keep it unofficial.”

      “Good.” She knew that there was no way he could elicit official help, but this way at least there would be someone there in case the kidnappers turned ugly. “You’re too close to this emotionally, and I have no experience with this kind of thing. It was a bad idea for us to try and handle this on our own.”

      Tony sat down in one of the chairs. “I’ve dealt with this kind of animal before. Bringing the FBI or the police in officially is what will blow it. Believe me, that’s what happened before.” He remained silent, his bitterness hanging between them. Finally he continued. “After my daughter’s disappearance, the kidnappers contacted me within a day. The woman asked me for quite a bit of money. I didn’t have it, but I knew I could raise it one way or the other.

      “While I was getting the money together, I continued to go after them through official channels. I was one hundred percent certain that I would succeed in getting my daughter back. I was well trained, with all the Bureau’s resources at my disposal. But something must have scared them away. They never called me back with instructions for the drop-off, and this is the first time I’ve heard from the woman since.”

      “Did you ever find out why?”

      “I always suspected a leak at the Bureau, though I never did find evidence to support it.” Tony shook his head, then met her gaze. “All I know for sure is that my daughter and my wife, everything that really mattered in my life, vanished. Carmen was only a baby, and it was snowing and very cold that March. I have no idea if Carmen is even alive. There’s no evidence one way or another. This is the chance I’ve been waiting for, and I won’t blow it this time.”

      “I’m fighting for everything I value, too, Tony. If this situation became public knowledge, people would start wondering why the kidnappers chose me as go-between. You certainly did. I’m blameless, but the implications alone would ruin me. Without my income from the day care, I’d have nothing except debts. How could I support my daughter? We need trained people on this job, people who can be trusted and who can find answers fast. We can’t cover all the possibilities alone.”

      “I understand you’re trying to safeguard your livelihood. But what about your husband, if you don’t mind me asking? Wouldn’t he take care of his own daughter?” As he watched Amanda, Tony sensed a battle going on inside her. She wasn’t just afraid of bad publicity.

      “I don’t need Ron, and it’s a good thing. He never comes to see Hope, and he pays only minimal child support. He’s barely spoken to me since the divorce. You see, he didn’t want us to split up. It wasn’t because he loved me or Hope, or even because he wanted us to stay together as a family. It was just that he couldn’t stand the thought of publicly failing at anything. I was the well-dressed, attractive woman he kept on his arm to show off. Not having me there like a trophy hurt his pride.”

      Tony watched her speculatively. She wasn’t asking for his sympathy, despite her bitterness. She was a strong woman. It would take one heck of a man to claim her heart now—she’d encased it so protectively in steel. Yet something told him that she’d be worth the effort. But he had other priorities now. He had to make sure he remained focused on finding the kidnappers. He needed all the information Amanda had, not just what she chose to give him.

      Amanda stood and paced restlessly around the room. Finally she turned around and looked at him directly. “You frighten me, Tony. You want to find your daughter so badly, you’re not going to allow anything to get in your way. I won’t let everything I value become a casualty.”

      Tony nodded. She was right to protect herself. The more he got to know her, the more he liked her. Under different circumstances, they might have been one helluva team. But he couldn’t afford to be a team player. “I will get them, Amanda. I won’t rest until I do.”

      “How about this old partner of yours? How much can he help us now?”

      “He’s going to be involved soon enough, one way or another. I can’t get the file they asked for without his help.”

      Amanda walked to the portable phone on the wall and handed it to Tony. “Call him right now. Ask him to meet you here. If he’s going to get involved, I want to meet him. While you’re doing that, I’ll go check on Hope.”

      Tony dialed Raymond’s number as Amanda walked out of the room. The die had been cast. There was no turning back now.

      * * *

      AFTER AN HOUR OF PLAYING with Hope and putting the whole kidnapping mess out of her mind, Amanda left Hope with her favorite video, a hot dog and fruit salad. This was usually their time together, and she hated leaving her daughter to her own devices. Yet, although she felt guilty, she knew this was the best way to handle the situation. After meeting both men, Amanda had decided she didn’t want Hope to spend much time around either of them. There was a darkness about them that spoke of a side of life where despair and sorrow were always the victor. She was determined to shield her daughter from people who might give her a glimpse into a world no child should know.

      “Sorry to keep running out on you,” she said, returning to the kitchen. Tony’s ex-partner, Raymond Atcitty, a Navaho, appeared almost cherubic, with his round face and slightly protruding belly, but his eyes were hard and cold.

      “There’s a state-of-the-art voice-activated tape recorder attached to your phone now,” Raymond said. “All you have to do is pick up the phone, and it will start recording. We’ll do the same for the one in your office. I’ll also get hold of one of those caller ID machines. Once we find the woman who’s contacting you, your part in this will be over. We’ll take it from there.”

      Tony studied the recording device, then stepped over to join them. “We have your word that you’ll keep this out of official channels?”

      Raymond met his gaze and hesitantly nodded. “For now, I’ll let you call the shots. That’s all I can promise.”

      Tony shot him an icy glare. “For as long as it takes.”

      Raymond didn’t answer.

      Amanda watched the Navaho. She had a feeling Raymond would blow the whistle if he felt that either Hope or she was threatened. She took comfort in that thought. Where Tony had an edge that came from his lawlessness, Raymond was methodical and, from all appearances, a careful man who did not believe in taking unnecessary chances. Protecting and serving the public seemed to be far more than mere words to him.

      “We’ll be leaving now, Amanda, but don’t worry,” Tony said, “I’ve left a card on your counter with my home number and address, my pager number and my cellular. If you need to talk, just pick up the phone.”

      Raymond walked back into the room. “Let me show you one more thing. You need to know

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